How my inner project manager was triggered . . .

When I retired from the corporate world, my plan was to begin a small online business developing educational media. I had been an IT solution architect, project manager, web developer and tech trainer for the past 20 plus years. Despite my PMP certification and coding training, I actually had a degree in education and a teaching certificate. I had enjoyed working in academic publishing and teaching before moving to information technology. Now I imagined my project management activities would be limited to participating in the local Project Management Institute chapter and my own small business. But then one day my inner project manager was triggered.

I had been orienting myself watching videos and reading various publications about the state of online publishing and current small digital business practices. Information ranged widely from stellar to deeply disappointing. Topics seem to move in waves around trending interests (plus or minus Lamborghinis and dollar signs or beautifully appointed offices, depending on who is dispensing said business advice).

The audience, often a solo business owner, perhaps a retiree, parent looking to work at home, someone looking for a side gig or the opportunity to replace an infelicitous regular job, typically is advised to build a business following a combination of steps like:

• Select a niche

• Write an ebook

• Make a sales funnel

• Use SEO

• Use social media to build an audience

• Build and market to an email list

• Build a website and do affiliate content marketing

• Create YouTube and/or TikTok videos

• Create an online course

My triggering moment occurred when an incredibly cheerful vlogger demonstrating how to use a multipurpose productivity/collaboration app pointed out the project management feature on the workspace with the explanation that a project is a “big task.” My inner project manager cringed.

That small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs are being given advice week after week about how to run a business or carry out a project minus foundational business practices (just go to this site with my affiliate link and you’re in business!) is so common that I no longer blink. It’s on the audience to figure out the good business practices part or how to analyze whether to take on writing a book or creating a course. The dream is that this will be the money maker to keep them in business or achieve their ideal financial goal. Because it’s implied, it’s so easy to click a link to get that new store, new app to create art, AI to write articles or create videos . . . .

I’ve watched presenters talk to their audience about adding in larger projects like writing a book or creating a training course along with their routine business activities as though these are indeed just another task (albeit a big task!) to add on the to-do list.

Basic information about how to evaluate taking on projects and best practices for planning, scheduling, and carrying them out can help small businesses succeed and scale to reach realistically set goals. It’s also much less common than advice about niches and SEO and whether to Instagram or Pinterest, and why you absolutely must AI.

I’m not saying that these things aren’t important. They all matter. With hard work and perseverance, niches, funnels, SEO, affiliates, content marketing, influence, books, and videos can lead to profits and success. But besides those efforts, good business management practices provide a foundation and set the stage.

I’ve created this project management information and resources website for the small digital business owner. DigitalBusinessPM.com has articles about project management, free resources, inspirational quotes, and book reviews.

I hope you find the information and resources helpful in managing your business. And may each of your projects work out as easily as if they were any other task on your to-do list.

Photo credit colleagues discussing work: Alexander Suhorucov, Pexels.com