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 | Mary Morel
Mary Morel
Mary's been making a living from words all her working life - as a teacher, freelance writer, facilitator, speaker and consultant. She's been a soloist most of that time having made the decision years ago to work around her children. Now the children are grown (and almost gone), she just likes the lifestyle.
The author of two small business marketing books Promote Your Business: How to write effective marketing material for your small business and Talk Up Your Business, Mary has a new book Write to Govern in the pipeline. She’s also developed three online training programs on grammar, business writing and promotional writing.
Mary writes a monthly e-newsletter, Factorial, about writing, grammar and marketing.
The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon - Robert Cormier, US author
Articles by Mary
The correct use of commas
28 Apr 10Mary MorelCommas aid clarity, prevent ambiguity and indicate where you need to pause. Often you can tell if you need a comma by reading your work out loud. Here we look at the correct use of commas. Read more
Comments: 11Punctuation rules: Correct use of apostrophes
25 Dec 09Mary MorelWith so many different punctuation rules that need to be followed when writing the English language, it can sometimes get confusing. This article outlines the correct use of apostrophes. Read more
Comments: 30Storytelling in marketing
13 Oct 09Mary MorelWe all love a good story, so how can we use storytelling in marketing material? It’s easier to tell stories when face-to-face with a prospect, but we can also use some storytelling concepts in our written marketing material. Read more
Comments: 3Business writing: How to tidy up sentences
10 May 09Mary MorelDo you want to express yourself better in your business writing? Then tidy up your sentences. Looking closely at sentence length and structure will help make your words work for you. Read more
Comments: 4Tips for writing marketing material
22 Mar 09Mary MorelAs soloists, most of us have to write our own marketing material whether or not we enjoy writing. Often we’re so busy thinking about what we want to say that we lose sight of our audience. Even experienced writers can fall into this trap. Read more
Comments: 4Styles in modern business writing
20 Nov 08Mary MorelFirst impressions count and we usually judge a piece of business writing on its visual appearance before we’ve even read a word. Read more
Comments: 8Tips for self-editing and proofreading
04 Sep 08Mary MorelAs most soloists can’t afford to pay a proofreader to edit their writing, the occasional typo is inevitable. However, to make sure your final copy is as good as possible, here are some tips for self-editing and proofreading. Read more
Comments: 18Join 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.
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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.