Yesterday, #SoloPR founder Kellye Crane launched an incredible new resource for PR people, and frankly any solo business owner who trades brain power for dollar bills. If you’re a consultant, a publicist, you need to download this.
From Kellye:
Legal contracts are often one of the most intimidating aspects of running a communications business, and perhaps the most important. What does all this legalese mean? Where do you even begin?
I’m happy to announce that Solo PR Pro’s first-ever ebook is now available for download: Get It In Writing! The Communications Consultant’s Guide to Contracts. Co-authored by me (Kellye Crane) and Jenny Schmitt of Cloudspark, this 30-page free ebook includes plain-language explanations of the critical elements of a legal agreement, as well as seven full contract examples for easy reference.
Get it now! Let me know how you like it and what you found most useful by shooting me a message on Twitter. Or holler at your girl on Facebook.
If you haven’t gotten to the point where you need PR contracts (because you don’t have any PR clients) no worries. Take a gander at my “Discover and Win” digital workbook. After putting this method into practice, you’ll not only have new clients, but new clients that you love. Download the workbook now.
Today I sat in on a pretty amazing session at the PRSA International Conference which started today in Washington. Heathere-Evans Keenan, Founder and CEO of the Arlington, Virginia-based Keenan PR talked about how she’s used the virtual model to grow her PR firm. By virtual model, Keenan means she’s used senior talent across the country to go after large contracts and compete with larger firms.
“I’m amazed at how apologetic most small firms are,” Keenan said. “When going into meetings small firms or solo practitioners might sheepishly say, ‘I’m kind of a virtual firm.’ or “It’s just me and a few colleagues…’ But there’s no way that people will feel confident about you if you don’t believe in yourself first.”
It’s not news to me that smaller firms are apologetic. They don’t have the large overhead that the bigger boys do, but they also don’t often have the budgets that the big shots have to invest in software, training, conferences, etc. Most if not all PR service companies target their products (pricewise) to the larger agencies and not solo practitioners, so it’s easy to feel overlooked. But I digress.
Keenan offered five steps to growing your solo PR business:
1. Identify your services range. You may be a generalist but you may be a specialist. In any event, know what you are. Identify exactly what services you are going to offer your clients. Around the 3-4 year mark, Keenan says her business was growing and clients began wanting more services. She started out offering general media and investor relations but eventually had to grow her service offerings which meant bringing on strategic partners who could fill in where she was lacking. Instead of hiring employees directly, she employed the virtual model-finding strong practitioners who could could offer a diverse range of services.
2. Cultivate preferred partners and subcontractors. If you’re looking to expand your business in a specific market, industry or city you have to develop strong partnerships with other pros who can do the things you can’t or can do them when and where you can not. It’s always good to have great subcontractors that you have working relationships with-people you really like, whose work you can count and whose business ethics you can trust. Whether or not that means partnering directly or subcontracting, you need to develop alliances and when you can spread your network across the country or even the globe, your business opportunities will only multiply.
3. Market and Position Your Business. You have to figure out how to market your business. This means figuring out exactly what you do, who you do it for, your unique value proposition. You must package your services and what you charge.
4. Expand into Another Industry. Keenan started out in tech and telecom and moved into healthcare, financial services and associations. This has only meant growth growth and more growth for her firm.
5. Find ways to productize what you already do. Are you a writer? Host a writing workshop. Expert media trainer? Host media trainings. Keenan hosts trainings and fetches $4500/day.
“Small firms are winning viable business,” Keenan says. “Against the Ketchums, and against the Edelmans.”
So chew on that.
Want more valuable tips like these? Order your copy of the Mopwater Manual.
I recently had lunch with author, speaker and veteran PR Pro Deirdre Breakenridge. Deirdre is the President of hybrid communications firm Mango!, co-founder of weekly Twitter chat #prstudchat, and author of numerous books on public relations and social media including Putting the Public Back into Public Relations with Brian Solis. I asked Deirdre what advice she would give her daughter Meghan if she were graduating this year from college with a degree in public relations and communications.
I found Deirdre’s advice to be sage and applicable not only to students. I’d share this advice not only a new graduate, but a person leaving a 9-5 to start hang out their own shingle, or someone who may be switching over from another industry to start their career in PR.
So many people want things quick and easy; but the truth is-even if our economic climate were great-if you want to build a strong and lasting reputation, you have to be willing to work hard and be flexible as she mentions. It’s a totally different business environment now.
The other day I caught up with one of my PR faves Robert Udowitz, a very well-respected, long-time PR soloist who, despite never doing any formal marketing, has kept a steady flow of work for years! If you’re in the DC area, you probably know Robert because everyone knows him. He’s at every PRSA-NCC event, and most major communications events. We’re working together on the International PRSA conference that will be held in DC this fall.
He met me at the newly renovated Northside Social in Arlington (formerly Murky Coffee) and obliged me with a quick interview because I knew it would be helpful and inspiring for those of you who are hoping to break into “the game”. Pull up a seat and take notes as he shares his experience in the public relations industry.
