I think everyone is awful at resolutions.  I also think that I may be even worse at them than other people.  The fundamental problem with resolutions is that they are about the end result, not the journey.  ”I will make more money this year.” you say, but how?  And then because you can’t do it immediately, you feel like you’ve failed and you give up.  I am especially prone to this, as I am an immediate results kind of person.  If I can’t see it immediately, I feel like I’m screwing up.

In that spirit, this year I am giving myself a permission list.  I don’t have to do these things, but I can do them if I wish.  For me, this may be the first step to dealing with my stuckness in a productive and positive way.

In the New Year, I Can:

-Wear pajamas to work if I feel like it.

-Acknowledge that success comes in stages, not all at once.

-Learn to live in my house in a way that I am comfortable with.

-Learn to pursue friendships that I find meaningful without fear of being judged.

-Work damn hard to run a business in a way that I am proud of, even if I make less money than other people.

-Learn to acknowledge that it is okay if I make less money than other people.

-Exercise because I want to, not because I have to.

What is your permission list for the New Year?

I’ve been spending a lot of time writing tag lines lately.  For my inner writer self (the self that really just wants to spend all day writing about nothing for the sake of writing), I think taglines are the most satisfying professional experience I have.  From a consulting perspective, the art of writing a strong tagline is also the hardest thing to teach.  I write a lot of them, and if I may state an opinion, I think they’re pretty damn great ones.  I still can’t explain how the process works in a rational way.

Writers are like artists in the sense that everyone has a routine that works for them. For me, taglines and coffee shop napkins go really well together.  I suspect it has something to do with the reduced space kicking my brain into a really productive place.

The fantastic thing about writing is that even if you can’t really explain how it works, you can explain how it feels when everything really clicks.   For me and taglines, it’s like when you shake out one of those giant puzzle boxes onto a table.  There’s all this stuff there that you need to make sense out of.  And like a puzzle, you can separate it out into bits and pieces that gradually form the bigger picture.  I can usually place the start and the end of the tag right away, so I sort those words out into another mental pile.   Then you get to the hard part.

A great tagline is hard because it’s really an art form.   Think about all the really famous advertising lines: for instance, Nike’s “Just Do It”.  This tagline works because it’s short, memorable, and conveys incredibly complex layers of meaning that speak to the individual.  Nike sells shoes, but they also sell lifestyles.  Their slogan is iconic because it sells the potential to realize your life.   Shoes are really a secondary issue.

The only teaching tip I can give about taglines is really a tip that applies to all writing.  Words are powerful, and words have multiple meanings.  When you’re writing a tagline especially, you need to consider both the explicit and implicit meanings of a word.  Secondly, consider the emotions that your words bring up.  Definitions of words and the emotional content of words can also be very different, and finding the perfect word that combines the two can be the key to not only expressing yourself, but making a sale.

Ultimately, your readers/clients/buyers aren’t buying just a product, but they are buying into a mindset that your product sets.  Taglines play a big part, so make sure that you love them 100%.  And have fun with the puzzles.  They can be the key to unlocking your business and your heart.

We here at Cottage Copy are thrilled to announce the brand new Cottage Copy Store!  Prices range from $9.99 to $2999(literally!), so go check it  all out!  Ebooks and consulting packages and copywriting-it’s all there!

Also, client testimonials are in the process of going up.  There should be many more in the next few days, so keep an eye on the site.  I’ll post them as they come in after the holidays(since reasonable people don’t work over the holidays, or write testimonials no matter how much they love you).

I can’t wait to work with you all in the New Year.  All the clients so far have been the most interesting and cool people.  I can’t describe how amazing it feels to be paid for something you’d do for free if you could.

Most sincere thanks,

Holly and the Cottage Copy Spaniel(He likes to be included in these things.)

Just a quick post, since I have finally heard from the giveaway winners.  Congratulations to Amy Crook and Toby Martini!  I’m really excited to be working with both of you.

I’m going to be sending an email around to the rest of you that signed up.  It has various thank you things in it.  No matter how good your services are, it’s hard to get started as an internet business.  I’m truly grateful to everyone who signed up. Taking a chance on a new internet business takes guts, especially when it relates to the health of your own business. Thank you for being willing to let me help with yours.

I know I’ve been saying this endlessly, but thank you so much to everyone for your business, support, and encouragement.  It means a lot around here, especially on the scary days when this whole thing seems overwhelming.

It’s been pretty crazy around here at the Cottage lately.  I’m doing a ton of writing to get the store ready to launch in three days, all while setting up client schedules for the New Year.  It’s been pretty hectic, but in a great way.  Just as a heads up, if you’ve been poking around the rates page and thinking about hiring me, if you do it before midnight EST on December 31st, I will give you 10% off the current rates.  Use the coupon code WELCOME2010 at checkout to get the discount! Good deal for you, good deal for me. If you’ve got questions or want to get in touch with me, send me an email and I promise I’ll get back to you right away.  I’m out of the Cottage most of today, but I will still have my best friend the Blackberry on me.

Some more details about the store launch to hopefully get you as excited as I am:

-There will be packages for all budgets, whether you want to spend $20 or $2000.  I’m designing this so my services are accessible to everyone, and so I can help with all the individual needs of your business.

-If you don’t see something that works for you, just ask. I’m flexible, and I do this because I like it.  If you’re thinking about hiring me but a little nervous about the whole thing, please just set up a time to talk to me.

-There will be an ebook. Lots of good DIY marketing writing information, all while teaching you to write like yourself.  Because, if you run a small business, a huge part of your sales is being yourself and being different from everyone else.  By the time you’re done with the book, you will be able to write a full website on your own that stealthily markets your stuff, as well as a blog and some magical mailing lists.

-If you want to hire me long term or for an individual project, I can still do an hourly rate. This is why the sale is such a good deal: the rates aren’t changing.

-There will be a year long program! Think of it as Zen and the Art of Copywriting.  The Round Table Program will allow you to develop your copywriting and marketing skills over a full year in tandem with other small businesspeople.  Make new connections, learn a skill that will grow your sales, and learn how to write content rich sites that sound like you and make money for you.  This may actually be the part of this that I am the most excited about, so I hope all of you take a look at it and sign up!

I can’t wait to meet all of you in the New Year, and to work with you.  Again, if you want to take advantage of the sale, get in touch in the next three days and I will set up a time to work with you!

P.S. Still working on the Giveaway results.  Waiting to hear back from winner #2, so hopefully I can make that announcement tomorrow!

So, The Cottage Copy Spaniel, otherwise known as the Cottage Copy Secretary and house manager in training, has drawn two names out of a hat.   I will be contacting these two names today to see if they are still interested.  Hopefully they will be, but being careful is always good.  When I hear back, hopefully tomorrow, I will announce the winners and some other cool things I have going on.  I will also put up pictures of the very silly and convoluted process of drawing names.

A couple of days ago I made the announcement that Cottage Copy will have a store. Well, not only will we have tons of different consulting and writing options to buy, but also…an ebook! The ebook is a training manual on how to write marketable website content for people who are really uncomfortable with the idea of outright marketing. It’s a fun, easy, step by step guide that may involve accidental squid fishing, world domination, and organic dog treats. You know you want to buy it with that advertisement, right? I don’t have the official version up yet, but if you’re interested in a sample, shoot me an email and I’ll send one right along.

So that’s it for today.  Ebook samples, giveaways, all good things.  I’m in the process of setting up the packages in the store today, and I want to hear from you.  What kind of services would you find most useful as a small business from a copywriter/marketing maven?  Comment, email me, whatever works for you.  I want to hear what you guys think so I know I’m addressing the needs that are out there!

I’ve been reading a lot of Gary Vaynerchuk’s book “Crush It” in the last few days, and he talks about how stories are powerful.  This blog has taught me the same thing.   And then last night I read the wonderful Elizabeth PW’s blog , which really got me inspired.  Hell, if she can be upfront and honest about the crappy situation that motivated her to start a business, so can I.

A short time ago, I was a grant writer making $7.25 an hour at a non-profit program.  It was my third professional writing job.  I’d had jobs that involved teaching writing, doing writing, and grant writing; all of these jobs had disappeared due to the economy and the fact that working for non-profits means that you tend to change jobs a lot.  In addition, I’d been writing on the side, doing copywriting and small business marketing, for about a year.  It started out as favors for friends, and kind of grew by word of mouth.  But I wasn’t really making money.  I didn’t know how to charge for it, and my finances were quickly becoming messy.   My current job wasn’t cutting it.  To make up for it, I worked extra hours, most of which ended up  going unpaid. I’d talked about starting something like Cottage Copy for almost six months, but had no idea how to do it.  It’s one thing to tell other people how to write and build a business: I knew I was good at that.  But doing it for yourself is whole different story, and it seemed like such an overwhelming prospect that I couldn’t face it.

Cut to a month ago, with me crying on my bed because I hated my job, I had a negative bank balance, lots of bills, and had no idea what I was going to do when the job I didn’t like very much ended in two weeks.  I didn’t know what to do, and I felt like a total life failure.  Which is a sucky feeling, let me tell you.  I was a smart, capable, person.  How in the world did I get here?

I woke up the next morning with some serious clarity.  I’d spent my whole life operating on the principle that being satisfied at work didn’t matter.  That anything I wanted to do outside work (like start a business!) would be impossible and I’d fail.  After all, most online businesses fold within three years.  Why would I be any different?  But I woke up that morning with a whole new perspective. I already felt like I’d failed. So I’d taken care of that fear.  Anything new had to be better than where I was.

So I went into work.  I told my boss I would not stay for reduced hours, that I was going to do something on my own.  I told everyone I knew that I was starting a business so I couldn’t decide to chicken out.  I called all my old clients(who I hadn’t even really thought of as clients until then) and asked them to write me testimonials and see if they had samples of my old work, which I had of course not saved, thinking it would never matter.  And to my total surprise, everyone got behind me.  They asked me why I hadn’t done it sooner. My co-workers got behind me, even my boss got behind me.  Even my parents got behind me, despite the fact that it was kind of a crazy proposition (Mom and Dad, if you’re reading this, I love you and thank you!).  No one told me that I was insane, or that I’d fail.

I’ve been a business for three weeks.  I’ve had clients  who were completely and totally satisfied with my work and raved about me on Twitter.  In my first week of being a business, my blog got linked by Havi Brooks on Twitter to 6000 people.  I’ve had a conversation on Twitter with Naomi Dunford, who I also idolize.  For the first time in my adult life, I know what I want do, and I have a plan to get there.  Despite the fact that I am still scared to death, every day I wake up wanting to work, and to get better and improve.  I’m writing an ebook: I’m someone who always claimed I could never write a book, I wasn’t a good enough writer. And my opinion of myself, and what I am capable of doing, has changed.

The moral of the story for me is really simple.  Anyone can do this, who wants to work hard enough and is really passionate about what they do.  Hell, if I can, anyone can.  More importantly, this is the first year in a few years when I’m excited about the New Year, not dreading it.  I don’t expect to be rich overnight, or even in a few months, but I know that with time and effort, I can build a successful business and take care of myself.  And I can help people at the same time. How cool is that?

Just a quick post this morning, although perhaps more later once the family activities slow down.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone out there!  I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with food and family.

Just a reminder to those of you reading: my giveaway has one day left, so sign up if you’re interested.  Don’t feel shy, or like you’re not enough of a business to sign up.  Just go for it!  I’m friendly, I don’t bite, and I love to meet new people.  I will pick two names randomly (the method of choice will probably involve the Cottage Copy spaniel and a hat of names), but I promise I will post pictures of it so it will be verifiably fair, if slightly silly.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Today we’re taking a break from the post series, because I had a strange and thought provoking experience yesterday that I wanted to talk about.

On my holiday drive, there’s a small town that I drive through that I really admire, at least from a small business standpoint.  This town is clearly a successful place for small businesses.  There is a picturesque street lined with art galleries, antique stores, and small restaurants.  I got really excited yesterday specifically because driving through, I saw a sign for an old fashioned paper goods store.  So excited, in fact, that I stopped in the dark and the snow, intending to go in and check it out and rave about the fact that a store like this still existed.

I’ve had a strange love affair with paper stores since I was a kid.  I grew up near one, and I have years of happy memories involving going to the paper store with my mother to buy pens, cards, and stationery.   There’s a sense of possibility that paper gives me that a computer can’t replicate.  A blank page of paper and  a sturdy pen in the right color can be the simplest and the most inspiring set of tools for a writer.  I love my laptop, and I run an online business, but I still write most of my copy by hand.  It’s old fashioned, it’s inefficient, and it gets my brain going.  For me, blank word documents can be incredibly intimidating.  Real paper goods stores seem to be a dying industry.  You can find stuff online (like this gorgeous stationery), but it isn’t quite the same thing as browsing through a store in person.

So I parked my car and went up to the window of the store, which was still brightly lit.  It turns out I’d made it 20 minutes past closing time, so the doors were shut, but the lights had deceived me.  But the even bigger letdown was the fact that the window of the paper goods store was filled with….tiny glass owls and little signs with silly sayings.  No sign of old fashioned paper goods at all!  No paper, no stationery, no pens.  I was really disappointed, and also felt sort of silly for letting this one store sign get my childhood hopes up.   I got back in my car and kept driving, and after awhile decided to stop back in on the way home on Monday to give it a real chance.  But in some ways, the damage was done.

As someone who runs a business devoted to helping small businesses survive, I am saddened by things like this.  Many small businesses try to compete with larger places by being something that they aren’t.  If you are a paper goods store, having a window full of tiny glass owls is doing yourself a disservice.  I know paper isn’t really fashionable anymore, and that handwriting and stationery is kind of a lost art, but there’s still a marketable business in being unique.  Lots of stores sell glass owls, and not that many sell really beautiful paper.  The best way be successful as a small business is to be yourself, and trust in yourself and your product to make you money.

That all said, does anyone know a good paper store, either online or offline?  I need to restock on stationery and pens!

Today, I’m going to talk about copywriting and blogging.  Although this feels a little meta, it’s a popular service that copywriters offer, and it can make a huge difference in your business traffic.

Hiring a copywriter to write your blog is pretty closely related to ghostwriting, and sometimes even involves ghostwriting.  The benefits are similar. You can write your own blog, and express your ideas for free.  However, a good copywriter can express your ideas, while using your blog to generate more web traffic, and helping you get your message out.  In fact, in the interest of being fair, you can do this too, but it requires some reading and practice.  Put simply, it can be a real pain to do it yourself.  And when you run a small business, sometimes it’s just easier to hire an expert than to become one.

So what do copywriters think about when they blog?  First of all, they think about communicating your ideas as accurately and as stylishly as possible.  Secondly, they think about marketing.  How can they naturally fit in terms that will improve your search engine results, or plug your company mission subtly?  Copywriters are very good at this because most of us do it for our own blogs every day.  We are experts at seeing the multiple dimensions of words, to put it in a sort of cheesy way.  Hiring a copywriter to blog for you can lower your workload,  give you time to breathe, and be a smart business decision all at the same time.

Onto the news and announcements section of the day.  Starting in the New Year, Cottage Copy will be opening a store.  The store will house six big copywriting and consulting packages for all budgets, an e-book, and some group copywriting and consulting sessions and classes. You can still hire me on a project  basis when I have space,  but there should be some easily accessible options for those of you that appreciate one stop shopping.  I know I do!  Please let me know if there are any options that you’d be interested in seeing in the store: I always adore and appreciate feedback!   In addition, sign up for the giveaway if you’re interested in working with me for free; I’m also using it as a test run for some of my package ideas.  You know the idea of being a copywriting package guinea pig sounds appealing!