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Bernard Aschwanden

www.publishingsmarter.com

bernard@publishingsmarter.com

Running a Business1

@aschwanden4stc

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Thank you

@aschwanden4stc

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Alberta STC and its volunteersCohort Technical Communications

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Outline Want to run a business? Make the right decisions, as incorrect ones impact

the bottom line. Where do you turn for advice? When do you NOT follow the expert opinions? Explore ideas about business models, staffing, client development, and

administration. Ask questions and get input on real issues you face when starting and

running a business. We discuss starting or managing a business and explores the real issues that

are faced every day by business owners. Develop your (very) small business (one person shop?) into something

bigger. ID what to think about when going into business or growing a business. Dive deeper with a discussion around the entrepreneurial spirit and how it

can help you build and grow a business into a steady source of revenue doing things you love to do (and handing off the "other" stuff to people more qualified).

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Housekeeping and note taking

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Not all slides or topics are equally weighted

Use some, discard othersSlides speed varies

(reference)Questions? Ask any

time!

I’d love to claim errors/typos is on purpose… they isn’t, weren’t never, and ain’t; I’ll fix ‘em as I can…

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Disclaimer

In the interest of brevity I will be making some blanket statements to keep things simple

Not all that I tell you will be 100% the truth, but I’ll stay as close as I can

I will likely get in trouble from purists In some cases this is just wrong of them Of course, they will also make valid

points

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About your speakerPublishing Smarter:

PresidentContent strategist,

publishing technologies expert, author, and geek-enough

Solves communications problems to help businesses be efficient and profitable

Society for Technical Communication Past President STC Associate Fellow

Business Models

Not here to tel l you which to pick

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Just want to have a brief discussion

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Things to think about at a very high levelReasons that some business models are

better or worse Sole proprietorship Partnership Incorporation Co-operative

Pro Usually one owner/decision maker, admin is simpler,

generally easy to register, simpler at tax timeCon

Legally, it’s all you, failure can jeopardize your own money/finances, less tax flexibility, tougher to raise 3rd party funds (stock for example), company leadership/growth can be tough

Sole proprietorship9

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Partnership

Pro The working relationships Shared skills towards a goal Shared costs Support network built right in

Con Your partners

Shared liabilities Shared profits

Risk of relationships being lost due to business

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Incorporated

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Pro Limited liability Able to raise funds (stock offerings for example) More likely to be considered legit

Unless you name your business poorly such as (and these are real) Cadabra Inc. (later renamed to Amazon) http://www.sandmfamilyoutletstx.com/ which is Other ‘creative’ spellings of common names

Con Less direct control as shares thin out More legal structure, more complex tax filings More paperwork

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Co-operative

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Usually have very large base of people to draw onThe Global 300 Co-operatives Report analysed co-

operatives by seven sectors — which include Agriculture/Forestry, Banking/Credit Unions, Consumer/Retail, Insurance, Workers/Industrial, Health and Utilities and 'Other' category http://www.thenews.coop/49090/news/general/view-top-300

-co-operatives-around-world/I don’t have enough experience to talk about this

United Farmers of Alberta MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) Desjardins Group and the Co-operators (Canada, insurance)

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What I picked, and why

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Sole proprietorship Low risk in what I do Easy to set my own schedule

Pro I get to decide the direction of the business, make all calls When it goes well, I don’t have to think about cash in the

bank, etcAgainst

Can be tough to get good people to stay (they look for their opportunities)

If just me, then issues when I’m unable to deliver (sick, overbooked, specific jobs I don’t have the skills for)

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Toughest thing so far

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Deciding if I would be valuated and bought by others So far, not happening…

Deciding if I would stick with the sole-prop model So far, yup

Having to layoff friends and family Remember the dot com crash? Me too…

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Best things so far

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Travel when and where I want Hawaii India Germany Denmark Hawaii Most of the USA Most of Canada Calgary Hawaii

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Working with others

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Staff

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Common concerns

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Hire/fireInsurancePayRisk

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Part time

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Pro Ramp up as needed No need to put together benefits Bring in a short term but specific skill Pay only when you need them (but might pay more per

hour)Con

Training them up to the job They may look for better/stable options When people DO get to know them and they leave…

then what?

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Full time

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Pro You know your payroll People have specific functions Easier to schedule and plan

Con Meeting payroll Eventually adding HR or other roles to the team Costs go up across the board (phones, internet access,

etc)

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Contractors

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Pro Very similar to the part time and full time Less of a legal issue (paperwork goes away)

Con Similar to part time and full time Legal issues (if you contract them for TOO many hours,

they might actually be employees) Less of a connection to full time/part time staff

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What I picked, and why

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At one point, full time Easy to budget time/money People were vested in the job, put in extra time (often

for pizza/beer)Now, contractors and, I suppose, part time

Contractors for specific skills (IA, Editor, Writer, Developer)

Part time for things I know I need (accounting for example)

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Toughest thing so far

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Again, having to lay off the family and friendsSeeing people I contract with move to other

jobs No longer available to work with me Sometimes even competing for the same business!

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Best thing so far

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Developing friendships with people that last years

Getting new insights and ideas from othersHaving someone with a shared interest to talk

to

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Who you need to work with

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Administration

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Legal

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They help with stuff that sucks Contracts to ID issues before they become problems Business organization (helping to incorporate, sole prop,

partnership) Real estate (review all the documents before you sign) Taxes and licenses (yes, an accountant is needed too) Intellectual property (media/design/creative, help with

protection)Finding a lawyer

Start with finances, what can you afford? Should be well connected (ideally recommended) Lots of experience Similar clients

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Bankers

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Get to know the banker NOW, not when you start a biz

Build credit NOW, not when you start a bizShow collateral and a solid grasp of finance

basicsThey can review a business plan and provide

guidanceOften do this for “free” as you are a bank

clientAt some point you likely want to borrow

money

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Accountants

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Focus on your financesHelp take a chunk of work that you may hate

(I do) Billing, banking, taxes, that crap with QuickBooks,

Sage, or whatever Open scary envelopes from Revenue Canada (taxes

you owe mostly)Sounds impressive (I love telling clients that

my accountant will prep the invoice)Review your business plan with another

perspectiveThey understand taxes and how to pay them

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What I picked, and why

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Legal Few and far between Most contracts are *mostly* easy to read My standard agreements include:

Non-compete Non-disclosure Contract terms

Banking I’m with RBC, easy, local, ALL my accounts, they listen (or I

walk)Accounting

Found an accountant recommended by a friend

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Ideas that may be helpful (or not)

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Developing relationships, clients

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Ongoing clients

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Pro Steady income Reliable work Good relationships to keep

Con If you have fewer, and one or two leave, it impacts

your bottom line You may get “out of practice” of building new client

leads/relations Things could become routine, and that can be boring

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Clients that turn over

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Pro You get to do new and interesting things Makes it easier to get broad referral (if you do well,

people may move to other companies and come back to you)

Con Keep trying to get new clients Projects may be shorter term More paperwork

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Sell a product

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Pro Many products have return customers Good products can ‘sell themselves’ Easy to develop customer loyalty Repeatable products are easy to make in bulk Think Coke, Netflix, Ford

Con You need to make it (so you need people, or machines) You need to ship it (costs, pass them to the consumer?) You need to keep protecting it (legal) You need to manage costs (competition)

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Sell a service

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Pro People often return year after year Good services build up a good reputation Easy to develop customer loyalty Repeatable process is easy to sell in bulk Think Netflix, legal, accounting

Con You need to keep people (or movies, shows, etc) You need to deliver it (online, in person) You need to keep protecting it (legal) You need to manage costs (competition)

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What I picked, and why

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Largely, sell a service to changing client base Deliver what is needed, move on Repeatable processes, easier to get into a ‘sell’ pattern

for discussion Ongoing challenge is actually fun for me

A few products (books for example)

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Things to seriously consider

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Start your own

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What is your risk level?

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Low?Medium?High?

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Core steps

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PlanFinanceMarket, work, bill, repeatReview the planRepeat

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Resources

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http://www.canadabusiness.ca/ Wide range of information on government services,

programs and regulations There is a centre in each province and territory

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/grants.html Information on grants, loans, private and public sector

financing and leveraging personal assets

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Alberta resources

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http://businesslink.ca/ Business Link is Alberta's entrepreneurial hub A non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs start

a businesses since 1996http://www.smallbusiness.alberta.ca/

Alberta Small Business Resources is a directory of business resources for new and established entrepreneurs

http://www.nadc.gov.ab.ca/toolkit/business_development/checklist_alberta.htm Checklist for Starting a Business in Northern Alberta

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Non-Canadian (but useful) resources

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https://www.score.org/browse-library SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small

businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship

Work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

https://www.sba.gov/ The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in

1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation

The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses

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Consider joining STC

www.stc.org Members span the field of the technical communication profession Members represent every industry segment and many countries Award-winning publications, Intercom and Technical

Communication Offers Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC)

program; validates knowledge, competency and currency in the field through professional certification

Produces many educational events throughout the year designed to advance the knowledge of members and promote technical communication education, managerial techniques and tool skills

Career advancement is also supported by the STC through an annual salary survey, job board, mentoring and networking

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Other materials to read

www.writingassist.com/resources/articles/starting-a-technical-writing-business-from-scratch Ruth Nickolich the founder and president of Precisely

Write, Inc., a technical communications companyhttp://summit.stc.org/responsive/summit2014.

htm#!Documents/essentialsforlaunchingyourowntechnicalcommunicationbusiness.htm By Ann Marie Queeney of A.M. Queeney, LLC which

specializes in controlled documentation for the healthcare industry

http://thewritelife.com/how-to-become-a-technical-writer/ Rob Shimonski is an entrepreneur and technical writer.

Since 1998 he has successfully created and distributed well over 100 books for major publishers worldwide

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More reading

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http://www.morebusiness.com/technical-writing-business

http://www.wahm.com/articles/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-starting-out-as-a-technical-writer.html

http://www.techscribe.co.uk/ta/promoting-technical-writing.htm

http://articles.bplans.com/10-things-every-small-business-in-america-needs-to-do/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272598http://www.moneycrashers.com/what-need-st

art-business/

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Yes, even MORE to read

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2013/06/11/five-things-you-should-know-before-starting-a-business/#1c15e1636bd0

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1484-starting-a-business.html

https://www.quora.com/What-are-five-essential-things-you-need-to-start-a-small-business

http://www.smarta.com/advice/starting-up/starting-your-own-business/21-things-to-research-before-starting-a-business/

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/start-own-business-50-things-30077.html

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Once you read a LOT of stuff, it’s biz plan time

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http://www.canadabusiness.ca/business-planning/sample-business-plans-and-templates/

http://www.canadabusiness.ca/business-planning/writing-your-business-plan/

https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-toolkit/templates-business-guides/pages/business-plan-template.aspx

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/lifeevents/business.shtml

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Planning Your Business

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The business plan is the most important document you need

It helps you to think through your business idea before you start

Once running, it helps you evaluate your progress against your business goals

When/if it’s time to obtain additional financing, it shows your banker how you will be able to pay back the loan

A business plan is a living documentReview it yearly to ensure it reflects your current

situation and your goals

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Key section in a business plan

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1. Introduction2. The Team3. Business Environment4. Marketing Plan5. Operations6. Finance7. Risks and Conclusions

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Ideas on building connections

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Get the word out

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Tell people what you do

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Not “I write manuals” but remember STAR Situation: A recent challenge you were in (or a client was in) Task: What you had to achieve Action: What you did Results: What the actions resulted in That reminds me… A client needed an event speaker, I

wanted to help (for a fee), created slides, developed content for training, did hands-on workshop, and now I do regular work for them… STAR

Tell a lot of people Join your local BBB, STC, Toastmasters Join a chamber of commerce

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Show people what you do

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Keep a current portfolio to bring with you Relate it to whoever you show it to If they are going online, show online If they are going to print, bring print copies If you aren’t sure, bring both

If you don’t have a portfolio Create one Volunteer and create content Ensure that a part of your deal is “I get a copy to show

others”

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Have people buy into what you do

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Don’t volunteer At least, not if it is not helping your business Find GOOD places to volunteer, ones that match your

passion When you do, take credit for it

Trade shows and conferences Find ones that are relevant Offer to speak, or pay to exhibit Get yourself in to learn, network, and market

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How I got in, got going, and got ‘here’

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Bringing it all together

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Entrepreneurship

@aschwanden4stc

I wanted my own business foreverEmployed by over 50 companies by the time I

was 22 Many for no more than a week or two, some for as long

as 3 or 4 years (part time)Started a business right after that

Second-hand bookstore Worked part time delivering Chinese food Worked part time delivering computer training

I was a contractor working in computer training

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Timing is everything

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Got into software training as the PC took off in companies

Lots of money to be madeLearned FrameMaker, writing training manualsGot to be a FrameMaker sales lead at a

training companyHowever, like all good things…

The business I worked for (a partnership) fractured People went their own ways

So I hired them and started a training business

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Business changes

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Our training business had about a dozen employees (FT), plus a few PT, and at least a dozen contract trainers

We did work all over the planet Drug submission, airplane manuals, government,

private business, casinos, automakers, software and hardware

However, like all good things… The industry I was most dependent on

(software/hardware) went up in a dot com bomb I had to lay off friends and family (in that order)

So we scaled back, regrouped, and came at it fresh

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People wanted content

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So we added services to help people writeWe decided to teach people how to do all

things docs

The business grew, but a well founded partnership led to an amicable split of the business

Got into the doc side of things, became very STC active

Built up a reputation with clients

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Learn from the best

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High school Entrepreneurship class, day 1, teacher intro, challenge First day, 40 students, end of it about 24 Business competition (USA) Most people made products, some sold services,

myself and another student brought it together with the least effort, most profit

Lessons learned Second best lesson ever learned Best lesson ever learned

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What I really love to do

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Resolve challengesDeal with issues before they become

problemsUse clear communication and creativity to

solve things

Over, under, around, or through it

See things from a fresh angle, talk to people, interact with those who are “going somewhere” not those who “grumble and complain”

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Publishing Smarter helps clients

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Follow up contact information

905 833 8448 (Eastern Time)

bernard@publishingsmarter.com

www.linkedin.com/in/bernardaschwanden

@aschwanden4stc

www.publishingsmarter.com