Dear Friends, Here is What I Do

I attend many networking events.  It is fun to get out, promote my business, and connect with other small business owners.  I work for myself and often by myself so I seek out support and guidance often.  At many events the organizer arranges a speaker and at a recent event the speaker posed the question "do your friends know what you do?"  And I thought for a minute and quickly came to the conclusion that there is no way my friend have any idea what I really do.  So dear friends, here goes...

At the heart of my business is a subscription service for small business owners.  For $25 per month I send these clients an email every day (Monday - Friday) with a concrete plan on how to promote their small business on social media platforms.  It takes about an hour (hence the company name "Your Social Media Hour"). Most days they get everything done but sometimes they don't, and that is ok. My service is great value for the money and is meant to help small business owners develop a social media strategy without breaking the bank.

In the second part of my business I offer private consultations for highly motivated clients who need a bit of extra help getting started on social media.  I usually spend three hours with them setting up accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  They always have a list of questions that I organize and attack.  I always stay until all their questions are answered and they know the basics of each platform.  Typcially these clients join my site to stay in touch and they need direction on what to do each day.  

Let's see, the next part of my business is ghost writing.  Again, only working with highly motivated clients I write either all or part of their blog posts.  As a consultant I have learned that it is critical to have a good fit with my clients and so I will only ghost write in areas that are close to my business or heart.  Right now I have a nationally known speaker who has set the goal of empowering professional women.  I also work closely with a marketing firm.  

What my friends do know is my teaching as I am still so honored and proud to maintain my professor status with Rutgers Univeristy Graduate School of Education.  In this sphere I also do a bit of evaluation work helping professors organize and analyze data from research projects.  

Yes, I'm busy.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  I graduated with a masters degree the month after my first daughter was born and gave up a successful career as a fundraiser at Rutgers.  I was thrilled to join the stay-at-home mom ranks and loved my time at playgroups and playgrounds.  Now, I'm back in the workforce building a career, time for me to grab the brass ring on the carousel (I've been told this saying is weird - so am I).   

Writing about this has made me realize that the unending support my friends have given me as I have experienced every single success since opening my business just seven months.  Each time a new subscriber joins my site, I book a consultation appointment or speaking engagement they send notes of congratulations, toast over dinner, and also remind me that more success is coming.  Yet, they probably do not even understand what is happening.  That is unconditional support and love.  I am one lucky chick.