Here on our blog you’ll find a collection of articles we’ve written about working for yourself, copywriting and marketing.

Peter is also a partner at www.flyingsolo.com.au, Australia’s online community for solo business owners. Over on Flying Solo you’ll find Australia’s largest small business forums and over 1400 articles from our team of experts. Articles are discussed throughout the week on topics such as starting out, networking, marketing, working smarter and technology.

If you’re one of Australia’s million-plus solo business owners or have dreams of going it alone, you’ll find inspiration, advice and a sense of connection through Flying Solo

by Peter Crocker

Do you struggle to get runs on the board for your business under the relentless barrage of distractions? It happens to the very best.

Captivated by the drama of fading veterans, floundering newcomers and stunning collapses, I’ve been watching far too much cricket this summer.
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by Peter Crocker

Describing a ‘typical’ solo business owner is like trying to describe an ‘average’ person. But as diverse as we are, those in the flourishing soloist movement share many tribal similarities.

We are the third bedroom dwellers, the kitchen table perchers, the café lurkers. We are the CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, cleaner, accountant, IT fixer, debt collector, sales manager and strategist. We are front of house, leading role and backstage hand.
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by Peter Crocker

There’s that moment after a funeral, usually sometime after the third wine, where friends ask one another “Am I doing enough with my life?”

Most of us tend to avoid facing the reality of our mortality, but there’s nothing like death to crystalise the mind. The admission that we want something ‘more’ from our lives and careers brings underlying fears and insecurities bubbling to the surface. This is confronting, but can also be the catalyst for change.
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by Peter Crocker

We’ve all been on the receiving end of spiky remarks or emails laced with venom. It’s not pleasant, but can anger in business be effective? Here we look at the issue of anger management.

Everyone talks about the benefits of bringing your true self to work and having a real passion for what you do.
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by Peter Crocker

It’s easy to look at other people, especially in business, and make the assumption that they’ve achieved their major business success goals. But have they?

Turning 35 (or late early 30) this month got me thinking once more about life, careers and all that palaver.
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by Peter Crocker

Imagine if we spoke about ourselves the way some businesses speak about themselves. Imagine no more, Crocks is using marketing jargon and talking himself up.

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by Peter Crocker

You may not take him for a great philosopher or self-help guru, but I found the rules of life Jerry Seinfeld shared on Denton’s Enough Rope a few years back very inspiring for business and life.

He pondered the question “What are my three rules of life?” In summary, this is what he came up with.
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by Peter Crocker

Fear of failure paralyses more would-be entrepreneurs than just about anything else. But success and failure go hand in hand. In fact, perhaps you’re not failing enough.

I recently heard a prominent business person asked about the most important thing they learnt at university. Their answer: “Profit = reward for risk.”
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by Peter Crocker

I’ve previously written about a copywriter who’d take extended working holidays where he’d write each day from 5am to 12pm before joining his family for lunch and sightseeing. But can it really be done?

Rather than busting your gut for two weeks of pure holiday, could you stretch your trip length and budget by spending a section of the day working and the rest in holiday mode?
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by Peter Crocker

I recently saw an interview where the questioner asked, “What do you fear most?” The unexpected and thought-provoking response was “Living a bland life.”

It got me thinking how from the day you’re born, the world tends to knock the edges off you. Your personality. Your aspirations. Your curiosity. Your imagination.
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by Peter Crocker

A mate of mine kicked off this year by escaping the office to develop new plans, products and growth strategies for his business. What happened was unexpected.

Rather than return with a to-do list full of new actions and exciting plans, he came back with a to-do list shorter than when he left. After careful consideration over a few surfs and solo café meetings, he decided that this was to be a year of ruthless ‘focus and consolidation’.
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by Peter Crocker

You can embrace it or you can ignore it, but you can’t deny it. The mushrooming global online marketplace is disrupting the value proposition of every industry, including yours.

A while back we ran an advertisement for a large, low cost provider in the communications industry, which took a swipe at more expensive independent providers.
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by Peter Crocker

Over the summer, I love imagining grand visions for a glittering year ahead. But when it comes to developing the necessary action plans, I start to nod off.

As we’ve talked about a lot, January is the ideal time to make resolutions, set goals and create marketing strategies for the year ahead. I usually do these things, but this year I didn’t get around to it.
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by Peter Crocker

Is Twitter a sign of society’s shrivelling attention span and trivia obsession, or does it provide the strict discipline we need to distil our thoughts into focused nuggets?

We’ve previously explored the all-important 30-second elevator statement and discussed the benefits of a catchy one-line business tagline, but with the irresistible rise of Twitter, is it time to perfect the art of communicating in 140 characters?

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by Peter Crocker

Whether you’re loving, loathing or just knee-deep in building your business, it’s easy to forget that it won’t last forever.

During a recent family holiday, we met up with a couple that we hadn’t seen for a few years. What they’d achieved in the intervening years made me feel like I was standing still!

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by Peter Crocker

There is a whole industry built around selling the idea that you can escape your job, earn a six figure income and retire in a few years – all working part-time from anywhere. Count me in!

I’ve done some reading and the promise varies from sales letter to telegraph pole, but some of the common features are:

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by Peter Crocker

Between political correctness and sucking up, butt-covering, politeness and advertising spin, the big and small business world is awash with meaningless conversations and wasted activity. Does honesty in business exist anymore?

For example, during a recent stint back in corporate land, a friend of mine found herself in a group hug chanting a positive mantra to start the day. It was clear that no individual in that circle thought it was a great idea. So how did it come to be?

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by Peter Crocker

It’s fair to say that ‘getting out there’ and business networking – online or offline – is not something that comes naturally to me.

Truth be told, if left up to me I’d slouch alone in my home office all day listening to folksy music with headphones on and ignoring the telephone.

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by Peter Crocker

What is the relationship between money and happiness? I recall research from a few years ago that found that at all income levels, people say they would be satisfied if they could get 20% more.

If our goal is always ‘more’, then we’re destined to spend our careers striving for that elusive extra 20%.

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