Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines an entrepreneur as “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” No one ever said it was easy, but the thrill and satisfaction that come from owning and managing your own business are worth every bit of the effort. And having a solid network in your corner can greatly improve your chances of success.
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Presented by Jenny Blake
Reported by Debbie Wynot, Insight Matters and Library Consultants LLC
Editor’s note: This summary of our conference keynote presentation was originally published in the September 2017 issue of AIIP Connections newsletter, and—in 2020—it’s as relevant as ever.
For a conference program built on a theme of pivoting for success, could there have been a better keynote speaker than the gregarious and engaging Jenny Blake? Attendees were treated to an account of how a successful career development manager at Google left it all behind to follow her passions. Sound familiar, anyone?
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By Roger Magnus, Roger Magnus Research
As Zoom events have become commonplace, what can we as solopreneurs and AIIP members do to make these interactions less awkward, more efficient, and more enjoyable for engaging our clients, vendors, or colleagues?
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By: Barbara Hanlon Pappas
Editor’s note: Before the AIIP Connections blog, our members shared knowledge through the print and digital editions of the AIIP Connections newsletter. Issues from 1991 through 2019 are now archived on in the members-only section of the association’s website.
I attended my first AIIP conference in 2019 and decided that I wanted to be more involved with the association. I am interested in websites, so I introduced myself to the webmaster and web committee chair, Connie Clem, and asked if she could use a volunteer. During the Spring of 2020, I finished a project assisting Connie with uploading issues to the AIIP Connections Archive. It was a rewarding experience, for some surprising reasons.
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By Eddie Ajaeb and Marcy Phelps
As part of an AIIP virtual event about member benefits from the Peer to Peer Support committee, we recently talked about our successful one-year mentoring relationship.
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I was recently asked by someone I’m coaching for advice on how she could negotiate an increase in her hourly rate on an ongoing project, as she had initially priced herself at a low hourly rate. My advice to her was that she had a few options. She could go back to the client and tell her that she was going to raise her hourly rate, but she would have to be able to point to increased value since the inception of the project. In other words, what’s the added value that the client gets for the higher budget? What else can she do in the same number of hours that enhances the value of her contribution? Alternatively, she could chalk this up to a learning experience—we’ve all had them—and reflect on how she can position herself in the future to charge a rate that better reflects her value.
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When you hear Independent Information Professional, what do you think of? Someone who organizes, shares, or disseminates information? That is true, though it can manifest in several different ways. Our members run the gamut from technologists, researchers, coaches, marketing professionals, knowledge managers, web designers, private investigators, thought leaders, and public speakers. We are scattered throughout the world, yet we are all connected by the desire to grow and flourish as business owners.
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AIIP-L, AIIP’s active, private discussion list, is one of AIIP’s premier benefits and ways of connecting member-to-member. In this forum, we share tips for working on and in our businesses, including marketing, product development, technology, and much more. Following is a summary of one of the hot topics recently discussed on AIIP-L.
Topics of conversation on the AIIP email discussion list often focus on finding the best technology to meet our needs as information professionals. Recently, an AIIP member asked the group about mind-mapping software recommendations.
Several members responded with their favorite paid and free software solutions. Others favored manual “Luddite” solutions. Here are just some of the suggestions from each group:
(Note that all prices are in USD)
The first paid tech solution offered was Scapple, “a virtual sheet of paper that lets you make notes anywhere and connect them using lines or arrows.” Scapple is available for Mac only and currently priced at $18 for the product download.
A second solution that many recommended was MindMeister. “MindMeister is an online mind mapping tool that lets you capture, develop, and share ideas visually.” Notably, it is web-based rather than a product download. A limited basic plan is free, while a more robust subscription for individuals will cost $4.99 per month. Other levels of access for teams cost incrementally more.
Additionally, some suggested MURAL for online collaborative mind mapping. “MURAL is a digital workspace for visual collaboration…People benefit from MURAL’s speed and ease of use in creating diagrams, which are popular in design thinking and agile methodologies, as well as tools to facilitate more impactful meetings and workshops.” Independent info pros will most likely benefit from the Starter plan at $144/year. MURAL offers a free trial period before committing to a premium plan.
Also recommended was Miro software, which includes mind mapping capabilities. Miro is billed as an “online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring teams together, anytime, anywhere.” A free subscription to Miro allows three free boards, and packages range from $8-16 per month, billed annually.
Another suggestion was ConceptDraw. The respondent offered, “it is an integrated suite of three products: mind mapping, project management, and visualization tool (for dashboards, drawings, sketching, infographics, workflows, etc.). Nice feature: the integration of the three products let you turn a mind map into a project. Online collaboration is also provided.” Prices range from $199 per license for just the mind-mapping module to $299 for the full suite.
At least three votes were cast for the “Luddite” system: “a giant piece of paper on my dining room table, torn from the tail end of a roll of newsprint that I scored at least 10 years ago.” Giant sticky notes were also recommended as a tool for analog mind mapping. One contributor noted that “physically writing ideas down, drawing arrows, and scribbling notes all help in the creative process.” The contributor said that she feels her mental processes expand when working with physical paper and markers, rather than using digital tools and staring at computer screens. Another AIIP member agreed: “My best mind mapping is done in a cafe with paper and pencil.” Finally, a third respondent countered, “Left to my own devices, sticky notes and sharpies is where I start. I’m looking at a wall full of them right now.”
As you can see, we have lots options for mind mapping software, all ranging in price and functionality – both digital and analog. Most users would agree that it depends on personal preference and seeing what works for other AIIP members.
Carrie Hunsucker helps executives make their business decisions faster and more efficiently. She and her associates provide research and decision support to start-ups, non-profits, and CEOs of growing businesses.
AIIP Connections Blog
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Copyright © 2026 All Rights Reserved