We are independent information professionals (IIPs). Freelance Researchers. Information Consultants for hire. Librarians on the Loose. Infopreneurs. SOLO Librarians, in the truest sense. We work for businesses that, for various reasons, don’t have librarians on staff. We work for librarians who need an extra pair of hands on occasion. We’ll work for anyone who recognizes the value of our expertise and is willing to pay what an experienced information professional is worth. But mainly we work for ourselves. As self-employed Information Professionals, we represent ourselves. We benefit personally from our hard work. And we have no one to hide behind if we screw up. We’ve been around long enough collectively that we’ve learned a few things about being an Independent information professional. We’ve been asked how to start an information business by many people. We even taught a workshop on the subject through the Professional Learning Centre at U of T’s Faculty of Information Studies. So we’ve done a fair amount of thinking on this subject, and have come to the conclusion that we really don’t have any secret knowledge that you, our fellow information professionals, or other people lack. You can find out the technical details about starting and running a business in business books, web sites and start-up seminars. But the important stuff, what you really need to know, comes from inside – and you probably already know it. Here’s what we know: Share everything This is an industry where the more you share, the more you can get back. Share what you know with other IIPs and they will share with you. Share with those trying to get started in the industry. You never know when they might be a Big, Important IIP and you want to work with them. Sometimes it’s worth it to share what you know for free. Give presentations to groups where your potential clients hang out. Tell them something for free and they may realize that you have something worth paying for. Play fair One good way to get some work when you start out is to act as a subcontractor to other IIPs who need your particular skill set. But don’t think you can sneak away with some of those clients for your very own. We are a sharing industry, but only if you play fair. Be fair to your clients too. Make your terms and conditions reasonable. Fulfill your promises regarding deadlines and conditions. Respect your clients’ confidentiality. Okay, we don’t really share everything! Don’t hit people Never badmouth anyone. You never know who might end up in a position of hiring or referring you for a plum project. Or they might turn out to be a key expert who can help you with a project. You want to be known as a nice person to work with. Don’t shoot down the work of another IIP or some other professional. It will just make you look smaller. Put things back where you found them Keep your books in order. Organize your business expenses and income separately from your personal finances. By keeping good books, you will know how much you are making, how much you are spending and who you owe, and who still owes you. Clean up your own mess And do your own accounting, fix your own computer, write your own letters, install your own software, do your own filing, etc. As an independent information professional, you will usually be working alone. You are the chief cook and bottle washer, and are responsible for everything. Accept it as part of the deal and don’t let things get too out of hand. Find ways to delegate the things you don’t like to do by hiring someone like a bookkeeper or a computer geek. Don’t take things that aren’t yours As independent information professionals who do research, we have to ride a fine line between getting the best deal for our clients and making sure the people who create the information get what they deserve. We must also educate our clients on copyright and their obligations to compensate creators of information fairly. And that includes information taken from the Internet. Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone We all make mistakes. When you make one, admit it, learn from it, and try to fix it if possible. If your client is unhappy with your work, try to find a way to make them happy. Wash your hands before you eat It’s always a good idea to think carefully before taking on a new project. Develop a cost estimate that accurately reflects how much of your time and resources you believe will be required. Write a contract that reflects your interpretation of the project as accurately as possible before starting work. If everyone involved sees it in writing and agrees to the terms and conditions, there will be less potential for misunderstanding as the project moves forward. As you begin work on the project, prepare your plan of action. A planned work strategy is far more effective than a shotgun approach. Flush Don’t keep things around that smell bad. That includes bad clients. A bad client is one who asks you to do work that is unethical or who doesn’t play fair when it comes to deadlines and payments. You don’t have to accept poor treatment or do work that clashes with your own value system just to get a cheque. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you It won’t hurt to spoil yourself a little when it comes to your work environment and tools. Good ergonomics is good business. Get a quality chair, the right lighting and a nice place to work. Make sure your computer works for you, not against you. Attending to basic comforts can make you more effective. Live a balanced life -- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. It’s a popular misconception that quitting a 9-5 job and working independently will expand your leisure time. It is possible, however there’s a correlation in this industry between how much you work and how much you earn. You probably won’t cut your hours in half and double your salary. In fact, you could find yourself working longer, yet only a portion of that time is billable. It’s important to make sure you have other things in your life that give you a charge of energy. That energy will find its way into your business. Find time for your hobbies and family activities. Take holidays even if you aren’t getting paid for them. Take fun courses and not just business-related training. Try to do something outside of business every day. Take a nap every afternoon Well, maybe that won’t work, but a walk around the block can boost your energy level. Take care of your health by eating right and getting some exercise. Don’t burn the candle at both ends on a regular basis. A tough project or a tough client can be easier to deal with if you’re rested and feeling your best. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together Make connections with other information professionals. Join associations and participate in their events. SLA is good resource. The Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) is another. This is a collegial industry. We learn from one another, support one another, share work and offer advice. We may compete with one another, but we work together to promote the industry, benefiting everyone. Wonder There are no hard and fast rules about who your clients must be or what services you must offer. Let your imagination run free. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup -- they all die. So do we. Leaving behind corporate medical and dental benefits, pension plans, and paid insurance can be scary. Indepent information professionals get no paid sick days, and you don’t have paid disability leave if something really bad happens. Evaluate your own circumstances and look for appropriate ways to compensate. If you need insurance, buy it. We aren’t able to sidestep death, but we can address some of the problems experienced in living before they happen. Everything looks better at a distance Don’t take yourself too seriously. The Chinese philosopher Confucius once said: "Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life." Make sure you’re doing what you love. That might require a step back every so often to reevaluate what you’re doing and why. If you made it up, you have to live it down Don’t over-promise or under-deliver, or you will run the risk of appearing incompetent. Word-of-mouth referral is the single most important marketing tool in this industry. You want your clients to tell their colleagues and friends how great you are. If you aren’t sure you can be great, go to your network and find another IIP with the right expertise. It’s better to get the right person on the job than to make a mess of it yourself. Everything is compost Commit yourself to lifelong learning. Every project you take on, every presentation you give, every course you take, and every mistake you make is the material that will help you grow as an independent information professional. Learn from everyone and everything including colleagues and clients. Incorporate everything you learn into building and improving your business, and your life. There is no ‘they’ -- only ‘us’ Work with clients as if you are a member of their team. Learn about their needs and challenges and find ways to make them look brilliant. Make your work slide seamlessly into theirs. Making it easy for them to work with you can lead to repeat business. You can get used to anything Not everyone is good at working alone at home. It can be lonely and demotivating. To mitigate the isolation, build your own network. Go to professional meetings and conferences. Meet with other IIPs. You can also build strategies to motivate you to work. Write lists. Set goals. Set office hours and stick to them. Find ways to make you feel like you’re at work -- get rid of the bunny slippers if you have to! Sometimes things are just as bad as they seem Life’s uncertainties and world events could force us to reinvent our business or change the way we work. Flexibility, willingness to embrace new opportunities, and perseverance help ensure the agility of your business, and its ability to respond to new circumstances. It helps if you have someone to kiss goodnight You need the support of your family and friends. It’s an uphill battle if your spouse is against you being self-employed. It’s embarrassing if your kids answer your business line “City Morgue!” before you can grab the phone. Make sure everyone understands that this is not a hobby and that it will take time and energy to make it a success. And try to see it from their point of view. Your business may be in your home, but it is also your family’s home where they play and relax. Work together to find a balance between home and business and ways to keep the two separate. And more.... This is certainly not all you really need to know, but we believe it is a good foundation. To learn more about the technical details of starting and running a business, go to the Canadian Business Service Centre web site at http://www.cbsc.org. This is a top level Canadian information resource and a great place to start. If you’re looking for a good book specific to Information Professionals, Mary Ellen Bates wrote Building and Running a Successful Research Business (2003: CyberAge Books.) Chances are, you already know most of the important things you need to get started and be successful. Christine McCutcheon
established Information Works in 1998.
She has been a member of SLA since the mid-1980s, and obtained
her MLS from the University of Toronto in 1995, while working in various
corporate information centres.
Information Works provides research services to business and
technology managers in a number of industries, to support their
decision-making, R&D and innovation activities. Phyllis Smith has been running In the Know Research and Information Consulting since 1996. She works with special librarians, as a part of their team, to enhance their services through innovative library products and research services. She also works with business consultants, providing custom research services. She received her MLIS from the University of Western Ontario while working as a federal government reference librarian in Ottawa. She has been a member of SLA since 1991. |
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