Traveling the yellow brick road of business communication can be akin to walking a tight rope. Emails, phone calls and social media, oh my! 

Burning down deep inside, you sense a great idea just beckoning to be brought to life. You know you were born to be a writer. You have the passion, eagerness and determination to get started, so what is holding you back? For most ambitious writers, fear of the unknown, rejection or bad reviews are most often cited. Although these fears are not unfounded, recognize they are just part of the writing process.   Writing isn't about fame and fortune (although it would be nice), writing is literally part of your being. Rest assured, with time, the power of the unknown will be replaced by motivation and pursuit. With every set-back, you will learn more and grow stronger. Regardless of your talent, you will never please everyone. While some may not like your writing style, genre or ideas, many, many will! So brush off the negative and keep pursuing your writing passion.    For years, you have been telling everyone that you are going to write a book; so again, I ask "What is holding you back?" Now is the time. The checklist below may help.    Identify your Audience A writer must first understand his/her target audience. (Side note: EVERYONE is not your target audience) What is the age, description, and language of your target audience? Your audience must relate to the tone, words and style     Writing Goal Why do want to write a book What do you hope to accomplish What is the take home for your readers A story that provokes a reaction, produces an emotion, enhances knowledge, or educates the reader strikes writing gold and achieves the ultimate in writing success   Non-Fiction or Fiction Non-Fiction books should flow, be easy to read, and concise. Non-Fiction books average 50,000 words Fiction books must be engaging, capturing the readers interest while driving anticipation to read more. Fiction books average 100,000 words  Avoid running down a proverbial rabbit hole that can distract the reader and lead to disinterest and the dreaded "I'll read it later" decision   Genre Action/Adventure Biography Children Drama/Plays Geography History Humor Mystery/Horror​ Science Fiction Self Help Special Interest Religion Romance Youth​​ Special Interest   Obtain an ISBN/Copyright An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has 13 numbers and is used to identify a book for retailers, libraries and so-forth Some self-publishing houses include an ISBN in the cost; some don't e-Books require a separate ISBN Always copyright your work - To obtain a legal copyright visit U.S. Copyright Office | U.S. Copyright Office    Point of View First person - Main character tells the story -  (I can, I did, I ran)  Second person - The story is told using pronouns - (You can write this paper.  Your book is great!) Third person - The story is told referring to people, the writer is not in the story - (He is a good writer. She is a good author) Narrative - Although narrative writing does not fall into the Point of View definition, it is a writing style - (The reader is aware of the person telling the story)   Traditional Publishing Selective Extremely competitive Usually involves hiring an agent Typically prefers name recognition Difficult to break-in   Self Publishing Self-Publishing can be expensive Review publishing houses and choose one that fits your needs and budget Self-publishing houses rarely promote or market a book, that falls on you​ Self-publishing houses typically charge by page and an average page is around 250 words with a 12 -point font. Most self-published books are P.O.D. (print on demand), meaning you order when you need them. Consider of entire cost of printing, shipping and so-forth, when pricing your book Read contracts carefully - Are you agreeing to First Rights (leaves you the right to publish elsewhere afterward) or All Rights (self-explanatory)       Marketing Bookstores Book signings Online Retail outlets Personal website Speaking engagements Social media   Self-Publishing  Self-Publishing can be expensive Anyone can potentially publish a book; therefore, it is important to review publishing houses and choose one that fits your needs and budget Self-publishing houses rarely promote or market a book​ Self-publishing houses typically charge by page and an average page is around 250 words with a 12-point font. Most self-published books are P.O.D. (print on demand), meaning you order when you need them. Consider of entire cost of printing, shipping and so-forth, when pricing your book Read contracts carefully      Stay positive and check back often for more writing tips.    

Indiana drivers are having stress meltdowns from all of the road construction these days. Everywhere you turn; oh wait, you can't turn there because it's blocked. Same scenario, different Indiana city or town. East, West, North and South. Highways, main roads, and back roads, all seem to be "under construction?"

The mere thought of grant writing can often trigger memories of sleepless nights, blurred vision, and overwhelming anxiety. Applying for grant funding requires research, attention to detail, accuracy, and deadline adherence. Grant writing is time consuming, competitive, deadline oriented and detailed, but it is not difficult. Grant writing is merely an exercise in preparedness and perseverance. Ultimately, funding decisions are the sole decision of the grantor. However, with a little organization, persistence, and discipline, you too can be successful!

The word leverage simply means to use something to its' maximum advantage. However, when it comes to nonprofit funding, focus tends to dwell on one area at a time, rather than leveraging the pillars of all funding resources that may include:

The idea of grant writing can often trigger memories of sleepless nights, blurred vision, and overwhelming anxiety. Applying for grant funding requires research, attention to detail, accuracy, and deadline adherence. However, beyond popular belief, grant writing is NOT complicated. With a little organization, persistence, and discipline, tackling grant writing may not seem as daunting.

Putting together a fundraising event is not for the faint-hearted. Hosting a successful, profitable fundraising event requires extensive planning, budgeting, volunteers, and coordination. In other words.......A LOT OF WORK! ​

Personally, I do not like the word "Blog". That said, blogging is an important part of every business/nonprofit awareness strategy. Blogging allows a business owner the opportunity to showcase their industry expertise. (Expertise should always be implied, never stated outright in the content.)

With more than one million 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the United States, the competition for grant funding is extremely competitive. Typically, due to limited budgets and resources, the task of applying for grant funding falls on the Executive Director or other staffing within the organization. Could your nonprofit organization benefit from hiring an independent grant writer? Maybe? Maybe not.

GRANT READINESS=PREPAREDNESS

What is business networking? Networking provides an opportunity for business/nonprofit professionals to come together to introduce themselves, share their expertise and showcase their products or services. Networkers exchange business cards, form business relationships, and provide referrals.