So many of my clients get so worried about being obnoxious if they’re promoting something “too much.” So they might just write one newsletter announcing the launch of a new offer and call it good. Or they post one photo of their work on Instagram with something like “DM me for details.”
They think, “well, I told them. If they’re interested they know where to find me” and just like that their marketing efforts have ended.
Getting distracted by what others are doing, saying, or asking can happen to any business owner. Whether you’ve been in business for years or you’re just getting started, being overly reactive can quickly become a major source of frustration.
You can get spend hours trying to solve a problem you didn’t really need to solve in the first place. Or you can burn precious energy wondering about whether or not you should take an opportunity that wasn’t even on your radar, to begin with.
For many solopreneurs, creatives, and small business owners who spend a lot of time working alone, creating a schedule that works for them is often a big challenge.
They feel like there’s either not enough time because they’re also trying to balance other responsibilities or it feels like their days are wide open which means they end up working too much or not working efficiently.
If there’s one thing I’m hearing from my clients right now it’s “how do I make progress when things are constantly changing?”
We’re dealing with a lot right now. From fires and hurricanes to cultural tensions over politics, to the uncertainty of the pandemic, to homeschooling kids, to working from home, to worries about health, the list of stressors just seems to keep growing.
I've been talking to a lot of people who are feeling completely spent (because, 2020). Sure, they have good days, but by and large, they're drained. They're tired of figuring out new ways to operate in their businesses. Exhausted by the news. Stressed from the added pressures they're dealing with at home…
One of the most common ways I see people getting stuck in their businesses? Thinking things needs to be perfect before they can take action.
Whether it’s coming up with a content strategy, updating a website, or launching a new product, there’s often an underlying idea that they need to nail it right off the bat…or else! *insert doom and gloom music here*
Quick question:
Are you putting too much of the work on your client when it comes to figuring out how to work with you?
Many service-based businesses make the mistake of not being super specific about how clients can work with them. They want to leave it wide open so they can please their customer by “creating exactly what they want.”
But unfortunately, that usually results in a client frustrated or confused because they have no idea where to start or what their options are.
It’s on you, as the business owner, to create a menu (aka clear offers) to guide this conversation.
You think you need to narrow your niche, but you’re struggling. There are so many people in the world and you’re not sure that there’s just “one type” of person you can serve.
Go too broad and it feels like you’re not really speaking to anyone.
Go too narrow and it feels a little contrived or you worry you’ll exclude people who would love your stuff.
You know you need to dial it in a bit, but doing the typical avatar exercises aren’t quite working. You’ve been thinking about the demographics (age, location, occupation, etc.) and you know that it’s a good start but something still feels off.
For as much as I like to talk about ease and flow in your business, there’s a lot to be said for the power of discomfort, too.
Discomfort can come up when we’re growing and stretching in new ways to get to a powerful new place.
But it can also come up as a warning sign that we’re not on the right path. Here’s how to tell them apart.
Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s how to separate fact from fiction, and to move past those overwhelming feelings so you can stop spinning and calmly, gracefully move forward.
I’m a big fan of promoting folks who are working hard to make their businesses grow. So I put together a little list of special offers from some of my favorite folks! Not only will you feel good supporting passionate, hard-working business owners, but you’ll end up with gorgeous, original pieces of art, special in-person experiences, or transformative services that change your life.
For as much as I like to talk about playing big, let’s talk about how starting small will help you get there.
When we get inspired to “go big,” we usually can’t see the path to get there at first. So we make plans and fill our planners with the best of intentions…but we’re often left frustrated when it doesn’t happen the way we thought it would.
