In This Issue...

- FEATURE ARTICLE: Solopreneurs, What Kind of Boss are You?

- COACHING
- TELECLASSES
- RESOURCE LOUNGE

The time is drawing closer to my book-writing sabbatical. In addition to writing the book, I'm looking forward to time for reflecting on what The Solopreneur Zone has created for you and what we can do even better next year. We've got lots of great things in store which I can't wait to reveal!

But just because I'm taking a break, doesn't mean The Solopreneur Zone is on vacation. It will still have all the great resources you've come to know us for, so don't forget to visit regularly.

Because I won't be working with clients directly for several months, I've decided to package my coaching into a self-directed program where you can access hours of recorded classes and tons of worksheets on everything you need to know to take your business way beyond the goals you've set for this year. If you were to buy these 20 classes separately, you'd pay $300. But you can get the entire program for only $79. That's a 73% savings off the cost of buying each class individually! In fact, it works out to only $3.95 per class. (I spend that much on my daily mocha, and it only seems to add to my waistline, not my bottom line!)

I've created these classes over the past year and a half and have poured my heart and soul into sharing everything I know about business success. I think you'll love the collection, but if for any reason you don't get what you were looking for from the program, I'll gladly refund your money. I only want you to pay if you absolutely love the classes and are bursting with ideas once you listen to them. To learn more, visit http://www.solopreneurzone.com/Membership_Package.htm.

Self-Employment Means Always Having a Great Boss, Right?!

Joan decided to become self-employed to get away from a series of managers that wanted high productivity from her but had little concern for her personally.

At first being self-employed was great. What freedom! No one telling Joan what to do. But after only a few months something began to change. Suddenly she was working more hours than ever. She started her day at 7am and regularly left her computer on long into the evening and on weekends "just in case" an important email came through. She knew she needed to market her business, but mostly beat herself up for all the things she wasn't doing. At the end of each week, she felt exhausted, frustrated and angry that her business wasn't growing the way she had hoped. Even worse, she had no idea why she was feeling this way since she was pursuing her life-long dream.

Joan had unwittingly become the worst boss she'd ever had!

Self-Bossing is Harder Than it Looks

Since you know yourself so well, you'd think it would be easy to manage yourself. But it can be very difficult to be both boss and employee. It's tough to have perspective when you are "it". Most of us end up pushing ourselves too hard and burning out, or not enough and getting nowhere.

Curious to see how you are doing as a boss? Answer the following questions to find out:

Are You in Compliance with Labor Laws?

If you were an hourly employee, you would legally need to be given a lunch break and two shorter "coffee breaks". How often do you intentionally stop working entirely for a "mental health break" or eat lunch for a full hour away from your desk?

If you work overtime, you should be getting extra pay or be given "comp" time. How well are you keeping track of these and compensating yourself?

How are Your Working Conditions?

Is your work area ergonomically correct? Do you have the equipment and tools you need to be successful, or are you always struggling to make due with what you have? Do you give yourself time and money for additional training and personal growth? Do you have access to support professionals if challenges at work come up?

Are You Articulating Your Expectations for Yourself and Your Business?

One of the main reasons employees feel frustrated with their managers is that there are unspoken expectations instead of clearly defined ones. Since you are managing yourself, you are probably not setting concrete expectations for your work. Instead, we simply talk to ourselves in our heads. Have you ever actually listened to your own self-talk? What does it sound like?

How Do You Motivate Yourself?

What techniques do you use to motivate yourself at work? Are you setting clear expectations and offering yourself the support and tools to accomplish your objectives, or do you get yourself to complete work through criticism and self-recrimination?

What about performance reviews? Do you regularly check in with yourself to appreciate what you've accomplished, thank yourself for a job well done and re-evaluate whether what you are working on still fits the company's goals?

The Answer: Treat Yourself Like a Real Employee

If your employee was someone other than you, you'd probably manage them very differently than you manage yourself, wouldn't you? The answer, then, is to treat yourself as you would others.

Even though you are a Solopreneur, the most effective way to run a business is to operate like a corporation with guiding principles, company goals and clearly articulated expectations. Appoint yourself CEO and operate as if you are an employee within the corporation (remember, CEOs are employees too).

Try it for a month or two. I think this new perspective will be much easier and enjoyable for you and your employee!

Soon I'll be Taking a Break, but My Coaching Membership Won't…

I will be taking a sabbatical from July 1 through the end of the year to finally write my book. While I'm gone, you will be able to take advantage of all the incredible Teleclasses that have up to now only been available to members.

Because I won't be working with clients directly for several months, I've decided to package my coaching into a self-directed program where you can access hours of recorded classes and tons worksheets on everything you need to know to take your business way beyond the goals you've set for this year.

If you were to buy these 20 classes separately, you'd pay $300. But you can get the entire program for only $79. That's a 73% savings off the cost of buying each class individually! In fact, it works out to only $3.95 per class. (I spend that much on my daily mocha, and it only seems to add to my waistline, not my bottom line!)

I created these classes over the past year and a half and have poured my heart and soul into sharing everything I know about business success. I think you'll love the collection, but if for any reason you don't get what you were looking for from the program, I'll gladly refund your money. I only want you to pay if you absolutely love the classes and are bursting with ideas once you listen to them.

As a special offer to Solo Flyer readers, you'll get a free copy of the classes on CD and a notebook with all worksheets (normally $20 extra) if you buy the package before July 1. To learn more and see the topics list, visit http://www.solopreneurzone.com/Membership_Package.htm

Teleclasses

One-Hour Teleclasses: the best way to spend an hour...

JUNE

Marketing Your Business Virtually Wednesday, June 9, 2-3pm ET
Taking Vacations & Sabbaticals as a One-Person Business Wednesday, June 16, 2-3pm ET

Each 1 hour teleclass includes worksheets and access to the teleclass recording via Real Audio.

Cost: $25, Members: Fr^ee

Secrets of Self-Employment: Surviving and Thriving on the Ups and Downs of Being Your Own Boss. Paul and Sarah Edwards Buy the book...

As you'll notice when you check out the recommended books on my website, I love the work of Paul and Sarah Edwards. They've written several books on self-employment, all of which really hit the mark. This book focuses on the "you" aspects of being self-employed: who you need to be, what you want to look out for, etc. There are plenty of great ideas here, including becoming the boss you've always wanted to have!

Ideal Week worksheet http://solopreneurzone.com/Resource_Ideal_Week.htm

If one of your challenges managing yourself involves managing your time, you may want to use this worksheet to help plan your workweek. The goal of the worksheet is to help you plan your unscheduled time and see your entire week at a glance. There's no need to tightly schedule each hour. Instead, think about the types of work you'd like to do each day taking into consideration your work style, energy levels at different times of the day and business goals.

For a complete list of resources we love (growing weekly), visit the Resource Lounge at http://solopreneurzone.com/Resource_Lounge.htm

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Copyright 2004 Dawn Nichol, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Solo Flyer publication as long as you keep the entire publication intact.