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Kelley Keller on How to Protect Your Intellectual Property (and Avoid Expensive Lawsuits)

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[Legacy post: Small Business Talent] As self-employed professionals, all of us own and use intellectual property in a variety of different forms. Intellectual property laws and their impact on our business is an important topic. That’s why I asked Kelley Keller to join me on the podcast today.

Kelley is a seasoned intellectual property law attorney.* Before founding The Keller Law Firm in 2010, she worked for two prominent intellectual property law firms and gained extensive experience dealing with the US Patent and Trademarks Office and the US Copyright Office.

Many solo entrepreneurs are not as informed as they need to be when it comes to intellectual property laws and the legal risks they could be taking without even knowing it. The Keller Law Firm helps business owners like us to avoid these types of problems and the expensive lawsuits that could result.*

Besides her law practice, Kelley recently launched Innovation to Profits where she now offers online courses, coaching and consultative services to business clients. Through Innovation to Profits, she helps business owners like us to turn their intellectual property into assets that drive sales and profits.

So, are you ready to get the facts on how intellectual property law issues might impact you and your business? I hope so, because this topic is too important to ignore. Scroll down to the Podcast Player now — and listen to this valuable interview! (* Of course, the content of this interview is not legal advice, and it does not substitute for advice from your attorney.)

Podcast Player:

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Duration: 31:20 — 13.8MB


Get Clients Now! >> An Interview with Bestselling Author and Marketing Maven, C.J. Hayden

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[Legacy post: Small Business Talent] My guest on the podcast is C.J. Hayden. She’s the bestselling author of Get Clients Now!: A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches and The One-Person Marketing Plan Workbook.

For more than 20 years, C.J. has helped solo professionals like us to get clients, get strategic, and get things done. C.J. takes a highly practical approach to everything she does — teaching her clients what really works to successfully market a professional services business.

C.J. has taught marketing courses for John F. Kennedy University, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Mills College. In addition, C.J. regularly writes on sales and marketing for a variety of publications, including RainToday, Eyes on Sales, and About.com, to name just a few.

In this content-rich interview C.J. and I discuss:

  • Her inspiring story of overcoming adversity to become an entrepreneur
  • The often overlooked mistake that will crush marketing productivity
  • How independent professionals can create a marketing action plan
  • Ways to get unstuck and start connecting with more ideal clients

The bottom-line? If you want to discover the critical ingredients to successfully marketing your services, then this interview is for you! (Scroll down to the Podcast Player below and listen now.)

Podcast Player:

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Duration: 24:00 — 10.3MB


Fire Your Z. O. M. B. I. E. Clients: Good Advice For Solo Entrepreneurs

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If you’ve been self-employed for a few years, then you know how beneficial it is to acquire the right clients. You probably also know what it’s like when you make the mistake of working with the wrong ones.

Trying to serve clients who just aren’t a match for you is a painful drain on your time and energy. Make the mistake of taking on too many of them and they’ll devour your productivity and profits – like hungry zombies on a brain binge.

The good news? You’re self-employed. That’s right, you can simply choose not to work with zombie clients.

Here’s my personal approach to identifying and eliminating the zombies. If any of the following issues apply to a client (or a prospective client), then I know I need to move on:

Z – Zero urgency about the need for growth. My services are all about helping clients to grow their sales and profits, so a lack of urgency on their part is a deal killer.

O – Opportunities requiring change are considered too risky. If a business owner clings firmly to the status quo, then they’re not going to make the changes required to take advantage of new growth opportunities.

M – Making excuses for poor performance. Business owners who don’t take responsibility for their failures and learn from them will never be successful long-term. There’s nothing I can do for them.

B – Betting on word-of-mouth alone for new business. Betting isn’t a substitute for working a plan. Proactive people will embrace the new business development strategies I teach. Gamblers probably won’t.

I – Interest in learning new skills is low. As self-employed professionals, nothing gets much better unless we do. I can’t help someone if they’re looking for better results without improving their approach.

E – Extreme price sensitivity. You know the old saying – “You get what you pay for.” Well, it’s true.

Weeding out the zombies isn’t always easy, and the approach you take will need to fit you and your unique situation. But learning to do this well can help you protect your productivity, profitability, and possibly your sanity.