2020 & The Top 3 Things I Learned to Grow My Business

Well, there's not many years when we all collectively cry, "GLAD THAT'S OVER!"

But in amidst all the chaos this year, I watched the small business community rally in creative & unexpected ways to keep their doors open. So take a moment to appreciate your own tenacity - you made it to here. We made it to here.

Like you, I also took a 'f*ck it, why not' approach to big parts of my business this year with a now-or-never level of optimism (read: panic).

And the results?

I can't wait to share with you what that means for my small business peeps next year. But today, I want to share my top 3 take-aways from 2020 when it comes to business & marketing:

#1. Raw & Real = Done. And done is better than 'perfection pending'.

I used to struggle getting my own marketing content done consistently (even though I do it for other businesses). I too got caught in the trap of overthinking, analysis-paralysis. And guess what? I had a buttload of great content sitting on the shelf, waiting to be 'good enough'.

This year, I decided that near enough just had to be good enough. I tried new things - different styles & approaches. Some worked, some didn't. But the big difference? I got my marketing done far more consistently, which gave me more to analyse to see what worked and what didn't.

The takeaway: just get started.

#2. Video is a Must

Facebook & Instagram Lives turned out to be a massive asset to my marketing this year. And I used to HATE being on camera! (Still don't love it). But being a recovering perfectionist, all other forms of marketing content I tried seemed to take way too long. I would:

• Spend hours editing blog posts (more than necessary)

• Agonise over images for podcast artwork (it's not that big a deal)

• Stop & start training videos every single time I lost my train of thought

But with a LIVE, that was it. You do it, it's done & out there, no takebacks. So I bit the bullet and started doing some live trainings on Facebook.

The lighting was terrible.

I rambled incessantly.

My voice was flat.

But then I got better.

I'd watch them back, and tweak a few things for the next one. And the next one. Now, I show up on camera so much more confidently. I have a few go-to tricks to collect my thoughts, as well as making sure the lighting is good and creating better impact.

The takeaway: if you never start, you'll never start getting better at it. 

#3. Get Un-Stuck with someone 'outside the bubble'

This year I went into 'try everything' mode for my small business clients as they themselves tried everything to keep their doors open. From nearly 10 years experience, I've worked across social media, email marketing, websites, logos & branding, print marketing and more. So when my clients jumped into my inbox & on the phone asking for help in all different directions, I rolled up my sleeves and dug deep.

But by the end of it, I found myself stretched incredibly thin across a number of platforms in a way that didn't make any sense, or have any logical order. This in turn affected my marketing, because I found myself constantly wondering what to talk about without sounding wishy washy or vague.

• Do I talk about websites?

• Or branding?

• Or print marketing?

• Or email?

I soon realised that I needed someone 'outside my business bubble' to lay everything out on the table with me, and piece it all together in a logical order. So I found a great business coach and she's helped me develop what I do into a suite of products and services that make me want to squeal with nerdy excitement! I feel incredibly confident that I'll be entering 2021 with my best foot forward.

The takeaway: the advice of an informed outsider can be hugely beneficial is spotting the potential of your business.

Speaking of informed outsiders...

One of the new services I launched at the end of this year is my Brain Dump Sessions. These are designed to be 45 min intensives where we take a look at your marketing together, implementing new ideas and making existing components easier.

You're only limited by your imagination in what we achieve in this 45 mins - I have a whole suite of hacks, templates, tricks and work-arounds ready and waiting!

I've had a number of clients book in for January, giving them the peace of mind that the strategy stuff is sorted for 2021 (without making their to-do list any longer right now).

Want to head into next year with a gameplan on the horizon? Book online now and let's lock it in (so you can kick back & hit the holiday vibes).