maya payne smart: how to be an entrepreneur
DESCRIPTION
As part of a weeklong webinar called 'How to be an Entrepreneur as a Business Journalist', Maya Payne Smart walked participants through ways to be successful. Her talk included finding good examples of success, small business guides and publications, and legal and insurance resources.TRANSCRIPT
How to be an Entrepreneur
as a Business Journalist
Presented by Maya Payne Smart and Joe Grimm
Course Overview
• Monday: Getting down to business
• Tuesday: Building your support team
• Wednesday: Marketing for journalists
• Thursday: Brand you
• Friday: Live chat with journalist entrepreneurs
Policies and Procedures
• Participation is encouraged
• Feel free to type questions in the chat pod at any time
• Listen for chances to type your answers (“y” for yes and “n” for no) in the chat pod
• Take polls throughout the presentation
• After class e-mail me at [email protected]
Day 1:Getting Down to
BusinessPresented by
Maya Payne Smart
About Me
Today’s Agenda
• Thinking like an entrepreneur
• Setting up shop
• Making it official
• Protecting your assets
Goals for Today
• Grasp the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset
• Know what equipment and supplies you need to get started
• Learn when and how to incorporate your business and register with local, state and federal authorities
• Understand the true cost of doing business
Thinking Like an Entrepreneur
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Raising Your Business IQ
• Read business publications
• Talk to business owners
• Seek out business advisors
• Understand and create financial reports
What’s your business worth?
Setting Up Shop
Balanced Budget
The Right Stuff
Buyer Beware
• Efax or stand alone fax
• Stationery
• Magazine subscriptions (Blasphemy!)
• Voice recognition software
• Distant conferences
Making It Official
Choosing a Legal Structure
• Sole proprietorship
• Partnership
• Corporation
• S Corporation
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Registering a Business Name
• Naming conventions (sole proprietor, partnership, corporations)
• How to register your business name with the state
• When and how to register a fictitious name, or DBA name
Tax Matters
• Employer identification number (EIN)
• State and local tax registration
Business Licenses and Permits
• State business and occupational licenses
• Local business and occupational licenses
• Signage permit
• Alarm permit
http://business.gov/register/licenses-and-permits
Protecting Your Assets
• Health Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Commercial Insurance
• Media Perils Liability Insurance
Questions?Please e-mail me at [email protected].
Day 2:Building Your Team
Presented by Maya Payne Smart
Today’s Agenda
• Identifying your business model
• Documenting your work flow
• Defining your ideal role
• Delegating the rest (up, down and sideways)
Goals for Today
• Understand that you must have great clarity about your goals in order for others to help you
• Recognize that no one succeeds alone and that your network determines your net worth
• Learn when and how to foster strong relationships with people inside and outside of your company
Model 1: Freelancing
Model 1:Freelancing
Model 2:Author/Speaker
Model 2:Author/Speaker
Model 3:Freemium
Model 3:Freemium
Documenting Workflow
• Generate story idea
• Pitch to client
• Negotiate contract
• Conduct online research
• Schedule interviews
• Conduct interviews
• Write article
• Proofread and fact check
• Submit to editor
• Revise
• Invoice
• Remind
• Collect
• Deposit check
How Work Disappears
• Define what’s important
• Neglect the unimportant
• Automate what you can
• Do your job
• Delegate the rest
What’s Your Job?
• Generate story idea
• Pitch to client
• Negotiate contract
• Conduct online research
• Schedule interviews
• Conduct interviews
• Write article
• Proofread and fact check
• Submit to editor
• Revise
• Invoice
• Remind
• Collect
• Deposit check
Delegating…
You Can’t Delegate…
• Working out
• Eating well
• Relaxing
• Friendships
• Family
• Ultimate responsibility
Getting Unstuck
• What’s standing between you and this action step?
• What pay off are you getting from staying stuck?
• How can your team help you move forward?
• What can you do to minimize fear/anxiety/risk so you are motivated to act?
• What next steps can lead to the big leap?
Questions?Please e-mail me at [email protected].
Day 3:Marketing for
JournalistsPresented by
Maya Payne Smart
Today’s Agenda
• Choosing a niche
• Defining your target market
• Pursuing sales
• Minding journalistic ethics and standards
Goals for Today
• Understand why specialization pays
• Grasp the importance of market research
• Learn tried and true methods for building your platform and broadening your network
• Recognize ethical issues
The Process
Get Niche Quick
Why?
• Builds expertise
• Improves the quality of your stories
• Shortens your research time
• Allows you to negotiate higher pay
• Attracts assignments and resources to you
How To
• Monitor news in your niche with RSS feeds
• Attend conference and events related to your niche
• Pursue assignments in your niche
• Blog in your niche (see beatblogging.org for best practices)
One Niche, Multiple Expressions
What’s Hot Now?
Source: Magazine Publishers of America
Walking the Line
JournalistMarketer
Freelance Marketing
Freemium Marketing
What’s Your Story?
Selling Your Story
• Articles
• Websites/Blogs
• Speaking
• Professional groups and directories
• Social media
• Conferences and events
Staying Connected
Questions?Please e-mail me at