Starting a business means getting a lot of advice. Although I’ve run companies in the past, I still need to find experts who can help me with planning and implementing. None of us know everything, especially me. In fact, I have little experience in the book publishing business. Maybe I should not admit that! I worked in the oil and gas, medical, and prison industries. Every industry has their own lingo and way to do business. I know how to handle finances, etc. and how to produce a good book, but I know little about selling books, so I have been doing a lot of researching.
What I really want to stress is that none of us should be above asking for help, especially as we undertake new endeavors. Learn. Learn. Learn. Especially in a changing world like ours. Especially in the book business.
Since beginning a new company, I’ve had coffee with many published authors, editors, and writing friends. All have offered helpful advice. Yesterday, Bonnie Lanthripe and I ate lunch at Java Dave’s, and I had my new favorite sandwich, a bacon, avocado, and cream cheese on wheat! Bonnie has a book on Amazon and is working on her second book! Look her up.
I went to SCORE, part of the U.S. Small Business Association. They offer free small business advice and I’m glad I went. Linda Parker, a SCORE mentor, guided me with questions I had not considered before, directed me to pertinent websites, and prodded me to write a long term business plan. I will meet with her again as things progress. Thank you, Linda.
If you are considering delving into some new business, I recommend you talk with SCORE. But don’t stop there, research on the internet, talk to people in your field, and attend webinars or seminars on the subjects you need.
Keep on trucking. And little by little, with God’s help, we can get this!
You are loved, kathryn