Mark Silver helps solo entrepreneurs and micro-businesses thrive through heartfelt business practices. The tagline for his company, Heart of Business, is "Every act of business can be an act of love."
I wanted to pick Mark's brain on behalf of the many listeners who are in some kind of career limbo in the age of pandemic - unemployed, underemployed, unsure about the future, sick of being a cog in the capitalist system, tired of relying on yucky tactics to make payroll - and want a way forward that meets their needs and is in service of a More Beautiful World.
We talked about marketing - according to Mark, it's all about safety, not attraction.
We discussed setting prices, and how to set up an effective and loving "pay what you can" system.
And most profoundly for me, we talked about the need for small business owners and solopreneurs to get in touch with their own needs so they can be transparent about them in the marketplace.
If you run a small business or want to start one, and you are looking for guidance and models that don't rely on investment and extreme growth, this conversation will be full of valuable nuggets for you.