Small Business Newsletter: Flying Solo’s Soapbox
Welcome to the home of Soapbox, Flying Solo’s solo and small business email newsletter
which provides a weekly jolt of soloist wisdom along with links to our latest articles on running your own business.
Don’t miss out on the action! Join over 14,000 business owners and subscribe free now.
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Here, you can browse past editions and join lively discussions on a wide range of topics related to starting, growing
and running your own small business.
Soapbox articles
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If you regularly worry that you’re missing the boat on some new innovation, or get rattled by the continual brilliance of others, rest assured, you’re not alone.
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You’ve worked hard, built up a good customer base and established a profitable niche for your business, but is it actually worth anything? Would anyone buy your business?
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Recently, I met up with two friends, both of whom have secured excellent jobs. Their eyes shone excitedly as they told me about their new roles and I succumbed to an unfamiliar emotion… jealousy.
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Last week, I delivered a workshop in seven regional locations. It was a great reminder of the distinction between an audience and a network.
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In my last newsletter Confessions from an email addict, I spilt the beans on my compulsive email behaviours. Despite some frank self talk and bold promises, I’m sorry to report that my email addiction continues.
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Regular readers will know I’m something of a customer service freak. My most recent experience has got me thinking about business ethics.
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Not so long ago, some 70 business people gathered to hear me talk. Unfortunately I was still in my pyjamas and more than 500km away. It turned out to be a great event.
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When I woke up the other morning at 3am to go to the bathroom, I thought it would be a routine pit stop. How wrong I was. Seeing the office door ajar, I quietly crept in and did the unthinkable.
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Procrastination, like time management, is an old chestnut, isn’t it? But I’ve had a revelation in this department recently so please excuse me while I revisit this clichéd subject.
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Your day at the office has been spent in meetings, then you battle rush hour traffic to get home. On the front porch, your smiling spouse greets you with “How was your day, dear?” Familiar? No, didn’t think so.
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In our newsletters, we often talk about the importance of celebrating victories. This week, we’re going to give ourselves, and you, a pat on the back for the success of our online forums.
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The journey to soloism doesn’t always start with a well planned jump. Mine began with a firm push, courtesy of my last boss, who was in fact the last boss I had, or will ever have with any luck.
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Having started my first business as the last recession took hold, I have some strangely positive recollections. Like how the marketplace rids itself of businesses that frankly never deserved to be there.
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Meetings, deadlines, multi-tasking, smart phones, caffeine and chaos: it seems business is all about busyness. Ask people how they are and you’ll often get “Mate! Busy!”
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I realised how lucky soloists are when having a conversation with a friend who couldn’t decide whether or not to leave her job to pursue her solo business dream.
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In a recent interview in Fortune magazine, management guru Jim Collins, author of business classics Built to Last and Good to Great, discussed what a business needs to thrive through uncertainty.
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People often ask me “What are your favourite articles on Flying Solo?” Okay, people never ask me that, but if they did, here’s what I’d say.
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When we launched our new forum ten days ago, we didn’t expect to have over 900 posts up and running so fast. Numbers aside, it’s what’s being shared that’s really amazing.
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Before our recent live event, I spent my time fretting about mechanics. Will everyone show? Will the audience be able to hear? What flavour are the mini gelato cones? After all we’re forever told it’s the small stuff that matters.
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When faced with questions regarding business evolution or revolution, there can be no one better to counsel than your customers. Your customers will show you how to improve things and help expand your thinking.