Every January our screens and minds are filled with New Year’s Resolutions/New Year, New Me messages and frankly, we’re not the greatest fans of that.
Us business owners have enough to think about without adding another layer of expectation that we should be detoxing/gyming/changing to within an inch of our lives. We want to support you to be your best and grow your business, whilst still being you!
This blog is designed to ignite some ideas, rather than tell you all the things you’re doing wrong and scare you into feeling like you’re not good enough. Because guess what? YOU ARE.
By providing you with some suggestions of things you might like to consider during the year ahead, we’re hoping to inspire you, so you feel that growing your business doesn’t have to be the last thing on your list of ‘things to do’.
Set yourself a plan
Trying to achieve a goal without having a plan is like going to the supermarket without a list. Sure, you pick up loads of exciting, tasty food but when you get home, you still haven’t got what you needed to make dinner. Been there, done that.
A plan doesn’t have to be extensive. If you find the idea of setting goals and KPIs daunting, why not just think about one thing you’d like to achieve in your business this year and write it down on a post it.
If you love planning, you can set yourself a few goals and make them SMART if you like, it’s your business, your rules!
What we do know, is that by even just writing down that thing you want to do, it’s FAR more likely to happen.
Make the most of opportunities
We know what it’s like, running from one day to the next and before you know it, it’s Christmas/April/School Holidays again. Whilst you’re doing your thing, try to keep an eye out for opportunities that would help promote your business.
Maybe it’s a regular slot on a Facebook group where you’re allowed to promote your business, try and show up on that thread once a month.
Perhaps you’re chatting to another parent at the school gates and instead of downplaying what you do, you could tell them “I run my own business. I help XYZ people with XYZ so they feel XYZ”. You never know who they know and what opportunities they could bring your way.
Have confidence and if you see an opportunity to talk about what you do, go for it!
Collaborate with others
It’s all well and good running our businesses and being awesome but imagine what we could do if we teamed up with other amazing businesses?
Collaboration comes in all shapes and sizes. If you’ve got an idea for a collaboration with someone you know, why not suggest it! Don’t be shy. You never know, they might be dying to ask you but they could be second guessing your answer. So go for it!
If it’s good enough for big brands and celebs, it’s certainly good enough for us. Afterall, small businesses start all the good stuff, so I’m sure it was ‘our’ idea in the first place!
Let us know in the comments if you have any other suggestions.
