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
