AIIP Connections Blog

AIIP volunteer spotlight: The Virtual Events Committee

By Mary Ellen Bates

The Association of Independent Information Professionals has plenty of opportunities for members to learn and develop new skills through volunteering and supporting AIIP. The program of virtual meetings and other events is thriving thanks to the efforts of three dedicated volunteers from the newly formed Virtual Events Committee.

Productivity as a solopreneur: Tools for smartly running your business – don’t let it run you!

Jennifer E. Burke, President of IntelliCraft Research, presented at the AIIP 2019 Conference on Productivity Tools for running your business. Chris Cochran, AIIP member, reports on Jennifer’s Conference session

Panel session report: Proposals and negotiations

AIIP members, Linda Rink, Chrissy Geluk, and Matt Von Hendy tackled proposing and negotiating costs, deadlines, deliverables and project scope in their panel presentation at the AIIP19 Conference. Marilyn Harmacek, Insight Analyst at MHConsulting reports on the tips and tricks shared by the panel speakers.

The power of B2B referrals

And so on and so on

Remember the commercials from the 80s for Faberge Organics Shampoo? One, with Heather Locklear, went like this:

“When I first tried Faberge Organics Shampoo with pure wheat germ oil and honey, it was so good, I told two friends about it. And they told two friends. And so on. And so on. And so on.”

Well, even if you don’t remember them, they’re not hard to find online.

Read on to learn how you can help a friend by referring them to join AIIP in May 2019

Slow Down to Speed Up™: The sugar ants who weren’t just a metaphor

Liz Bywater, author of Slow Down to Speed Up: Lead, Succeed and Thrive in a 24/7 World, delivered the keynote address at the AIIP 2019 Annual Conference. AIIP member, Jan Knight, Bancroft Information Services reports on the key notes from the Keynote

Managing cash flow as an infopreneur

by Holley Hughes

Most AIIP members run solo businesses, so managing cash flow is vital at all stages of business – from getting started to managing larger projects.

In the April AIIP member-to-member webinar Marge King shared her perspective on how independent info pros can strategically manage their cash flow.

In conversation with webinar moderator Mary Ellen Bates, Marge talked about key aspects of understanding and controlling cash flow and the necessity of knowing the relationship between breakeven point and optimum product pricing.

Communicate your personal brand … in writing!

by Phyllis Smith, ITKVector Inc.

I learned the hard way, before I started an information business, that if you don’t control your own personal brand, you leave the door is open for others to do it for you. Personal branding is more than a great logo and a sharp elevator pitch detailing your services. You need tell your audiences who you are and how they can expect to feel when they work with you.

What you need to know about Master Service Agreements

Blog post by AIIP member Ellen Naylor

Have you ever had to negotiate your way through a Master Service Agreement (MSA)? AIIP member Ellen Naylor avoided that process until a couple of years ago. In this post she shares what she has learned from her experiences with MSAs.