Friday, November 20, 2009

Sarah Stewart, facilitator and consultant

After nearly a year of swanning around and having my mid life crises, I have come to the stage I have to decide what I want to do when I grow up.

What I'm planning for 2010
I have been offered a job working 0.5 at the Otago Polytechnic Educational Development Center as an educational programmer/facilitator. But that leaves me to find other work and projects. After consideration, I've decided that my best option is to become a self-employed facilitator and consultant in education, eLearning and workplace learning, focusing on heath professionals in New Zealand and Australia.

The way forward
I am looking forward to being flexible and picking up projects that I find suits my interests. But I have a lot of things to do before I am able to get my new business off the ground including deciding on a slogan, designing a logo, setting up websites and domains and marketing my services.

Do you have any advice for me to help me set up my business?


Image: Astra křovinatá - Bee is busy [Aster dumosus] fesoj
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fesoj/3960397486/in/set-72157622551870714/

10 comments:

InfoMidwife said...

Congrats Sarah.... O.5 is great, gives you an income and then still allowing you to branch out into your own business.... excellent. Now you have to think of a business name and logo..... I was wondering where you would end up....looks like for now you will be living in NZ.

Sarah Stewart said...

Thanks info midwife. Yes, looks like I'll be here for another year but I am still looking for opportunities to do consultancy work and short term projects in Australia. So if you hear of anything, please let me know :)

Any ideas about what I could call myself - I am hopeless at things like this.

BTW, what are you doing up so early?

Leigh Blackall said...

Stewarting technology for...

willie campbell said...

use you need as a project for a third year Design (communications) student to sort out. it has worked for others.
Willie

Sarah Stewart said...

Thanks Leigh for the suggestion...I knew you'd come up with something. I see the play on 'stewarding' but I think your suggestion is far too subtle for the people I hope to work with...they won't know what 'stewarting technology' means.

Willie: thanks for suggestion...I'll follow up on that.

I know this is a terrible question to ask cos I should know the answer...where's the place to go to get a website...or should I continue to keep this blog as my company website?

Helen said...

Hi Sarah,

It sounds like a scary and exciting adventure and I wish you all the very best.

kind regards

Helen

Nancy White said...

Brava Sarah!

As to website - I built my first by hand, and in 2007 HAPPILY moved to a site built w/ wordpress with my blog as the primary front page. I find this helps potential clients get to know the "real me!"

:-)

Sarah Stewart said...

@Helen...have to say I am taking easy way out by holding onto 0.5 job at Otago Polytechnic so I have the best of both worlds...regular employment and an opportunity to explore how life as a consultant pans out.

@Nancy Thanks for comments. This is soemthing I need to look at in more depth because I wouldn't want to change this blog but at the same time, I want to look at how I can raise my profile in New Zealand & Australia.

Jeffrey Keefer said...

Sarah, congrats on the focus (though this decision may not come as a surprise for those of us following you!). Yes, I agree with needing a website and a catchy subtitle (think of how you would answer the question, "So, Sarah, what do you do?"). For the website, I recommend getting your own domain name, perhaps your own name (as I use for my consulting work) or something that represents something that you do (such as what Nancy White does with her website). Either way, it can still point to a blog or otherwise integrate with one.

Wishing you the excellent success that I am sure awaits you!

Sarah Stewart said...

Thank you very much for this great advice, Jeffrey. I hope to get myself properly sorted over the Christmas holidays.