Are you struggling to know how to tell if your business is healthy? This article is for scrappy self-employed business owners who want to be able to assess the financial health of their business without having to consult an accountant. I’ll demystify how to use your bookkeeping tools to determine the financial well-being of your business in the present moment.
Read MoreIs your fear of failure holding you back from launching your business? This article is a pep talk to risk-averse, aspiring self-employed people everywhere. Here, I propose a different way of thinking about failure and a couple of strategies to practice this new way of thinking.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever caught yourself thinking you just need one more class, book, or certificate before you’re ready — this one’s for you. Learning feels productive, but it can also keep you stuck in preparation mode. In this article, I challenge you to break free from the “learning loop” and start taking real, imperfect action. Leave the sidelines and start building your business and confidence for real-world results!
Read MoreA blog can be a great marketing tool. And writing the articles is only one part of the equation. If your blog articles all seem to perform poorly, then they're not effectively marketing your work. A strong title will help your articles perform better. In this article, I'll clarify what makes a strong blog title. I'll help you understand three keys to writing your own strong titles without being cringe.
Read MoreAre you struggling to set goals or planning how to achieve them? This article is for anyone who wants to create a robust personal management plan that is flexible. Even better, it’ll provide insights and help you improve the plan as you go. Here, I’ll provide a structure that will help you figure out how to be a good boss to yourself.
Read MoreThis article is for busy self-employed business owners struggling with doing too much. You crave identifying which operations in the business to streamline. Sounds like you need an Operational Plan! I'll help you clarify your priorities and help you feel less overwhelmed by your task list.
Read MoreMarketing is a big umbrella that covers many, many different things. When coming up with a marketing plan, it can be difficult to focus in on the aspects of marketing that you really need to learn about. This article is for any aspiring self-employed business owner who wants to do it right. This overview will help you to understand all that's involved with a marketing plan, and help you zero in on the stuff you need to learn about.
Read MoreIf you've never felt insecure when comparing yourself to others, this article isn't for you. For the rest of us normal people, we need to explore this and how it's impacting our current or future businesses. It's vital for self-employed businesses to understand their competitive advantages and disadvantages. But trying to understand this usually gets us stuck, demoralized, or frozen. Let me reframe competition and the dis/advantages of your business so that you can more easily succeed.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, you decided on rates for your business. They made sense at that time. But now, you're not sure they're working for you anymore. Is it time to raise prices? What should you raise them to? How do you roll out these new rates? This article is for folks like you: business owners who are struggling with changing their rates. You don't know how to raise your rates and want to confidently decide upon and implement a new price. Read on as I clarify the process. You'll get instructions on each step so that you can confidently make an increase in your rates.
Read MoreAnxieties about starting a business abound. Strategic-thinking folks like you seek to distinguish legitimate fears from illegitimate anxieties. What many don't realize is that the outcome of self-employment is not success. Yes, that could be one of the outcomes, but it's not the only or even the most valuable. As I reflect back from my 10th year in business, I share three key outcomes I see all my clients benefit from. I hope my perspective will help reinforce your confidence. And - for those not yet started - encourage you to launch your business!
Read MoreThis article is for those who are struggling to understand what market research means. As a small business, you need to avoid overwhelm and focus on the most relevant market data. Allow me to illuminate what works best for self-employed businesses. I'll show you how to understand your market well enough to properly steward your business. It's not just, What trends are you noticing? but also How are you noticing trends?
Read MoreThis is a blog article for those who are trying to construct a business and are trying to decide between what will work for them and the usual way of constructing a business. I know the desire for survival can tempt many to abandon their authenticity. In actuality, authenticity is key to building a successful business. I'll illuminate my rationale behind why eradicating self-denial is key to your success.
Read MoreThis is an article for business owners who are struggling with getting knocked off balance when big life stuff happens. It's possible to navigate negative events with less stress. This is true even if you're only just launching your business. Let's explore a few principles that will help you get through a tough time with a successful business.
Read MoreYou want to start a business, but you're not sure what to buy now and what to hold off on. You want to make purchases with confidence to launch your business, but you also don't want to end up bankrupt. Starting a business comes with tight budgets and tough spending decisions. Read on as I provide guidance on differentiating between must-have and nice-to-have expenses. Learn when to invest in essential items and when to consider nice-to-haves like virtual assistants or upgraded tools, all while managing your funds effectively.
Read MoreThis article delves into the common dilemma where meticulous planning meets the unexpected trials of implementation. Discover how embracing the process and seeking external perspectives can empower entrepreneurs to navigate the uncharted waters between knowledge and action.
Read MoreExplore the risks of toxic masculinity in entrepreneurship and discover four traits that can undermine your business dreams. This article delves into the importance of open-mindedness, embracing humanity, active listening, and agility in overcoming these traits. Learn how breaking free from toxic masculinity leads to a thriving and inclusive business environment.
Read MoreHow would an elevator speech help your business? This is a blog article for authentic business owners who are struggling to talk about their businesses in a meaningful way. Here I'll illuminate the key objectives of an elevator speech and how it can help you talk about your business. You'll discover how a good elevator speech will help you to promote your business authentically. Authentic promotion is possible whether it's a meeting with investors or a spontaneous casual interaction.
Read MoreA self-employed business is such a small operation, can it really change the world? Your business has more influence than you might imagine at first glance. Let me reveal how your micro-business might be the best tool you have in your fight for social change.
Read MoreDo you experience fear in the face of change? Fear is normal but you can still learn to navigate even unexpected changes with serenity. Using my own recent change as a context, I illustrate the steps needed to navigate any change. You can increase your confidence with change by making an informed decision about the best way to move forward. This is such a vital skill in the ever-changing landscape of small businesses!
Read MoreThis month's blog article is perfect for those of you who want to face rejection without catastrophizing. Rejection is the biggest hurdle for self-employed businesses. Self-employed business owners like you CAN have a more resilient attitude toward rejection. I'll provide a framework by using Daniel Pink's book, "Selling is Human", to analyze the rejection. I'll apply this framework to understanding a personal experience of rejection. Take rejection in a positive light and used it to improve your skills, rather than view it as a failure.
Read MoreMaggie Karshner is a self-employment coach based in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. She specializes in coaching solo entrepreneurs and owner-operated small businesses in industries such as real estate, mental health therapy, massage therapy, yoga, doulas, and non-profit.
Maggie's coaching practice encompasses one on one coaching, group coaching, and asynchronous learning via the member area of the website.
As seen on King5's New Day NW and in The Seattle Times.
Are you struggling to know how to tell if your business is healthy? This article is for scrappy self-employed business owners who want to be able to assess the financial health of their business without having to consult an accountant. I’ll demystify how to use your bookkeeping tools to determine the financial well-being of your business in the present moment.
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This is for those of you struggling with how to predict future business cash flow. You’re wondering how you can be confident that your future clients are coming. I’ll show you the data you can build your confidence upon. This confidence will help you feel certain your business isn't destined to end just because you’ve had a fluctuation in clients.