How good are journalists as business people?

JOURNOBIZ. Now there’s a name to conjure with.

Just how good are journalists as business people? Jan Murray who set up the site and forum says she’s been bowled over by its success. I've been a moderator alongside Michael Cross.

In business, I recognise my strengths (a positive outlook!) and weaknesses - less than perfect admin skills. (Now where's that file again?)

We’ve all heard the clichés about us “creative types” being a nightmare when it comes to paperwork, record keeping and other admin stuff, haven’t we?

Well wouldn’t you agree that these things often become clichés because they are rooted in truth? I am the world’s worst record keeper (believe me, it’s true) but these days I find myself surrounded by spreadsheets, job sheets, contact lists and update charts! How sad is that? But seriously you have to find a way of keeping track of your efforts – including work done, pitches sent, money owing and possible ideas.

With a team of five, we have set up systems and procedures to make it work.

Back to JournoBiz. I have to say that having been a survivor (or should that be casualty?) of more than one newsroom where morale was on the floor, I personally find much to applaud in a service which sets out to be supportive of other professionals in the same line of work.

I get fed up of senior newspaper people who judge their staff as human beings on how good an 'operator' they are.

Jan says: “We had a clear vision that we wanted to create a positive, supportive environment and encourage members to be generous with contacts and other information. We were particularly keen to get journalists and PR professionals talking to each other, which I think we’ve done very successfully”

What do you think are the top business attributes needed by journalists? My answer would be a strong work ethic and a thick skin to cope with the rejection, by the way.

[Linda]

Comments

[Louise Bolotin]

Strong work ethic and thick skin, definitely. I'd also say the ability to recognise your weaknesses and work out the best way to deal with them. For example, I can just about keep track of my income and expenditure, but I'm hopeless at "doing the books" - I'm more than happy to fork out £150-plus a year for my accountant to do that for me and file my tax return (a tax-deductoble service anyway) because it's cheaper than getting stressed. I'm a great believer in paying others to do the bits you'd otherwise struggle with, thus freeing up your time to get on with what matters - earning a living.

It's also important to be able to market yourself professionally, not just to commissioning eds but to, eg, companies if you do copywriting as a supplemental earner or to publishers if you edit. And that whatever methods you choose, to be sure they are value for money and that what you shell out on marketing costs pays for itself and then some...

[Linda]

* Nodding*

[Andrea Wren]

I am the world's worst record keeper! My organisation is in such disarray that sometimes I wonder how I get by. When tax assessment time comes, I go into panic mode, berating myself for not having been more orderly over the year. Will I ever learn? I'd like to think so, but I just seem to be getting worse...!

[Warren Brown]

I was a librarian for over ten years in a research library. I am now a freelance writer,life coach,Entrepreneur and ECommerce enthusiast.I have created my own literary company. But, I am having difficulty getting it off the ground. I hope to do it soon.