THE ART OF ASKING FOR BUSINESS
A RELATIONSHIP-BASED APPROACH TO GETTING MORE BUSINESS

For creative professionals & transformative practitioners
Saturday, March 27th, 9:30 AM–1:30 PM

If you are like many artists, you’d rather do most anything than ask for business to sell your art. It feels vulnerable and exposed. In truth, people want you to reach out, to find out about them and to understand what they really want—really! Don’t worry; this is NOT about making a sales pitch. The Art of Asking for Business is about creating authentic connections by asking powerful questions that get to the heart of what others need.

This workshop is informative, interactive and practical, providing ways to:

• Identify who is a great client and how to start a conversation;
• Cross the line of ‘polite’ and ‘safe’ conversation to engage others in how you can help them;
• Learn the art of asking powerful questions to focus on what the ‘other’ really wants;
• Authentically build strong, personal rapport;
• Have fun along the way!

Click here to sign up.

Oh yes. That’s right. The lying game. We’ve all done it. We all do it. Some lies we say out loud. Others we keep tucked inside, quietly festering.

Here’s a brief menu of lies (feel free to add your favorites to the list):

* The lies we tell ourselves to avoid stepping out of our comfort zone.
* Those self-deprecating lies we tell others to put them at ease.
* Those glamour lies, like how successful we are, that make us feel important.
* The lies about what we really need, or don’t need, to be happy.
* And, of course, the protection lies we tell to make sure we are ‘right’.

The list is endless. The opportunities to share them, infinite. Why not lie to ourselves to make our lives a little ‘easier’? Here’s why.

We can become so habitual in our lying that we lose sight of what is actually important to us. Lies create distance from and distrust with others. Their insidious deceit cuts into our Self and our integrity in the world.

For those of you who think, “I’m not like that”, or “What does this have to do with business?”, watch yourself throughout your day. If you’re not living your fullest potential and getting the respect you desire, I’ll be willing to wager there’s a lie right at the center of it all. Make a list of your most common lies. Notice where they infect your view of your Self and your connections with others.

For one week, I committed not to tell a single lie. I vowed to notice when I felt ‘lied to’ and to be candid with others about lying. I quickly realized just how huge a task I had taken on. I discovered all the little ways I “protect” myself by telling white lies. How I avoid issues by acquiescing to someone’s one-sided version of the truth just to make life easier for all.

I started testing out a different way to be—with myself, in my relationships and in my coaching/speaking. The difference was astounding. I’ll admit that I was a bit anxious at first, waiting for the ax to drop. But each successful interaction bolstered my conviction to take a bigger risk. (Hmmm, isn’t that interesting: ‘to risk telling the truth’.) The great part: as you begin to fully untame your truth, you actually become more compassionate, kind and impactful.

When I started talking to clients about untaming their lying game, each one was stunned to discover just how embedded they were in lies that kept them from being their most vibrant and authentic Self.

Here’s what people found:

* They realized that they were swimming so fast to stay afloat in the lie that their Self was drowning in the morass of untruths.

* Some discovered that their ‘polite’ attempts to avoid offending others kept true connection out of reach. Business owners realized it was their very ‘polite’ lies that kept them from gaining the respect, and business, they seek.

* Speakers realized that audiences are tired of people exaggerating the truth and reframing facts to sway their emotions. The idea of taking time to create a more authentic relationship was simultaneously refreshing and unsettling. The question then, for them, was, “Wow, how do I do that?”.

* And yes, for some, unraveling the lies challenged the identity they had crafted over many years. It wreaked havoc!

Depending on how deeply embedded your lies are, or how attached you are to them, disentangling yourself can take determination and deep inner trust. I won’t kid you. It can be challenging. As one client noticed, they’re everywhere. He commented, “Lying is so rampant that if you simply tell the truth, in a respectful way, people take notice.”

And about those little white lies—the ones that make the family gatherings with the overbearing person more bearable? Well, perhaps you choose to indulge them. The important thing is that you do so by choice rather than by habit.

So, my invitation: Take a moment to ask yourself where in your life you would like to feel more empowered or enhance your sense of worth (emotional or monetary). Then start to notice. What lies are you telling yourself or others? Write them down. And, please, don’t judge them. Just notice.

If you’re ready, choose to NOT tell a lie in those areas for a day. Notice what happens both inside yourself and with others. And, get ready. You might find yourself tempted to toss one in right at the moment when you feel uncertain. My suggestion is to breathe and remember your promise to yourself.

Over the last few months, I have received a tremendous response to my articles about hiring and working with Web developers and designers. So, I’ve continued to research how business owners can stay savvy in the ever-changing and sometimes…well, shaky…land of the World Wide Web.

1. Always have a contract.
Your designer, coder or developer will probably have one. For the most part, I’ve been exceedingly lucky to work with some of the most honest folks on a handshake. According to the experts— ALWAYS have control of your Web presence. How? Make sure you have a contract that serves your and your business’ best interests.

I’ve been told that the following items probably won’t be in a developer or designer’s contract. Take time to read through their contract and make sure these are included. I’ve asked a number of respected designers about these suggestions, and all have agreed with them. Each has also stated the same thing: if a potential contractor balks or even flinches, go somewhere else.

*** Specify that you have full ownership of the content on the site.
That means you own all files and copyright to all materials in the site.

I heard about a woman who discovered, the hard way, that she didn’t own the copyright to her own tag line. Yes, folks. The contractor she hired claimed ownership. It was cheaper for her to create a new one than to pay the legal fees to get hers back. Most of the time these claims are bogus, but it can cost a lot of money (and headache) to make the scoundrels cease their attempts to hijack your hard-earned brand. By specifying your ownership in the contract, you save yourself the emotional and financial distress.

*** Specify that you own all the files and passwords for the site.
It is essential to become savvy to this very important side of business. A client shared how, after paying thousands of dollars for a Web site, her designer would not provide her with the files. If ownership is stipulated in the contract, it is clear.

*** You get to decide whether or not you ‘advertise’ them on your site.
You may notice that many Web developers post their name on their clients’ sites. They may also require that you let them ‘feature’ your site in their online portfolio. This may sound like a fabulous way to get your name out on the Web, but seasoned designers & developers advise against agreeing to this up front. Many respected businesses don’t ever post who designed their site. Why? Your brand is your integrity calling card. Don’t mistakenly give it away. Small business owners have been led to believe that these links are part of the ‘deal’, but it is simply free advertising for the developer. In the end, if you are pleased with their work and want to place their credits on your site, great! Stipulate in the contract that it is YOUR choice.

2. Be aware of referral fees.
A Web developer recently offered me a 30% referral fee if I sent along ‘primed’ clients. These are clients who’ve prepared the design and content and simply need someone to create their site. Wow! That is a chunk of change! Who really pays that cost? The client! How do you find out? I often ask the person who makes the referral if they are getting a fee to do so. It lets me know what ‘type’ of referral it is. Another way is to get multiple bids.

3. Always get multiple bids.
The best way to assess a designer or developer’s ‘real fees’ is to get multiple bids. By comparing bids, you can see where contractors charge for things that are typically free or lower cost. Something that seems complex to you, and therefore sounds like it should be costly, might be a very easy task for someone who is technically savvy.

In the end, as business owners we need to stay current to the ever-changing business landscape. A good designer or developer is not cheap. Nor should they be. However, you want to make sure you are spending your dollars wisely. Yes, it can be a headache. But trust me, it’s better to have the headache before you begin working with someone than face heartache when your site has been hijacked and your brand is compromised.

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Carolyn Campbell has more than 30 years’ experience working with non-profit and for-profit businesses. In creative and connecting ways, Carolyn melds her expertise in community outreach, education and business development to help clients expand their reach and increase their impact…using their unique approach to life. Her areas of specialty include leadership, visioning, outreach and community building.

Fertile Ground: The Unfolding Journey of Life, Self, Creation & Perception
An exhibit of my mixed media collage work.

WHAT: Reception and fun!
WHEN: March 12th, 7–9 PM
WHERE: SCRAP Re:Vision Gallery, featuring art using recycled materials
2915 NE Martin Luther King Blvd, Portland, Oregon
COST: Free!

HIGHLIGHTS: In addition to an interactive showing of original collage work from my Fertile Ground Vision Deck, there will be live music and spoken word performances. Plus, you can make your own soul card!

THE PERFORMERS:
7–8 PM: KC Craine — Live acoustic guitar
8–9 PM: A series of lyrical, soul-filled readings:
Kristen Brown — Kristen’s riveting rhythmic pulse beckons, invokes and delights.
Kristin Kaye — Magical realism is at the core of Kristin’s writing. She crafts imagery and accelerating narrative that speaks to our yearning in these challenging times.
Madeleine Eno — Madeleine is a master of capturing the everyday journey of life. Her stories glide into the heart and heal the soul.
Joaquin Lopez — And finally, Joaquin. Get ready to lean back and let his words tumble down your spine!

Come for part or come for all. Come alone. Bring a friend. Or bring your family. I’d love to have you!

*****
For more information visit FertileGroundVisionCards.com

LIVING YOUR VISION, OWNING YOUR WISDOM
Tuesday, March 30th, 7-9 PM
Cost: FREE!

Featuring my new deck of Fertile Ground Vision Cards, the evening will provide tools and insight to use THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF EVOCATIVE VISUAL IMAGERY to transform ideas into action…purpose into conviction.

Dynamic, evocative and provocative, this process is designed to:

• Arouse your imagination
• Unearth your passions
• Clarify your vision
• Reveal strengths
• Spark ideas
• Inspire action

If you are a healing professional seeking to discover ways to use evocative imagery to help people get to the heart of their vision…join us.

If you are seeking ways to strengthen your own conviction and direction…join us.

If you want to step boldly and confidently into your life, these cards can provide an amazing catalyst to do so.

About Carolyn Campbell, MA, CPPC
Carolyn has worked with thousands of people who seek to own their passion and lead their vision…with clarity, conviction and connection. Combining her passions for transformation, art and life-enriching story, Carolyn has designed Fertile Ground Vision Cards as a way to get to the heart of vision and sureness of action.

To RSVP, give me a call at 503-493-9497 or email carolyn@CoreSourceCoaching.com.

Before I share the 5 simple steps, here are the 3 most important words…
You. Them. We.

The first part is about…YOU. Why are you there? What do you want people to do, or be, differently as a result of your talk/event/connection? Make it real! Make it now! Inspire a change! Complete this sentence: “I am here to ______________________.”

I recently had the opportunity to work with a Food Share organization. My talk focused on giving the volunteers tools to provide experiences, provoke thought and ignite a new way of interacting—so that they can inspire their audiences to connect WITH hunger in a new way.

Now let’s address THEM.

Greet people as they arrive. Shake their hands. If you see someone who feels intimidating to you, definitely shake his or her hand. This seemingly small gesture creates a ‘we’ before you’ve even started speaking. If the group is large, take a few minutes to go around and meet people. Introduce yourself. Find out what inspired them to come.

By the time you do speak, you’ve created a WE room.

Now that you’ve created a ‘we’, you want to engage and strengthen the ‘we’ with a powerful talk. Although I don’t usually like ‘formulas’, you might use the following as a framework from which to build.

THE 5 SIMPLE STEPS TO A POWERFUL PRESENTATION:

1. Begin by sharing your personal investment in the issue. I’m not asking for the polite, “I’m Gene and I’d like to talk about hunger.” NO! I’m asking you to GET REAL, real fast. Share a story that grabs them and gets them to take notice. If you don’t feel a bit exposed right here, you’re probably not doing your thing!

Then ENGAGE THEM. You might ask, “Who in this room has personally experienced hunger? Who knows someone who is struggling or has struggled with hunger? Who here feels guilty for having too much when others don’t have enough?” These powerful questions get your audience involved in the topic. After this interaction, restate why you are there to speak, using power words.

2. Share facts in a tangible form. I love facts and statistics. Most people really appreciate relevant statistics that engage them in a concrete way. If your organization distributes thousands of pounds of food a week, translate that into a ‘seeable’ form. How many truckloads is that? How many people will it feed?

3. Highlight WHAT YOU DO. People want to know, specifically, the scope of what you or your organization does. They want to know HOW you are making a difference. It’s important to provide clear, engaging, succinct information. This part must be as compelling as your story!

Engage them again. You don’t necessarily need to have a conversation. You might ask for a show of hands. Ask them, “How many of you were familiar with the scope of our work? Who here had any idea what farmers across America are doing to fight hunger?” Your job is to share and engage—engage and share.

4. Inspire hope. This is an important step. You might find that your statistics are disturbing or your clientele unsettling. No worries. I know an organization that works with one of the seemingly least desirable populations, teens on drugs. Guess what? Those teens are our future. When you convey trust in their potential, you inspire hope and help your audience believe. If you aren’t inspired, they can’t get on board with you. Tell a story of transformation. Help them realize their role in creating change. Inspire them because you believe.

5. Call them to action. Here’s the important part. DO NOT SELL THEM ON YOUR ORGANIZATION. Get them engaged in the cause. This is not to say that you don’t offer ways to be involved with you. But, more importantly, stand in your commitment to your cause…not JUST your organization. Ask people to commit to one action they can take to make a difference, no matter how big or small. Do tell them that you need their help…but more than anything, you want them to join you to make a change.

In the end, remember, if we try to ‘sell’ to people, they will often resent the approach. If we offer inspiration for change, they will remember us as a leader offering tools for transformation.

Keep asking yourself, “If I were in the audience, which would I want?”

As I’ve been sharing the Fertile Ground process with groups, I’ve found that many participants have questions about journaling. Why journal? How do I journal? What do I do with my journal?

Why journal?
There are many answers to this great question. Journaling allows us to explore ideas that have lain dormant for far too long, hidden under the demands of everyday life. Some days, I journal to discover what’s behind an emotion or life challenge that keeps me from moving forward. On other days, I use journaling to explore what I truly desire.

I have long been inspired by the work of Carl Jung. Best known for exploring dreams, art and mythology, Jung emphasized integrating the conscious with the unconscious to create balance and harmony. He cautioned people not to rely too heavily on natural science and logical positivism and ardently believed in the importance of integrating spirituality and unconscious realms. Journaling is one way to explore these realms.

Our brain is always busy processing thoughts, fears, hopes, data, duties, etc. Journaling provides an opportunity to experience what is buried under these mental processes.

- It can be a great ‘dump’ for all the ‘stuff’ that is unnecessarily taking up space in your brain. This is often the case when one begins journaling. Sometimes people will say, “Nothing new came up while I was journaling, but my mind feels less cluttered.”

- It can help you work through changes and challenges in your life. Some people find that journaling, especially with a prompt (a visual, physical, or verbal stimulus used to incite a new way of perceiving), allows the mind to process an issue or experience in a new way.

- It can help you understand recurring patterns, thoughts or issues. As you journal more, and work through the issues close to the surface, you may find that there is rich terrain to be mined. It’s kind of like deep sea diving—we can snorkel at the surface, or we can dive deep into the caverns to see some amazing sights.

- Coupled with powerful questions and evocative images, it can help you see life through a new lens. We each inherit a system of beliefs from our family, teachers, intimates and friends. Journaling with prompts can push you into a new way of thinking, breaking open old beliefs and exposing new possibilities.

This is the intuitive, or exploratory, aspect of journaling. Explorers and mountaineers journal about their quests to process their experiences. Leaders and speakers often journal about their hopes and visions to understand their real significance and create a ‘framework’ to present them to others.

It doesn’t matter whether you believe the answers are coming from your mind, your soul voice, a divine presence or just random thoughts—what matters is that you begin to get the answers you are seeking.

How do I journal?
Some people choose a free-flowing approach—letting the hand flow across the page without lifting the pen. This approach allows one to access ideas that lie below the conscious realm before the ‘censor’ in our minds can repress them.

You might begin by reflecting on a quote or image. One of my favorite journaling methods involves using imagery coupled with powerful questions. The questions challenge my mind’s beliefs while the images allow me to access a new perspective. You might ask a powerful question first, or just let the image or quote guide you into an interior space.

Some powerful questions include: What holds me back from living my full Self? What part of my Self yearns to be heard? How do I want to be more fully in my life? What do I need to let go to have more meaningful connections?

I also use a daily calendar of quotes by powerful women. I will often take ten minutes to write about how the day’s quote relates to my life and what I am seeking to fully be.

As with many things, I find it most helpful to use whatever approach serves me best in the moment.

What do I do with my journal?
I always incorporate a ‘doing’ element at the end of my journaling session. This is the tangible part. Journaling moves me into the abstract, allows my dreams to surface and names the fears and frustrations I dare not say. THEN, at the end of each session, I ask myself, “What is one thing I can do today to honor what I have discovered in this writing.” Some days it is something simple, like taking a moment between meetings to just breathe. Or I might find that today is the day I make a phone call I’ve been ignoring.

The journal helps me explore my dreams, confusions and purpose.
The actions provide the ‘way’ to bring those to life.

And yes, some days I rip out the pages I’ve just written and throw them away.
Others I have kept for years as reminders of the depth of my spirit and the vision of my soul. What’s great about journaling is that you get to decide what serves you and your life! ‘Cause it’s all about being the best and truest you.

Recently someone complimented me in an unusual way: “You have the best meeting agendas,” they said.

I hadn’t ever thought about it because the only thing I ever evaluate is the outcome of my meetings–whether people are engaged, the discussion is productive, and we end on time. Nothing is worse than a meeting with no agenda where the meeting organizer starts with “Well, what should we talk about today?”

“Good meetings” are valuable to the participants, productive, and respectful of everyone’s time. A good agenda is a great way to make sure this happens. Busy people like road maps, particularly road maps that show how their time will be used. A well written agenda sets expectations and helps you to meet them. People feel good when their time is respected and their expectations are met.

A great way to respect people’s time is to make the agenda informative and succinct—a “Cliff’s Notes” version of the meeting to come—the background plot with some possible outcomes. Some good ways to do this are:

1) Each topic with a main heading followed by a series of short bullets explaining what need to be discussed and decided preceded by a few high-level background bullets explaining the previous history or discussion.

2) Add the person’s name who will speak to or lead the discussion in the topic heading. This honors the expertise in the room and lets the meeting belong to everyone.

3) Honor people’s time by adding proposed times to each meeting topic. This helps to guide the meeting and set expectations about how much time will be spent on each topic. It also makes the agenda a nice scapegoat if the meeting gets off track or runs off the rails… something easily corrected with a suggestion like, “I’m noticing the time. We’ve just spent twice as much time as the agenda specified. If we would like to finish this meeting on time we should reschedule this topic for discussion at our next meeting or agree now which other topics we should drop from today’s agenda.”

I like to send agendas out to all attendees no earlier than two days before a meeting and no closer than 24 hours before the meeting starts. It seems that any farther in advance and most people will put off reading it until the last minute, if at all. And if people get it too close to the meeting time they don’t have a chance to read it or prepare their thoughts.

Try these things out and you might be surprised how much better, and more productive, your meetings are.

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John Poelstra, a project manager for Red Hat, writes about personal productivity and the projects he’s working on. Nothing thrills him more than scouring the web in search of new approaches to old problems and sharing these insights at his blog. http://poelcat.wordpress.com. John lives in Portland, Oregon with his family.

What a wild ride it’s been.
What a confusing time it is.
A simple change in the ‘story’ can make all the difference.

The stories we tell. The stories we live out. Everywhere. Every minute. Story is central to our life. It is how we define ourselves and our relationships. They are everywhere! Which story do I listen to? Which story do I live by? How do we unite our stories with others’ to create a greater legacy for all?

I’ve started to notice how entrenched people are in their life story…how entrenched I’ve been in my own. It’s been amazing to witness how powerfully attached we become to story—about ourselves, our relationships with others, and what we can do. Professionally, I’ve been increasingly surprised by the ‘mechanical’ nature of so many businesses as they reach out in their communities. Seemingly inspired, they tend to come through the back door with a very ‘story-like’ sales pitch.

This is my realization and my mission for this year: telling and living the story that truly matters, the one that honors and inspires for the bigger purpose. As for the moments when we haven’t done so…well, those are done. Let them go. For the moments yet to be, let them be stories told with intention. And, for those moments when we flounder, ah, in those moments let’s try again. This is my true aim for the year 2010.

Sound like a big task? Well, actually, it’s really not.

Recently I was asked to help Hands-On Portland, an amazing nonprofit. I met their executive director, Andy, at a conference last summer. He asked me to help his staff create compelling stories that move beyond simply asking for support and truly engage their community. As we planned the workshop, I discovered that within the organization exists a ‘we-focused’, inclusive culture in which they challenge and support each other. The staff’s commitment to each other and their cause is truly inspiring.

Their challenge was to expand this culture of connection, support and challenge to include their external community. One young staff member nailed it when she said, “We seem to use this nice little formula…tell them what we’re doing, pat ourselves on the back, then ask them for support.” I asked them, “What if you stopped being ‘nice’ and ‘polite’? What kind of stories might you tell?”

One woman seemed to just stop for a moment. Her stopping, stopped the room. “If I do this,” she said, “it means that I have to be vulnerable. I have to dare to move beyond the polite chatter and expose myself.”

What if you dared to challenge a convention?
What if you faced a controversy head on?
What if you broke a myth?
What if you spoke the unspoken?

What would you really talk about? How might that juice up your own writing? How might that incite others to wake up or live, work or relate in a new way?

As the group began to think this way, they started to consider stories that challenged the whole idea of what volunteering is. They started to imagine writing about what it really costs to make change. They started thinking about how to include their volunteers in writing stories. They became re-inspired to really write stories that do more that just ‘ask’.

And the truth is, folks, we know when it’s just another story to sell something. We are savvy consumers. And we are tired of it. Inspire us to think bigger. Add humor. Let us see your personality. It will be far more engaging.

At the end of the session, one guy aptly stated, “This way, I get to respect my reader in a new way. To engage them more fully without always having a hidden agenda. And to trust them more.”

The next week they published a letter to volunteers about what to do in inclement weather. Rather than the standard message, their bulletin evolved into a fun, must-read posting including pictures of some of the most twisted, mind-blowing storms with humorous captions about various conditions. You couldn’t help but read it and share it!

If you are out there to make a difference, to shift a way of thinking, then for goodness’ sake, dare to shift it. You don’t have to be Tolstoy. You just have to dare to be noticed. Get attention, and please, stop being so nice!

With the land of the web changing at lightning speed, techno-preneurs are in their heyday. Recently, I had a conversation with a representative at godaddy.com, the leading domain and hosting company for businesses. He told me that often 40-60% of the fees charged for website development are for items that business owners could do themselves for FREE in less than 20 minutes. And worse…that people are often giving up ownership of their business’ domain names without realizing it.

If this has happened to you…you’re not alone. If you don’t know what’s what, it can be very confusing. His advice: before you hire someone to create your website, ask the person to break down the charges for you. Here are a few things he suggests looking for or asking about on your bid:

o What are they charging you to set up your domain name?
He’s seen people charged $75–200 just to have someone set up their domain name. If you don’t want to do this…great, pay someone. But realize that it takes less than 20 minutes to do it. For the techies, it’s even quicker! Also note what they are charging you for the actual domain name and web hosting. You could reasonably expect to pay $5-15/year for a domain name (i.e. your website address, such as www.CoreSourceCoaching.com) and $100-150/year for hosting, depending on your needs.

o How much are they charging you to add email addresses?
People have been charged $40–100 for the first email address and then $20–50 for every additional email address. All are FREE with your domain name and can be set up in the same 15 minutes!

I also learned that people have been charged for the administrative “rights” to their WordPress website. Here’s the scoop, folks: WordPress is a FREE web platform that enables the owner or the administrator—that’s you—to make changes, FREE. Again, you might decide to hire someone to maintain it for you…but that is very different than paying someone for the simple right to access it. It is made to be FREE!

Then there are ownership issues:

o People are unknowingly giving ownership of their domain name to their developer.
Really? Oh, my. This is not a good business strategy. You need to own your domain name. I’ve heard of situations in which a developer charges a client big money to buy their domain name back. Not good! Would you let your car mechanic own your car? Of course not. You want to have the flexibility to make solid consumer choices. A hosting company (like godaddy.com) will walk you through the process of buying it over the phone. Or, if you do have your web developer purchase the domain name, stipulate in the contract that you own it.

o People are giving hosting control over to the developer. Web hosting is the ‘space’ your website takes—kind of like your phone line. For a business, you want to be assured that your ‘space’ is secure, ad-free and always paid on time. Mine is hosted through godaddy, in my name, and my web gal has access to it. She takes care of all the hosting ‘issues’. But ultimately, it’s my name on the account. I’ve seen cases in which business owners had issues with their developers, or the developers went out of business, and suddenly they are up the proverbial creek without a paddle ‘cause they no longer have web hosting. Yes, truly it happens more than you realize!

How to avoid all this? Simple. Always get a bid from a developer that details all the fees. See what you are really paying for. If you’re unsure about the costs, take time, before you sign, to call a hosting company and ask them what things really cost. You may decide that it’s worth having someone do it for you! Great. The important part is that you are savvy about how you spend your precious dollars, get things in writing and maintain control over the future of your brand.