Tag Archives: strategy

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Adopt an Adaptability Attitude

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In a business environment experiencing constant turbulence—from both the advantages and downsides associated with the growing use of Artificial Intelligence powered software tools, to political struggles both domestic and international, to marketplace volatility—adaptability has become a prized leadership attribute. Leaders who can exhibit agility, resilience and foresight when yet another upheaval approaches, showing they can lead, and will not be derailed, by the slings and arrows of instability and uncertainty, stand out among their peers and competitors. Adaptability and its pillars—agility, forethought and resilience— have become the foundation for business transformation, innovation and leadership.

Do you consider yourself able to own the fundamentals of adaptability when the ground beneath your feet starts quaking and you’re wondering what your next move should be? Are you are able to steer the ship when big waves are crashing and causing your Freelance entity to rock and roll? Are you able to decipher when you should stay the course and when a pivot seems the better option? The practical definition of adaptability in a business sense may need some clarification. According to Marlo Lyons, an executive, team and career coach who hosts the Work Unscripted podcast, recommends that leaders prepare for 2026 and beyond should:

1) Model change-ready leadership. Among the many disruptive events that have occurred since the mid-20th century, unexpected shifts in national and global business conditions or new technology may appear and gain traction—like mobile phones (Nokia) and music (Walkman)—that impact the way we live and work. The adaptable leader will display behavior that transforms panic into calm as s/he interprets change and unpredictability as manageable challenges rather than a business threat. The adaptable leader shifts into crisis management mode and is prepared to make sound, data-driven decisions that support responsive strategy development while sharing information and rallying team spirit to maintain trust and productivity. Lyons guides her coaching and leadership development clients to “look through the lenses of growth, transformation and risk and align with that perspective and show that you’re thinking like a leader, shift your language from protecting the past to shaping the future.” She points out that responses such as “This is how we’ve always done it” demonstrate a lack of adaptability; it’s a weak excuse and should be avoided by those who aspire to function as an adaptable, effective leader. Try some version of these inquiries—“What might we gain if we reimagine this?” or “What would this look like if we started from scratch today?” Leadership is demonstrated by asking questions that encourage resourcefulness, creativity, strategic thinking, future-proofing and adaptability.

2) Take data-driven risks, be accountable for outcomes.  The adaptable leader possess the emotional intelligence to balance risk-taking, accountability and empathy when the team is struggling from change fatigue and maybe fear as well. Demonstrating empathy means helping people process the discomfort of change and the unknown while maintaining momentum and keeping both hands on the wheel. A leader who doesn’t attempt to gaslight the team and models transparency by acknowledging that change is often unsettling but reassures team members that s/he is there to help everyone maintain equilibrium while traveling through the unknown, able to meet important deadlines and deliver on mission-critical projects—is the prototype of an adaptable leader. Adaptable leaders create psychological safety and encourage performance consistency. The mission of an adaptable leader is to support your people through uncertainty while continuing to hold them to expectations—high-quality work and timely delivery. Empathy keeps stakeholders and team members engaged and accountability keeps everyone moving forward. Leaders who can demonstrate both will earn trust, model EQ and show the team, clients and competitors that you operate as an adaptable leader.

3) Listen, learn and grow. With the rise of AI, leadgen automation and the powerful algorithms of quantum computing, especially when paired with AI, continuous learning in the form of professional development, self-directed and expert-led, is no longer optional. Leaders aspiring to maintain their skill set understand how emerging technologies will impact their teams and the overall organization.

Adaptability and learning agility have become the foundation for business transformation, innovation, and leadership—in a word, excellence. Strengthening and consistently demonstrating your adaptability is an ongoing professional development seminar—and a required course for those who’d like to function as successful leaders in 2026 and beyond. Lyons says that adaptability is linked to the following:

  • Agility

Agility is the ability to not only pivot quickly when priorities shift, but to also bring others along with you—like your team and other stakeholders. It is not always necessary to blindly agree with every suggestion made by superiors or key stakeholders. Agile thinking is a core component of being forward-thinking and viewing change as an opportunity for innovation.

  • Resilience

Resilience means that you’re able to maintain your composure under pressure. Resilience is a characteristic that supports objective thinking, creativity and your personal best performance—while you’re in the midst of an unexpected turbulent event. Leaders who find a calm focus are prepared to manage the situation, starting with the ability to direct their composure to creating psychological safety for those on their team. Subduing fear and panic, as you know, brings both short and long-term benefits, most notably the ability to contribute and work at their personal best along with you, and thus enhancing productivity and loyalty to both you individually and the company. It will pay to be transparent and acknowledge, rather than attempt to deny, the difficulty of the market and the company’s financial challenges and directed team members to focus on whatever it is they can control. A leader’s continuing steadiness will provide clarity and consistency that allowed their team to keep delivering results amid constant disruption.

  • Foresight

Foresight separates reactive, seat-of-the-pants managers from visionary leaders. A prime differentiator between the two is the willingness to recognize that looking beyond whatever performance metrics are observed in the present to anticipate what tomorrow’s challenges could be. More than staying on top of current company performance and studying market data, as well as paying attention to what key competitors are up to—are there any noticeable pivots?—detecting and studying early signs of instability, or significant change, is how to avoid being blindsided. You always want to be positioned to assess potential remedies (or opportunity) and develop the right strategy in response.

But foresight that pertains to market shifts is just part of the equation. Leaders also need to have foresight in technologies innovation and understand the benefits and outcomes that explain the why and wherefor of leveraging them. Leaders who continuously research and map future capability needs, and upskill their teams to understand how and when to use emerging technologies, will demonstrate the strategic foresight and enterprise readiness that illustrate adaptable leadership.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Spencer Platt/Getty Images. Midtown Manhattan July 29, 2025.

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Client Relationship Building 2025: 10 Holiday Gifts @ $40 or Less

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The December holiday season presents an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to your clients that you appreciate the value they bring to your business. In fact, it can be argued successfully that your clients are your business—what would you have without them? Not billable hours and revenue, that’s for sure! Can we agree that in the waning days of November, Freelance professionals have some shopping to do, no matter how modest your budget? No Freelancer can let this occasion pass without showing gratitude for the business clients have done with you—and subtly encourage them to contact you in the new year and make a referral or two, as well.

In our hypercompetitive B2B marketplace, where buyer expectations continue to rise, it was found that78% of companies reported that thoughtful December holiday gifts given to clients improve their retention rates and promote stronger business relationships. It was also found that approximately 62% of business owners feel that the quality of gifts given is important and that holiday gifts can increase client lifetime value (by promoting client loyalty and retention).

Boxing up some generic “gift” will not suffice in our hypercompetitive B2B marketplace, where buyer expectations continue to rise. Today’s B2B clients expect a holiday gift that demonstrates thoughtfulness, relevance and quality. They want to know you’ve considered their preferences, industry and company culture. Consider your December holiday gift and card as an integral component of your marketing strategy.

When putting together your marketing budget for the new year, you may even want to make holiday gifting a line item, to ensure that you’ll have the funding to make an impression that aligns with the customer experience your company provides and its brand reputation. Your holiday gift needn’t be extravagant— over-doing it will likely leave the wrong impression. You want to find the sweet spot between professional and personal, memorable and appropriate, impressive and budget-friendly. You also want to present your clients with a gift they want to use. To that end, I’ve combed through numerous websites and discovered 10 items that should help you express this important element of your marketing strategy.

  1. Expandable Packing Cube Set – Medium/Large $34.95

Organization is integral to travel preparation and the REI Co-op Medium/Large Expandable Packing Cube Set makes it easy to pack—and find—items in your luggage. The set includes one medium and one large packing cube that can expand or compress by three inches to adjust packing volume as needed. Mesh on top lets you see what’s inside and there’s a handle to allow for easy carrying. FYI, the REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label. The company funds efforts to reduce carbon emissions across its business and supports climate projects around the world.

2. Stay Cool Adjustable Laptop Desk $39.00

Clients who work from home or travel for business will appreciate this practical and attractive bamboo portable workstation desk. Its adjustable height and tilt settings accommodate laptops from 11 to 16 inches. There’s enough workspace to keep a notebook, mobile phone, or drink within reach and the anti-slip surface with cup holder indent keeps drinks and devices in place. A built-in side drawer keeps office essentials like pens and earbuds organized. The Stay Cool Adjustable Laptop Desk is also designed with ventilation holes and a pair of built-in USB-powered fans to help maintain your laptop’s temperature and prevent its hot surface from disrupting the workflow (USB to USB-C adaptor required.)

3. Stonewall Kitchen Holiday Sampler $34.95

Perfect for pleasing all sorts of palates and elegantly packaged in a white-and-green gift box that features a festive winter design, the Stonewall Kitchen Holiday Sampler gift set contains mini-sized versions of six Stonewall best-sellers: Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam, Holiday Jam, Red Pepper Jelly, Maine Maple Champagne Mustard and Caramelized Onion Mustard. This ready-to-give gift box is a perfect holiday gift.

4. Mongolian Cashmere Gloves $29.90

Your clients will be happy that you’ve taken a hands-on approach when you gift them with lovely and practical Mongolian Cashmere Gloves. The gloves have a long cuff that make wearers feel extra cozy on a cold winter day. They are made of good quality cashmere that is incredibly soft, long-lasting and three times as warm as wool. They are also sourced sustainably and ethically.

5. Holiday Hygge Gift Box $40.00

Made by BeyondGiftsCo. and sold on Etsy, the Boho Mini Holiday Hygge Gift Box is a warm and wonderful winter care package that will sustain the recipient when the snow piles high and the cold wind blows. The Boho Mini contains items that make those fortunate enough to receive one feel good on a cold and wind-swept day: a nice mug, tea (inside a burlap bag), a gold tea spoon, cozy socks, salted caramels and a holiday-themed wood ornament.


6. Ice bucket $39.20

Elevate entertaining with the timeless elegance of the Asti Ice Bucket. Designed in 1972 by Sergio Asti and crafted from 100% recycled plastic and fully compostable, this sustainable design is a true work of art. Its versatile use as an ice bucket, storage container, or even a vase makes it a must-have for any occasion. Works by the late Sergio Asti, Italian-born industrial designer and architect, can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the RI School of Design Museum in Providence, RI.

7. Tabletop Dwarf Lemon Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa Wilma Goldcrest) $28.95

The Tabletop Dwarf Lemon Cypress adds a festive touch of nature’s elegance that illuminates holiday decor. The narrow, bright green foliage has a subtle lemon scent and its compact size make it perfect decoration for small spaces, such as tabletops, mantels, buffet tables, or a centerpiece. The pre-wrapped, gift-ready Tabletop Dwarf Lemon Cypress is a memorable client gift that keeps on giving.

With proper care, the plant can retain its vibrant color and health throughout the season and beyond, bringing good cheer to your client’s home or office. Designed to require minimal maintenance, your client can enjoy the Dwarf Lemon Cypress indoors during the holidays and then move it to a patio or plant it outdoors when spring arrives. Your client will be delighted with this gift for years to come—and experience a happy feeling about your brand time and again!

8. Blanket Scarf $14.97

This luxuriously oversized Italian-made Blanket Scarf is true to its name: it’s part scarf, part blanket and made in Florence, Italy from warm and super-soft woven fabric. Including its 4 inch fringe, the Blanket Scarf is 30″ w x 90″ h, made of 100% acrylic and makes a stellar festive statement when the weather turns chilly. You may add your business name and logo, beautifully embroidered monogram for a personal touch by emailing WSIB2BGift@wsgc.com.

9. Cheery Umbrella $22.99

Classy coverage through wind and rain, your clients will be happy to be protected from the elements by the wide, waterproof and wind resistant shield of a Cheery Umbrella. Drawing inspiration from the timeless wooden cane umbrellas but with a modern flair, this rain gear is will add comfort and style to dreary wet weather days.

10. Scout Soft Tote Cooler $39

Pleasure Chest is the perfect size for small family outings, road trips, or a 12-hour work shift—this tall, square cooler is a great shape for stacking containers. Stash napkins, utensils, or chocolate bars (no judgement!) in the outside pockets for quick access. Remember to take ice packs! Because it squishes flat in a suitcase, your client will love the Pleasure Chest for travel—and it makes a great leave-behind hostess gift. Please note that an additional 5-7 days of processing time will be added to your order due to personalization, regardless of shipping method.

  • 9″ W x 12.5″ H x 9″ D
  • Weight: 0.8 lbs
  • Handle drop: 12.5 “
  • Holds up to 30 lbs.
  • Foam insulation layer helps to keep contents cool (ice packs recommended)
  • Fits: 12-oz cans: 15 | skinny cans: 18 | 16.9-oz. water bottles: 8 | wine bottles: 4-5
  • Two exterior pockets: one zip (front) and one slip (back)
  • Heat-sealed, food-safe liner
  • Reinforced straps with velcro fabric handle wrap
  • Zips closed

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate. To everyone, thanks for reading!

Kim

Image: Filene’s Department Store (Boston, MA) toy department, 1938

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Two To Tango: Freelance Strategic Partnerships

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Tango dancers in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Freelance professionals are survivors by nature—savvy, proactive and ambitious. You are forward-thinking and grasp the big-picture, characteristics that led you to be realistic about current business conditions and respond to the risk-averse spending habits of many B2B prospects. You recognize that a defensive strategy is needed to stabilize the ground beneath your feet and make it possible to at least maintain, and preferably increase, your client roster and bottom-line sales revenue. A perusal of articles in the business press and resourceful brainstorming have led you to consider pursuing a partnership with a Freelance colleague. Owners of business entities large and small have long recognized that a good partnership creates competitive advantages, whether the goal is to help the partners stimulate revenue during periods of marketplace fluctuation, or maximize revenue and profit during a booming economy. Bringing in partner is meant to bring additional value—clients, investment capital, business skills, brand recognition, for example— and strengthen the position of the partners.

Recent research suggests that successful business entities often rely on their relationships—de facto partnerships— with peers whose services or products are complementary to one’s own and whose target customers have data-supported potential to become a promising source of new leads for your entity. In fact, within the Software as a Service community, partnerships and event participation are described as among the highest impact growth channels for warm leads.

The Freelance economy holds numerous sources of potential partnership opportunities— vendors, co-working site colleagues, Freelancing colleagues you meet at conferences, business accountants and attorneys. Even your SCORE mentor could suggest that you meet with a fellow Freelancer who s/he also mentors and discuss the possibility of partnering on certain types of projects. If you find the possibility of introducing a partnership to your Freelance business entity intriguing, here are some things to consider.

1. View the partnership as a strategic asset, not as the cure for a problem.

First, why do you want to form a partnership? What do you hope to gain and what assets can you bring to the table that might persuade a Freelance colleague to engage in a partnership with you? In order for the partnership to be useful and produce the outcomes that you (and the partner) want, you must be honest about your motivations. So, what are you looking for in a partnership? Start the decision-making process by clarifying your partnership wish list. Next, make an inventory of the resources you can offer to a partner and use that list to articulate your Unique Selling Proposition to a Freelance colleague you hope will become your business partner. Keep in mind that a successful partnership is about sharing resources and is not a rescue mission to save a failing enterprise.

  • Do you want occasional collaborators—say, extra help on certain projects—or an ongoing partnership?
  • A partner whose clients are potential prospects for your services and your clients are potential prospects for the partner’s services? Ideally, you and the partner would see a growing client list.
  • A partner whose services are suitable for co-promotion opportunities, such as the McDonald’s and Coca-Cola #Better Together campaign and the Apple Watch Nike+? Co-promotion is meant to introduce your brand to a wider audience and result in enhanced brand awareness and recognition, with the expectation of increased lead generation, sales revenue growth and market share.
  • A partner whose services, when offered in tandem to your own, will result in the capacity to provide solutions that prospects will perceive as delivering more valuable than your current offering.
  • A partner who will share certain business expenses, such as co-promotion advertising costs and/or office space rental.

2. Goals that align and a cultural fit.

In a functioning and mutually beneficial partnership agreement, there are only winners and there are no losers. A partnership is never a zero sum game where only one person wins. Honest, respectfully expressed communication and transparency are demonstrations of respect and the foundation of authenticity. In a recent McKinsey report, alignment on objectives, effective communication and trust were most often present when partnerships and other joint ventures succeeded and most often absent when partnerships failed.

As well, a mutually accepted definition of good work ethic should be agreed-upon and include a shared understanding of how to handle relevant business practices, such as what constitutes timely and appropriate follow-up regarding client referrals, for example. In this way one develops a reputation as a good partner and the partnership can deliver on its intended purpose.

3. Clearly define roles, responsibilities and money.

Establish and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each partner and that includes money. Discussing payment protocols upfront will prevent ugly misunderstandings. Will the partner who handles the design work on a website project be paid at the same rate as the tech person who perfects SEO and the speed of page loading—or will you each bill at your usual rate? Put everything in writing to avoid conflicts later. Depending on the state in which you operate, your partnership may require a written agreement.

Regarding roles and responsibilities, will there be a quarterly or semi-annual performance quota for client referrals generated, networking events attended, or other work-related activities? A discussion of what constitutes good work ethic and productivity metrics will be helpful.

4. Start small and work out the kinks. 

Where possible, start small and avoid diving into a big project until the partners become familiar with one another’s working style. Instead, rehearse your partnership by taking on a small project. Creating a story board to describe how the partners together will collaborate successfully on a project can be very useful. Remember what Avatar creator James Cameron and others remind us: “A vision without a plan for execution is just an hallucination.”

5. Frequent, honest, feedback.

Misunderstandings and disagreements are best acknowledged and managed in an environment of regular, honest, feedback and discussion. partnership problems are potentially costly. Scheduling regular check-ins for the partners, even if there is little to discuss and the meeting ends quickly, is cheap and easy insurance for dealing with problems the right way and at the right time.

6. Move quickly and collaboratively when partnership problems arise. 

The land of lost partnerships is littered with avoidance, denial, broken promises, unresolved conflict and denial. Especially if the expectations of an important client have not been delivered, immediate action to correct the lapse and protect the relationship must be taken. Remember what Warren Buffett continually tells himself: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Summer Reading 2025

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Professional development is like getting regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet—a gift you give to yourself as you strive to become a successful business owner. When thinking of professional development, conferences sponsored by professional associations or skills building courses held at a college may come to mind but think again—professional development is available in a variety formats. Among the most accessible and affordable methods to obtain professional development can be found in books.

Reading has traditionally played an important role in the development of successful business owners and leaders. When you open a book, a world of ideas, information and insights will be there to enlighten you. You’ll find lessons and experiences that can be critical to your growth as a business owner and leader, shared by authors who give first-person accounts of how they overcame challenges and found success. The books you read can teach you how to sharpen your business acumen and use your newfound proficiency to propel your business forward. The practical knowledge contained in a typical business-themed book can result in your discovery of actionable insights that can become competitive advantages, from refining your decision-making prowess to bolstering your effectiveness when working with teams.

In today’s fast-paced and endlessly-evolving business landscape, continuous education is not only beneficial, it’s essential; but in the age of information overload, it may be difficult to find time to read when you devote the majority of your time to operating your business. Furthermore, you may feel too overwhelmed by the process of researching and identifying topics that will be most useful or interesting to you—the business books genre is a wide field. With those realities in mind, I am happy to share with you a selection of books curated to appeal to Freelance consulting professionals and also business owners or leaders. I hope that one or more titles will interest you. First, here are suggestions that may help you find time to read this summer (and beyond!).

  • Schedule. Like scheduling time for any important task, specifying your reading time will help you choose a convenient time and make it easier to honor your commitment to professional development. Consider reading after dinner, to lend a “relax and unwind” vibe to your reading. You may find the 8:00 – 11:00 PM time slot, three or four nights a week, a great way to wrap up your day.
  • Formats. Especially if your commute is 45 minutes or longer, or your fitness routine is self-directed and not in a class format, consider listening to audio books and/or podcasts as your method to obtain professional development. When in transit or working out, insert your headphones and tune in to an interesting book or program that expands your knowledge, builds skills and enhances your performance as a business owner or leader.
  • Topics. There are many business-themed titles published each year, but it is inevitable that only a select few will appeal to you. Reading book reviews of titles that grab your attention—in the business section of your local newspaper, in the Wall Street Journal or other nationally known newspaper, in Kirkus Reviews , or Goodreads—to winnow potential reading choices as you discover and evaluate titles and authors that may appeal to you and maintain your motivation to read and learn. Below are 10 books to cue up on your Summer 2025 reading playlist.

Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business (2019) Paul Jarvis

Online-tech veteran Paul Jarvis, whose A-list clients include Microsoft and Mercedes Benz, describes the advantages of running a “company of one,” whether as an independent Freelance professional or as an autonomous, corporate employee. Jarvis has most emphatically not bought into the “grow or die” ethos and prefers instead to operate as a “lean and agile” entity. Jarvis explains how running your one-person shop enables you to both achieve a work-life balance that works for you and, just as importantly, enables you to avoid the need to navigate a potentially suffocating corporate hierarchy and sometimes poisonous office politics. In your little empire, you can work efficiently. Jarvis has learned that smart entrepreneurship isn’t about size—it’s about building a better business that works for you.

 Company of One details a refreshingly original business strategy that’s focused on a commitment to being better instead of bigger. Jarvis has discovered that staying small results in maintaining the freedom to pursue more meaningful pleasures in life as you avoid the headaches and complications that are inherent in traditional growth-oriented business. With this groundbreaking guide, you’ll learn how to set up your shop, determine your desired revenues, manage unexpected crises, keep your key clients happy and find self-fulfillment as you do.

Competing in the Age of AI (2020) Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani

Here’s a book that is an excellent resource for business owners and leaders whose organizations currently use, or are considering, Artificial Intelligence powered tools in their operations. The authors have produced a useful guide to the realities of doing business in today’s digital landscape and present actionable insights into how introducing AI-driven operating models can enable businesses to achieve scale and scope at an unprecedented rate.

Iansiti and Lakhani show how reinventing a business entity around data, analytics and AI removes centuries-old constraints on scale, scope and machine learning advantages that have traditionally restricted business growth. Recent examples of companies such as Amazon and Google demonstrate how AI-driven processes vastly improve the ability to scale, when compared to traditional data analytical processes, and allow massive scope increase, enabling companies to straddle industry boundaries and create powerful opportunities for machine learning—to drive ever more accurate, complex and sophisticated predictions that make business strategy becomes a new game.

The authors also outline the inherent risks associated with AI and offer recommendations for rethinking current operating models; they also examine the responsibilities that the introduction of AI requires of its users. Finally, Iansiti and Lakhani are transparent about the potential societal impact of AI and point out the potential for algorithmic bias, privacy concerns and cybersecurity threats, along with the need for responsible AI development and governance.

How To Talk To Anyone About Anything (2021) James W. Williams

James W. Williams has written a refreshingly honest, easy-to-follow guide to meeting and greeting and initiating conversations that’s tailor-made for an era when many meetings and even networking opportunities are regularly held in virtual format. As a result, the only avenue to connect with colleagues and attempt to parlay fleeting interactions into deeper connections is hobbled by a computer monitor. Engaging communication skills are increasingly recognized as a powerful and influential competency. 

While some are born with a silver-tongued gift of gab for many, communication aptitude must be developed and nurtured. Williams’ advice is likely to bolster the social acumen of even the most shy and introverted among us, the wallflowers who feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable when attempting to navigate business-slash-social gatherings. If you’ve ever felt awkward in the midst of a meet & greet, or unsure of what to say after an introduction has taken place, this book will show you how to access your communication potential and learn to become a confident conversationalist.

How to Talk to Anyone About Anything provides a user-friendly roadmap that will enable you to practice, grow and eventually shine in social and professional situations. Active listening, small talk and storytelling are situations that the author discusses, as is how to develop the fine art of appearing approachable to your fellow guests when you’re standing alone and wondering if you’ll talk with anyone. Readers will appreciate the many good examples that provide teachable moments and make this book ideal for professionals and social learners alike. Williams’ book is a great soft-skills business resource, that will be a great help to those who struggle with small talk, pitching to clients, or relationship-building within your team. The insights are perfect for occasions where first impressions and informal conversations can open the door to business-enhancing or career-building opportunities.

10X Is Easier Than 2X (2023) Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Call this book a must-read for ambitious business leaders. When the mission is to level up business growth, here are insights that give an eye-opening perspective on how to achieve exponential, rather than incremental, growth. This no-nonsense read can give business leaders and owners actionable insights into scaling their businesses rapidly, leveraging technology and resources more effectively and positioning their entity to stay ahead—of the competition and customer tastes—in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Businesses leaders often aim to achieve progress, for example, and may focus on doubling their results year over year. However, Sullivan and Hardy argue convincingly that aiming for tenfold growth is not only feasible but also more practical and rewarding. As they see it, going for 10x requires letting go of 80% of your current life and going all-in on the crucial 20% that’s relevant and high-impact.

Readers will find practical strategies and mindset shifts that inspire you to break through limitations and achieve exponential growth. The authors emphasize the power of thinking bigger, setting audacious goals and taking massive action. For business owners and leaders, this approach is invaluable as it encourages innovation, pushes boundaries and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom (2019) Janice Bryant Howroyd

“Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally” is the core message offered by author Janice Bryant Howroyd, who grew up in a family of 11 children. Here she discusses the principles and techniques that she used to build a multinational staffing agency. The author guides readers through questions of leadership, risk-taking, developing confidence and networking, among other topics.

Howroyd also emphasizes the significance of data-driven and strategic business decisions as she simultaneously encourages readers to take a holistic approach to making the most of both their professional and personal lives. The author addresses as well the topic of diversity from the perspective of a black female entrepreneur and urges readers not to define her by demographics. In sum, Howroyd shares in her book the values she lives by and continues to represent: that of a leader who works for good, for growth and for innovation, for her family values and for the same ideals upon which she founded her company—that success is transferrable.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan (2018) by Allan Dib

“The most common way small business owners decide on this (marketing and advertising) is by looking at large, successful competitors in their industry and mimicking what they’re doing. In reality, this is the fastest way to fail and I’m certain it’s responsible for the bulk of small business failures.” Now you know why this book is included in the reading list!

In The 1-Page Marketing Plan, serial entrepreneur and marketer Allan Dib reveals a marketing implementation revolution that makes creating a marketing plan uncomplicated and fast—it’s literally just a single page! By creating and implementing that one-page wonder, you’ll have an effective marketing plan that you can put into motion. Dib understands that small business owners (and Freelance professionals as well) trying to jumpstart their marketing often don’t have adequate resources—money, time, or expertise—provided by employees or Freelance consultants—that big businesses do. The author has devised a credible alternate path that shows how you can create a basic marketing plan to help steer your business in the right direction and, as Dib himself says, puts you on “the fastest path to money”.

Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working (2025) Dan Heath

Reset offers a guide to fixing what’s not working in your business operations—in systems and processes, organizations and companies and even in our daily lives. Author Dan Heath provides real-world stories and actionable insights that can empower you to create lasting change in your organization—and maybe in your life, as well.

What if you could somehow learn to unlock forward movement and achieve the progress that matters most to you, without the need for more resources—like money and connections? Heath shows how, with the same relationships you have and the same financial resources you can access, it is possible to reconfigure the circumstances and bring dramatically better outcomes to your life. Yesterday, you were stuck. Today, you can reset.

The author explores a framework for getting unstuck and making beneficial changes that matter. Heath says that the secret of success is to find the leverage points—places where a bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. Do that and you can rearrange your resources and activate those pivotal points. Heath also points out that to even experience the feeling of progress can be a leverage point that can accelerate the arrival of the positive change you desire.

The 48 Hour Start-Up: From Idea to Launch in One Weekend (2016) Fraser Doherty

This can’t be done, you say? Well, author and serial entrepreneur and Scottish citizen Fraser Doherty MBE (who was awarded the honorific title Member of the Order of the British Empire for his achievements) begs to differ. In his book, Doherty provides actionable advice on how to identify and shape a viable business idea that is ready to launch in only two days. Doherty’s reasoning behind the 48-hour deadline is simple—he argues that prospective entrepreneurs (aka wantrepreneurs) spend too much time and energy obsessing over the “perfect idea”. The time they waste waiting for the “perfect idea” to appear is time that could be used refining and adapting that business idea for customers who could actually use it.

The book is helpful with the initial decisions that aspiring entrepreneurs must consider when starting a business. In his considerable experience, Doherty has found that launching a business does not have to involve complicated financial projections, elaborate presentations, or extraordinary innovation. A simple, well-executed idea is what it takes to launch and sustain a successful enterprise and Doherty has done it more than once—the first time while still in his teens. 

Doherty also emphasizes that before you invest significant time and resources, quickly reality-test your idea with potential customers and conduct basic market research. The process will help you gauge market demand for your product or service, assess your main competitors, identify and address potential problems early on and, in general, refine your product or service based on the uncensored feedback received from potential customers.

Good Strategy Bad Strategy (2011) Richard Rumelt

It is a given that developing and implementing strategy is the primary task of a leader—whether military leader, business leader, baseball manager, or tennis coach. The definition of a good strategy could be expressed as a specific and coherent response to—and approach for—overcoming the obstacles to progress. A good strategy works by harnessing and applying power where it will have the greatest effect. Yet, author Richard Rumelt asserts that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy buzzwords, motivational slogans and financial goals with “strategy.”

Rumelt displays an astonishing grasp and integration of economics, finance, technology and history to expose and clarify the often-muddled thinking that is the foundation of too many so-called strategies and his book details a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategies that will be effective in the real world.

The book helps readers to recognize and avoid the trap of bad strategy and guides them to adopt good, credible, action-oriented strategy that honestly acknowledges and responds to the challenges that businesses encounter. Rumelt cautions readers that strategy should not be equated with ambition, leadership, vision, or planning; rather, strategy is a coherent, action-backed plan supported by a rational argument.

Rumelt emphasizes that strategies are often confused with goals and visions and points out that a plan is what sets strategies apart from goals and gives you a clear idea of what is necessary to succeed. To evaluate and decide which strategies are suitable for your organization, the author says it is necessary to confirm whether you have the resources to implement your strategy and, in addition, ensure that your strategy fits with your current situation. The actions need to fit with your present circumstances and work together to give you the best possible advantage. After this, you’re well on your way to a faultless strategy implementation.

The Courage To Be Disliked (2018) Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

Strictly speaking, this book is not a business book. One might consider it as an accelerator that gives the determination to push forward with a desire to launch a business entity or achieve other important goals. Kishimi and Koga present their book as a dialogue between an older philosopher and a young man. Over the course of five enlightening and thought-provoking conversations the philosopher, who happens to draw from the theories of Alfred Adler, a late 19th- and early 20th- century psychologist and thought leader in that discipline (along with Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and B. Fred Skinner), explains to his pupil how each of us is able to determine our own life, free from the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. The wisdom that the philosopher reveals is deeply liberating and enables his pupil to develop the courage to change and to ignore the limitations that others, or even the pupil himself, may use to control him.

The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance, yet it is not without controversy; certain of authors’ premises you may find shocking or, at least, unrealistic. Still, the book is, at its core, about reclaiming your power and using it to shape the life that is meaningful to you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Beli_photos

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Create Content That Delivers

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You will agree that the internet is the leading source of information and entertainment for everyone on Earth who has connectivity. The global data and business intelligence platform Statista reports that in 2025 5.56 billion, approximately 65% of the world’s population, has internet access. To nearly every business entity on the planet, that means about 5.34 billion potential customers—many of whom are too young to launch a buyer’s journey, but some of whom might influence purchases their parents make—are available to receive online marketing information.

While the vast majority of the world’s internet users will become the customers of only a select few brands, the wide acceptance of digital communications gives marketers everywhere the green light to create and post a vast amount of marketing information and the digital space is now awash in content of every type—audio, video, images and text. Audience appetite for content, whether information or entertainment, shows no signs of abating. The number of digital content websites and platforms continues to proliferate and invite contributors to produce still more content, all of which beckons viewers, listeners and readers to show some love and click here, please!

Content saturation of the internet is an inevitable phenomenon. According to the nationally known content marketing expert Neil Patel, nearly 40 % of enterprise companies plan to increase their content marketing budgets this year. Freelance solopreneurs and smaller business entities will likewise continue, or perhaps increase, their content marketing activity as well, but the dominance of content presented by the multinationals can easily cause the comparatively modest content produced by small entities to be overwhelmed as if by a riptide. Freelancers are understandably frustrated with this occurrence. How can you become more visible when your content must swim with the whales—and sharks?

It’s a vexing problem for sure but there is a commonsense strategy, one that plays to your strengths and demonstrates resourcefulness and creativity. The best response to content saturation is to activate your problem-solving ability and devise a strategy that guides you to create content that not only resonates with your audience, but also positions you to gain and maintain the attention and loyalty of your target audience. Whether your information is intended for social media posts, or focuses on developing and promoting content featured in your webinars, weekly blogs, or monthly newsletters, be reassured that content perceived as valuable will be acknowledged and followed by your target audience. It’s just about guaranteed that content featuring information that is specific, practical and actionable will result in a loyal and thriving audience who will regard you as a trusted expert. So, your mission as a content producer is to learn what is meaningful to your readers, listeners and/or viewers and let their priorities guide your content development and distribution strategies.

Educate yourself by reading articles that discuss from local and national perspectives developing trends, pending legislation, competition, opportunities and other updates in your field. Producers of relevant content must also be consumers of relevant content! If producing content figures prominently in your marketing strategies (and I know that it does), you may find one or more of the following five suggestions able to enhance the value of your marketing content and also position your content to bring in a healthy ROI—which might include establishing you as a thought leader.

Relevant, realistic and relatable information

Content that your audience considers to be relevant and practical is more likely to be valued, implemented and shared. Gaining a reputation as a reliable and respected source of content by your audience will incline them to become your followers or subscribers. Content that your viewers, listeners, or readers consider potentially actionable and known to be trustworthy can also encourage loyalty to you, your content and your organization and may persuade some to become your customers. To create content that’s considered useful and trustworthy, and resonates with your audience, you must stay ahead of emerging trends in your industry and be aware of and responsive to the evolving preferences, priorities and concerns of your customers.

Actions are easy to implement and afford

Your audience should be able to envision the usefulness of the actions or strategies your content recommends, even if only a minority of them is prepared to implement your ideas now or in the near future. Individual circumstances will dictate what audience members decide to do, but any advice put forth in your content must inspire confidence.

Furthermore, your content should not recommend actions or strategies that involve implementation costs that many would consider expensive. I’ll go so far as to say that the average B2B content viewer is looking for ideas that can, with a minimum of time and fuss, be used to grow their customer list, streamline business operations and either save or make money—practical advice that can be implemented at no cost or low cost. While business expenses are inescapable, content creators win more fans by recommending actions that demonstrate recognizable value and are accessible and affordable to the majority of the audience.

Your content is your own creation

Rather than doing a copy/paste of another’s work, content creators should value their lived experience—victories won and battles lost, resilience found, the worries of sleepless nights and sudden inspirations—and share those stories with your audience in ways that will be interesting and useful to them. Producing content is usually time-consuming, but that is the price of authenticity and it is worth it. To give yourself a starting point for your creative process, search for trending topics in your field, or comment on an aspect of the most frequent internet search questions related to your marketplace sector that were made over the past week.

Links to expert 3rd party support

In this post I’ve referenced marketing expert Neil Patel and the global business information platform Statista. Demonstrating to your readers/listeners/viewers that key points of your content are supported by recognized nationally or globally respected thought leaders gives them reasons to trust and value the recommendations and insights offered in your content.

Avoid confirmation bias

Content that is valued and popular is shaped not by the creator’s preferences, but by the readers/viewers/listeners in the audience. A common tactic used to help creators avoid confirmation bias is to simply ask audience members what they want to see and hear now, so that you can ensure the relevance of your content. Every few months, you might create a short survey that encourages content viewers to express what matters to them. In a four or five question survey, you can also slip in one or two audience demographic questions—Are you self-employed or an employee? What is your main area of expertise?—and begin to build an audience persona, which will enable you to heighten your responsiveness to your audience.

  • Social media polls Your preferred platforms provide a convenient means to create and send a survey that will help you learn more about your audience. Social media platforms make it easy for you to engage and more effectively communicate with audience members by providing fully customizable forms that help you expand your reach and even grow your base of followers. Polls are equipped with analytical tools that will give you information on your audience’s age group, location, profession and more.
  • Online and email surveys. The most important part of conducting online surveys is knowing what you want to learn from each question, and to keep questions short and easy to answer. You can also create email campaigns to survey your existing client base and gain valuable insight about them. For a very basic customer survey, ClickInsights sets up a one-question, one-click email survey; create a more extensive survey at Survey Monkey.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © A Tokyo soba noodle delivery in 1956. Bettmann Archive/ Getty Images

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Find Your PR Sweet Spot

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Establishing the image of your business entity as a valuable and noteworthy presence in its marketplace, and also the community in which it operates, is a worthwhile goal for every business owner. Bringing attention to the distinctive qualities and contributions of your business entity confers respect and confidence and portrays your organization as deserving of your business. The actions that an organization takes to disseminate and manage strategically selected information about an organization (or individual) that is intended to achieve that goal is the function of public relations, and it is part of a company’s marketing strategy.

Marketing, along with its subspecialties, advertising and branding, are discrete methods of communicating with a company’s target customers; business owners typically create specific strategies to activate these segments. All of these processes will, ideally, work in tandem to deliver your company’s message to your target audience—define and establish the desired company image, promote company name recognition, generate and maintain the trust of current and prospective customers that distinguish your organization from its competitors—and encourage sales.

PR vs. marketing, branding, advertising

Communication is the core of marketing and all of its subspecialties. The role of marketing is to build awareness and encourage sales of the company’s products and services by using one or more promotional strategies—for example, email marketing, social media marketing, or content marketing. The role of public relations is to generate media exposure and promote name recognition for the company, with the intention of encouraging (positive) interactions with current and prospective customers and, ultimately, to amplify the renown and respect of the brand. 

The brand is the foundation of the company’s reputation and represents its essence. The role of the brand is to establish and maintain a compelling and memorable image for the company and its services and products; the brand reflects the attributes that differentiate your company from competitors. The brand is often supported by a story that articulates the business vision, mission and core values. The branding process typically entails the creation of a brand identity, a personality and a perception, for your company and its services and products that will define how you would like current and prospective customers to feel about the company when they encounter or interact with its name and/or logo.

The role of advertising is to promote the sale of company services and products by using images, audio, and/or text promotions that a company pays to have featured in print or (audio or visual) digital media outlets that are followed and trusted by the company’s current and prospective customers, with the intention of increasing awareness and encouraging sales.

Media exposure and name recognition

As noted above, the function of public relations is to advance company name recognition and media exposure by facilitating mentions in selected media outlets, for the purpose of cultivating and maintaining a positive image. PR is meant to amplify the brand image by providing exposure (publicity) that presents positive and compelling information about the company that is intended to encourage engagement, customer loyalty and, ultimately, sales.

PR is utilized to give the brand a flattering shout-out that is featured in media channels and outlets familiar to and respected by target customers, professional peers and the community in which the company operates. PR is about creating buzz for your business, to pique the curiosity of current and potential customers and motivate them to experience a positive reaction toward your company.

PR’s principal strategy is storytelling and it’s up to you to shape your PR topic, images, text and narrative to tell your story in a way that achieves your goal. To maximize its effectiveness, design your PR to grab attention and capture the interest of the audiences you want to know about your company (and you). Those who encounter your company’s PR might even become interested enough to visit your website or social media platforms to learn more, or get an update, about your company.

So what does PR mean in real time?

There are about a half dozen subspecialties of PR that businesses commonly use, for example public affairs and crisis communications, but Freelancers and owners of small businesses are mostly interested in media relations as a way to obtain third-party credibility for their company when target customers, along with your professional peers and also the general public, might find positive news about the company supplied by an unbiased source.

Freelancers and SMB owners might consider launching a media relations PR strategy by leveraging your professional knowledge and experience to propose yourself to media outlets as an expert source. An expert source is a knowledgeable source who is invited to provide a quote that is included in an article or segment featured in a print, visual, or audio medium. Serving as an expert source is a desirable opportunity and is usually accessed by way of a relationship with a journalist or editor.

You might be able to initiate media relationship by simply telephoning or emailing business editors or authors of business articles at your preferred outlets. Be advised that Freelancers or SMB owners will be more likely to find success by approaching smaller media outlets. Perhaps an even better tactic can be used by those who place paid advertisements in those media outlets. A savvy and proactive move would be to reach out to your contact in the advertising department and ask for a referral to the business editor or the right journalist. The gatekeepers of most media outlets are likely to look favorably on an advertiser who also has the credentials to serve as an expert source on business topics.

Now when you have a potential story, meaning an announcement or other information that the media outlet’s readers may be interested in, the standard practice is to create and send a press release to initiate contact with your targeted media outlets. Your press release has two functions—first, to clearly and succinctly detail the who, what, when, where and why of your info and second, to initiate the process of cultivating media relationships.

Before you send your press release, confirm the media outlets to approach by telephoning or emailing the business editor and asking if there may be an interest in your story. No editor or journalist is interested in a story unless they feel the story will resonate with their readers or viewers. If you get the greenlight, then quickly follow-up by sending your press release. In a day or two, reach out to confirm receipt of your press release and ask again how the editor/journalist feels about the relevance of your information or announcement.

Yet another PR strategy, albeit one that will entail an investment of several hundred to several thousand dollars, is to campaign for a local, or national, business award. Organizations typically have many categories that provide multiple pathways to winning award. As is demonstrated by the music industry Grammy Awards and the movie industry’s Academy Awards, receiving an award is nearly always considered newsworthy by media outlets. If you’ve got a great client list and/or your sales revenue is solid, you may want to consider this option.

Access your PR sweet spot

  • Earned (unpaid) media PR exposure can be obtained by giving a quote to a media outlet that covers your area of expertise. Register with Help A Reporter Out (HARO), a service that connects journalists with expert sources has resumed operations after a brief closure. Invitations to give a noteworthy quote that addresses the requested subject are selected on a first-come, first-served basis can set you onto your path to amplifying your credibility and could open the door to additional PR opportunities. Stay close to your email.
  • If your budget allows, consider paid media exposure, perhaps by campaigning for a business or industry award that can be utilized to launch a PR campaign. If you win any level of recognition, you’ll be able to include the good news on your website and social media platforms, along with sending press releases to media outlets and channels that your current and prospective customers, as well as your professional peers, follow. From your local chamber of commerce to the Stevie Awards for business, nearly every award, local or global, is a reliable pathway to good PR.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Carl Mydans/Life Magazine. Actress Carole Lombard (1908-1942) and her husband, the actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), attend a movie premiere in Hollywood, CA (1936).

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Lasting Client Relationships Help Your Business Thrive

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Freelance professionals and all business owners and leaders understand that they must periodically calibrate (and re-calibrate) their business entity so that it will be positioned to survive and thrive. While evaluating the potential success of growth strategies that appear to be capable of building a client list that enables you to achieve your revenue goals, do not overlook this basic business growth strategy—establishing good client relationships.

Good client relationships are foundational to the development of a healthy business and typically result in a potent client list, robust repeat business, consistent referrals and a low client churn rate. Implementing inbound and outbound marketing strategies in order to energize revenue is always necessary, but the process is usually time-consuming and by that metric alone, is expensive.

Recognize that you can enhance the value of your client list quantitatively, by adding more names, and simultaneously follow a qualitative approach to building the roster, when you prioritize the development of good client relationships. Establishing positive relationships with clients is a savvy marketing strategy that can play a supporting role in growing the number and quality of your active clients. Client relationships can support conditions that encourage client loyalty, repeat business and referrals, while simultaneously discouraging client churn. That the process of retaining clients and persuading them to continue doing business with your organization can be influenced by good relationships is so fundamental it is sometimes overlooked.

Beneficial client relationships are built on trust that’s born of the fulfillment of expectations (e.g., excellent project work and timely invoice payments), as well as transparency, communication and collaboration. More like partnerships than the usual transactional agreements between clients and vendors, clients with whom you’ve established a good relationship provide stability, inspire creativity and drive innovation that results in project outcomes that often exceed expectations. Below are qualities and practices that promote the development of beneficial client relationships that will pay dividends to both you and your clients.

1. Agreements, specifications and contract

It is a given that good client relationships begin with ethical and transparent business practices that are introduced during the initial project or product discussions between yourself and the client. Project specs or desired product solutions govern work agreements and performance milestones. Project contracts or sales agreements are intended to facilitate a smooth and productive collaboration and ensure that both the client’s interests and your interests are fulfilled. The quality of these discussions is integral to the establishment of creating good client relationships and transparency is key.

2. The customer experience

The quality and consistency of the customer experience your organization delivers is another building block of beneficial client relationships. The fact is, when your organization delivers an end-to-end efficient and satisfying customer experience, those with whom you do business will be happy to see more of you. When you (and your team) make it possible for clients to trust your expertise, professionalism, integrity and ability to meet or exceed expectations, you’ll be on your way to establishing mutually rewarding client relationships that can bring both tangible and intangible rewards to your organization (and the client’s).

As you shape the customer experience your company presents, be aware that “thank you” is a powerful word in every language. Saying “thank you” to your client for doing business with you shows appreciation and everyone likes someone who appreciates them. “Thank you” has the power to nurture and sustain positive relationships.

3. Communication and collaboration

You can build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships by facilitating good communication with your clients. Regular communication is integral to supporting collaboration, enabling innovation and producing outcomes that will likely meet, and may exceed, the client expectations. Honest and ongoing communication is crucial to gaining client confidence; be certain to keep your clients fully apprised of the project’s progress, challenges, or changes. Regular updates and transparent reporting demonstrate accountability, promote cooperation and enable proactive problem-solving that drives successful results.

As well, keep in mind that while technology enables communication at any time or any place, it cannot replace the value of face2face communication. When scheduling client meetings, suggest in-person chats whenever possible, as a way to encourage a good relationship. The Harvard Business Review reports that 95% of business leaders believe in-person meetings are essential for building stronger, more meaningful relationships. Alternating meetings between the client’s preferred location and your own shows consideration and empathy, attributes that are also integral to relationship-building. Keep in mind that business decisions are often influenced by personal relationships.

4. Listening and empathy

Effective listening is a cornerstone of relationship-building and good relationships are the foundation of business and diplomacy. Active listening is a demonstration of empathy and respect, and it builds trust. The ability to listen effectively is a valuable leadership skill and despite appearances, listening is active, not passive, and requires the listener to be fully present. When you invite your client to share information ask questions and perhaps brainstorm ideas, you validate his/her priorities and concerns and demonstrate your commitment to the development of a positive, long-lasting relationship.

Empathy allows you to see the world through the eyes of others and listening is a crucial enabler of the process.  Empathy helps you to effectively comprehend your client’s feelings, aspirations and challenges. Clients who feel as if they are understood will also feel that they are valued, making them more likely to become and remain loyal to your organization and more likely to reward you with repeat business and referrals. 

5. Flexibility and patience

Beneficial relationships rely on flexibility and patience. For example, there may be times when your client must grapple with unexpected challenges, such as time line changes or budget constraints. In these situations, your willingness to be adaptable and propose alternative approaches to meet revised client needs will demonstrate your commitment to the project and his/her organization, promotes trust and is likely to significantly strengthen the relationship.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Skynesher for Getty Images.

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Future-Proof Your Business NOW

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Freelancer friend, when did you last update—upgrade—your office technology? If it’s been more than five years since you’ve purchased hardware or software to modernize and optimize your company technology, let the warning bell ring and signal that it’s time to re-think your tech capabilities. While you’re at it, you can also research security solutions to defend your company against cyberattack. It is time to put on your strategic planning hat and future-proof your IT systems.

Think about it—if positioning yourself as a thought leader is an element of your marketing strategy, you cannot fully inhabit that role when the organization you lead is limping along on a seriously outdated, inadequate, IT infrastructure. Cyberthreats have become increasingly brazen and persistent, from high-profile data breaches to incursions into everyday life, such as a recent email that was sent to me by an alleged employee of an organization that has a name and email address similar to a company with whom I do business. The email message requested that I sign and return the attached “vendor contract and forms.” That message was the inspiration for this post (and it’s been deleted).

Updating and upgrading the technology that runs the business is an element of your risk management strategy and intended to protect your business by eliminating vulnerabilities. An updated IT system will bring many benefits to how you do business, including support of agile business practices, enabling operational efficiencies and facilitating a seamless and pleasing experience that not only keeps your customers coming back, but also inspires them to refer your company to their friends. Using the right technology is an affirmation of your brand promise.

So, whether it’s to strengthen IT security measures, or streamline business operations and enhance customer service and customer experience protocols, it will benefit you to rethink how you can optimize your use of technology, a reimagining that will likely cause you to consider Artificial Intelligence tools, cloud-based solutions marketing automation (which is now AI-powered) and customer relations management software.

Surrendering to avoidance behavior that makes you shy away from investing time and thought to considering goals you might pursue over the next 12-36 months or so, as well as researching potential tech solutions that are capable of supporting those goals, is costing you more than you think. The longer you plod along with outdated IT systems that no longer adequately serve your business, no matter that they’ve become familiar and comfortable, represents a risk—to the security of your data and to your ability to operate in an agile and efficient manner, for starters. Keeping up with Microsoft or Apple updates can only help so much—they are band-aids, a helpful short-term fix but not a comprehensive IT solution. Modernizing the technology that enables your business to function is not to be confused with buying the coolest and newest mobile phone. Your IT system is not a vanity project.

What technology does a Freelance consultant need?

Freelancers and other small business owners need hardware and software that serves both front-end (user facing) and back end functions (data management, processing, storage). A well thought-out IT strategy will function as a roadmap that outlines your technology needs and how to achieve them, including the budget and timeline. At top-of-mind must be that Freelancers are often in the B2B sector and work remotely; Work From Home demands a tech set-up that facilitates teamwork when team members are in different locations, maybe in different time zones, maybe on different continents.

Collaboration and communication tools that facilitate productivity and team cohesion are paramount for Freelancers and will include videoconferencing, team chat and project management. Also expected to be high on your IT shopping list will be AI tools and the hardware required to accommodate them and cloud-based solutions that will likely include CRM software, data protection and data retention.

A 2022 survey found that 61% of respondents whose companies upgraded their communication technology in the previous year primarily focused on streamlining processes, reducing costs, saving time and improving productivity to support the overall goal of making business operations more efficient. Those priorities will surely figure prominently in your IT upgrading decisions as well. Still, investing in customer experience tools has the potential to deliver tangible returns.

Let’s end with reassuring news—your IT upgrade needn’t be done all at once. The project can be structured to make it more affordable and manageable than you might expect in terms of time, money and decision-making stress. Your company’s IT infrastructure can be updated and upgraded step-by-step to replace obsolete equipment with modern solutions that align with your current strategies and will likely support your plans for future growth. Every wise and courageous action you take to move your company forward will deliver immediate benefits and also lay the groundwork for further progress.

Just remember that avoidance behavior will do you no favors and, in the end, will be more costly and stressful. Do yourself a favor and commit to starting the process within 30 days; if you’re in the midst of a big project, get started on your IT makeover within 30 days of wrapping things up. You will receive great satisfaction, among other rewards, by avoiding the drama of a hacking or other crises. The longer you put this off, the less control you’ll have over your time, money and satisfaction derived from your role as a company leader.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons (1994)

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260% Hiring Increase Propels Freelancers Beyond Flavor of the Month

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Mellow, a global contract and payment services platform whose customers are Freelancers, consulting companies and independent contractors, revealed in Their latest report a startling 260% increase in overseas hiring of Freelance workers by U.S. businesses from 2022 to 2024. The report indicates that the projects were also outside of the U.S. and that skill sets in highest demand included engineers, technical writers, analysts and website developers. The organizations for whom the Freelancers worked were Mellow contractor-of-record clients, based in the for U.S. and with 50-200 employees, categorized as Small and Midsize Enterprises (SME). The Freelancers hired were based in regions with emerging economies, primarily Central Asia, the Middle East/North Africa and Eastern Europe.

Mellow researchers interpret the big picture of their findings as confirming the centrality of Freelance workers as essential participants in a global trend that demands flexible work models and as a standard that will ultimately benefit U.S. based Freelancers. Rather than replacing U.S. workers, Mellow investigators see the predominance of flexible work models as creating new opportunities for both businesses and individuals in the U.S. Mellow emphasizes that the Freelancing surge is not about offshoring, but rather about decentralizing work and enabling businesses to be more agile, competitive and profitable.

Freelancers are a core business strategy

The advantages inherent in flexible, ad hoc, project-specific work arrangements were already apparent to both Freelance workers and the organizations that hire them, and the practice was already well established and growing in acceptance and popularity when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to reconsider their work models and shift their employees into Work From Home mode. The pivot spotlighted the value of both remote work and the availability of a talented and reliable Freelance workforce. Organization leaders now widely recognize the logic of employing temporary talent for specific projects and this acceptance has brought revisions to their strategies for talent acquisition and workforce management. Freelancers are no longer regarded as just a short-term fix, but instead as a strategic advantage that delivers tangible benefits in today’s layoff-prone environment.

Talent management within an organization is no longer considered primarily an HR strategy and is now recognized as a core business strategy that owners, entrepreneurs and executives must recognize. The data makes it clear that organizations are welcoming Freelance talent and the shift isn’t just about cost savings; it’s also about responding to the need to be agile in a hyper-competitive marketplace that includes the realities of a periodically unpredictable labor market.

Market research company Grand View Partners estimates that global Freelance marketplaces such as Mellow, Fiverr, Guru and Upwork will have a 17.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the period 2025 to 2030, according to their recently published Market Analysis Report that examined the market size, share and trends of Freelance platforms. Industries setting the pace and providing a template that other companies can follow include Edtech, out front with an average hiring rate of 108 Freelancers and advertising companies, with an average Freelance hire of 34 contractors.

U.S. Freelancers thrived during difficult years

The years 2022-2024 were challenging for many American workers, executives and business owners. Numerous lay-offs, persistent inflation and widespread hiring freezes came on the heels of the coronavirus shutdown. “Quiet quitting,” the great resignation and persistent demands to return to the office—a condition that many employees find unnecessary, if not unacceptable—dominated the echoverse.

The unrest motivated many companies to adopt a flexible approach to getting the work done and increasingly, company leaders acknowledged that Freelance professionals are uniquely qualified to provide the skills their organizations needed. The inclination to hire Freelance workers also aligns with agile business strategy that likewise requires a flexible, capable and cost-effective workforce that drives innovation, growth and profitability.

 In a January 2023 survey of 1,000 U.S. business leaders of companies with more than 50 employees, Resume Builder showed that 40% of those companies hired Freelance workers to replace laid-off employees and 53% convinced some of their full-time employees to accept Freelance positions, in order to remain employed.

Return-to-office and lay-offs poised to increase Freelance opportunities

Lay-offs have been announced by Hewlett Packard, Grubhub, Meta and Chevron; meanwhile, RTO mandates have been repeatedly announced, most notably by J.P. Morgan, along with Amazon, Dell and Starbucks, all of whom are cracking the whip and herding the last of their WFH employees back into the office. As unpleasant as all that sounds (at least to me), Freelancers are positioned to obtain clients and potentially generous billable hours that result from lay-offs and RTO mandates that are ignored. One door closes and another door opens.

Data from Upwork, the Freelance marketplace used by both Freelance workers and the companies that hire them, shows that Freelance labor is 30-60% less costly than W2 employee labor; the latter entails costs such as payroll taxes, social security payments and vacation and sick time, while the former option enables company leaders to pivot into a flexible workforce arrangement rather than lay-off W2 employees (and perhaps face media scrutiny). Furthermore, Resume Builder data also shows the rise of a strategy called “quiet hiring,” that is demonstrated by the 37% of companies that had recent lay-offs and hired Freelancers to replace laid-off workers.

Regarding RTO mandates, the advantages of Freelance talent are not exclusively limited to remote arrangements. In fact, the in-person Freelance model is a fast-growing segment. Spurred by front-line workforce talent platforms specializing in retail, hospitality and even factory workers, in-person Freelance gig workers are solving significant challenges for industries known to suffer from high rates of employee burnout and churn.

The Freelance future is bright

The demand for Freelance talent is expected to energize the employer side of the equation as evidenced by the predicted 17.7% CAGR within 2025 the SME and large enterprise business categories. The rise of start-up businesses and entrepreneurship in general contributes to the increasing demand for Freelance talent, as detailed in the Upwork Freelance Forward 2023 report, that noted Freelance labor contributed $1.27 trillion to the U.S. economy in annual earnings and also noted that 38% of the U.S. workforce, or 64 million Americans, performed Freelance work as either a primary or occasional source of income.

Start-ups often have limited budgets that constrict their ability to hire full-time employees for every role. Fractional executives, who are Freelancers who serve companies on a C-Suite level, are also taking hold at start-ups and Freelance and fractional workers provide start-ups and SME businesses with an affordable way to access high-quality talent on a short-term or project basis. The scalability of Freelance hiring models makes it easier for entrepreneurs to manage fluctuating or unpredictable workloads while maintaining high-quality standards without exhausting financial or labor resources. The ability to hire specialized Freelancers enables start-ups and other businesses to remain nimble and efficient—agile—which is essential for their growth and survival in highly competitive markets.

The success of Freelancing is perhaps best summed up by data from Mellow which reported that in 2023, the average monthly income of Freelance workers in their report grew by 18% and grew by another 23% in 2024. Mellow’s data also confirmed that the way to earn billable hours is to take on more than one client at a time (but you knew that).

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Epic Records. Singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton (1947-1979) in the cover shot for her gold album Perfect Angel (1974)

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Online Search: Every Generation Does It Different

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Eye openers:

  • 71% of Generation Z prefer mobile when shopping online.
  • 21% of 18-to 24-year-olds start informational quests with TikTok, while 5% start on YouTube.
  • Gen Z (62.7%) and Millennials (64.6%) are twice as likely as Baby Boomers (32.9%) to use multiple channels in their purchase journey.
  • On average, GenZ uses Google for searches 25% less than Generation X.
  • 30% of internet users aged 16-64 use voice assistants weekly.
  • 94% of GenZ trusts influencers over traditional ads for product recommendations.

Business directories are good business. Way back in the 19th century, the groundbreaking publication that became the Yellow Pages began in Cheyenne, WY and eventually became a national, then global, business resource. The Yellow Pages was available free of charge and was delivered to your door. Everyone in the US had access to the Yellow Pages, either combined with the (residential) white pages, or available separately. The original Yellow Pages still exists and remains a leading business directory, but how business customers search for information to start their buyer’s journey has undergone a radical reset. The Yellow Pages has joined the other global search platforms and has gone digital; the print version is now delivered to your door by request only.

Because you are a business owner or leader, you are intensely interested in the buyer’s journey that your prospective customers launch and experience. You know that the platform used when prospects search for information about your products, services and/or company can potentially impact how they discover and interact with your company. It’s likely you also know that the appeal of social media platforms and other digital resources is influenced by the age of the user and the appeal and influence carries over to shopping—i.e., buyer’s journey searches.

In other words, you can add another dimension to how you use customer demographic info and incorporate the age range/ generational cohort of target customers when creating your buyer’s journey. Do that and you’ll give yourself an important competitive advantage because every generation’s idiosyncratic search habits show you how to win them over. By aligning your marketing strategies and tactics to synch with generational preferences, you can enhance company visibility, promote customer engagement, build trust and, ultimately, generate sales revenue. Ignoring the search trend preferences of your target audience means you could be losing opportunities to cultivate potential customers.

Generational search trends and business strategies

A comprehensive understanding of how the generational groups prefer to search will enhance the power of your marketing strategies and ensure that your content reaches and resonates with the intended audience. Business owners and leaders can then, for example, create detailed content for Baby Boomers, showcase social media for GenZ and optimize mobile for Millennials. Below are insights that describe the search tendencies of different generations search and suggestions of tactics likely to appeal to them. The info was provided by Azira, a data intelligence platform that focuses on marketing and operations, in its consumer behavior report The Great Generational Shopping Divide, that surveyed 2,048 respondents in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia in July 2023.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012, age 12-27 years)

According to Hubspot, the inbound marketing and customer relations management platform, GenZ uses mobile phones more than any other device for online shopping and searching for information online. Optimizing the shopping experience for mobile is a must; and as noted above, 74% of GenZ shoppers use a mobile phone to do business, while just 16% use a computer. Of Gen Z, 28% have found new products by searching the web in the past few months.

Search Preferences: Short, fragmented queries on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Typical Search: GenZ users looking for pasta recipes might search “best easy Italian pasta recipes” on TikTok and watch influencer videos.
Preferred Content: Favors audiovisual, especially short videos.
Strategy: Utilize social media platforms and influencers. Create engaging, brief and visually appealing content to capture their attention.

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Millennials (Born 1981-1996, age 28-43 years)

Azira data found that 52% of Millennial customers engage in omnichannel shopping, meaning they use two or more online channels to conduct their buyer’s journey. GenZ and Millennial buyers are nearly twice as likely to engage in omnichannel shopping than Baby Boomers (63% and 65% vs. 33%, respectively). 70% use their mobile phones most often, compared to just 20% who prefer to use a computer, highlighting the importance of optimizing your site to be mobile-first. Millennials’ preferred channels for discovering new products are YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and 32% say they discover new products most often by searching the internet.

Search Preferences: Short, conversational queries; mobile devices and voice search integrated with social media are prominently used.
Typical Search: Millennials searching for a travel destination might use voice search to ask, “What are the top travel destinations for 2024?” and look for recommendations on Instagram.
Preferred Content: Prefer visual and audiovisual content; they trust peer reviews/opinions and want social proof.
Strategy: Optimize for mobile and voice search. Leverage visual content and social proof to build authenticity and trust.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980, age 59-44 years)

One in three GenX’ers say they prefer to discover new products through social media and 28% say that social media is how they discover new products most often. Additionally, 35% of GenX have discovered new products through online search in the past three months, placing it among the top discovery channels. Two-thirds of GenXers say they use their mobile phones most for online shopping, while 16% are on a computer and 11% use a tablet most frequently.

Search Preferences: Mix of specific and general queries using both search engines and social media.
Typical Search: A GenX consumer looking for a fitness tracker might search “best fitness trackers 2024 comparison” on Google and check reviews on Yelp.
Preferred Content: Seek quick access to practical information, relying on review sites.
Business Strategy: Provide efficient, practical insights and reviews. Balance traditional and modern search methods to cater to their adaptable nature.

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964, age 60-78 years)

Baby Boomer shopping habits stand out the most of any generation. For example, more than half of Baby Boomers have discovered new products through television advertisements in the past three months and 40% say their TV set is where they discover products most often. Baby Boomers are comfortable searching the internet, with 46% of them having discovered a new product through online search in the past three months. Additionally, 33% of Baby Boomers prefer discovering new products in online stores over any other channel. When asked about their preferred way to discover new products, just 17% say through social media; in fact, social media and ranks behind all the channels mentioned in the Hubspot survey, as well as word of mouth and direct mail (snail mail). Moreover, just 20% of Boomers have discovered a product on social media in the past three months and only 8% have purchased a product on a social media platform.

Search Preferences: Prefer detailed, specific queries on traditional search engines like Google and Bing.
Typical Search: A Baby Boomer looking to buy a new refrigerator might search “best energy-efficient refrigerators 2024 reviews” on Google.
Preferred Content: Favor comprehensive, well-researched articles from trusted sources.
Strategy: Create detailed, authoritative content that addresses their specific needs and concerns. Focus on building trust through thoroughness and reliability.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Kyonntra for Getty Images