1. Flying Solo
LESSONS LEARNED
FROM SOLO
PRACTITIONERS
PANEL
Nancy Farrar, Farrar Public Relations – Moderator
Margaret Ritsch, APR, Perception
Linda Jacobson, APR, Que PR
Jim Haynes, APR, Fellow PRSA, Jim Haynes Consulting

2. Flying Solo
Life happens.
Flying solo brings:
 flexibility
 potential for higher earnings
 you as your own boss
 pride of ownership
 greater control of the actual work

3. Flying Solo: Lessons Learned
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Should be:
 Simple to remember
 Identify the service offered
 Be as unique as possible
 Be available as a domain name

4. Flying Solo: Lessons Learned
The first client:
 Ideal: Have one already in hand when you start out

5. Flying Solo: Lessons Learned
Partnership vs. Solo
 Pros
 It can get lonely out there
 Share of the workload: set up, systems, trouble-shooting
 Perception: larger entity
 Cons
 Who does what?
 Equitable compensation
 Make sure selling both equally

6. Flying Solo: Lessons Learned
 SELLING VS. DOING THE WORK
 YOU ARE ALWAYS SELLING WHEN
YOU FLY SOLO

7. Flying Solo: Lessons Learned
Where do you set up shop?
 Office vs. spare bedroom
 Additional expense but advantages of office include:
 Perception of being a real company vs. freelancer
 Corporate work may be easer to come by
 Client meetings
 Fewer distractions

8. Flying Solo
 Take advantage of free training and
resources
 Great resources can be found throughout DFW:
 SBA- TCC Small Business Development Center – 817-871-6028
 SBDC for Enterprise Excellence – 817-272-5952
 Knowledge for Success – 682-841-2020
 SBA’s Online Training – www.sba.gov/training

9. Flying Solo
Contracts and Estimates
 Many different approaches: no right or wrong way
 Important thing: get something in writing that describes
services to be offered, rates, billing, terms
 Important to protect yourself and your business

10. Flying Solo
Taxes: ouch
 Set aside 25-30 % of every payment
 Deposit in a separate account

11. Flying Solo
Be sure you have a passion for what you are
doing!
WHY are you creating your business?
This is your VISION statement. Your profitable purpose.
1. Short and simple
2. Meaningful and memorable
3. Outward, not inward. (Imagine a picture that conveys your
vision)

12. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
 MARKET, MARKET, MARKET

13. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
What kind of business entity will you
establish?
 Sole proprietorship
 Limited liability Corporation
 General partnership
 C Corporation
 S Corporation

14. Flying Solo
Marketing communications
 Business card
 Website (services | online portfolio)
 Budget | outsourcing
 Marketing collaterals
 Brochures | flyers
 Templates: RFPs, contracts, presentation templates, client
reports

15. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
Office logistics
 Budget factors:
 Lease: consider potential for growth
 Hardware needed: Telephone/fax, Internet access, PCs |
Macs, printers, calculator, paper cutters
 Furnishings: desk, chair, private meeting space
 Software needed: necessary software, time | project
management (Zoho.com – free)

16. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
Build Your Team
 Employees vs. contractors
 Develop a list of interactive designers, PR colleagues whose work you
trust, graphic designers, printers for simple and complex projects
 Relationships are important
 Set aside time for interviewing, training

17. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
Finances
 Accountant for payroll
 Bookkeeper
 Considerations:
 Number of clients
 Time
 Software such as Quicken or Zoho for DIY

18. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
Finances
 Banking: build a relationship
 Billing
 Payment terms: net 30, net 15, due on receipt
 Late fees; establish up front

19. Flying Solo: Nuts and Bolts
Building a Reputation
 Selling – always
 Be visible for face-to-face conversation
 Build relationships
 Reputation is key

20. Flying Solo
 YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEEL SOLO TO BE
SOLO!
 BUILD ALLIANCES BASED ON TRUST
 BEST OF LUCK!

21. Flying Solo:
A National Perspective
FROM THE
20 0 8 SOLO P RACTITIONER SURVEY
CONDUCTED BY
JAY RAYBURN
APR, CPRC, P H.D., FELLOW PRSA
FLORIDA S TATE UNIVERSITY
V INCENT H AZLETON
APR, PH.D., FELLOW PRSA
RADFORD UNIVERSITY
KELLY DAVIS
APR
D AVIS P UBLIC R ELATIONS AND M ARKETING, L L C

22. How They Spend Their Time
(Averages, in % of Total Time Spent)
 35 hours per week on business
 66% Providing services to clients
 20% Marketing/building business
 14% Administration

23. Where They Get Business
(Averages)
 29% Referrals from past clients
 27% Repeat business
 12% Referrals from other independent practitioners
 11% Subcontracts with agencies, etc.
 9% Referrals from other non-IPs
 4% Requests for proposals
 3% Cold calls
 2% Listing on PR databases

24. How They Spend Their Time
(Averages)
 22% Writing
 19% Media relations
 18% Counseling clients
 15% Producing communication tools
 6% Managing events
 6% Conducting research
 5% Creating/monitoring Website, blogs
 4% Conducting community relations
 2% Producing media kits

25. How They Charge
 74% Said the rate varied by the kind and level of
work
 68% Both hourly and by the project
 27% Hourly
 5% By the project

26. Rates
(Averages, 2007)
 $111 For for-profit clients
 $87 for not-for-profit clients
 $5, 365 Average fee for project

27. Require a Retainer?
 8% Yes
 29% No
 63% Sometimes
 $1,628 = Minimum required

28. Bill for Overhead?
 59% Only for cost of expenses
 24% No charge for overhead
 7% Flat % of project for overhead
 10% Overhead and mark up expenses

29. Who Are the Clients?
(Averages)
 20% Small corporations
 17% Not-for-profit organizations
 14% Large corporations
 9% PR firms, ad agencies, other solos
 9% Family owned businesses
 7% Individuals (7%/0%)
 6% Associations
 4% Government agencies

30. Who Hires Them?
 58% Head of the organization
 23% Senior communicator
 16% Department head
 3% A member of management team
 40% said the organizations had internal staffs

31. Farrar Public Relations, Inc.
Lessons Learned
•I n s u c c e s s f u l s o l o p r a c t i c e f o r 1 3 y e a r s
•I n c o r p o r a t e d t o p r o t e c t p e r s o n a l a s s e t s
•L o n g t e r m r e t a i n e r s c r e a t e a s t a b l e b a s e i n c o m e
•P r o j e c t w o r k a l o n e t e n d s t o b e m o r e u n s t a b l e
•D o n ’ t b e a f r a i d t o c h a r g e w h a t y o u ’ r e w o r t h
•Y o u m u s t b e g o o d a t b u s i n e s s d e v e l o p m e n t a n d P R
•D o n ’ t p u t a l l y o u r e g g s i n o n e b a s k e t - m u l t i p l e c l i e n t s
•S u b c o n t r a c t o r s f o r g r a p h i c d e s i g n o n l y
•N o n i c h e f o r m e : )
•I u s e Q u i c k B o o k s a n d a c c o u n t a n t c o m e s o n c e / q u a r t e r
•B i l l i n g i s n e c e s s a r y , b u t c o l l e c t i n g i s i m p e r a t i v e

32. Flying Solo
Nancy Farrar, Farrar Public Relations
nancyfarrar@att.net
Margaret Ritsch, APR, Perception
margaret@prperception.com
Linda Jacobson, APR, Que PR
ljacobson@quepr.com
Jim Haynes, APR, PRSA Fellow,
Jim Haynes Consulting
jhaynes1102@sbcglobal.net