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Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication

Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication . TECM 4190 Dr. Lam. Definition.

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Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication

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  1. Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication TECM 4190 Dr. Lam

  2. Definition “The capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit. The most obvious example of entrepreneurship is the starting of new businesses.” • Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/entrepreneurship.html#ixzz2kvQOul5X

  3. Entrepreneurial Spirit? • You aren’t an entrepreneur just because you have a great product, service, or expertise • Some refer to entrepreneurs as possessing something “special” • Hint: There’s no such thing as an entrepreneurial “sprit”, it’s simply working really really really hard.

  4. Formula for Success Selling the best product, service, or expertise + Working really really really hard + a lot of luck = Success

  5. What’s it take? • Managing the business on a day-to-day basis • Advertising, selling, and distributing the product or service (marketing) • Accounting or keeping financial records for the business • Hiring personnel to assist with the business • Production of finished goods or services • Be non-conformist • Motivated by achievement • Have a preference for innovation • Possess high uncertainty tolerance

  6. Solving a problem • As an editor or professional communicator, you are selling a service • Your first step is convincing companies they have a problem (a very serious problem) • The second step is convincing them you can solve that problem • The final step is convincing them that your solution will be beneficial (make them money) in short, and especially in the long run

  7. Examples • Easy: Non-native speakers who know they need writing help • Medium difficulty: Native speaker in a non-writing intensive field (e.g., editing in the sciences) • High difficulty: A company’s web copy written by communication specialist

  8. Possible Evidence • Return on Investment • Gain from invest minus cost of investment/ cost of investment • Customer satisfaction • Web metrics • Competition • Audience analysis • Other?

  9. Selling your Service • There’s a lot that goes into sales, but here’s a few tips • Fall in love with your product or service • Get ready for rejection  • Hire someone to do full-time sales if you aren’t capable • Be prepared (first impression bias is real!)

  10. Be honest, be confident • Be honest about your abilities and experience • If you’ve only got 1 semester’s worth of editing experience, don’t misrepresent your expertise • Instead highlight your strengths (energetic, reliable, fast turnaround, etc.) • Do stuff for free and build a portfolio

  11. Know your limits • Never ever overpromise ANYTHING to your client • Never overpromise on a deadline if you can’t get it done • Never overpromise on a price if your not willing to work for that wage • Never overpromise on your expertise. IF you’re not a professional document designer, don’t promise a professional document (this is where editing objectives are so essential)

  12. Know your strengths • Assess yourself constantly • If you’re really good at copyediting, start by offering copyediting • If you’re really good at big picture/organizational editing, start by offering information design/architecture services

  13. Communicating with Potential Clients • Construct ALL communication in a professional manner • Dear Mr. or Mrs. (Ms.) • Use linguistic politeness strategies • Use visual design principles!

  14. Pricing your Services • Do your homework! • Price your services competitively, realistically, and according to your experience • http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php

  15. Advertising • Use the Internet, but don’t be lazy (translation: Craigslist isn’t going to hack it, but by all means, use Craigslist!) • Define a target population (academics, small businesses, medium-sized businesses, tech businesses, etc.) • Start with people you know and network from there (side note: networking is a real thing) • Create QUALITY advertising documents (your documents will say as much about your resume as your documents) • Sell one-on-one (Yep, it’s going to be hard) • Have a POLISHED elevator pitch (In 30 seconds or less, you should be able to explain to a client what value you offer)

  16. You get what you give • There is a market for writers and editors. The world needs you! • You can do it if you work hard • Try it, see how it goes. If you love it and are picking up steam, you’ll need to take some business courses

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