Business BFFs

This week, Clare and Sam delve into their respective office space and set up! Now that Clare has a real office in a real house, she reflects on her previous, cramped quarters. Meanwhile, Sam searches for a new solution. Should you rent an office, co-work, or work from home? Is working in another country THE … Continue reading Episode 27 – Office Space – AKA Don’t be Precious About It

Where we talk about going after what you want even when you're afraid, comic convention woes, and AirBnBs large and small!

Hey, look, an episode we recorded a month and a half ago has found its way through the void to YOUR EARS! In which we talk about where we’re at goals-wise, what events we’re doing in the next many moons, and advices for Doing It All (hint: don’t?). Also, murder! And not murder.

HEY THERE FRIENDS! The BFFs are back! Kind of! Today we discuss travel.

Sam is off this week and so you've got your most adequate BFF CLARE here to talk updates and publishing advice!

We present to you our take on this year's Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, and our selling tips for independent creators selling at cons.

Trigger warning: sexual harassment. Today on Business BFFs, we talk about being a woman in the sometimes unforgiving, harsh business landscape that is publishing. The whole episode wasn’t going to be about the #MeToo movement and all that surrounds it, but turns out we have a lot to explore there, so here it is.

Do you have the PERFECT MOST WONDERFUL novel on the planet and you’re trying to sell it to a publisher? Tune in this week for some GREAT TIPS on how to submit and pitch a publisher. What do you do when you’re at a party with an editor? Are you trapping innocent publishing professionals behind … Continue reading Episode 21 – How to Submit to a Publisher AKA Black Holes Create Fat Stacks

We're approaching spring and you know what that means....MANY STRESSFUL HOURS OF DOING YOUR TAXES! But it doesn't have to be stressful, we're here and we're fun so maybe business finances and taxes can be fun too, right? We're here to answer simple questions like, how do I keep track of my income? Do I have to charge tax as a small business in Canada, and when do I do it? WILL IT EVER STOP SNOWING EVER?? No, doomed forever. PS: Sam's audio decided to be so hot today it blew her out of the sky. Sorry for that!

The Business BFFs are back with a NEW EXPERIMENT! For two weeks, we went on a social media diet - and we both had very different results.

ONLY A DAY LATE DUE TO SICKNESS AND PLAGUE! Do these two ever sleep? Sometimes no, and that’s bad. Take it from us, the Business BFFs, on why you shouldn’t run yourself ragged. We have been there. Perhaps, we are there now. The lesson here is, take care of yourself, it’s okay to say no, … Continue reading Episode 18 – Self-Care – Hugs Not Guaranteed

Grants! Fellowships! Money! What does it all mean? Don’t worry, the Business BFFs got you covered. Both Sam and Clare have applied for, and even received arts grants in their fields, so they’ll tell you how to start, where to look, and pass along some hot tips for making your grant proposal shine with their behind-the-curtain insights!

Never fear, jump on Twitter and we'll show you the right way to strategize and get in the mindset of using this somewhat contentious, but often hilarious platform. If you've ever wondered, is there a BEST TIME to tweet, turns out, there is! Also, serious Twitter talk. Plus, a fun new segment where Sam shows off her Twitter knowledge.

Thanks to everyone who sent in many great questions! You will all be rewarded with many answers on this FESTIVE HOLIDAY OCCASION. We discuss time management at length, publishing 101, publishing distribution 101, and what happens in that Hallmark movie again where the writer somehow gets to be a princess?!

What goals did you meet, and where did you fall short? We talk about our income, our achievements, and what we want to do better next year. Which definitely means more books and singing in a Welsh choir.

Everything I do MUST be important enough that SOMEONE from the local TV station will SEE ME, right? Uh, not exactly! Clare puts her expensive journalism degree to work for this episode and explains what makes certain stories so compelling, because we’ve all wondered how a journalist’s brain works, right? No, you only want to … Continue reading Episode 13 – How to Pitch the Media AKA Giller Longlist Nominated Editor Writes Press Release; Is Hilarious

Clare and Sam discuss the different book launches they've attended, to the fun laid-back house parties to an all-out magical circus. There's no wrong way to launch your book, but there sure are wrong ways to show up and act during your book launch!

Clare and Sam are here to tell you that meeting people in your field is crucial to building connections, even if they're loathe to call it networking. Guest starring Sophie the dog, AKA Garbage Jesus.

Clare and Sam dive into what exactly branding is, why it's important, and turning the intangible into something your customers can connect with. Go beyond the logo and the colour scheme--the Business BFFs got your branding back!

Join the BFFs on their 3 Day Journey into Madness and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about the discipline of writing—or, at least, the sheer pigheadedness of it.

This week, Clare and Sam discuss how to break your dreams down into achievable goals. They go through a list of ten important questions you need to ask yourself, such as: What makes my business unique? Who is my target audience? How do I make a plan when I've got so much to do? Climb aboard a submarine OR a tall ship (toot toot!) and learn how to navigate the high seas of marketing plans.

Money money MONEYYY! Without it you can’t exactly make a living, but what if you aren’t charging enough of it? How are you determining what it’ll cost for you to DO a given job as a freelancer, anyway? What if you live in the Enchanted Forest and you have to make magical deals with the … Continue reading Episode 7 – How Much Money Should I Charge Freelancing AKA Magic Comes At A Price

The Business BFFs spend today’s episode talking about one of Clare’s tried and true methods for staying organized in your creative business—bullet journaling. Sam discusses her own methods, but honestly by the end of this episode she sounds like she could use a new one!

Clare and Sam are here to walk you through different types of programming, why it’s important to participate in it, and some good and bad moments from their own years of Con Experience.

Learn all the things you need to take into consideration before diving head-first into the handselling game, how to get started, how to make your display shine, and all the tools you’ll need to make your pop-up shop mission successful, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT!

Schwing! Schwang! Write that book! Write it in a year? No. Ten years? GOD NO. Write it in a month…or even worse, THREE DAYS! That is totally a real thing that can happen, right? But how? Step 1: WRITE. Step 2: EDIT. Step 3: ???? Step 4: Profit and become a famous author! If only … Continue reading Episode 3 – How to Write a Novel in 3-30 Days, AKA Scoop Out Your Brains

Sam and Clare discuss one of the hottest, most effective paid advertising methods on the market: Facebook ads! How do you deal with trolls? How do you budget for failure? How much money should you spend? What’s a pop-up tent, is it like Merlin’s bag in reverse? Don’t just fire things into the night--heed our Facebook wisdom and you will be leagues ahead with your next promotion.

Sam and Clare officially land their ship on planet business. Which train do you take to get to fitnessville? TRICK QUESTION YOU HAVE TO RUN THERE. Sam and Clare talk about their efforts in a two week exercise-specific experiment. How do you make a habit stick? Are creative entrepreneurs too busy to be fit? Is … Continue reading Episode 1 – Freelancer Exercise, AKA Horny Birds