Publish or Perish
Why you should write
 

By Leslie Olding, Streamlined Development


As successful small business owners, we have each acquired a lot of practical knowledge while growing our businesses. We are experts at what we do. While it seems we have plenty to do just keeping our businesses chugging along, we can do something else - we can write about our experiences.

For those of you screaming "no way, I hate writing," please keep reading. It’s important to give it a try, and here’s why:

First, you can demonstrate your expertise to new audiences. Writing a compelling article is an excellent way to illustrate your knowledge of some topic that relates to what you do. You establish credibility by clearly relating factual, useful information to readers.

In addition to sharing your knowledge, you also reveal a bit of yourself through your writing. If you write from the heart about something that interests you, your personality will come through, and suddenly you’re no longer a stranger to the reader. People will remember you if they see your name in print from time to time. If you make a good impression on them, they will take note and contact you. Every contact you make improves your visibility and increases your chance for a sale.

Next, your writings can create the foundation for a book. Begin with short articles, then expand them for longer articles and eventually, they can become chapters for a more comprehensive text. You may not be thinking of publishing a manual or a handbook, but there is a growing demand for simple, clearly written books on nearly every topic imaginable.

As a published author, your reputation as an expert in your field will get you invited to speak at meetings, seminars, conferences, and other professional gatherings where again, you can get your message across and demonstrate your expertise.

Finally, writing develops a crucial communication skill that can help you both personally and professionally. Widespread use of the Internet has ushered a shift from verbal to written communication, especially in business dealings. Writing helps you to clearly plan, organize, and edit your thoughts.

Writing may seem like a daunting task, but it has its rewards. I’m so confident of this that I’m challenging every member of SAHOA to write a simple article to be published in the newsletter this year. I will also publish each article submitted on our web site with an e-mail link and/or a link to your web site. I hope each of you will accept this challenge as a first step towards sharpening this vital business skill.