Community Insights for Impact
Heather Owens
Heather Owens brings more than 15 years of executive support to her clients. She has held every role from Executive Assistant to Interim COO with a diverse portfolio of companies. She is a master at details - whether in email, calendar, or project management - and ensuring high quality support. Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Masters of Arts degree in International Education. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, son, and dog.
All authorsHow to Have Hard Client Conversations
The blog discusses how freelancers and small business owners can navigate challenging client relationships by having difficult conversations. Drawing on quotes from pop culture figures, Kaitlin emphasizes the importance of checking in with oneself, understanding potential misunderstandings, and approaching feedback with curiosity and kindness. Ultimately, the goal is to improve working relationships and prevent burnout by addressing problems directly and constructively.
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Hidden Treasures for Freelancers at Your Local Library
Libraries offer freelancers and small business owners numerous free resources beyond just books, including workspace, technology access, professional development opportunities, and networking potential. Tori highlights five key ways entrepreneurs can leverage their local library. These library services can help freelancers optimize their work, learn new skills, and grow their businesses without significant additional expense.
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Planning for Taxes as a Small Business Owner
Heather shares her personal journey with taxes as a small business owner, detailing her evolution from dreading tax season to developing a strategic approach to managing tax obligations. Through years of experience, she learned to set aside some of her business income for estimated taxes, make regular contributions to retirement, and work closely with an accountant to calculate safe harbor payments. For other small business owners, she recommends understanding tax deductions, using bookkeeping software, deciding between self-filing or hiring an accountant, and consistently setting aside money for estimated tax payments.
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3 Ways to Use AI to Support Your Business Operations
In this blog post, Kaitlin shares her journey from initially fearing AI to embracing it as a supportive tool in business operations, highlighting three key ways she uses AI. Kaitlin emphasizes that while AI isn't perfect and requires human oversight, it significantly enhances her productivity by reducing time spent on tasks like email composition and research. Ultimately, she concludes that AI is a valuable efficiency-boosting technology that should be viewed as a collaborative tool rather than a threat, and encourages professionals to integrate it into their workflows while maintaining a human touch.
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Harnessing Freedom as a Freelancer by Crafting an Ideal Week
In this blog, Tori Hennis emphasizes the importance of managing time effectively as a freelancer by utilizing the concept of an "Ideal Week." Inspired by Todd Duncan's book Time Traps, the Ideal Week helps freelancers structure their time around priorities, blending both non-negotiable tasks and personal goals. Hennis shares strategies for building this ideal schedule, such as time blocking for focused work, allowing for breaks, and minimizing context switching by grouping similar tasks. While acknowledging that life may not always go as planned, she encourages freelancers to remain flexible, adjusting their Ideal Week as their circumstances evolve, to achieve a balanced and fulfilling work-life experience.
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A Freelancer’s Most Powerful Asset
Sometimes life forces change before we’re ready, and in Spring 2023, that happened to Tegan when she lost her mentor and longtime boss. His passing profoundly shifted her career path, leading her to pause, grieve, and reconnect with her network. Over the summer, the support and camaraderie of her friends and colleagues helped her heal and ultimately gave her the confidence to start her own consulting business. It was through their encouragement, advice, and belief in her that she realized our greatest asset as entrepreneurs is our community, and together, we can achieve incredible impact.
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Reflections & Gratitude
In celebrating one year of full-time freelancing, I’m reflecting on the alignment of support, strategy, and hard work that led me here. From my early steps with Stratejoy's Holiday Council to using a Cultivate What Matters planner, I’ve been intentional about manifesting my goals. Throughout 2023, my community has been my backbone, with friends, family, mentors, and even my dog, Zoë, cheering me on. This milestone is a testament to the power of belief, action, and the people who lift us up.
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A Guide to Planning for Your Client's Extended Out-of-Office
This blog will guide you through the essential steps to prepare for a client's extended out-of-office period. From initiating early communication and prioritizing tasks, to creating a detailed plan and preparing for the unexpected, these strategies will help you manage the situation smoothly. By following these steps, you can turn potential disruptions into opportunities for efficiency and strengthen your client relationship. Let’s dive into the best practices for navigating your client’s extended absence.
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Freelancer Automation: Ways to Save Time and Money
One simple way to extend your capacity and to increase profits for the freelancer or small business owner is to more efficiently use your time. And nothing increases efficiency more than setting up automations for recurring or simple tasks so that you can direct your energy in places where it’s most needed, like writing a new project proposal, connecting with a potential client, or thinking through creative ways to increase your revenue.
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Putting the "Life" Back in Work Life Balance
My son has a half day of school today, so we are signing off early and going camping with a number of other families. This is the "balance" I was looking for when I started freelancing full time. Balance doesn't mean 50/50 (and likely never will), but the autonomy to decide to shut down and venture into the woods with my family is one of my driving purposes for freelancing full time. 2023 was a learning year where I didn't allow space for my personal needs and priorities. I'm still learning, but this year is better!
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