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Do you take on friends/family as customers?
16% - Sure! The more the merrier.
50% - Sometimes, but tread with caution
33% - No, best to avoid wherever possible
Marketing | Business writing
From quotes, sales proposals and emails, through to websites, marketing material and presentations, many business owners spent a significant amount of time writing. Often underestimated, effective business can have a big impact of the success of a business.
With articles covering correct punctuation , writer's block , PowerPoint presentations and much more, this section will help you get your words flowing effectively.
Make report and proposal writing easy with an outline
16 May 12Maria PantaloneCreating an outline for writing reports and proposals can save you time and effort. Here’s how. Read more
Comments: 4Captivate readers with compelling content
08 Mar 12Caroline JenkinsHow do you make your written communication so gripping that your readers won’t want to put them down, even if the subject matter is a bit dry? Read on for some handy tips for effective written communication. Read more
Comments: 5Powerful and effective business writing
23 Feb 12Rosemary OsborneIn conversation, environmental context, body language and eye contact support our intended meaning, however written communication relies on only the words, tone and the context created in the document. Here are some tips for effective business writing. Read more
Comments: 1Writing headlines: How to hit the headlines
02 Feb 12Caroline JenkinsYou’ve perfected the content for your brochure, blog, newsletter or media release, now it’s time for writing headlines that stand out and draw your readers into your message. Read more
Comments: 4Storytelling in business: What’s your story?
01 Feb 12Sara HowardA week at a creative writing festival in Ubud got me thinking about the parallels between good copywriting and the craft of storytelling in business. Read more
Comments: 10Plain English means no waffle
05 Nov 11Rosemary OsborneThe flexibility of words is a powerful business tool that can be utilised so successfully, but complex and obscure sentences are neither productive nor rewarding. It is better to write using Plain English. Read more
Comments: 3Book marketing 101: why and how to write your own book
27 Oct 11Michael NeaylonWriting your own book has become an increasingly popular way to position yourself, especially if you’re a service professional or business owner looking to increase your personal profile. Read more
Comments: 6Principles of plain English writing
19 Oct 11Gary ChowOne of the world’s most famous and successful investors is an advocate of plain English writing. His name: Warren Buffett. Here are his top tips. Read more
Comments: 4DIY Article Marketing
13 Oct 11Heather SmithSir Richard Branson does it. Perhaps you should? After all, article marketing is an easy way to demonstrate your expertise, build your brand and hopefully attract clients. Read more
Comments: 7The importance of proofreading
24 Sep 11Rosemary OsborneWord nerds like me cringe when incorrect spelling or poor grammar appear in business documents. But what is the importance of proofreading to business? Read more
Comments: 30How internet dating improved my copywriting
13 Aug 11Gary ChowI gave internet dating a go once. It proved to be a salient lesson in what’s important in copywriting and grabbing attention online. It provided me with some great copywriting tips. Read more
Comments: 4Meet Crocks: Australia’s #1 bloke
02 Aug 11Peter CrockerImagine if we spoke about ourselves the way some businesses speak about themselves. Imagine no more, Crocks is using marketing jargon and talking himself up. Read more
Comments: 35Copywriting tips from Keith Richards
21 Jul 11Gary ChowAs well as being an iconic musician and one of the most ‘elegantly wasted’ men on earth, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards can teach us a thing or two about copywriting tips. Read more
Comments: 4Writing business documents: Get to the point
23 Jun 11Maria PantaloneEver found yourself mid-way through writing a proposal, report or email and realised you’ve waffled on without covering your key points? Here’s how to plan when writing business documents. Read more
Comments: 13Add colour to your business copywriting
04 Jun 11Gary ChowWords have a powerful effect on how we perceive things, and nowhere is this more so than in the business copywriting you use on your website and marketing collateral. Read more
Comments: 3Why proofread promotional material?
06 May 11Rosemary OsbornePoor proofreading of your promotional materials can impact both your bottom line and your professional reputation, so make sure you give it the attention it deserves. Read more
Comments: 6Seven tips for overcoming writer’s block
07 Mar 11Maria PantaloneWriter’s block often hits us when we least have the time to go blank – such as when we’re pushing the deadline on a key proposal for winning new business. Here are some great tips for overcoming writer’s block. Read more
Comments: 10How to write a radio ad script
04 Mar 11Lucinda LionsRadio ads can boost your sales, but how on earth does a soloist write a radio ad script? Lucinda Lions gets the lowdown from Steve Manning. Read more
Comments: 2Proofreading business emails: overkill or essential?
16 Feb 11Rosemary OsborneEmails are such an all-pervasive part of business today that it’s easy to churn them out at a rate of knots. But there are very good reasons for proofreading business emails before you send. Read more
Comments: 11Grammar tips: Colons and semicolons
24 Jan 11Mary MorelConfusion about colons abounds. Here we provide some grammar tips that break down the difference between colons and semicolons so you can use them effectively in your writing. Read more
Comments: 5Classic writing blunders exposed!
22 Jan 11Robert GerrishBusiness writing requires skills different to the ones most of us have been taught. In this video, Robert talks to Paul Jones who reveals five writing failings and how to avoid them. Read more
Comments: 0Podcast: How to self publish a book
18 Dec 10Tim Reid and Luke MoultonWendy Blume, a stay at home Mum who has single-handedly published her very own cook book, shares her secrets on how to become an author and reap the benefits. Read more
Comments: 0Podcast: Internet marketer, James Schramko reveals his secrets
13 Nov 10Tim Reid and Luke MoultonAustralia’s leading Internet marketer, James Schramko reveals his secrets about online businesses. Read more
Comments: 7The art of writing articles
24 Aug 10Sam LeaderWriting articles and getting published is a powerful way to promote your expertise, and your business. Here’s some advice on making your read a good one. Read more
Comments: 20Foolproof proofreading tips
21 Aug 10Caroline JenkinsOnce you’ve edited your blog, newsletter or web content so you’re happy with how it reads, you need to proofread it for surface errors such as spelling, grammar and punctuation. Here are some proofreading tips to help you. Read more
Comments: 2Polishing your words: why self editing matters
10 Jul 10Caroline JenkinsHow many times have you hit 'send' or 'publish' on a piece of written communication, only to find as soon as it's live, there's a glaring typo or grammatical blunder? That's why self-editing and proofreading is so important. Read more
Comments: 2The correct use of commas
28 Apr 10Mary MorelCommas aid clarity, prevent ambiguity and indicate where you need to pause. Often you can tell if you need a comma by reading your work out loud. Here we look at the correct use of commas. Read more
Comments: 11Punctuation rules: Correct use of apostrophes
25 Dec 09Mary MorelWith so many different punctuation rules that need to be followed when writing the English language, it can sometimes get confusing. This article outlines the correct use of apostrophes. Read more
Comments: 30Overcoming writer’s block: four more tips
27 Oct 09Caroline JenkinsTired of staring at that irritating, flashing cursor? Here are four strategies which will help you with overcoming writer's block. Read more
Comments: 4Persuasive writing: how and why it works
27 Sep 09Robert GerrishIn this video, I catch up with good friend and professional writer & trainer, Paul Jones. Paul is a master of persuasive writing and his tips are simple and easy to apply to anything you write. Read more
Comments: 0Four tips for overcoming writer’s block
17 Sep 09Caroline JenkinsWe all need to write. But sometimes writing that proposal, newsletter or email can turn into a nightmare. Everyone, even the pros, get stuck for words, so here are four tips for overcoming writer's block. Read more
Comments: 8Creating effective PowerPoint presentations
15 Sep 09Maria PantaloneDeath by PowerPoint! We've all experienced it at some stage ... and may have also been guilty of it ourselves. Here's how to create effective PowerPoint presentations to avoid alienating your audience. Read more
Comments: 10How to write persuasively
23 Aug 09Lucinda LionsYour clients ask one main question when they read your website, brochures, ads, direct mail letters and other marketing material. If you write the answer to this question effectively, you’re persuading them to do business with you. Read more
Comments: 19Seven winning article writing tips
31 May 09Lucinda LionsRecently, I wrote about how article marketing gives you free publicity. Here are some practical article writing tips to help you write an article that your clients and prospects will love! Read more
Comments: 1523 simple tips on writing for the web
21 May 09Peter CrockerWriting for the web is not the same as writing for a brochure or magazine. There are many essential differences that you need to consider. Here are 23 simple tips I’ve picked up over the years. Read more
Comments: 8Business writing: How to tidy up sentences
10 May 09Mary MorelDo you want to express yourself better in your business writing? Then tidy up your sentences. Looking closely at sentence length and structure will help make your words work for you. Read more
Comments: 4Get free publicity through article marketing
26 Apr 09Lucinda LionsWriting articles doesn’t cost a cent, but the results are priceless. It’s the perfect publicity-boosting activity for every business in all economic climates. Read on to find out how article marketing is good for your business. Read more
Comments: 11Tips for writing marketing material
22 Mar 09Mary MorelAs soloists, most of us have to write our own marketing material whether or not we enjoy writing. Often we’re so busy thinking about what we want to say that we lose sight of our audience. Even experienced writers can fall into this trap. Read more
Comments: 4Designing written communication
29 Jan 09Zern LiewWhen working on a piece of written communication it is easy to focus on the words and overlook the design of the message. Here’s how to craft your message perfectly. Read more
Comments: 5Why good writing skills are important
25 Jan 09Lucinda LionsMany solo business owners are passionate about good writing skills and the English language. Clients are passionate about this, too, and many will buy elsewhere if the writing is bad. Read more
Comments: 13Small business articles: Best of 2008
22 Dec 08Sam LeaderPeople often ask me “What are your favourite small business articles on Flying Solo?” Okay, people never ask me that, but if they did, here’s what I’d say. Read more
Comments: 3Styles in modern business writing
20 Nov 08Mary MorelFirst impressions count and we usually judge a piece of business writing on its visual appearance before we’ve even read a word. Read more
Comments: 8Tips for self-editing and proofreading
04 Sep 08Mary MorelAs most soloists can’t afford to pay a proofreader to edit their writing, the occasional typo is inevitable. However, to make sure your final copy is as good as possible, here are some tips for self-editing and proofreading. Read more
Comments: 18Writing style guidelines
10 Sep 07Sam LeaderI’ve been working on some writing style guidelines designed to help our new contributors write their articles. I thought I’d share some highlights in the hope they’ll assist your own writing. Read more
Comments: 30Typos and other errors: Dealing with mistakes
09 Jul 07Sam LeaderWith delightful regularity, we receive feedback from the solo community offering some form of praise for the work we do here at Flying Solo. Occasionally, though, we'll receive a comment dealing with mistakes where the karma isn't so good. Read more
Comments: 69The essentials of good business writing
24 Mar 06Karen McCreadieGood business writing is at the heart of successful marketing. Without it you will be at best, misunderstood, at worst, totally ignored. Follow these simple guidelines to ensure your business writing hits the spot. Read more
Comments: 12Seven tips on how to write marketing articles
04 Jan 06Megan ToughIn a previous article, Promoting your business using article marketing we looked at the benefits of writing marketing articles to generate new business. Which is all well and good as long as you have something to write about – right? Read more
Comments: 7
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Small Business is Australia's fastest growing sector – this business community site was created for those running a small business of one to five people. Here the solo and micro business owner will find small business forums, a small business directory, free resources, help, tips and advice on: starting a small business; working smarter when working from home; effective small business marketing; small business networking; the solo psyche; staying balanced as a small business owner; small business technology advice and small business finance tips.
