My Small Biz Break partner, Maria, and I have some good news today, and then some great news. But, we believe in being honest, so we need to ‘fess up and admit there are some strings attached to today’s announcement. We don’t like the bait-and-switch tactic either.


Let’s start with the good news.
We’ve just completed our second ebook, “My Idea, My Research” as a follow up to “My Idea, My Business”. We feel very proud of our latest accomplishment, but feel even better because we know it will help solopreneurs become more effective at performing research for their new business idea. This in turn will give them greater odds for success.


We know, most people don’t like performing research. However, it helps if …

1) You start a business that you are passionate about.
You will want to learn more about your market and the potential for your business if you are passionate about it. If you are struggling trying to decide a strong small business idea for you, grab your free copy of “My Idea, My Business” from the Solutions Center while it lasts. Just make sure you register first, if you haven’t already.


2) You download your copy of “My Idea, My Research”.
“My Idea, My Research” covers critical issues for market research, including methodology, helpful resources, and important questions about target markets, customers, the competition, outsourcing and joint venture partners, plus legal issues while keeping the content reader friendly.


And now for the great news.
We are currently giving “My Idea, My Research” away for FREE! And if you are reading this in time, you can still download your free copy of “My Idea, My Business”, too. Extra bonus!


As we mentioned above, all you have to do is register for access to the Solutions Center, go inside and download your free copy.


What’s the catch? Yes, we have a couple of strings attached. We told you we did. Actually, the strings are more of a request than a requirement. However, since we are giving our ebook away for free, we hope you will reciprocate.


Request #1 – After reading “My Idea, My Research”, let us know your thoughts. Please leave a comment below or stop by our Contact Us page and give us your feedback. Your feedback helps us create better products and services for you!


Request #2 – Tell your friends and colleagues. If you know of other people interested in starting their own small business or know of a solopreneur struggling to launch one, please send them over to register for access to the Solutions Center.


We are passionate about helping new and struggling entrepreneurs find their “Simple, Spontaneous, Success” and know that “My Idea, My Business” and “My Idea, My Research” will start them on that path to discovery.


PS – “My Idea, My Plan” is coming soon. Stay tuned.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide
Small Biz Break

My partner, Maria, and I created Small Biz Breakwith a goal to help you replace the fear and frustration of launching and growing your small business or solopreneur enterprise with enthusiasm and determination. You may have a great idea, but sometimes it takes a little guidance to get you moving in the right direction.


We created the Small Biz Break Solutions Center because we know that you may have a limited budget and possibly a preference to build your business on your own … with a little free help, especially being a solopreneur. To get access to the Solutions Center, simply register and we will send you your password.


Until today, we had 12 business forms and templates, plus one ebook, “My Idea, My Business” for you to download. Today we are giving away more value with the following three new forms:


Market Demographic Analysis Worksheet
We designed this worksheet to allow you to cut to the quick for finding pertinent data about your potential customer base. The worksheet contains seven questions … and to help you get the data you need, we’ve included hyperlinks to relevant sites.


Competitive Analysis Worksheet
How can you create a successful strategy if you don’t have a clear idea of how your customers perceive your value as compared to the competition? By using this sheet, you can perform a competitive analysis for 15 critical factors that have the greatest impact on your customers.


Standard Press Release Format
We wrote a piece a couple of weeks back titled, “Press Release: RIP?” While a press release may not be in the limelight like many social marketing methods, it still has great value … when done right. Before you get started, go back and read the post. Then put this new form to good use for getting your new business announcements some press.


If you have been feeling stuck, hopefully the Solution Center has some of the help that you need. If not, you can always contact us for one-on-one coaching.


Special Note - Stay tuned for a special announcement next Monday regarding another important addition to the Solutions Center.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide
Small Biz Break

Before I get into today’s post, let me say a happy belated Father’s Day to all the dads. I hope that you had a terrific day. And if you were unable, for whatever reason, to spend time with your kids, hopefully, you can make up the lost time soon.


Yesterday was a great day for me. I spent quality time with my two children, playing games, taking a hike, getting hugs and kisses and going out to dinner. My daughter is nine and my son is seven. They’re at a great age where they still love to spend time with their dear ol’ dad. Yes, they think I’m the best and (usually) listen to what I tell them. I am very lucky.


Why am I luckier than most?


In addition to having the world’s greatest kids, since I’m a self-employed small business owner, I get the chance to experience Father’s Day every day because I get to choose how I want to balance the 3 Fs:


Freedom
My parent’s raised me to be independent and self-motivated with a strong sense of responsibility. These qualities allow me to enjoy freedom by not abusing it. While I am not (yet) independently wealthy, I have riches that many don’t … I can choose to make my kids breakfast and take time with my kids during the day, to go to their activities. I can’t do it all day long, but at least I don’t have to find a way to ask a boss if I can get some time off to do something special with my kids.


Family
From the above paragraph, I think you can get the sense that with my flexibility of freedom, I choose to spend a great deal of my free time with my family. What a great reward. It’s better than any bonus or pay raise. If you don’t have kids, your support group (extended family and friends) make up this important family.


Fulfillment
I’ve talked about career fulfillment in a couple of my recent posts. Why? Because my partner, Maria, (with Small Biz Break) and I are truly passionate about helping others achieve the fulfillment we have. After having worked for others and owning multiple businesses, we were fortunate to connect and create a business that allows us to pursue our passion and put our strengths to work helping others. What could be better?


By finding my right balance of these three important categories, I am a happier, healthier, better dad and my kids reward me for it.


If you are interested in giving yourself the gift of a little Father’s Day (or Mother’s Day) every day by taking greater control over your definition of these 3 Fs, we are putting the finishing touches on our first ebook “My Idea, My Business” to help you accomplish this.


You can get your copy from Small Biz Break on June 28^th. Here’s the page with more details.


And as always, if you need help, all you have to do is ask. Just write to us at smallbizbreak@gmail.com or leave a comment below.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide
Small Biz Break

1. Go to Small Biz Break’s Register page and sign up for free access to the Solutions Center.
2. After you receive your password, go to the Solutions Center and download a copy of the “New Business Idea Questionnaire”.
3. Answer the questions honestly and spontaneously.
4. If need be, take the PersonalDNA test to assess your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve given you a link to my results at the bottom of the Introspection page.
5. Once you have an idea (or ideas) of a potential new small business to start, it’s time to do some market research. You can download a copy of the “Market Research Outline” from the Small Biz Break Solutions Center.

Do your answers from your New Business Idea Questionnaire and your research indicate that you are a good match for creating a business in one of the industries mentioned in the Inc. article?


If not, don’t worry. There are other possibilities.


While it is beneficial to consider rising markets, fulfillment in what you do on a daily basis is of greater importance. Even in this struggling economy, more people are moving on to a more fulfilling future. Are you?


All the Best,

Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide
Small Biz Break