How to Start a Business

The Real American Dream, Creating Independence & Running a One-Person Business

Media Weavers is committed to bringing ideas to market that embody the spirit, lives, and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. The Real American Dream is a book that speaks to the heart of the individual business person anywhere with the energy and can-do attitude we associate with the Pacific Northwest.

For an entrepreneur, understanding oneself, values, attitudes, and needs will bring success and a satisfying business life. Sally Petersen’s book coaches the reader through the process of becoming that entrepreneur while evaluating the business and the self. Three primary topics in the book include the following:

• who you are, especially your attitudes;

• what you know, especially foundation skills;

• what to consider, decide, and do to set up and run a one-person business.

This book has been likened to taking a workshop as you read and do the practical exercises. The author has worked as a sole proprietor, in government, a Fortune 500 high tech firm, and in the nonprofit sector. Her expertise about running a one-person business makes this book invaluable for anyone contemplating running their own business in the current ever-changing business climate.

Sally Petersen is a well-known journalist, business woman, and coach in the Pacific Northwest. Her workshops are well-attended and have been given high marks for their excellence and information provided. With the release of this book, Ms. Petersen’s philosophy of creating independence, controlling one’s work life, and developing financial independence is now available for anyone thinking of starting their own business or who has started a business and wishes to make a success of it. This book is a superb addition to the Media Weaver’s publishing list.

From the Author

For years, people came to sit in my office to talk about starting their own businesses:

• —sales people,
• writers,
• graphic designers,
• consultants of all kinds—you name it.

They had skills, but didn’’t know how to construct a business that would meet their personal goals and make money.These would-be solo business people were encouraged by my practicality, by the simplicity and straightforward approach I brought to my business. They liked the down-to-earth, no-nonsense discussion of what you need to do to run a business, what it’s really like.

So I wrote this book for them and for people like them. For people who don’t want a 500-page volume of unnecessarily complicated verbiage. For people who can think for themselves, figure out how they want to work, but who value coaching from someone who’s been there before them. I wrote it for people who want guidance, not a blueprint.

Strictly “how-to” business books usually short-change the personal-fit aspect of being successful in a solo business, I believe. Because of this, readers’ journeys through The Real American Dream begin with an exploration of their attitudes, characteristics, values, and areas of interest. This helps them make an informed decision about working solo and whether it is right for them. If they conclude it is, then Dream guides them through decision-making so they can make better choices as they construct a business around their own characteristics, skills, and ways of looking at life.