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Build Your Business
Second in a three-part series
In the first installment, we discussed writing a mission statement for your business, developing a business plan, and figuring out gross income. Now we have to account for expenses you're likely to incur.
If you are presenting only a few workshops a year and they are an avocation for you (you are retired, you have a mate sharing support, you are independently wealthy, etc.), you do not need to subtract the cost of business. For instance, your office space and telephone can simply be a contribution from you. In a very small venture--especially an avocational one, this is a viable option.
However, if you are focused on leading lifewriting workshops as an integral part of your income production, you must estimate the costs of the business.
Have you figured the cost of the phone line?
How much will it cost to update your skills to perform at maximum excellence level? Will you expect the company to pay for that?
How much will office supplies cost? Postage? Mileage to and from each workshop site?
The cost of buying a Soleil Lifestory Network Basic Support Package needs to figure in--as do memberships in professional organizations. (In addition to the Soleil Lifestory Network, you should join the Association of Personal Historians if you have not done so already).
How much office time are you spending generating publicity? What is your minimum salary requirement ("I will not work for less than $X/hour.") Are you meeting that salary requirement? Remember: you must pay yourself not only for your workshop hours but also for the preparation time. (See the Soleil Lifestory Network Publicity Template disk (part of the Affiliate Teacher Package) for the turn-key publicity materials you can quickly adapt to your local needs. Why reinvent the wheel?)
After deducting these and other expenses, what you have left is your NET INCOME. If your income goal was $10,000 per year, then you must have $10,000 left after you meet expenses. Otherwise, you cannot say you earned $10,000. You merely grossed it.
Workshops will not materialize by themselves. Among the steps to take:
List the venues you must successfully line up in order to deliver the number of workshops that will meet your stated income goal. (Remember: your planning is based on the income you wish to make.) BEGIN CALLING VENUES ON YOUR LIST TODAY. (See Soleil Lifestory Presenter's Manual for notes on working successfully with venues.) Keep calling a venue until you have an agreement to present a workshop in your time frame--or, alas, a definite no.
Evaluate your current per-participant fee to determine if it is sufficient to achieve your income goal. Are you undercharging? (See Soleil Lifestory Presenter's Manual for notes on assessing income and suggestions for being sensitive to participant financial needs without ignoring your own.)
Identify the aspect of your work that is most difficult for you. For many lifewriting leaders, it is outreach and publicity. Do not put these tasks off. Include in your plan how you will resolve or cope with difficult tasks. Use affirmations if necessary. Approach the challenge head-on!
What resources are available to increase you workshop attendance? How will you tap into these resources? For instance, retirement community directors might send you students. Or there might be local clubs whose members are naturals for your business. Do you have flyers at obvious community places and free calendar-of-events listings?
If you need to present nine workshops next year (according to the above plan), you would do well to line up 10 or 11. This is "insurance" in case one is under-enrolled or something happens at the facility and a cancellation is necessary. In the event all your workshops come through, you will have greatly exceeded your income goals!
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