Going Solo Lausanne '08

Here are more detailed descriptions of the sessions announced in the agenda. Speaker descriptions are on a separate page (with interviews)!

You Only Get What You Give (Marketing and taking care of one’s social capital) — Laura Fitton

You’ve heard lots about social media and “web 2.0.” You might already have a toehold in using these technologies to expand your personal brand and develop a strong pipeline of potential clients. Unlike ever before, the soloist can construct a thriving community, deepen networking ties and position their business at the business end of abundant opportunity. Best of all, these opportunities to make yourself known through blogging and social networking replace expensive marketing tactics that may be draining your resources.

Fitton, who has exponentially grown her own personal brand through social media, will walk us through several proven techniques to build business using simple social media tools. This session will help you understand how to ride the “Cluetrain” and build a strong personal brand marketing strategy that enriches you personally, professionally and financially.

You will learn:

• to help clients to find you and make it easy for them to hire you
• the importance of developing thought leadership and building mindshare
• to establish credibility, trust and authority by giving away your best ideas
• to optimize your time investment in networking, prospecting and sales
• how to establish an authentic and transparent presence online
• why the more you give away, the more will come back to you
• how having fun and tapping into your passions makes you more desirable to work with

The Joys of Tax and Finance (How not to mess up) — Dennis Howlett

In a flat world where freelancers can work from pretty much anywhere they choose, it is tempting to think that establishing tax efficient structures will be plain sailing. It’s not. Freelancers often get themselves into trouble by being sold exotic ideas that always have repercussions and which are rarely appropriate to their circumstances. This talk will outline the way the major EU tax systems operate, offer tips on making the best of the system and suggest some easy ways to keep on top of your finances.

Self-Organisation for Effectiveness: Tools and Methods to Get Things Done — Martin Roell

Freelancers often alternate between two extreme modes of working: On some days we can’t get anything done and procrastinate like silly. On other days we overwork and get under stress. Both modes are ineffective and inefficient.

How can we work freely without falling into the traps of procrastination or overworking? How can we stay effective even when things go wrong?

There are plenty of methods and tools for self-organisation and “Getting Things Done” around… but how do you make them work?

This session will teach you:

• methods and tools that help you get organised (including GTD)
• psychological hacks to overcome procrastination
• techniques for staying effective and balanced

Setting Rates and Closing Deals — panel moderated by Suw Charman-Anderson

Panelists: Martin Roell, Stowe Boyd

If you worry you might be charging too much or too little, if you regularly end up frustrated at seeing deals slip away when things seemed promising, this panel is for you. We will examine various strategies for determining how much one should actually charge for one’s work, how to negotiate a deal and actually close it.

Solo in a Networked World — panel moderated by Stephanie Booth

Panelists: Stephanie Troeth, Laura Fitton, Linda Broughton

Working alone is great, but sometimes it can become lonely. Coworking, online communities, blogging, IM and other online means of communication (not to mention the humble mailing-list) can do loads to help you stay connected to your colleagues, local or remote.

The panelists will share their experience with various types of communities which connect freelancers and other solo workers.

When Passion Becomes Profession (Balancing Work and Life) — Suw Charman-Anderson

Between the exhilarating feeling that you’re not working at all anymore (permanent holiday) and the feeling that you have no life, because everything has become work, how do you keep a balance? Your friends are your clients and your clients become your friends. When what used to be fun now feels like work. How do things evolve over the years? When travelling to a foreign city is “work” and the internet is your office, where do you go on vacation?

From The Far Side To The Dark Side: A Crash Course In Business Realities For Soloists — Stowe Boyd

The hard realities of business — agreements, selling, setting prices, negotiating — may be the last consideration for soloists as they launch their consulting practice. More often, they are motivated by a spirit of adventure, the desire to be their own boss, or a need to deepen their expertise in a subject area.

But to be successful — to pay the bills, to avoid working like a slave, and to actually achieve some degree of independence — soloists need to gain a sound grounding in the business realities, and quickly.

Doing what one loves and is good at to earn a living is good — but is there always a business model for it? How can you turn your skills and passion into something that is marketable and profitable for you? Here, we take a look at your freelancing practice from a business strategy point of view.