SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Book Business Boss Show with your host, Dr. Julia Royston, helping you get your message to the masses, turn your words into wealth, and be a book business boss.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Well, hello, I'm Dr. Julia Royston. Welcome to another episode of the Book Business Boss Show, where I'm always seeking to help you get your message to the masses, turn your words into well, and be a book business boss. So we have been talking about what happens when people want more from you. What happens when either people want you to attend an event singularly, or they want you to be a part of a panel, or they want you to, the opportunities are just there. Whether people want to work with you, they want a one-on-one coaching call, they want an information call, or you know, they want you to be a speaker at an event or at a conference or at a workshop or speak in front of uh young people uh at a community event and tell your story. And then of course we talked about what they require, what they need. And then you have to make the determination of whether that's a yes or a no. And making that determination is it could be based on a lot of things, could be based on timing, availability, uh, what their requirements are. And so I want to dive just a little bit because when I first started, it wasn't a big deal, but 18 years later, it is a big deal. Okay. So when I I first started, I was still working full-time, I was still teaching, um, uh, I was still majority singing as opposed to hosting my own events and and things of that nature. So when I first uh started in business, I was primarily singing in churches, which they had their own insurance, they had their own um protections, their own, I was just there as an artist. I was just there singing the lead for a choir. So it really wasn't on me. But as I became asked, like, how did you get started? You know, can you teach somebody? Do you offer classes? So as people started asking more of those questions, and you know, I was like, Oh, yeah, I'm gonna have an event. And and I had an event once at a church, beautiful setup, but it was an older church, so it was different. It didn't have an elevator, it had steps. And the pastor there is somebody I really admired and somebody I really respected. And she asked me, Do you have invent insurance? I said, No, ma'am. Um, but she said, Okay, so what if somebody falls down the steps? Or they will sue my church, they will sue you, they will sue your business. And at that time, I was actually registered uh with the state of Indiana. So liability was great. I was a formalized business. It wasn't just like me personally. I was trying to set up some protections. I didn't even know where to get it. I didn't know, and and I'm gonna be honest with you, I delayed for a while because I'm thinking the expense of it. My business is just really kind of getting started. I can't say I'm making a great profit, but I'm getting my name out there due to either my previous singing contacts and more books are written, and I've gotten to probably at that time probably four or five clients by then. And so therefore, adding another expense, I was slow to the trigger, but I realized if I want to continue to host events of that nature, I needed to find out about it. Some of it was astronomical price, and then some of it, you know, I just had to figure that out and find. So I finally found something that was um, well, one thing is I continued to host events. Uh, I was really careful, but then I started hosting events and then I started attending events, and over time, um, it was required for me to have event insurance, to have some level of insurance. So as I continued to grow and going to larger events, they required it. And they had a company there that said, if you're gonna be at this event, if you don't already have your own um provider, insurance event insurance provider, this is what is required. So they had somebody on site that was like um $87 to $90, and you paid that one time, but it only covered you for that one event. I needed something that was going to cover me for a year, and so that's that's something that I eventually did. And uh I'm with Liberty Mutual, and so, and and most of the time they require $1 million worth of liability coverage, and so therefore, I know when you're saying, wait a minute, we just getting started. Yeah, but I want you to know where you gotta go. And remember, this is step by step, and I want you to be able to understand that this is business, this is not, oh my gosh, I can't, you know, the liability is great. Okay, so another sidebar, when I first started in libraries uh as a librarian, I was part-time, just somebody who's a just a file clerk at the law firm. And I started off with lawyers, and I realized that the more cases I knew about, they just sue everybody. Um we worked on a major supper club um fire, and they sued everybody, down to the carpet maker, down to the wiring, down to the um siding, down to the people who made the chairs, the all the materials in the chairs, the screws in the chairs, I mean, everything, anybody they could, because there was a lot of fatalities, but they sued everyone in the involved, any equipment, anything. And so I knew from that dealing and that just being there as a staff member, not an attorney, but as a staff member, that the potential is really great. So, some events, some things that you host, even as a certified therapist, that you have to be licensed and there's a certain level of insurance that you have to carry and have on hand and renewable and fees and things of that nature. And so I'm not really trying to scare you as much as I want to make you aware that there are things that you're gonna need to consider when moving your book into a business. And also prepare for it. You're gonna have to save for it. You're gonna some levels, you're gonna have to say no until you actually have that insurance because some events are gonna require it, and you're not the host, you're not re you didn't sign the major contract, you just paid a vending fee and a and there, but um, and had a table and they did a booth for you, and you thought, okay, this is good. No, they require um some type of insurance, liability insurance, just in case somebody falls over a cable. It doesn't even have to be yours, it could be near you, um, it could be uh a wire, it could be anything, and people can hurt themselves, go to the hospital, etc. So it's those kinds of things that you really have to be considering of as you continue to grow. And as I said before, some events require anyway, but you need to start looking at that. So Liberty Mutual is the person that I have for my insurance, and it's roughly for me. Now don't quote me, because it may be different in different states. But where I am, it's $250. That's my premium for the year, and it covers all the events that I go to all year long. I don't have to pay $250 every time I go. That covers me. That's a blanket coverage. So consider that. That's that's a part of your questioning of brand introduction and opportunities. When your brand is being introduced uh introduced to other audiences and to especially bigger audiences, then you have to know what is going to be required. What do you need for me? Uh, you know, what what you know, what can you take? I don't have an EIN number for uh a business, a registered business. Can you um can you can we work together? And it's just my social security number. So it's those kinds of questions that you have to be ready to ask. If you are licensed and certified, they're gonna tell you what the requirements are to be in business. The the state where you're at and where you're either licensed or registered is gonna tell you this is what you have to maintain. And yes, we're gonna send out people to check up on you and check in with you to make sure you have these arrangements and all that gun. It's just not simply selling a book. When you're moving to that next level, then there has to be some legal things in place. There has to be some other things in place to prepare you just in case something happens. Now, I'm gonna take a break right here. I'll be back with more. God and business go hand in hand. He is the creator, the best idea giver, and master of all things. So ask him, seek him, and find out his plan and advice for you, your life, and your business every day. In this book, there are 30 devotionals to guide, encourage, and support the spiritual entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, easily offended, or the quitter, but for someone willing to work hard, correct mistakes, and get back up and eventually win. Know that you'll be the divine success you were designed to be when you have God in your business. God in my business, a 30-day devotional guide by Julia A. Royston, is available at the Royston Royal Bookstore.com. That's Royston Royal Bookstore.com. And we're back. You're listening to the Book Business Balls show. I'm your host, Dr. Julia Royston, and we've been talking about kind of setting up a foundation and protections for when you're conducting events and when you're doing events. So um I want to make sure that you really understand um everything that needs to happen and making sure that you're fully protected. So we've talked about insurance, we've talked about uh the safety mechanisms for um being at events, um, and then possible paperwork, whether they require a W9 or they require um something else from you, they'll let you know. Um, some some organizations require a lot of documentation, some people just require a W9, some want a headshot W9 and uh formal um flyer. It's just multiple things, it just all depends on what they need and and what they want. So financial representation. Do you need a CPA? So let me just give a disclaimer about um everything that um that I've been talking about. Remember, this is my perspective, this is um what I've learned, what I've experienced over years. So you have to check with your state, your um CPAs, your attorneys, your coaches and mentors who are familiar with the laws and the land that you are in. Okay, so don't uh run up on somebody. Julia Royston said you gotta have. No, Julia, this is what Julia Royston is required to do in the state Julia Royston is registered in and the event that Julia Royston, the events that Julia Royston attends. And so therefore, it is definitely has a lot to do with who you are and where you are and what level you're um seeking to attain and how far you want to move forward in your business. So that's my disclaimer. Uh, I'm not a lawyer, I'm not a CPA, so you're going to need to check with your uh representatives in your area. So, but you do need to start looking at that. You need to start understanding what that means and what that price point is, what that revenue point is, what that liability point is. Um, being registered in your state, what does that mean? Uh what is the annual uh fee you have to file? Or do you, if you're in Indiana, we only file uh business to keep our businesses registered every two years and not every year. Um, it just all depends on what's required. I have to have a premium for my event insurance, my liability insurance. I have to, you know, it just all depends on what's needed for your particular industry. Remember, I'm a publisher, but you may not be publishing, you may not be um doing that level of business. You may be a coach, you may be a speaker, you may be an artist on stage, but you need to make sure that you have some protections in place. Paperwork, what are your uh legal obligations? What are the legal obligations of the place where you are? Are they protected? Some questions you may have to ask of the host where you are, um, the building code and all of those things that really have to consider when you're attaching your brand to something, when you're attaching your business to something. And so, therefore, you know, that needs to definitely be into consideration. Also, you may want to consider uh having a coach or a mentor to really advise you, especially somebody locally in your state to connect with, a networking group, business group, so that you have uh someone in your area to really guide you, who's been through it, down through it. I'm uh a general reference. Um, this is the season um that I'm really striving to have you turn your book into a business, but it just all depends on you and what you want to do, and what level you want to be on, and what um capabilities you want to have and what services you want to offer to the world. Who do you want to serve? How do you want to serve? You only want to serve in certain events, certain places, certain times of the year. What does that look like for you? And so everybody has to decide that for themselves. Um, you know, I know that there are certain businesses that say, this is the standard, this is what we're all gonna do, this is what we're all gonna accomplish. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that's the case. That doesn't necessarily mean everybody will be on board and everybody will buy in. That's the reason why even employees, when you're hired on a job, some people last and they're there many years. Some people don't stay but a few months or a few weeks, they will walk off the job because they're not able to rise to that level of standard and want to commit to that. So it just all depends um what your boundaries, what your uh level is, where you want to go. And sometimes I find in my in my lifetime, in the 18 years that I've been in business as a publisher, uh, and not just an employee, which is since I've been nine years old, but uh, in that sometimes you really can't see a full vision of where you could be or can be, because society plays a part, technology plays a part, uh the demands of the client pay up play a part too as well. And you gotta understand, are you ready to do what we found out in 2020? Are you willing to pivot to that? Or are you saying, no, I'll stay over here in this lane. This is gonna be my lane. I'm not moving into that lane, I'm not moving into um providing that level of service um for certain people or certain situations or certain products or certain services. You gotta be ready, you know, for all those pieces and all those parts, because you just, you know, you just never know what can actually happen and what you know what people's commitment level is. So having your um paperwork in an order, having your insurance in order um is really, really key. And even once I do that, I scan everything. Um, I have my, you know, I don't delete any emails, I don't delete, you know, um text messages and things of that nature. Unless, you know, something happens, I lose my phone, I have to get a whole new phone. Uh, I'm really striving to transfer text messages from other places because I want my paperwork to be in order. I don't usually like physical paper because I want it really in electronic format. So even if you have to give me a paper, I'm scanning. I have a printer that scans, and I'm scanning it so that I'll have it on my hard drive and have it on my server so that I can refer to it. You know, those organizational things really do matter. Those infrastructure things of, you know, if you have to keep physical folders and it, they they really make a difference in making you organized. And we're going to talk about move into systems, what happens next and the flow of systems. That's the reason why um a couple of episodes ago, I was talking about standard operating procedures. Sometimes you don't even know what the standard operating procedure is until you actually go through something and actually go through a situation. So until you know that, you still have to keep notes. This is what I did next. This is no matter whether it turned out good, bad, or ugly or great, you got to know what you did and know what steps that you took and what happens. Now, you know, when I first started, it was all in my head. But now I know as I gotten older, I need to write things down, I need to have things down. And then so that when I know what I can do, what I shouldn't do, what I um want to do continually over and over again, then when opportunities come, my yes can be yes, and my no can be no. Um, I can have the um, oh yeah, I want to jump in and do this, and no, I do not. Now uh we'll talk about events even more um detailed in the future of what you need to include. But once you decide you're in for this opportunity, you need to prepare for it. So I'll just kind of do, let's do the pre-work. So we've got our we know we have to have a million dollars worth of insurance. So we got a liability insurance. Uh, we've got the application filled out, whether it's an electronic one or not. Um, there's somebody we might have to call. There's maybe somebody we have to email. Um, there may be some paperwork we have to complete. Make sure you keep all your originals, keep your copies as well. Um, if you have to turn in anything physical, take a picture of it, uh, scan it, print it, whatever that looks like, so that you have a backup. You cannot rely on the other organization, your brand, your name, your representation, your represent it's representing you, uh, your reputation. That's the word I'm looking for. Your reputation is on the line. So, therefore, you have to um be ready and you have to be prepared for that. So, therefore, you can't rely on somebody else. Oh, uh they'll keep a copy. Uh-uh, no, no, no, no. You have to keep a copy. It's your business, it's your brand. Even if you haven't registered with the secretary of state, your name, Jane Doe, John Doe, is on it. Um, and your book is associated with it, your service is associated with it. So it doesn't matter, you know, what they do, you got to be prepared and you got to do what you're supposed to be doing. So, in the midst of that, too, as well, and we'll talk about our promotion because that's an ongoing thing. You need to be prepared for uh the promotional activities with this opportunity. Are they gonna provide a flyer? Can you create one? Um, if you don't have a logo, can you put your face on it? Can you put your their logo on it? What are the rules and rigs that go along with it? Is it a public event or is it a private event? So I'm doing a writing workshop on um, you know, just in the near future. And um not only did I have to have all uh I'll I have my liability insurance, but I had to have an FBI check due to the these are young adults that I'm meeting with. I didn't do uh meet with the they have a children under 18 group and then 18 to 24 group. So I opted in for the 18 to 24 group, but I still had to have uh a uh a criminal FBI check before I could do an hour and 15 minute long writing workshop with these young people. So therefore, that that's a part of that too, as well. Completing the paperwork, being in order. And so, therefore, um, even though I will let people know that I did a writing workshop recently for young adults and all those good things, it's a private event, it's not public. So, you know, I may say I can meet with you because I'm gonna be in Indianapolis, I'm doing a writer's workshop. I can't invite you to come. I can let people know it. It could be part of my portfolio. I'm telling you now, I'm doing a writing workshop for a group of young adults, but I'm not gonna have pictures, I'm not gonna have receipts uh per se, but I'll have that experience, I'll have that knowledge. I may share it on this platform of exactly what that happened when I went through that process, if it's related to writing or promotion, etc. But that's not gonna be something that I can fully share online because it's a private event. Now, some private events are adults, um, they're suitable for people. I'm in an open lobby, come and stop by and see me. Okay, that's different. But if it needs a ticket to get in, you need a that's a totally different situation. And um, this is a definitely a private event. Uh, I'm, you know, I'll promote that that I've done it and that I've been there and that I've I yes, I do workshops for these ages, whatever. I may even talk about what I've talked about. But as far as actually pictures and standing there, mm-mm. I'm not I'm not gonna do that because of the liability of it, because it is a private event. So it's those kinds of things that really have to be considered when moving um your book into a business. We have much more, much more to cover. But getting the word out there, getting your face and your brand and your book and your expertise in front of new audiences is always key to that. But knowing what the requirements are and meeting those requirements to get in front of those audiences are just as important. Dr. Julia Royston, you've been listening to the book business boss show, helping you get your message to the masses, turn your words into wealth, and be a book business boss. Until next time, be blessed.

SPEAKER_00 24:38

You have been listening to the Book Business Boss Show with your host, Dr. Julia Royston. For more information, visit www.bookbusinessboss.com. That's bookbusinessboss.com. So you can get your message to the masses, turn your words into wealth, and be a book business boss.