The cost of doing business can bring your plans to start or grow your freelance business to a screeching halt. Creating a website alone can easily cost you a few hundred dollars in itself. With an open mind, and a little creativity, you can tap into resources that offer more affordable alternatives via Fiverr™. Fiverr™ is the place for people to share things they’re willing to do for 5 dollars. You’ll find a ton of fun and bazaar postings like “I will sing a song for you dressed like a hot dog for 5 dollars” but also plenty of services you can use to jumpstart your freelance career as well.

Graphics

You can cut your graphic cost exponentially by buying a Fiverr™ gig instead. Find someone to design your logo, create a website banner, or edit a picture for only five dollars per gig.

Writing

Sometimes it’s easier to write great things about everyone else but yourself. Hire a writer to compose your professional or company bio or to proofread an existing document.

Programming

Here’s a jewel! If you insist on going with a professional graphic designer for the layout of your website, use Fiverr to hire a coder to script the HTML, XML or appropriate language for a fraction of the price! Send a seller a message to negotiate terms.

Blog, Social Network and SEO Optimization

If you have a poor online presence, Fiverr™ can get you off to a great start. Snag everything from Tumblr themes to total WordPress installations, and everything in between.

Remember every seller is different, and so are the terms of their gigs.  Never go outside of Fiverr™ to do business. If something goes wrong, the loss is solely on you and it’ll make it virtually impossible for the Fiverr team to help you. The key is creativity. The opportunities are endless! 

Ebonie Flynn is an innovative, serial-entrepreneur and sole owner of Ebonie Nicole Enterprises, Inc. She plans to build businesses in the black hair industry that directly benefits nonprofits that support Sickle Cell and HIV/AIDS. Ebonie is now expanding her corporation to offer her expertise in public relations by harnessing her powerful network, natural writing ability and entrepreneurial enthusiasm to benefit her clients with a PR experience unlike any other. You can follow Ebonie on Twitter and on Facebook. 

On the heels of the popular and extremely funny “S^&# Girls Say”, Hunter Public Relations, an award-winning consumer products agency created “Stuff PR People Say”. Witty and creative, this parody definitely hits the mark on what comes out of communications professionals on a daily basis!

Do you find yourself saying these things?

After the success of the inaugral Women In PR Summit And Retreat In Miami, Women in PR are excited to announce the Women In PR Summit & Retreat in Las Vegas January 26th-29th, 2012. With this sexy city as the backdrop, PR professionals will gain valuable insight from industry thought leaders, who will share how to best navigate new channels, trends and audiences.

This inspirational three day leadership summit is designed especially for power women. Professionals will network with industry leaders, educate the masses about career strategies and gain a new sense of commitment to the PR profession and personal growth.

Panelists include LATonya P. Story, Julie Wakefield, Maricarmen Lopez, and many more industry leaders. This is a must-attend conference to create and inspire ideas in the challenging, rewarding, and vital profession of public relations.

Identity theft is still a viable threat and isn’t going away. In 2010 the US Federal Trade Commission received over 250,00 complaints about identity theft alone. We must be responsible for safeguarding our information but how can you protect yourself? We must create long, strong, encrypted passwords to safeguard our accounts but with so many log-ins and passwords for email, banking, shopping, social media–how can we remember them all?

ChicaLogic has responded to the increase of identity theft by creating Chica Password Manager. Chica Password Manager is a time saver and prevents identity theft. It helps create, encrypt, and store your passwords in a database with only one password to remember for all of your accounts and sites ensuring no one will be able to access your passwords or personal information for identity theft or any other misuse. It also safely saves your personal information, which you can use to quickly fill in forms online with one click!

What I love about ChicaLogic, who creates and designs technology solutions with a woman’s needs and workflow in mind, is the protection against hacking, phishing attacks, and keylogging.  Set-up is a breeze and is quick. I was able to store my passwords and personal information easily and now I don’t have to manually fill forms OR remember my many, many passwords! One less thing to think about!

Chica Password Manager is valued at $29.95, but it will be offered at an introductory price of $19.95. Want to win a product key for Chica Password Manager? We are giving away 5 product keys to 5 lucky PR Diva readers! To enter:

1) Tweet this: “I entered @PRDivaBlog #giveaway 4 @ChicaLogic- software 4 women by women 2 keep computers running smoothly” and leave a link to your Tweet in your comment.

2) Visit the ChicaLogic Tips & Tricks and share one helpful article in your comments.

3) Share a computer nightmare that ChicaLogic could have helped prevent.

Years ago as a teenager, I was smitten by the entrepreneurial bug when I discovered I could make a few extra dollars braiding hair for friends and loved ones. I charged $35 for each two-hour sitting and by the time I earned my first $175, I knew that I had a good thing going. Making people feel good and watching them transform into beautiful butterflies has translated into a renewed passion: public relations.

I knew that I would pursue a career that involved making people feel and look good so last year, a colleague and I decided to start a business. While working a full-time career in the employee communications industry, I was recently reminded of my entrepreneurial vigor and inventiveness. Working a regular 9 to 5 and starting a small business comes with its challenges, consumption of time, and financial commitments. My partner and I have created a basic formula for success for our Limited Liability Company (LLC) and other aspiring entrepreneurs planning to take that next step and not give up their bread and butter.

Set a realistic schedule. Be ready to spend extended evenings and countless weekends working with clients and promoting your business. We are able to miraculously squeeze 20-30 hours over a six-day period to meet with current and potential clients, attend weekend networking events and promote our business. No, we won’t lie and tell you that it’s easy. Remember, we have full-time jobs that serve as our first priority. Sundays are strictly off limits, unless we decide to juggle around other blocks of time during the week, such as waking up one hour earlier to read and respond to email and taking 15-minute conference calls.

Create a budget, and stick to it. One of the benefits of staying employed full-time is that you have a steady stream of income. Latte time at Starbucks is scarce – unless it’s for a business meeting or brainstorm session – as is our frequent visits to fancy restaurants. As a strategic branding and public relations company, we decided early on not to get a business loan or use our personal credit cards. Rather, our knack for coming up with low-cost, no-cost solutions meant that we would launch our business with a $500 budget. Being disciplined has paid off, and we still have a few extra start-up dollars in the bank.

Have no F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real). We’ve heard many colleagues and associates say they have dreams of starting a business. But, because of their looming fear that their business will fail and not generate revenue “in this economy”, they never take the next step. Many will agree that our current economic climate continues to rain on many business-planning parades. However, the number of small businesses increases at higher rates when the economy struggles, according to the Small Business Administration (note to reader: grab your highlighter now and trace over this key fact).

Remember, as an entrepreneur you are your own boss. You set the rules. But more than just a side gig, side hustle or whatever the latest business reference phrase for earning a little extra, a small business can be very rewarding. Our intense love for communications and public relations is our main motivation. And yes, we intend to keep our day jobs. At least for now.

Shel Desire’ is a seasoned communicator, publicist and co-founder of Ark Communications & PR, a boutique PR agency. When Shel isn’t working her day job for a Fortune 500 global entertainment company, she spends her free time helping small businesses and nonprofits develop strategic public relations plans. Follow Ark Communications & PR on Twitter and ‘like’ them on Facebook as they launch into a brand new year filled with endless possibilities!

New York Women in Communications’ ALOUD blog contributor Dorothy Crenshaw tackles the subject of the feminization of PR and asks the question of why aren’t there more women at the top. Have we come a long way? Are we still missing something?

Fabulous time was had by all at the 2011 Association for Women in Communications National Conference in Tulsa. PR Diva’s Aliah Davis-McHenry had the wonderful opportunity of attending and had an amazing experience connecting with other women in communications, meeting keynote speakers Shawne Duperon and Billie Letts, and exploring the beautiful city of Tulsa.

Forbes has business women talking about The 10 Worst Stereotypes About Powerful Women. Jenna Gordreau writes : “Women continue climbing the rungs of power—building their ranks as heads of state, corporate leaders and media influencers—but their minority status means they still face harsh, limiting assessments based on their gender.” What is your least favorite stereotype about powerful women?

The woman behind Twitter’s DKNY PR Girl reveals herself as Aliza Licht, SVP of Global Communications. Watch a glimpse behind the scenes!

Branding guru, Dan Schawbel’s, biography is the epitome of what a powerful, effective bio should convey. Pete Kistler of Brand-Yourself.com wrote an awesome article highlighting 6 points that makes Dan’s bio the new bio branding standard.

Because Dan’s biography style is so accomplishment centered, this may be problematic for students, new entrepreneurs or transitioning professionals. How do you articulate your strengths, amongst your peers and competition, when you haven’t accomplished anything in your aspiring field?

Don’t Fluff:

Answering the Who-Are-You question can be overwhelming to an industry newbie, and your biography is no place to mislead your potential customers, employers or partners. Just stick the word ‘aspiring’ in front of your dream title. Let’s take the first line of Dan’s bio, for example. “Dan is an aspiring leading expert in personal branding…”

Highlight your transferrable skills:

Technically, you’re not an expert publicist or award-winning blogger…just yet. Focus in on what you’ve done well in your previous endeavors that can also be beneficial to your new career goal. A Political Science student looking to enter into Journalism is likely to major in course work with an intense writing curriculum. Use that!

Talk about your goals:

You haven’t written over 20 publications yet, but you do plan to work strategically with your local chapter of the National Cancer Society to provide free testing for your community. Share something innovative that sets you apart from the other aspiring journalist.

Build your portfolio:

It may take some time to land a new job or internship, but you can start volunteering immediately. Volunteering will simultaneously allow you to gain hands-on experience and build your network. If starting a blog with plentiful, relevant content is overwhelming, guest blog for an established blog in your industry. You’ll position yourself as a credible person in your field. Do what you can, now!

Ebonie Flynn is an innovative, serial-entrepreneur and sole owner of Ebonie Nicole Enterprises, Inc. She plans to build businesses in the black hair industry that directly benefits nonprofits that support Sickle Cell and HIV/AIDS. Ebonie is now expanding her corporation to offer her expertise in public relations by harnessing her powerful network, natural writing ability and entrepreneurial enthusiasm to benefit her clients with a PR experience unlike any other. You can follow Ebonie on Twitter and on Facebook. 

There are so many components of running a successful home-based operation, and for the most part, every single one of them cost. You have to manage to reinvest in your business, and make a living. Who do they think you are? Superwoman? Here are 3 free resources you may have overlooked in the launch or growth of your freelance company!

Writing Centers
Writing Centers are places where writers, particularly, but not limited to, the academic community, gather to discuss and work on their writing (IWCA). They are usually located on university and community-college campuses and offer free writing assistance to their students and the general public. Entrepreneurs may need help composing a biography, articulating blog post, developing web content or editing reviews for their service or product. No matter where you are in the writing process, if hiring a professional writer isn’t in your budget, a Writing Center may be an alternative for you! Check out the Writing Center Directory to find a Writing Center nearest you.

Online help Forums
Maintaining your laptop or tablet is a recurring expense. You may dish-out a few hundred dollars every year on anti-viral software and computer maintenance. Bleeping Computer is a community devoted to providing free original content, consisting of computer help and tutorials, in such a way that the beginning computer user can understand. I found the name to be absolutely hilarious more so because I could relate. How many of us wanted to throw our computers out of the window? I know I have. Bleeping Computer has a very interactive forum where moderators respond promptly in an effort to help with your computer woes. It is free to register! Get started here.

Google Voice
Google Voice may be a god-send for your company. You have one number and one voicemail regardless of phone type or carrier. Even if you’re forced to switch phone numbers, people will never know with your Google Voice account! You even have the option of porting your existing cell phone number to Google Voice! (How to Port Your Number to Google Voice Without Paying an Arm and a Leg). Google Voice features include: voicemail transcription, personalized greetings, international calling, SMS to email, share voicemails, conference calls, block/screen callers and a mobile app. Learn more here.

Ebonie Flynn is an innovative, serial-entrepreneur and sole owner of Ebonie Nicole Enterprises, Inc. She plans to build businesses in the black hair industry that directly benefits nonprofits that support Sickle Cell and HIV/AIDS. Ebonie is now expanding her corporation to offer her expertise in public relations by harnessing her powerful network, natural writing ability and entrepreneurial enthusiasm to benefit her clients with a PR experience unlike any other. You can follow Ebonie on Twitter and on Facebook. 

Executive Editor Stephanie N. Mehta at CNN Money writes that public relations executive Richard Edelman wants women to occupy half of the senior roles at his company by 2016. Mehta asks, “Many companies talk in general terms about increasing participation of women in the senior ranks. Few executives come out and set an actual numeric goal. Is this just an example of smart, well, public relations? Or is Edelman serious about true equality in his senior ranks?” What do you think?

Mediabistro’s PRNewser published a story about what IPG’s Judith Harrison thinks about the increasing numbers of women in top PR positions. “The PR industry clearly has a huge pipeline of women,” Judith is quoted. “There’s only going to be more and more women coming up in the ranks of the business. [...] The industry has changed because of the influence of mommy bloggers, a whole group of women who are connected through social media, and the important group of stakeholders that women have become for every consumer-oriented company.”

Check out 10 Socially Stellar PR Agencies owned by Women. These firms are doing great work in the social media arena for their clients as well as with their own businesses. Kudos!

Nothing like a social media strategist doing their job right! Acknowledging where their loyal fan base IS and leveraging that fan base to the max. Keeping in mind that there have been many slip-up strategies on social media recently, like that of Abercrombie and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s blowup on Twitter, a Social Media (PR at times) strategist has to know the fine line that is real-time media.

With tweeters like @DJPaulyD @VINNYGUADAGNINO and @ItsTheSituation, Abercrombie’s little PR stunt didn’t stand a chance- the boys quickly shut down their absurd proposal to pay-off the cast to NOT to wear their clothes. The loyal fan base took to twitter to vent, and while “Abercrombie” may have trended for a couple of days, it was for no good reason… bad business.

@DJPaulyD: 1,930,925 followers

Being submerged in social day-to-day is the only real way to learn, adapt and apply. To understand the needs of the fans that LIKE you and follow you, and how you can go above and beyond to keep them coming back, SHARING your content and engaged. Let’s face it… nothing entices ADD more than a feed that’s constantly refreshing.

So, how to do it right, how do you keep them coming back? Well… how do you lure anyone to do what you want or listen to what you have to say? Make them feel pretty special right? Make them feel EXCLUSIVE? Yes, yes yes.

Take @Burberry, “a 155 year-old global brand with distinctly British attitude,” hosting a sample giveaway of their new fragrance, Body. The project is an exclusive invitation for fans on Facebook to request a sample of the new fragrance by simply filling out a form on a tab on Facebook. With it’s debut in September, they want fans to be the first to sample it and experience it, exclusively before anyone else.

Check out CCO Christopher Bailey’s video invite:

Everything about this execution is on point… Burberry is a brand that’s doing it right, along with a lot of the larger influential brands in the beauty market. Take Oscar de la Renta for example that earlier this year launched its flagship fragrance via Facebook. After giving away 25k samples in THREE DAYS, the brand’s Likes grew by 40%! Who wouldn’t run with a strategy like this?

Read more about the loyal fan base of influential beauty market brands, and HEY (!) don’t forget to get your sample of Body on Burberry’s FB, you have 8 days left!

Have a favorite brand on Facebook that YOU think does it right? Share it with us!

Alexandra Suazo, AKA any likeness of “Suazo”, is a tenacious, social butterfly, Marketing & Social Media Professional. She’s worked as a PR/Marketing associate at a prominent NYC events company and presently as an Interactive Program Manager at an email marketing/social media agency where she manages the social platforms for their largest account.  She develops her network and professionalism with every new experience, and manages to have time to even build her own brand too. She absolutely adores tweeting, talking, tumbling, wordpressing, flickering, starring on the tube, checking-in, linking-in, meeting-up and baking. Follow her on Twitter @La_Suazo and her blog!