Posted on Leave a comment

What my sat nav taught me about business

What my sat nav taught me about business

I never needed a sat nav until I started my business. I drove to the same few places most of the time and caught the bus or train to work. I only started plugging my phone in to give me directions when I had to find my way to see clients or head to a new networking venue. Until the day I used it for personal reasons, and it taught me a lesson. Here’s what my sat nav taught me about business.

The sat nav story

My road to sat nav enlightenment came on a day when I wasn’t actually working. I had a few errands to run that involved driving to several places. I’d been to each of them before individually but had never called on all of them in succession. Have you ever had that thing where you can picture the places you need to go but not the route between them? I had that.

I was heading to my second stop, and the road names started to sound familiar. I was paying attention to the road signs but ignoring the landmarks. My phone told me to go straight ahead at the next roundabout, but something felt off. I looked up to see a massive sign on the side of a building telling me to turn left for the car park. If I hadn’t looked around, I’d have ended up on the wrong side of a large fence.

Here’s what my sat nav taught me about business.

The road map isn’t always right

How many times have you heard someone say they have the blueprint for business success? Often, they have a map that’s based on what worked for them. That’s not to say they don’t have anything useful to say. If you don’t know where to start, their example can give you ideas for things to try. But your business is different from theirs. What worked for them might need tweaking for you.

Trust your instincts

I only looked up to see the massive sign showing me where to go because something didn’t feel right. You know your business better than anyone else and getting to know your audience will help you decide what to sell and how to market your business. The advice you follow should feel right to you, based on your values and what you know about your customers.

This comes with a caveat. You might get good advice but ignore it because you’re scared of what people will think. Working with a good coach can help you tell the difference between something that won’t work for you and something you’re avoiding for a different reason.

Look up once in a while

OK, I admit it. I’m picturing Ferris Bueller as I write this. (Yes, I know I’m giving my age away, but I don’t care.) In business, looking around can take a few different forms. You might want to think about the reasons you started your business and how you want to work and treat your customers. Maybe you want to talk to your audience, online or face to face, to find out what they need. Sometimes, your industry changes, and you need to change with it.

However you do it, looking around can help you decide whether you’re on the right track or need to change course.

Ready for a chat?

I can’t guide you through business decisions, but I can help you see your business through your customers’ eyes. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you.

Posted on Leave a comment

Do you trust your business instincts?

It can take a lot of planning and experience to help you trust your business instincts.

Lots of us (me included) started our businesses to do the thing we love to do best. In my case, that’s writing, but for you, it might be something completely different. You might even want to keep doing the same kind of work on your own terms. The trouble is that running a business is a skill we must develop over time. It’s taken me a long time to start to trust my instincts. Even now, when someone I follow on social media suggests trying something different, I wonder whether I should be doing as they suggest. Here’s what I’ve learned so far. I hope it helps you learn to trust your business instincts.

Shiny object syndrome is real

There’s always something new in business. It might be the latest technology, a new marketing trend or updated legal guidance. Sometimes, you have to pay attention, for example, to whether there’s a new law affecting how you trade or handle customer information. Otherwise, if you’re tempted to jump on the latest trend, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Are you testing using video to see if it improves your social media stats or overstretching yourself through fear of missing out? Understanding your reasons and what will work for your customers will help you make an informed decision rather than chasing the latest shiny thing.

Understand what’s right for you

We all need help sometimes, but admitting it can be tough. Talking to experts in marketing, law, or finance can help steer you in the right direction. However, remember that every business owner is different. Your life, values, and motivations are your own, so comparing yourself to someone who works weekends (when you don’t) or doesn’t have children (when you do) isn’t helpful.

Working with a coach you trust, who’ll listen to you and give you a framework to find the answers that work for you is a great starting point.

Choose what you can use

If you’re anything like me, you probably follow lots of different business owners, marketing experts, and coaches online. They all offer different things, but you don’t have to follow everything they recommend. You can take a pick-and-mix approach. Start with a base layer of dolly mixtures, add some gummy bears and top the whole lot off with chocolate buttons. (I really want some chocolate now.)

If anyone tells you that you have to follow all their advice, even if it doesn’t feel right for you, that’s probably a sign to back away.

Remember, the gurus are business owners too

It’s easy to forget that the experts you see online are also business owners with products and services to sell, just like you and me. If they can help you achieve one of your goals, that’s great, but it’s also okay to say no to anything that isn’t a good fit for you.  I’ve bought training from an amazing coach who has built her business around creating and selling marketing courses and products. She has specific courses to help business owners create products like hers and always discusses the benefits. I completely agree with her logic, but I won’t be buying those courses because they aren’t right for me.

Just because someone you admire is selling something doesn’t mean you have to buy it.

When you trust your business instincts, you can create marketing that works for you. If you’ve created a marketing plan and want help to bring it to life, I can help. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and you could win a free copy makeover.