biz ladies by Grace Bonney 10

biz ladies: best of


Yesterday I did a radio interview where I got to talk about the Biz Ladies series in more depth than I normally do. I guess I’ve never really thought about how it might seem odd to some people to have a business advice column on a design blog, but for me, it’s always been a natural extension of what I believe in, which is trying to solve a problem when you see one. I may not be able to help everyone I want, but I’m glad that over the past seven years, I’ve met many people that I know have the answers others need. This column has touched on so many topics — from PR and marketing to writing books and hiring employees — so today I thought I’d do a BEST OF roundup to review some areas that may have been forgotten but are almost always needed. If you’re just starting a business or need a little pick me up, I promise these links will come in handy. Best of luck with all of your businesses. xo, grace

The full “best of” list for business advice articles continues after the jump . . .

Accounting + Finances

This is probably my least favorite part of running my own business, but it’s necessary to cover if you want to be a sustainable business. Here are some of the articles we’ve shared that are on my must-read list:

Branding

People often feel uncomfortable with branding because it seems too self-focused or promotional to some indie business owners. But having a cohesive look and feel to your business is crucial for your customers to understand who and what you are about. Here are must-read posts on the topic:

Customer Relations

Even if you like to hide behind a computer like I do, dealing with your customers is a necessary part of running a design business. Learning the best way to handle the ups and downs is crucial to long-term success. Here are my favorite articles for tackling this topic:

Education and Resources

As much as I love our Biz Ladies authors, they can’t possibly provide every answer, so we’ve often asked them to share THEIR favorite resources for online advice. Here are some of their best posts on great online tips, tools and resources.

Employees

They’re the people who help us live our dreams. Here are our top articles on treating them well and knowing how to ensure their happiness.

Ethics & Etiquette

These articles keep us all on the path to working with each other and not against:

Legal Advice

No one wants to need a lawyer, but these posts will help you avoid a courtroom or know whom to hire when you have to enter one.

Marketing and Advertising

How to get the word out about the amazing business you’ve started.

Time Management

I’m pretty sure we could all use some help with this.

Social Media

Everyone seems to have embraced Twitter and Facebook, but if you haven’t yet, here are some reasons you should:

How Social Media Can Humanize Your Brand

Sales

Sales is the life-blood of what we all do. Here are great tips for maximizing yours:

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10 Comments

Peaches

Already bookmarked. These posts are so helpful but I never seem to be able to find the content when I need it. Thanks for consolidating the good stuff!

susan r.

Thank you so much Grace, this was very timely. I am beginning to organize and prepare to launch a business. Nice to have everything in one spot.

gluten free gift

The Biz Ladies series has been a fabulous resource – I have soaked up many posts. There is so much here… a see another book on the horizon!! Mille grazie, Claudine

Diane Goldie

What a fabulous post. I’ve bookmarked it and will come back time and time again.
Still trying to get my head around the branding thing…

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