If you're reading this then you're likely employed and striving to be self employed. You're putting in a lot of hours, a lot of blood sweat and tears and you've most definitely wondered at times if it is all going to be worth it? Let me tell you that it is. It is going to be worth it and also, can I give you a virtual high 5 please?
This early stage of entrepreneurship can be isolating. No one is giving you a pay raise because you're working 7 day weeks. No one really knows all of the hard work you're putting in to build the future that you want for yourself (no friends and family, I know you mean well but it's not just a hobby) well, I see you.
I've been there and it is a tough stage to be at so let me tell you that you're doing a brilliant job keeping all of those balls in the air and you are an inspiration to many without even knowing it. The future you want is ahead of you, if you really want it!
The pic above was me in the early days of setting up my wedding floristry business, stopping at B&Q on the way to a humungous wedding in our hire van jam packed with flowers, utilising my friends and family to help me! The best of times and also the worst of times LOL that was a cramped journey!
Today, I'm going to share with you what my priorities would be if I was starting my small business from scratch again taking into account some things I've learned over the last 10 years in business, let's go...
Know your ideal client: Queue eye rolls from all of the regular readers of my blog and listeners to my podcast (The Growth Addicts Podcast) because I talk about this all. the. time. LOL With good reason though! If I was starting a small business from scratch again I would figure this out before I did anything else. Who is it you want to attract? Write out a profile of the person most likely to buy from you and do EVERYTHING for them. If this is something you could be doing with a helping hand figuring out then check out my eBook "Your Ideal Client, The Who, What, Where & Why" where I will guide you through the entire process of the ideal client avatar leaving no stone unturned.
Be clear on your long term goals: What's the bigger picture for this amazing small business that you're building? Is it to leave your FT employed job? Work part time in your employed job and part time in the business? Become a millionaire? Hey, don't knock the last one, if that's what you're after go for it!
Whatever it is you're trying to achieve with your small business is your why, jot that down on a postcard and stick it on your notebook or your computer to remind you of what you're trying to achieve long term here. My goal when I started out setting up my first small business 10 years ago was for more flexibility and, if I was ever lucky enough to have a family, to be able to do school drop off and pick up and dentist appointments and sports days etc etc without having to worry about a boss giving me grief for it and well, I'm literally living that dream, and you can too!
Time is your currency: Often, at the beginning of our small business start up, time is our currency as opposed to cash. If I was starting out again I would make sure I was spending it wisely. It's so easy to get caught up in anything and everything that comes your way at this stage because you're just desperate to get your business out there and you're hooked when others say something worked for them and so you want in on the action too! Take a breath though and think about your needle moving things instead. What I mean by this is, spending your time on things that are going to move the needle forward towards your goals both long term (as we discussed above) and short term in your small business. Short term goals at start up stage might be things such as paying yourself x amount per month, dropping a day in your FT employed job or getting x amount of attendees at an event and then onto your email subscription. These things then move the needle forward towards your next goal and so on and so forth towards the long term goals. So perhaps take a breath and think about whether that ad in the local paper you're about to spend a few hundred quid on will a) reach your ideal client and b) move the needle forwards towards your goals?
Utilise social media: Social media for small business is a revolutionary FREE tool, use it and use it with strategy! If you know me you'll know that I'm a huge Instagram fan for my small business. Since starting up around a year ago, I've used Instagram to build an amazing community, fully book my brand photography membership diary for the year, launch and sell two eBooks, build an email subscription (Hi email pals!) of over 200 ideal clients and counting, promote my podcast The Growth Addicts Podcast obtaining a top 50 position in the Apple Podcast Charts AND launch The Sunday Club Social Media Planner which gained an Amazon #1 Bestseller slot in less than 24 hours of release. Phew. Do you believe me now? Social media for small business, used properly, is powerful stuff. If you'd like to have more of your best business weeks on social media my advice is to plan strategically and that's exactly why I created The Sunday Club Planner. It comes with a video workshop talking you through how to get the most out of it and, in turn, get the most out of social media for your business, check it out!
I hope this has been helpful if you are at the start up stage of setting out on your small business adventures whilst still working for "the man" your dreams and visions for your new business are completely attainable, you have totally got this!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram and give your posts the love they deserve, come find me at @amandahughes.uk so I can dish out that high five!
Until next time,
Amanda
Love it!!!!