Queries for Carrie

	Slip-slopping away

Query: I suffered a terrible fall on the ice some years ago. Most of the year, I seem as mobile as anyone. But I have to be extra cautious whenever it’s icy out. I don’t go out very much, since I’m not certain that the places I want to go will be properly cleared of ice and laid with salt. I’m especially wary of visits to other people’s homes. Commercial establishments understand that they have some liability if anyone should slip and fall on their property. My friends don’t seem as clear on the concept. What can I say to help them understand my concerns without sounding like a pantywaist?

—Unbalanced on Buffalo

Carrie: You can tell them what you just told me in those first few sentences. It wasn’t too much information; it established your point clearly; and it evokes empathy without sounding whiney. You may not be as comfortable sharing in person as you were here. If so, consider becoming the hostess with the mostest throughout the cold months. You can ensure that your own walkways are clear, and enjoy seeing people safely into and from your home. If you make the environment welcoming, no one will find any imposition in your preferring to gather there to other, less convenient and convivial locations. Your twin desires for self-determination and safety could both be satisfied.

Query: I throw a huge New Year’s Eve bash every year. I love the crowd, the streamers, balloons, spills, kisses and noise-makers. But I hate to clean it up. It takes weeks. It’s way more trouble than it’s worth—or so I vow every year. It’s like they say about giving birth: there’s a kind of amnesia around how much pain is involved. Should I let this last epic disaster be the last? Can I ditch the tsuras and still have fun?

—Dispirited on Dale

Carrie: Use the same strategy as you would to organize a moving party. Get some friends with a strong sense of task-oriented goal setting and have them help you clear through the wreckage for the joy of putting things in order and first crack at the premium leftovers. In fact, hold back some champagne and caviar, or whatever high end treats, to celebrate with the faithful crew in good style and genuine appreciation.
If you object that your party is of the caliber where everyone is too wrecked the day after, then schedule your happy cleaning crew for a time halfway through the following week. If the mess usually takes weeks to clear, then you won’t object to leaving the detritus in situ until your posse can gather.
If you don’t have the kind of friends who would be honored to give you the follow-up assistance your event requires, then you need to get new friends. Make that your New Year’s resolution.

Query: I’ve left my job, and I have part-time work already. How do I start-up a consulting business on the side? I like doing what I used to do. But I want to take it slowly, as I have some savings.

—Starting-over on Seneca

Carrie: First things first: get a website up. This will involve enlisting the aid of any 14- or 15-year-old of your acquaintance. The budget for that can easily be as low as a book of movie coupons, or a windfall in their Pay Pal account. Look at other websites in your field, and take advice from your webmaster/mistress. Once you have a site giving information about yourself and your services, you can have business cards made.

Now you’re ready to start networking. Talk about what you want to do with everyone. You’d be surprised how effective word-of-mouth can be if you only need a small clientele. Work hard to satisfy your first customers, but don’t try to ingratiate yourself with them by low-balling your costs. Consulting is only worthwhile to you if you receive enough compensation to make it so. Further, you won’t have to break your future clients of expecting the same bargain-basement pricing when you’re better established.

Always survey the market to stay on top of what others in your area offer, what they charge, and what kind of a reputation they have. Remember that you’re only competing in a narrow sector, as the joy of being a consultant is specialization. Share information, training tips and recommendations freely with others, even if they co-habit your niche, and they’ll return the favor sooner or later.

Keep a business diary, and take good notes regarding everything to do with your endeavor. You’ll gain a sense of where you focus your actual time and energy, as opposed to where you’d projected you’d spend your resources. Keep a calendar with religious fervor. If you’re a one-person business, you’re still only as good as your support staff. Make it easy for you to count on yourself through lean times and fat. Good luck