Reinventing myself, my blog

I'm trying to put together a side business which could grow into a full time one someday.

Communications, Marketing, PR, whatever a small business or non-profit needs in order to reach more customers, enlist more members, grow...get its point across.

I've started a Twitter account, which is still eclectic, noting everything from nifty websites (how I love those!) to deals and bargains. I tend to follow a few distinct camps on Twitter--radio personalities, idea makers, writing and design people, bargainistas and people who know where the deals are, and a helpful PR service, as well as the only client I've had so far (and who says he'll be using more of my services--I hope so).

I've also begun speaking. Well, I presented at a regional conference for Proposal Management Professionals. My topic was online resources, and it was so well received that I've been invited to present it again to another region, this time virtually. Very exciting. I so love to research useful websites, and this presentation is essentially a collection of them, each one an asset to Proposal Managers (as well as writers, editors, graphic designers, and more). My attitude is always, "Why reinvent the wheel?" First, find out what's been done already. My only concern is that I cannot distinguish between the well-known and lesser known sites or even identify the gaps in my knowledge, as my sleuthing is self-directed. But again, seasoned Proposal Managers told me they learned something from my session. Very encouraging.

I found a Life Coach on LinkedIn who is needs hours with people to satisfy certification requirements, and so, I don't have to pay. He's helping me crystallize what steps I need to take to make this thing--my own business--happen. Paramount for me is to be able to do it while still working full time. I cannot be without the security of a paycheck and the benefits.

And yes, money is tight, and will get tighter. And so I'm looking to earn on the side. Whether it's a single client or digital dollars, it doesn't matter. e-rewards.com allows me to answer surveys and earn dollars redeemable for magazine subscriptions, Blockbuster movies and Delta Skymiles. Using the swagbucks.com search tool earns me dollars for gift cards and other stuff too. FrugalFreebiesandDeals.com throws me an occasional freebie lead. YouData.com allows me to look at online ads and earn actual money into my PayPal account. and there are others. (In fact, I want to check out what these articles have to say: http://www.moneymakingmommy.com/earnonline/index.html and http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/homebasedbusiness/a/makemoneyonline.htm). But I don't want this to take the place of developing my own business. And so I need to organize my time to ensure I make progress on all fronts every day. Actually, that was part of my homework assignment for my Life Coach--creating a schedule.