This is a guest post from my creativity and business coach, Charlie Gilkey. It’s one of the most relevant posts I’ve read in a very long time. You should read it. He gets a real bio at the end.

Things started out great. You had this creative thing that you loved to do. It was fun. And then you figured out that other people wanted your thing, too. YAY!! So you started selling your thing.

Then things went to shit.

In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber tries to address why things went to shit. (Naomi’s note: E-Myth is one of those books everybody tells you that you absolutely must read before you start a business or your wife will leave you and your dog will die.) He talks about Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Technicians; he discusses who should be doing what and when, all told using Sarah’s “All About Pies” as a case study. It’s a great read, but it leaves one not-too-small question unanswered: Read More

Editor’s note: This is the one where Johnny moves into the coaching and consulting module to see if I’m full of shit. It’s also the one where he appears to try magic mushrooms made of italics. He is high on the italics of life.

I would also like it noted that IttyBiz is pretty much the only place where you can hang out reading about dog-walkers with prostitute girlfriends and people in the esteemed profession of weasel whispering and call it “work”. Yes, we’re that cool.

This internet thing is pretty cool. You get some momentum in any of the traditional internet channels and soon there are all sorts of people finding you on Twitter and Facebook, offering you penis drugs regardless of whether you actually possess a penis. I NEVER AGAIN have to wonder where to find male enhancement devices, Ponzi schemes, or porn. This is why everyone should have a business online. You think you have porn inundating you now? Start building website traffic and just see the strange shit that finds you. Read More

I’m playing with the idea of giving a workshop in the UK before I go back to Canada. It will be my first ever in-person workshop/seminar thing, and I would like guinea pigs.

I haven’t thought too hard about the details, but here’s what I’ve got so far:

It will be in the next three weeks. (I leave circa June 28th.)

It will be at least half a day, but more likely a full day.

It will either be in London or in the Barn of Bliss in Cheddington. (40 minutes north of Euston on the London Midland line. Past Berkhamsted, before Milton Keynes.)

It will be really small. 6 people? 12 people?

It will be called Fuck Realistic. I don’t even really know what that means but my gut says that’s what I should be giving a seminar about, so that’s what I’m gonna do. Probably something to do with skyrocketing the living shit out of your ittybiz. Read More

This is a guest post by one of the great loves of my life, Tim Brownson. He’ll get a proper byline at the end.

My guess is that if you are reading this fine blog you are in some way interested in either marketing, selling online or foul and abusive language. Or maybe you are heavily into foul and abusive language online about marketing and this place is your little corner of heaven.

On the other hand, you may have absolutely no interest in sales whatsoever and are contemplating heading off to YouTube to look for amusing videos of squirrels nibbling through power cables, dogs skateboarding and crop circles in the shape of the Virgin Mary’s underwear. Well before you do, humor me by answering the following questions:

Do you sell to other businesses?

Do you ever have to sell yourself over the phone? Read More

This post is part of a series that will tell you how to create your USP by looking at other real, live ittybiz owners who have done it and kicked ass at it.

First, it should be noted that it would be unwise to accuse me of any level of objectivity in this post whatsoever. I love Stacy Brice of AssistU fame (and I do mean fame) like I love pink sparkly ponies on Christmas morning. I love her like I love Hermès scarves and English roses and the word “apothecary”. Basically, I like her a lot. Just be aware.

So, who the hell is Stacy, other than my girl crush? Stacy runs the highly acclaimed AssistU, a finishing school of sorts for virtual assistants. You wanna be a Big Girl VA? You go to AssistU. Every part of the Learning Not To Suck process is smooth and delightful under Stacy’s careful watch and tutelage. Read More