Building and Running a
Successful Research Business. A guide for the Independent
Information Professional. Second Edition. Mary Ellen Bates
If you have ever wondered what it is like or what
it takes to be an independent information professional then this is
the book for you. However, it is just as relevant if you are
already a practising professional.
This book should come with a warning. I
believe that it is designed to be actioned upon, it is a change
agent, it provides a framework for discovery and implementation, it
is a crutch, it brings good news and bad news, makes you face up to
who you are, and questions what is really important to you. You
will use this book for some, or all of these points, on your start up
or continuing journey.
The book feels like a course of study on "how
to", but also a reflective learning tool. The topics are
ordered and presented in a way that makes sense and broken down into
4 sections. This is helpful, but also does not present a rigid
format.
Getting started
Running the business
Marketing
Researching
I have run my own business for over 10 years and I
would recommend reading the book from cover to cover in the first
instance. You will get a feel for what it takes to design and manage
a business, or reflect on your current business model.
The book has quite a US feel - the language, some advice and stylistically.
What is important, though, is that the advice is good, well
researched and presented, and non-US readers also benefit.
For example, the "setting up in business" section points
UK-based providers to HM Revenue and Customs for self-employed
status.
The book deals very well with nuances that are
difficult to learn. My favourite is "managing clients"
in section 2. This is an incredibly important section for
"calming the newbie" or "rethinking your approach for
oldies". Yes, it is important to get work, get clients and
bring home the dough... but that is a very simplistic approach.
Volume, size, and type of project will be unique to your skills and
interest. Consideration is also given to consultancy frameworks
and writing proposals -- common for large public sector and
government projects. It is OK to say no to work or clients, and
the author tells you why.
Other sections that merit a mention are section 4,
"reference interview" and "thinking like a
researcher". Get these wrong at your peril. They go
hand in hand and will empower you as the information professional to
help clients focus in on their questions and simultaneously the
knowledge you need to handle the process.
It is worth someone's time to read this book? The
short answer is yes, and here are some best uses:
Thinking about
starting your own business: This is the best insight to what is
takes and "how to".
In the early
stages of running a business: Use this book as a framework for
your own storyboard.
Running a business for a few years: Use
as a reflective practice tool. Is your model still working or
relevant? Dip into for bespoke areas or undergo a "service
rethink".
Starting up, managing change, strategic thinking
and operational running... Mary Ellen Bates tells it like it is.
Her experience as a well-known practitioner and thinker for
independents adds weight.
I am impressed by hard working practitioners with
substance, grit and determination. Great content is in sharing
not just pointing: We want resources, yes, but also advice on tapping
into beliefs, processes and perhaps even soul. We want
insight we can trust. Mary Ellen Bates wants you to
discover your own path. I recommend you take her book along
with you.
Joanna Ptolomey is a freelance independent information
professional.She provides research
and analyst services to help clients make decisions.She is a contributing editor and product
reviewer for FUMSI and the VIP LiveWire, both FreePint Family publications.
She can be reached at joanna.ptolomey@freepint.com
The FreePint Family is a family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success.
'FreePint... provides most of my professional development because it won't come through work and [other resources] just don't cut it.'
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Building and Running a
Successful Research Business. A guide for the Independent
Information Professional. Second Edition. Mary Ellen Bates
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