MICROBUSINESS

Human Intelligence [hi] .  

Magnificent Mortal Minds providing simultaneous solutions with passion and purpose, often due to a personal experience that made us say – there must be a better way.

We're Number ONEs

Single digit ventures with a niche focus. Most of us a work force of one with an independent lifestyle and livelihood.

Microbusiness encompasses thousands of occupational titles but is often known as a Sole Proprietor, Startup, Side Hustle, Nonprofit, Independent Contractor, Freelancer, Founder, Self Employed, Solopreneur or Entrepreneur.

We're Inclusive . Spanning five generations of – gender and geography – race and religion – ethnicity and economic status – size and sexual orientation – political persuasion, profession and philosophy. 
​
We're Independent . Skilled individuals with a passion for what they do –  who often work alone –  at home.

Although each of us is unique, we share the same frustrations.

Isolation . We're tired of talking to ourselves. 
Crowds are not our thing. Networking is exhausting. We've become experts at rationalizing reasons for not showing up.

Lack of Support . Our To Do List is Stuck  
Post-its that seem to multiply on their own. Never less to do – only more. We're usually over capacity with work we're trying to finish or trying to find because we have no work. 

New Business . Best Kept Secret is You
You built it but they didn't come. Self-promotion is a microbusiness Achilles heel. Our elevator speech would need a 123-story building, to call it rambling would be more than kind. Marketing is a mystery without a who-done-it.

Frustrations that have the same solution.

Getting known is the lifeblood of an independent livelihood. 
It's not who you know, it's who knows you.

Getting known seems insurmountably hard, some days impossible.

But actually it's easy. Overcome Isolation. Meeting another microbusiness for the first time is like talking to someone you've known for years. We share the same lifestyle, even though we do something  different for our livelihood.

But actually it's easy. Get Support. (Yes, I know asking for help is on our hidden forbidden list.) But helping is something microbusiness is really good at since we frequently use our unique superpower to save the day for clients and customers. Why not each other?

But actually it's easy.  Find New Business. Stop hiding. Get known and get referrals, the best way to grow your microbusiness. We all tend to use and refer someone we know—that could be YOU.

When you WORK DIFFERENT you're part of the work Force of ONEs.
Getting known is actually easy and important.
​
Make a New Year's resolution to say hello to someone you don't know.
I'd be happy to introduce you.
​

Author: Jackie Menne . Microbusiness Visionary . Connector. Creator. Publisher. Speaker. Since 2010 Advocating for the work Force of ONEs through community, learning, news, classes and events.
Lived in the Midwest long enough to call it home, yet still a transplant from the East. Landed my dream job right out of school as a writer, actually copywriter for a hit radio station that played them and brought in the stars who sang them. Met most. Struck an empathetic chord. Moved into television and then actually moved…north to the land of 10,000 lakes and mosquitos where you can walk on water most of the year. Lasted awhile at CBS and ABC then found the wonderful world of advertising. Worked for big business, big brands and big shots. Retail giants. Consumer goods. Music Industry. Became a Problem (solver). Protagonist. Pragmatist. Got close to the top of the ladder but stepped down. Not afraid of heights, tired of the view. Left to become a master juggler and wearer of hats. Ran small agencies. Climbed step-stools. Finally back on the ground to write and create Synergy Advertising – an independent lifestyle and livelihood. Later Joule, a place for single digit enterprises. Now Microbusiness Alliance, a global community for the work Force of ONEs. Still a Problem (solver), Protagonist and Pragmatist for each of us and all of us who are NOT Small but Microbusiness.

HO HO HO . Let's Have Some fun
Monday . December 20, 2021

yesterday . 2020
The Tenth International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2020) was to be held on the Island of Favignana, Sicily, Italy - June 3, 2022 on June 8 – 10, 2020. The date was rearranged to September 28 - 30, 2020 and was subsiquently rescheduled as part of The 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms on May 30 - June 3, 2022. (Stay tuned...)

Ho Ho Ho. Did you know...
FUN is dedicated to the use, design and analysis of algorithms and data structures, focusing on results that provide amusing, witty but nonetheless original and scientifically profound contributions to the area. The topics of interest include (but are not limited to): FUN with biological algorithms – combinatorial algorithms – cryptographic algorithms – distributed algorithms – game-theoretic algorithms – geometrical algorithms – graph algorithms – mobile algorithms – machine learning algorithms – optimization algorithms – parallel algorithms – randomized algorithms – robotics algorithms – space-conscious algorithms – string algorithms – visualization of algorithms – web algorithms and algorithmic simplicity new!

today . 2021
Although I couldn't find a strictly "fun" list, here's one that might suffice.  

Ho Ho Ho. Did you know...
40 free and fun things to do. Find or make a walking tour of a city. – Go for a hike. – Host a movie night. – Photography challenge. – Forage for free food and make a recipe with it!. – Paddle or swim your way around a local waterway. – Read in a hammock. – Plan a creative picnic. – Bike around. – Find free museums. – Scavenge for cool found objects around your home and revamp them. – Get sporty. – Volunteer for your community. – Collect natural objects for art. – Play like a kid on playground. – Host a Bake-Off. – Grab existing art supplies and paint some nature. – Camp in your backyard. – Build a sandcastle. – Go on a scavenger hunt. – Geocache. – Stargaze or meteor shower gaze. – Join a Meetup group. – Have a date with your pet. – Start a book club. – Rearrange for a new look. – Call an old friend to catch up. – Write letters or send postcard. – Start a fundraiser or charity event. – People watch. – Play board games that usually just collect dust. – Window shop online for home inspiration idea. – Challenge yourself to a cook-off with only the food you have in your house. – Drop off treats to an older relative. – Learn a party trick like juggling or origami. – Give yourself an at-home spa day. – Learn about your town’s history. – Online open mic night. – Attend a book reading. – Learn how to make something from scratch.

tomorrow . 2022 
So what's going to be future fun? My go-to's are sunlight (I'm part plant), music (all genera, all day) and strange humor that makes me laugh (How To with John, Painting with John. Yes, South Park too.)

Ho. Ho. Ho. Did you know...
Laughter really is the best medicine? Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain. 

What's your prediction for future fun? 
Share your thoughts and check the daily Caffeine Headlines on social media.
LinkedIn + Twitter + Facebook
​
Data: Britannica. Aon. recalls.gov. LEXOLOGY.11th International Conference on Fun with AlgorithmsIsland of 

​DO YOU RECALL
Monday . December 13, 2021
​
yesterday . 1900-2000
It took years of advocacy and outrage, along with Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, an exposé of conditions in the Chicago stockyards to spur Congress into passing the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 – leading to the eventual creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Do you Recall...
The first major national food recall occurred in 1920, when improperly canned olives compelled the government to pull the product due to an outbreak of botulism.

Do you Recall...
Thanksgiving 1959. The FDA issued an advisory and seized cranberries laced with a potentially cancer-causing weed killer ruining many a housewife's holiday as well as Ocean Spray's.

Do you Recall...
Fall 1982. Seven people in the greater Chicago area died after consuming cyanide-laced Extra-Strength Tylenol. Parent company Johnson & Johnson spent upwards of $100 million recalling 31 million bottles of the painkiller and relaunching the Tylenol brand putting customer safety above profit--wait for it (pause)... keep reading.

today . 2000-2021
Outbreaks in 2020 included a diversity of products ranging from deli meats to onions and peaches. Forty percent of the outbreaks were E. coli related, thirty percent were Salmonella related and twenty percent were Listeria related.

Do you Recall...
September 2004
A study on the arthritis drug Vioxx found low doses increased the risk of heart disease by about 50% and higher doses by 358%. The study, blocked in the US but published in England, soon forced the pharmaceutical company Merck to withdrew Vioxx from the market even though the FDA never requested a recall. Later Senate testimony by Dr. David Graham, associate director for science and medicine in the FDA's Office of Drug Safety, stated as many as 55,000 patients may have died as a result of taking Vioxx.

Do you Recall...
January 2020
Particulate matter discovered in multiple lots of oxycodone hydrochloride oral solution prompted Genus Lifesciences Inc. to voluntarily recall more than two dozen lots of the pain medication. Side Note: Purdue Pharma aka the Sacklers, who made billions from OxyContin won immunity from Opioid lawsuits by filing bankruptcy.

Do you Recall...
October 2021
Wait for it (pause)... Johnson & Johnson remains one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, with more than $25 billion in cash reserves after using a fluke Texas state law to spin off a new company called LTL. J&J dumped all of its asbestos-related liabilities into the new firm – including roughly 38,000 lawsuits claiming that its talc baby powder was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.

Do you Recall...
2020-2021
Lest we forget – political recalls.

tomorrow . January 2022 
Recall Predictions include –
• Consumer Products: ecommerce, imports, infant products, magnets and button batteries
• Motor Vehicles: automation features in electric vehicles
• Boats: manufacturer installed equipment and boating safety issues
• Food: with the new Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, recalls are currently down. However, as workforce challenges continue the Blueprint Culture will make it critical for companies to embrace new technologies and evolve as the industry innovates.
•Medicine: the medical device industry will need to enhance their own internal processes as recalls are a hot topic. Pharmaceutical companies will need to ensure the safety of its products, especially if there's a recall months after an inspection that identified violations (see September 2004).
• Cosmetics: more familiar brand issues likely as Johnson & Johnson also pulled Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens off the shelf this year.
• Environmental Products: emphasis on more protective risk assessment assumptions (think pesticide drift) especially on vulnerable subpopulations (think babies, kids and pregnant moms).

What's your prediction? 
Share your thoughts and check the daily Caffeine Headlines on social media.
LinkedIn + Twitter + Facebook
​
Data: Britannica. Aon. recalls.gov. LEXOLOGY.

BEST + WORST OF TIMES
Monday . December 6, 2021 

yesterday . JANUARY 2020

Even though a frosty 6 degrees deterred a few of the 100+ who registered for Micro Networking – more than 70 braved winter winds to attend what turned out to be Joule's last in person event. Two weeks later the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International concern. 
Who knew.  

It was the best of times...
Shaking hands – being introduced to someone new. Having lunch – getting to know a few. Meeting everyone in the room – sharing what we do. Catching up – with familiar faces too.
Who knew. 

It was the worst of times...
Headlines just 4 days later – confirmed the first case of Covid in the United States. 
Who knew.

Where were you...
Finalizing plans to stream our live March eBook + Self Publishing event – canceled moments before.
Who knew.

today . December 2021

Thankful for my broadcast background, although being in front rather than behind the camera took some getting used to – along with learning new things like zoom – rescheduling the March event to a virtual venue – and many more after that. Shifting my micro for the third time to be what it's always been meant to be.

It's all about working at home instead of from home...
Discovering a different life and livelihood – sans traffic and travel or corporate colleagues. A global morphing to microness. Learning to laugh amidst annoyance or anger. Creating something from nothing you ever imagined. 

Will today be our past or our future...
Cyber Monday on November 30, 2020 was the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history with a total of $10.7 billion in online spending.

tomorrow . January 2022

Freelancers...
A revolution not a resignation. Remote work has empowered those in their 20s and early 30s—the first generation where half of kids had two parents working full-time—to imagine the real possibility of work-life balance – especially millennials – 74% did not want to return full-time to offices, the highest of any age group in a 2020 Gallup pole..

Founders....
With more businesses formed this year than ever—yes, ever—the question most asked is "Why?" Many wonder why so many are taking the risk. Those becoming micros say it has to do with need. 22 million suddenly became unemployed. 35 million struggled to pay their rent or were barely able to afford childcare. Many needed to provide income, not just supplement it.  It's also about having a way to bootstrap. The cost of starting something has never been cheaper and the cash to do it more available.

Do the Math...
There are many opportunities — accommodation and food services (75% increase from 2019) – construction – drivers – transportation – warehousing – products (retail is up 62%). So yes, there are millions and millions of micros. Many don't want to be or have an employee. They want to count on themselves as a force of one.
.
Data: Census Bureau. Salesforce. Guardian. Gallup.

​ONE’s have a passion, especially when it comes to lifestyle and livelihood. 

The Year of One or YOO will be yOur story told through faces, facts and frustrations. 

The hope is that it will inform and inspire an advocacy—for ONE’s time has come.

There are many definitions for ONE, but for our purpose the ones that fit best are: a single person or thing and the number denoting unity. Synonyms include single, solitary, sole, alone, allied, unified and united.

Being ONE.

How did yOur story begin?

Mine began with the realization that I was a head banger. Not the heavy metal genre, although I do like the music. This was the corporate kind, as in always-having-a-headache-from-beating-your-head-against-the-wall.

It didn’t start that way. Actually it began in broadcast, radio then television, followed by writing and creating at ad agencies. Crazy collaborative colleagues. Imaginative. Innovative. Intelligent. Daring and diverse. Fun folks with hubris and humor. Reasons to get up everyday and do something you love with people you like. 

Then it happened, the chance to run an in-house agency for a big in the music industry. What could be better. Over the years I learned—lots of things. 

When the opportunity presented itself to run a small ad agency I did the proverbial jump and never looked back... except to work with bigs from outside the box both at that agency and then my own.

Being ONE is an amazing adventure. One that millions of you chose or had chosen for you. 

This is the year to discover it’s duality.

Stay tuned.      

 ©2021 Joule LLC

It's about time!
​
Last year started mid March. Measured in minutes that took forever and months that passed in a flash. Whiplash. A year ending with zero. 

The Year of ONE (YOO) isn't going to change but confirm what we already know—that it's time to talk about and advocate for the ONE of us. 

Stay tuned.