This week's Working Solo Minute springs from a blog post by Andrea Lee, one of the most inspired (and inspiring) entrepreneurs I know. Andrea was the original business manager for pioneering coach Thomas Leonard's CoachVille. Since Thomas' death several years ago, she has created (with business partner Tina Forsyth) a very successful collection of companies filled with integrity and meaning that serve the coaching profession. (If you're a coach, you should know about Andrea's book, Multiple Streams of Coaching Income.)

In a recent blog post, Andrea mused about increasing one's value to clients. While her comments were directed to coaches, soloists of all stripes can benefit from her ideas. In today's economy, clients need to make tough decisions about buying your products or services. Your ability to clearly state your value streamlines the decision process, leading to benefits for your customers and more revenue for your business.

Consider these ways to add value, and how they appear in your solo venture:

* Expertise, or what you know about a given subject
* Synthesis, or how you think
* Productivity, or what you can get done
* Experience, or what you've been through
* Relationships, or who you know
* Leadership, or what you see that others may not
* Skills, or the nuts and bolts of what you do
* Accountability, or how things get done
* Status, or the credibility you lend

(For Andrea's complete list, see her full post.)

The unique ways you bring value are what sets you apart from competitors. Let this list be a springboard for you to craft a more persuasive self-introduction, more convincing proposals or marketing materials, or a stronger sense of focus for your business.

Whether they voice it or not, customers are asking "What makes you so special?" Be prepared to answer by understanding how you add value.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com

P.S. One of Andrea Lee's genius abilities is to craft mini e-courses she offers for free as a way to introduce individuals to her products and services. To see this in action -- and to gain some valuable information -- check out her "Thomas Leonard Success Strategies eCourse" here.