An Inspiring Book for Indie Businesspeople

I've been meaning to post about some books I read earlier this year, but I keep getting busy posting interviews to With Five Questions. Well, I was thinking this morning about how much books help to inspire me as an independent author and entrepreneur, so I wanted to take time to share.

If you read blogs and/or books about do-it-yourself small businesses, you've probably already heard of Chris Guillebeau. I'd been hearing his name for quite a while but hadn't read any of his stuff. Turns out that I liked The $100 Startup quite a lot.

The subtitle of the book is "Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future." The central idea of the book is that you can start a small business on your own right now, using skills you already have. The author shows you lots of examples of creative people working in a wide range of fields who are doing just that. Guillebeau bases the book on his own experience as well as the experiences of a number of people he's personally interviewed. He has a very encouraging voice as an author; basically he wants you to put down the book and go and set up a website or write a sales letter or do something to get your business idea off the ground.

What I like most about the book is the author's assertion that you don't need a lot of capital or other resources to start a business. In fact, he discourages readers from borrowing money, etc. His emphasis is on starting small. This low-risk and potentially high-yield approach is very tempting, and you can experiment with it without quitting your day job.

The book actually inspired me to start teaching some independently-run online classes. I read about an artist Guillebeau interviewed who had turned her photography skills into a series of online classes, and I decided to try the same with my writing skills. My first poetry workshop is just wrapping up, and I'm taking registrations for a summer workshop now.

With his examples and his you-can-do-it perspective, Guillebeau makes you want to explore new ways to turn your interests and skills into businesses that you can run independently from home (or from anywhere in the world, if you want to travel with your laptop or tablet or smartphone). There are enough examples in the book that something is going to resonate with you. Based on my personal experience, I can definitely recommend The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future.

Coming soon: a review of Making a Living without a Job by Barbara Winter.

Marissa Poppens on Following Your Dream

Marissa Poppens is an artist and graphic designer. She owns Poppen Fresh Media LLC, a 3D visualizations, graphics, web, and animation design company located in Denver, Colorado. Offering a wide range of services, Poppen Fresh Media primarily focuses on marketing for small to medium-sized businesses through creating an eye-catching and unique identity. Poppen Fresh Media delivers high quality results because Marissa takes the time to work with each customer one on one and takes time to make sure each customer’s ideas and visions come to life with fresh ideas and fresh designs.

Kind thanks go to Marissa for sharing the following guest post.

As an independent multimedia artist and marketer for the past eight years, I've been through a lot of ups and downs. If you can take away anything from my personal experience, it’s this: if you have a dream, follow it and don't be afraid to ask for help. Other people want to see your dream happen just as much as you do.

In 2010, I was at a networking event where I really started asking for help in pursuing my dream of having my own multimedia business. I ran into the lady who had sold me my first car. I asked her for some business consulting tips, and she agreed to meet with me later. Upon meeting with her the following week, she connected me with somebody who had office space available. Unfortunately, I had no money at the time, but I decided to ask if I could trade services. The landlord agreed and set me up with office space for a year.

I've been able to grow my business for the past two years by meeting likeminded people and asking for help. I don't always get what I want right away, but I often do gain something that helps me continue expanding my business.

My advice is to go outside your normal group of friends, and tell everybody what your dream is. My own experience has taught me that if you’re truly passionate about your dream, people will want to help you. A lot of the help I've gotten I haven't asked for directly, but people have just connected me with others who can help.

Get out there and start asking. No favor is too big! Companies don't happen overnight with the way the economy is, and things take time. Don't get discouraged. It’s going to be a struggle, but without struggle, there is no progress.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Marissa!