On Words and Business

As a small business owner, I encounter hundreds of prospects each month. And I need to keep track of things like when I communicated or last did business with them and details about each encounter. My current method of managing contacts is almost unmanageable–an Excel workbook that I started when I had only a few contacts.

My quest for a usable contact management system has been unsuccessful. But I see I’m not the only one afflicted. Like Ms. Bram, I need more than a glorified address book. If I only need a list of names and contact information, it wouldn’t be hard to find something easy and inexpensive. But I need something flexible, searchable, and easy to use.

For example, I need to be able to find all the contacts who received a certain mailing or email, or all the contacts I’ve haven’t been in touch with over the past month. Or all the banks. Or everyone with a fiscal year end of December 31.

So far, I haven’t found a prepackaged product that can do any of this. And I’m not thrilled about the idea of having to design my own database from scratch.

Any suggestions?

BTW…I’m a Mac user, but I’d also consider an online solution. Thanks!

The Golden Pencil today asked a great question: Are freelance writers masters of creativity?

Yes and no. Yes: probably more than a lot of other types of people. No: a lot of us likely aren’t as wildly creative as most people seem to think. Writing for a living is still work.

Like Anne, I usually get one of two responses when I tell people what I do: “Total lack of interest, or, fascination of one sort or another, usually with me ending up feeling like they don’t realize I’m human.”

Recently, I’ve had several people–highly educated, high-powered and a couple of them, frankly, intimidating to me–ask me what I do, then practically apologize when they told me their profession. As if they weren’t worthy. It’s a humbling experience, if a bit confusing at times.

It’s true that I love what I do and would only change my lifestyle kicking and screaming. There are so very many good things about making a living as a freelance writer. But it wouldn’t take too long in my shoes, on certain days or during certain tasks, for some of these high-powered people to realize that it isn’t always glamorous or playful. Sometimes it’s just work.