IWOC Meeting - Planning, Marketing, and Sales Strategies

IWOC Meeting

Planning, Marketing, and Sales Strategies for Freelance Writers

Join us as freelance writer/businessman Mark Ferguson, public information officer of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Illinois District, provides advice on how a freelance writer can prepare to launch a business, produce a business plan and develop marketing and sales strategies, especially to capture commercial clients. His topics will include:

• How to tailor business planning, marketing and sales specifically for freelance writing and editing and not other types of services or products
• The essentials of business plan drafts when seeking financing or technical or business launch or development support
• Marketing or branding freelance writing specialties in such areas as healthcare, finance, publishing, agriculture, nonprofits or real estate and effecting sales
• Building up a knowledge base on such areas through research, documentation and a rolodex of interview sources
• Maintaining portfolios of articles, press releases, web blurbs, professional letters, brochures, pamphlets, business proposals, grant proposals, technical proposals or literature to show to clients an ability to produce content
• Developing or expanding freelance businesses by adopting more than one specialty or taking on more clients

Networking, with snacks and beverages, begins at 5:00 p.m., followed by the program at 6:00 p.m.

The meeting is free for IWOC members. Non-members pay $10 with online preregistration/payment or $15 at the door.

All attendees are welcome to join us for a buy-your-own dinner at a nearby restaurant after the meeting.

*Graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net

Meeting Location

IWOC monthly meetings are held in Room 4F at the Gratz Center, 126 E. Chestnut Street, adjacent to the historic Fourth Presbyterian Church (see map, below).

Discounted parking after 5:00pm is available (with validation coupon available at the meeting) at 900 N. Michigan Avenue.

View Gratz Center in a larger map