“She’ll need this, and this. This is optional, but she won’t need that.” he told her. By the end of the discussion, the customer was sold and she complimented Alistair hugely for his help in making a difficult job so much easier.

As a result of this feedback, Alistair’s confidence bloomed. He has now completed a computer science course and has developed a strong sense that the world is his oyster. It may not be totally due to the customer’s feedback, but the experience was undoubtedly a catalyst.

Positive feedback acts like fast-grow fertiliser.

However, many of us fail to express gratitude when it’s deserved. Often we are too wrapped up in our own worlds to verbally appreciate good treatment from others.

A little bit of praise goes such a long way. We forget how fragile others are, and how much of a positive impact our words can have.

So next time you feel grateful, say it! Who doesn’t like to hear that their input is valued? Here at Flying Solo, we never tire of receiving favourable feedback.

I’m not talking about being phoney or sucking up to people. I just mean next time someone has helped you out, say that you appreciate it. It may be that you’ve received great service, but you may also want to thank a partner or a friend for helping you through a tough time, or for making life more fun.

You may not realise how powerful your words of gratitude are.

Aren’t adverts supposed to be aspirational? Can anyone tell me what is aspirational about working at your own wedding, or having a client interrupt time with your son?

I think we soloists need to lead by example by unapologetically ensuring work takes its rightful place alongside our other priorities. It is our duty to show the drones how it’s done by putting at least as much conscious effort into staying healthy and making our relationships a success as we do into our work.

Each of us is responsible for our delicate ecosystem of work, health and relationships. For this ecosystem to survive, each element and its interrelation needs to be nurtured and respected

The good news is it should be easy for soloists, free of the strictures of tut-tut-you’re-five-minutes-late corporate culture, to ensure there’s harmony between these elements.

And now the bad: lots of soloists are so frightened of not being taken seriously they busily emulate Jobland. In their zeal to create a career others will take notice of and have respect for, they end up creating a black-hole business which consumes all of their energy.

Naturally this behaviour has got “counterproductive” written all over it as when energy does not get replenished by time “out”, our business ends up suffering anyway.

My business partner and all round good guy Robert Gerrish explains the role of the review process he sometimes undertakes with coaching clients, 99% of whom are solo business owners. “I’ll find out how they think they have performed in their business. Then I will ask ‘And how about as a partner/parent/friend?’ If they stall on the answers here, it’s a strong indicator something is out of whack and trouble is not far behind.”

Just because you take a Tuesday afternoon to lie down with a book, lark about in the ocean or have a long lunch with friends, it does not mean you don’t take business seriously and aren’t committed to it.

Time out is not going to kill you. But over-committing to your work just might.

Aren’t adverts supposed to be aspirational? Can anyone tell me what is aspirational about working at your own wedding, or having a client interrupt time with your son?

I think we soloists need to lead by example by unapologetically ensuring work takes its rightful place alongside our other priorities. It is our duty to show the drones how it’s done by putting at least as much conscious effort into staying healthy and making our relationships a success as we do into our work.

Each of us is responsible for our delicate ecosystem of work, health and relationships. For this ecosystem to survive, each element and its interrelation needs to be nurtured and respected

The good news is it should be easy for soloists, free of the strictures of tut-tut-you’re-five-minutes-late corporate culture, to ensure there’s harmony between these elements.

And now the bad: lots of soloists are so frightened of not being taken seriously they busily emulate Jobland. In their zeal to create a career others will take notice of and have respect for, they end up creating a black-hole business which consumes all of their energy.

Naturally this behaviour has got “counterproductive” written all over it as when energy does not get replenished by time “out”, our business ends up suffering anyway.

My business partner and all round good guy Robert Gerrish explains the role of the review process he sometimes undertakes with coaching clients, 99% of whom are solo business owners. “I’ll find out how they think they have performed in their business. Then I will ask ‘And how about as a partner/parent/friend?’ If they stall on the answers here, it’s a strong indicator something is out of whack and trouble is not far behind.”

Just because you take a Tuesday afternoon to lie down with a book, lark about in the ocean or have a long lunch with friends, it does not mean you don’t take business seriously and aren’t committed to it.

Time out is not going to kill you. But over-committing to your work just might.

About Google Desktop

Google Desktop is a simple yet powerful tool that enables you to search your computer for files in the same way you use Google to search the web. Sorry Maccers, but currently it’s only offered to those with Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

Available as a free download, Google Desktop Search sits – you’ve guessed it – on your desktop ready for when you need to find a file. Punch in the search term and it will then scour the following areas:

• emails (included deleted messages)
• files, namely Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, pictures, MP3 files and so on
• web pages viewed online, or any HTML files on your computer
• AOL instant messages

The results are displayed in reverse date order, but you can rearrange them by the above categories. Each result is linked, so you click to open the email in Outlook, the document in Word, etc. It will also tell you which folder the item is in, handy for those with haphazard filing systems.

The verdict

Like Google itself, the Desktop tool returns results very quickly and is incredibly easy to use. There’s no doubt it’s a million miles better than Microsoft’s hopeless search facility.

For the first week, I used Google Desktop exhaustively.

But then I realised something. Basically, the tool dispenses with the need to have any sort of filing system. As a consequence, it rapidly becomes an excuse for bad filing. Why bother putting stuff in the right place if your faithful hound will find it for you while you slob out on the couch?

I found that pretty soon, the short cut became corner cutting as I started to let my normally well ordered filing system go, safe in the knowledge that Google Desktop would find files for me.

The tool was teetering on the brink of becoming indispensable when I made the deliberate decision to stop using it as much. I told myself the virtue of locating a well positioned file ought to be its own reward. Before long I got things back in order and nowadays I only use Google Desktop to find long deleted files.

Want to give it a go? Download it from here.

Knowledge of alternative browsers was thin on the ground until late 2004, when Mozilla’s Firefox muscled its way onto the scene. Soon it was obvious this new player was a breath of fresh air for users…and a chill wind for its competitors.
Firefox is ‘open source’ which basically means it’s been developed by users, for users. Its slogan is ‘taking back the web’ and with 64 million downloads since its launch in November 2004, it seems to be doing just that.

Curious as to what all the fuss was about, I made the free download a week ago. I can honestly say after about a day of surfing, I was completely won over. As at the start of every romance, I’m discovering new reasons to love Firefox every day.

So what’s so great about it? Let me count the ways.

1. Tabbed browsing

This enables you to have multiple URLs open in the same browser. You navigate by ‘tabbing’ from one screen to another. Once you use this you realise how annoying managing multiple windows in other browsers is.

2. Bookmark Toolbar

Particularly handy for fans of bookmarking, this toolbar allows you to display your ‘favourites’ horizontally under the title bar. This means you can keep bookmarks on display without having to sacrifice a fifth (or so) of your browser window. While Safari users will be familiar with this tool, it’s not available in IE.

3. Integrated search bar

This lives in the top right of the browser and while it’s defaulted to Google, you can also search other popular sites by choosing from a drop down list which you can customise. My list includes IMDB, eBay, Dictionary.com and Amazon.

4. Security

Firefox is more secure than its competitors and ensures no Spyware headaches. Smarter than the average browser, it alerts you every time you head into a secure environment (i.e. one requiring usernames and passwords) by turning the title bar’s background yellow.

5. Live bookmarks or RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

I’d heard a lot about RSS but, ironically, didn’t understand it. Thanks to Firefox, I now get what it’s about. Basically it’s a way of viewing fresh content from your favourite website without having to navigate through its homepage. When Firefox detects a site with RSS an orange logo appears in the URL bar. Have a play and soon you’ll understand RSS too.

6. Find

Ctrl F for what must be the world’s most intuitive ‘search within a page’ facility.

Having blown sunshine at Firefox it’s necessary to highlight the one downside – some sites won’t load because they have been designed with just IE in mind. However, with millions now choosing Firefox for their default browser, site owners will have no choice but to address this disparity.

I wholeheartedly agree with Forbes magazine’s assessment that “Firefox is better than Explorer by leaps and bounds. I don’t miss Explorer one iota. Give Firefox a day’s worth of Web surfing, and you won’t either.”

So take my advice and download today!

When you think about it, those who view soloism using a traditional work paradigm are bound to struggle with the concept. It’s easier for them to talk in patronising terms like ‘how’s your little businesses?’ or ‘Are you still just working from home?’ than it is for them to appreciate our integrity, autonomy and earning potential.

I suppose they think a regular job in the Cube Farm is the way forward.

What a cheek. Why should ‘their’ (wider business community’s) be ‘our’ (soloist) way?

In reality, solo businesses have not so much rewritten the work rulebook as razed it to the ground. Furthermore, there are almost as many ways of working as there are solo businesses.

For me, soloism is a lifestyle choice. My business is not a stepping stone to ‘better’ things, but a way of work uniquely crafted to fit and finance the way I live. As a result, work is not a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 endeavour. Instead, my weekdays are a joyous mix of family, friends and office time. Ditto my weekends, actually.

But before you worry that mine is a slacker approach which gives the solo movement a bad name, let me assure you, I can turn on the professionalism when I need to.

For example, I want to go to the beach at 10am on a Wednesday. Do I divert calls to my mobile? No. I have a message that says “I will respond to your call within two hours.” I am aware that clients don’t want to hear seagulls and pounding surf while talking business.

And return the calls within two hours I do, without explanation or apology.

“What if it’s urgent?” you ask. This won’t happen. Because I am not a thrive-under-pressure type, I won’t take on work if deadlines are too tight. Also I don’t believe in being always available, even if it is during so-called work hours. Clients know this, i.e. their expectations are set and boundaries are in place.

Plenty of outsiders, as well as more earnest solo business types, would frown on me popping off to the beach during the day. They would despair of me working propped up in bed, in my tracky daks, sans lipstick. I can empathise with that view, particularly when so many in the solo community struggle with credibility issues.

But, I argue, does my unconventional style mean the work I do for my clients is cack-handed? Hardly. Does it make me incompetent or stupid? No.

Besides, I’ve tried the whole ‘dress smart so you’ll feel more professional’ bit and ended up feeling like an alien in my own skin. It didn’t work…for me.

However, I’ve found a work style that does and I honour it. I love my work, but I also love my friends and family and recognise the time needed to keep these relationships healthy. And if I lavish time on them in the week, that’s my choice. Happy Sam = happy clients.

Whether you’re a serious soloist driven by money and prestige or an idler seeking the path to an easy life, surely finding what works for you has got to be central to any soloist’s definition of success.

Follow these six steps to help you get you make the most of this powerful marketing tool:

1. Make the commitment

Good newsletters require time and energy to put together, so ensure you have the necessary resources to get yours going. Nothing says ‘flake’ like an irregular newsletter or one that runs out of puff after a couple of issues.

2. Keep your newsletters short and sweet

Few people want to spend longer than 5 minutes reading an newsletters, so keep it brief and to the point. Focus on one topic per edition and limit the word count to a maximum of 1,000 per issue. Keep to a set structure each time, e.g. overview (100 words), article (600), bullet points of article’s key points (150), sign off, including a summary of your business and contact information (150).

3. Use ‘you’ not ‘we’ language

Compare:

“Before we ran our management training course for Widgetmasters, they were really struggling with staff retention”

With:

“If staff retention is an issue for you, as it is for many medium-sized businesses, the answer could be in better trained management.”

The first reads like an overblown advert while the second reads like the start of an informative article. So use case studies (i.e. your experience) in an illustrative, rather than literal way, as this is far more reader-friendly.

4. Share your insights

Those cautious about giving away too much information will end up with a far less readable newsletter than those who freely share their knowledge. Yes, you may teach your competitors a trick or two, but it’s preferable to being an unknown expert with valuable information laying dormant.

5. Encourage new subscribers

For your newsletter to boost your credibility, you need to build subscriber numbers. Good articles are at the heart of any successful newsletter, but there are also practical steps you can take to increase your readership, like asking your existing readers to forward the newsletter to their network. Ensure there’s plenty of upfront information to enlighten those receiving it for the first time. For example, running a slogan at the start helps clarify who you are and what the newsletter’s about.

6. Respect your readers’ privacy

This can easily be covered off via a one-sentence statement expressing that details will not be shared with any third parties. Obviously spamming a loyal readership is a no go – you may get away with the odd survey, but bombard their inbox and you’ll lose readers faster than you can say ‘unsubscribe’.

One final word of encouragement: don’t worry if you only have a few email addresses to begin with. The Flying Solo ezine started with fewer than 20 and, five years later, is distributed to over 11,500 subscribers.