Karen Swim, APR

Many small businesses know that public relations can create press opportunities, but some are less clear on if this kind of work drives business. Some think that public relations is more art than science, and find it difficult to connect PR campaigns to direct business results, but this is a myth. Public relations is not only an important lead generation tool but can be an anchor bringing cohesion to all of your business activities. This kind of unity has become even more important during the… Show more

Many small businesses know that public relations can create press opportunities, but some are less clear on if this kind of work drives business. Some think that public relations is more art than science, and find it difficult to connect PR campaigns to direct business results, but this is a myth. Public relations is not only an important lead generation tool but can be an anchor bringing cohesion to all of your business activities. This kind of unity has become even more important during the global pandemic. Show less

Karen Swim, APR became a solo PR professional long before striking out on your own was considered trendy.

Diving into the solopreneur pond 15 years ago, she runs her own agency, Words for Hire and leads Solo PR Pro, a community of solo communication professionals 7,000 people strong. She has established herself as one of the leading communicators in the field, building up a successful virtual agency focused on public relations, marketing and communications.

New research from Maryam Kouchaki, an associate professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, shows that employees who compartmentalize their personal and business lives are more likely to engage in bad behavior.

In a month when the United States celebrates its independence, it’s fitting to also celebrate the roles of independent workers in the American economy and the solo pros within the PR economy.

Which is better — a solo PR professional or a large agency? A journalist or a PR professional? Marketing or PR? In an age in which the daily news is more defined by conflicts, feuds and systemic silos, it’s important that public relations not play into those stereotypes, so we can work together to achieve collective objectives.

The gig economy challenges long-held beliefs about work and business with a brazen brand of entrepreneurism. But while some of the rules have changed, workers and companies that operate in the gig economy are a diverse bunch—and in important ways some of them are not all that different from those in the traditional workforce.

Whether you work from home full-time or only some of the time, chances are good that after all that at-home hustling, things are looking a bit ragged around the edges.

Here are some ways to inspire you to get started on creating or updating the home office of your dreams.

The freelance or gig economy is thriving! Or shrinking, depending on whom you ask. Over the years, the gig economy has been touted as a disruptor of the modern workforce and as the Industrial Revolution of our time. Yet in many ways, we still have trouble defining this type of work, let alone integrating it into the mainstream fabric of work.

In an age of digital distractions and constant interruptions, how do you manage it all? Joe interviewed me for this story but also shared great tips on taming the chaos that I immediately put to use.

Loved contributing to this article with a quote. It truly is awesome to be an entrepreneur.

Tips from 23 entrepreneurs on handling customer complaints.

From conference call mishaps to misdirected sexy texts, these compromising tales will make you grateful they didn't happen to you

The impact of technology has changed both the way we work and our attitudes about work. A growing number of workers have joined the “gig economy,” exploring careers outside of the single-employer model and taking on multiple employers or projects. According to a study conducted by Gallup last year, approximately one-third of the U.S. workforce, about 57 million people, works in the gig economy model.