running an info business Archives - Page 4 of 6

Five Things I Learned as an Independent Information Business Owner

As I approach the 10-year anniversary of starting my information business, I have been reflecting on some of the things I learned about my business and my work processes. These five things help keep my business working:

No More “Fake It ‘til You Make It”

By Mary Ellen Bates

I was recently talking with a colleague who commented that there were steps she needed to take to help build her business, but it just felt like too much. She wasn’t the kind of person who reaches out to strangers and asks them for a 15-minute phone conversation; that’s something that phone researchers feel comfortable doing, but not an online researcher like her.

Recipes for Business Progress

By Rhonda L. Bowen

In December, AIIP members met for one of our regular virtual Recipes for Business Progress sessions. Everyone shared their ideas and asked questions about practical, hands-on techniques that can help us improve our businesses, and this event focused on planning for the next year.

Documenting Your Business

By Liz Fraley

First, let me state that I’m not an accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, or security professional. I’m a writing professional. I document things for a living. Writing professionals write product manuals, dosage guidelines, installation instructions, grant applications, maintenance procedures, proposals, and so much more. Wherever there’s information designed to inform and instruct, you’ll find a writing professional like me embedded in the process.

Should You Get Niched?

Mary Ellen Bates

An evergreen conversation among AIIP members compares the relative benefits of being a generalist or specializing in a niche. I have reflected on this distinction and I think it is primarily a matter of how narrow a perspective I take.

Unprecedented Problems Call for Unusual Solutions: AIIP21 Day 2 Highlights

By Hashem ElAssad

The AIIP 2021 virtual conference was a condensed way to get to know fellow info pros, while enriching my knowledge. I’d like to share some of the highlights from day two that stuck with me.

AIIP 2021 Annual Conference: Day 1 Key Takeaways

By Janel Kinlaw

The AIIP21 Virtual Conference was my second AIIP conference and even though it was virtual, the same intimate nature was there that I remember from before. The pre-conference workshops and sessions helped us reconnect and meet each other. Below are my three takeaways from the first day’s sessions.

Another look: Stay focused with long-term planning

This is an updated version of a post that was originally published in 2017.

By Marcy Phelps

At meetings of the I-25ers, a group of independent information professionals located in and around Colorado, we often discuss how to stay focused. It’s getting harder and harder, with the many hats we wear and the ever-increasing rate of change in our lives and work, to make decisions about our businesses and carry them out.

Setting goals for the next 5 or 10 years provides focus in our lives and milestones for success.

It will also keep you sane.