Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Barbara Grassey, Founder of Mind's Eye Media, located in Gainesville, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm a writer and content creator in the micro and small business sectors. I work with entrepreneurs and business owners who want to write and publish a book to increase their authority, credibility, reach, and client base. My services range from online courses for writing business books to one-on-one coaching through the process of writing a book to complete done-for-you (ghostwriting) packages. I also offer self-publishing assistance because the process can be a bit overwhelming, as well as a book launch and marketing plans. I am all about business books.

Tell us about yourself

I wanted to be a writer from a fairly young age, but of course, you're told by sensible adults that you will end up starving in a garret. I wrote a few articles and other pieces of content through the years, but I only moved into writing full-time when I found my niche helping business owners develop self-study courses and write their books. Nine out of ten people who start writing a book don't finish. That's such a waste of knowledge that could be put out into the world to help people. I love helping other people transfer their knowledge, experience, and genius from their brains into a book that can reach so many more people and, really, do so long into the future.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

While I have no problem admitting that getting a book to a bestseller list on Amazon is a parlor trick, not everyone knows how to do that trick. I have helped my clients hit the top 50, top 10, and number one spots on various bestseller lists. It's exciting for them (and me!), and it helps create marketing buzz for their book. The best feeling I get is the joy and pride that washes over me when my clients finally hold their books in their hands. It's such a major accomplishment for them, and I have seen having a book move careers and trajectories in a whole new direction.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Easily, the hardest part of being a business owner is that you are the backstop for everything in your business. At the end of the day, everything is your responsibility, from marketing and sales to delivering for clients to follow-up and customer service. Then, of course, you have all the management and admin to cover. You really need to love what you do; it will get you through the hard times and be a bonus in the good.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. My first tip is always to read Michael Gerber's The E-Myth Revisited. I think that is one of the best books written because it defines the roles that need to be filled, no matter what your business.
  2. Set up your accounting/books correctly or have them set up for you. Keep track of your income and outgo. Set budgets (especially with advertising!) and keep to them. It's all about the net.
  3. Be flexible. There will be times when things won't break your way or something happens that will make you want to give it up and walk away. You need to roll with the punches. What looks bad at first may present new opportunities, or you may be able to find a way around what seems like an unmovable obstacle.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://barbaragrassey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraGrasseyBookCoach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookBoss

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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