Leader
Unclaimed money
There's a frightening amount of money unclaimed and awaiting collection, about $458 million at last count. Are you one of the 500,000 Australians who’s owed something? Find out here. 
How to write a mission statement
This video by Dan Heath over at Fast Company shows you exactly how the mission statement of a small business goes from tasty to terrible in one brainstorming session.
Just how much are meetings costing you?
This basic, but very effective tool easily gives you the answer. Simply tell it how many people are in attendance, their daily rate and the clock starts ticking. Very, very scary! 
Any procrastinating writers here?
Thought so. This little site is a corker. Select how many words you're trying to write, your deadline and punishment mode and you'll get some pretty sharp reminders if you start to slack off. 
Need a financial health check?
Superannuation advice, budget planners and tips for saving are all on offer at the Understanding Money website. This Government operated site provides real back to basics information on how to, err, understand money. 
Font of all knowledge
Not sure what your default font should be? This site is sure to help. Simply paste in some text, choose from hundreds of different fonts and take your pick! 
Feeling demotivated?
The motivation industry has had its day in the sun. How's this for a contradictory view? Despair.com's demotivators claim to 'increase success by lowering expectations.'
Office pod
We want one. Well half a dozen, actually. These office pods have got to be the coolest little workspaces we’ve seen. They look so yummy in the garden.
18 smokin' hot business cards
If you’re just starting up or looking to redesign your business cards, here is a wealth of inspiration from our friends at Freelance Switch.
Wordle on the street
This cool free tool at www.Wordle.net generates funky looking word clouds based on your website or selected text. You can even try different colour schemes and layouts.
Hot or cold?
Stay up to date with the climate debate on this site. Great for those pro action and sceptics, it lists calls to action and dissenting voices from around the world.
Are you free?
If you struggle getting small groups of people together for a meeting, this little gizmo may help. It certainly saves on the email tennis.
Get help from the crowd
The Flying Solo forums are where you can talk and network freely. If you're looking for help, seeking a referral, or just itching to share some news or knowledge, there's a mob of supporters here.
Someone trying to empty your pockets?
SCAMwatch will help you recognise, report and protect yourself from scams that target you or your small business.
Want to get your articles out there?
ArticlePR features a free list of article submission sites or article banks, to which you can submit your articles in order for them to be distributed far and wide.
Keep it simple, silly
More often than not, a soloist’s life is about multi tasking and coping with complexity. If this sounds like you, our friends at Freelance Switch have some worthwhile tips: 10 Ways to Simplify Your Freelance Life.
Calling all Flying Solo fans!
If you're an active networker or involved in any small business groups, we'd love you to get involved in our snappy little promotional program. Find out more. 
Who's following you?
Twitter fans may like Twittersheep, which tells you which kinds of folk are following you. Give it a go! 
When it all gets too much
When it all gets too much. A big thanks to web developer, Simon for this little gem. Apparently it’s where he heads when clients drive him nuts.
Save (on) your energy
Make It Cheaper provides a free service that helps you ditch and switch energy providers. There’s a handy blog with money saving tips, too.
Have you read our manifesto?
If you've yet to read Flying Solo the book, have a read of the Soloist's Manifesto to get a feel for what it's about. Alternatively, browse some reader reviews.
Anatomy of Australia’s micro business owner
Flying Solo’s Understanding Micro Business, 2010-2011 – Australia’s largest micro business survey takes the pulse of this critical business sector. Download the results now.
Get projects over the line
If you admire 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' (and who wouldn't?) and recognise you need some assistance to get over the finish line, this online goal tracker may well appeal.
Text for dummies
Ever wondered where to find that dummy text used by designers? The answer is here. Given it's a practice that's been around since the 1500s, this may not be the original source!
Impress your TED friends
There's no doubt that TED is a wonderful resource and we love it, but FORA is pretty awesome too. Enjoy a short movie with your morning tea.
Please help us spread the word!
If you enjoy your time on Flying Solo, you may like to tell others. Here are a number of ways you can do just that. The larger we get, the greater the combined wisdom. Thanks!
What say you?
Become a member
Join Flying Solo and start promoting your business in our member directory; post comments on articles and dive into the lively forum discussions. It's quick, free and easy. Join the community now!
Profile | Robyn Haydon
Robyn Haydon
Robyn loves what most people hate; writing tender responses, pitch documents and sales proposals. Robyn started her own consultancy, Winning Words, in 2001, capitalising on a career in senior industrial sales and marketing roles. Her services are constantly in demand with good reason; she has helped her clients to win and retain hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business and to be shortlisted for widely advertised and competitive tenders.
Robyn is a respected speaker and author on sales and marketing topics. Her first book, The Shredder Test - The Australian Guide to Writing Winning Proposals, was published in May 2007 and her articles have also been published by the Australian Institute of Marketing, the British Association of Communicators in Business, the Australian Professional Services Marketing Association and MarketingProfs.com.
How you sell is becoming as important as what you sell - Barry Trailer, CSO Insights
Articles by Robyn
Advice for entering small business awards
01 Feb 09Robyn HaydonA business award is a publicity bonanza for the lucky winners, with many reaping huge benefits such as cash injections, interest from potential business partners and more customers. So how do you go about getting on a small business awards shortlist? Read more
Comments: 66 ways to weather an economic downturn
14 Sep 08Robyn HaydonUnless you have been living under a rock you will realise that Australia is in the grip of an economic downturn. Yet according to a Flying Solo poll, most of us see negative talk on the business outlook as ‘boring’ or nothing to worry about. Read more
Comments: 8Renewing passion for your business
10 Aug 08Robyn HaydonFor a soloist, ‘working on your business’ inevitably means working on yourself, something I realised had not been a priority. In this article I discuss ways you can renew passion for your business. Read more
Comments: 11Boost referrals with a memorable introduction
02 Mar 08Robyn HaydonPositive word-of-mouth is the main source of new business for many soloists, and networking is a good way to build it. But people have to remember you to refer clients, so how you introduce yourself to people you meet is important to boost referrals. Read more
Comments: 28Why specialist positioning matters
24 Jan 08Robyn HaydonTypically, the smaller a business is, the more important it is to specialise, and you can’t get much smaller than solo. For a soloist, specialist positioning is a powerful target marketing and business management tool. Read more
Comments: 8Pricing strategies: Deciding on price setting
09 Oct 07Robyn HaydonPrice setting is tricky for new soloists to master. Do you charge on a project, daily or hourly basis? Do you base your pricing startegies on what others charge, what you’d like to earn or what you think the market and/or prospect will bear? Read more
Comments: 16Nine tips for improving negotiation skills
09 Oct 07Robyn HaydonProfessional salespeople love negotiation, but many soloists are more comfortable doing their job rather than negotiating about it. Here are nine tips for improving your negotiation skills. Read more
Comments: 11Choosing the right customers
06 Sep 07Robyn HaydonMost of us see the decision to buy as the customer’s. But us soloists are, to a degree, defined by who we do business with, so our part in the decision is equally important. This short exercise will help you to focus on choosing the right customers. Read more
Comments: 5Join the community! It’s free.
Flying Solo is Australia’s micro business community, where thousands of business owners connect, support and network. Become a member today and join in the fun!
You’ll get to:
- Learn from 900+ expert articles, updated daily, on topics including startup, marketing, working smarter, living smarter, technology and finance.
- Share your thoughts and experiences by posting comments on articles and getting involved in our forum discussions.
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- Network through our Flying Solo LIVE! events and meetups where you can connect with like-minded independent business people.
Join us today for a Free Membership or find out more about Profile Membership.