Amy C. Fitzjohn's Blog, page 14

6 Quick Tips for Business Show Delegates

(A super short post with an infographic that will take less than 5 minutes to read)

It’s an unexpected thing to say, but I enjoy a Business Show!

Yes, I know.

Bit weird!

via GIPHY

I enjoy business shows for a number of reasons:

I always catch up with people I know and perhaps haven’t seen for a while. Plenty of hugs!
Free stuff! And I don’t mean the pointless merch (although some of it is pretty cool) – I mean the free advice, support, workshops, networking and inspiring speakers. I always go away feeling informed and inspired.
Connections and buzz. There’s indescribable energy in the room at a business show – a frisson of people having conversations, making new connections and productivity

It’s been a while since I exhibited, but I have spoken at South Gloucestershire Business Show and Bath Digital Festival in the past few weeks.

Whether you decide to have a stand, offer to speak, or just to attend as a delegate, there’s plenty you can get from a business show with a little forward planning.

It can be easy to just cruise on in unprepared, and meander aimlessly around stalls, picking up the odd freebie, eating too many sweets and although that might beat being in the office, it’s not particularly productive.

So, here are my six top tips to make the most of a business show when you’re attending as a delegate:

 

 

Have ONE big goal for the business show

What’s the one thing you want to see or the person you want to meet. Be realistic, you won’t secure a massive contract with one conversation, the goal is to make the initial connection then nurture it beyond the show.

Be organised

Book in for things you want to see as soon as possible, don’t leave it to the day, they may have filled all the spaces or won’t allow you to book in on the day.

Be prepared

Take notes, make appointments, hand out business cards when you have a conversation. Don’t rely on your phone… what if the battery runs out or you have no signal?

Get Involved

The more you put in the more you get out. Go to the talks, seminars and networking. Make the most of the people and the time there.

Give, Give, Give

Have a mindset that you want to give and help rather than you want to get. Givers always gain and there’s less pressure to ‘sell’ if you’re there to make connections and be helpful. Let the business karma take care of the rest!

 

 

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Birds Must Sing… Why Everything You Write Matters!

We live in the middle of a row of 1930’s terraces in Bristol, UK.

The houses are old railway, docker’s and miner’s houses from the mid-century industrialism of Bristol. They were lucky enough to escape being flattened in the Blitz.

There’s a patch of waste ground from the alley along the back of the terrace, up a slope, to the railway line.

When we moved in, our neighbours told us it was unclear who owns the little wild strip along the back of our gardens. Maybe the Council, maybe National Railways, no one has ever had a straight answer. It means this little strip of unowned urban greenery is as overgrown and wild a patch as any in an urban area.

I love it, because the back of the house overlooks nothing but greenery. I enjoy the sound of the trains rumbling past every now and again. They remind me I’m right in the heart of the city, less than a mile from the Harbourside.

It’s also teeming with wildlife.

In particular, it’s a haven for birds.

 

 

A Haven For Birds

As I write this, I see from the window, a small crowd of hungry sparrows fighting over the last of the fatballs we hang out for them!

Robins, Magpies, Wood pigeons, Sparrows, Tits, Finches, Blackbirds, Doves… they all nest, undisturbed, in this wild little patch.

 

Of course, being by the coast, different varieties of gulls are regular visitors to the garden, as are Peregrine Falcons (introduced by the City Council to control the feral pigeon population).

Being Heard Above The Noise

I read once, that urban-dwelling birds have evolved to sing louder to be heard over the noise of a city.

Some days, the noise of so many birds drowns out the sound of the trains.  (We don’t get much road traffic noise, being a cul-de-sac)!

They’re all competing to be heard by a potential mate.

 

Singing, Whether Anyone’s Listening or Not

For the birds, singing is an instinct. It doesn’t matter whether or not they are aware that someone is listening to their song, they’ll do it anyway.

The sky is plenty big enough for all of them, just as the potential for your business is plenty big enough.

 

The same is true of your blog, or your book. ‘Sing’ (Write), because you want to do it.

Do It Because You Want To Do it

 

Like the birds who will continue singing regardless of their audience, write because YOU want to.

Write because YOU enjoy it.

Do it for the sheer pleasure of expressing yourself. Regardless of how sure you can be that someone will read it.

Like the birds, sing in the right notes and you’ll attract the right companion.

 

We all have a story to tell.

Everyone’s story is different. Why fight over the same bit of sky?

It’s your story that makes you the person you are and when you drive your business, you are what makes it unique.

Your voice has as much right to be heard as anyone else’s.

When you do something because you want to, it’s no longer a chore, or a drain on your resources (be them time, energy or financial resources). You will always find time to do it when your motivation is pleasure!

 

Trust In Your Words

Trust that someone will read it.

Maybe not today, maybe not next week – but everything you write and publish online will be read by someone, at some point.

Trust that YOU have made an impact. Even in a small way, with your words.

All it takes is one person to read your words, and for it to resonate with them.

You may never even know it, but your words have the power to change someone’s perspective. To answer a question they had, or move them to smile or feel emotionally affected by what you have to say.

Because everything you write, matters.

 

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The post Birds Must Sing… Why Everything You Write Matters! appeared first on Amy Morse.

The Biggest Blog Challenges for Business

 

 

There are many challenges businesses face when it comes to blogging. Over the past few years, I’ve developed something of a reputation locally as ‘the blog lady’.

I’m a trainer, mentor, blogger and author but people know me because I’m often talking about and training small businesses to blog.

I’ve probably heard every possible reason why people find it a struggle to blog for their business.

 

Why People Struggle

I’m not in the business of trying to persuade people to do something they really don’t what to do, can’t see the benefits of, or would rather employ someone else for.

However, for those that do want to blog for their business (or are being told to blog by their boss), who have the will, but for whatever reason are struggling with it, I’m here to help.

 

If you want to do something well, get help.

I was curious to see what the most common challenges were for people.

There were my own ideas, but I wanted to test them out on my audience.

I created a quick and simple survey, just 4 questions, to get an overview – find the link at the bottom.

 

Our Survey Said…

Of those that responded, most have a blog for their business.

But having a blog and using it are two different things!

 

 

 

There are many reasons why a business might choose to start a blog, but starting and maintaining momentum have their own challenges.

I thought about every reason I’d ever heard and started there, with the option to add other things to the list I may not have considered.

Here’s what people said:

Unsurprisingly, the most common response was ‘No Time’.

 

Time Vs Priority

I get that, I really do.

I have thousands of ideas, and I like writing and even I struggle sometimes.

Counterintuitively, especially when work is quiet and I have plenty of time but no motivation or enthusiasm for it!

 

via GIPHY

 

But we can also say we have ‘No Time’ abouabsolutely anything!

“I’ve no time..

for the gym…”

to finish that project…”

for a holiday…”

 

We all have 24hours in a day.

Time is the one thing money can’t buy – you can buy other people’s time to do things for you – but ultimately, we’re all bound by our own mortality and the laws of physics!

When we say, “I’ve no time for that”, what we’re really saying is, “That’s not a priority.”

 

Time and priority are two sides of the same coin.

If you genuinely want to do something ‘finding the time’ means ‘making it a priority at some point’.

These time management tips apply to anything, not just blogging and content creation:

Block time out in your diary well in advance


It’s better to block several small chunks of time in a week, than a big block in the month


Respect that time and try not to use it for anything else. If it’s unavoidable, replace that time somewhere else in your schedule.


Show up with intention and a positive mindset


Bloody do it (whatever ‘it’ is!)

 

Getting stuff done is 20% motivation and 80% dsicipline!

 

That’s how millions of us can get up every day and go to jobs we hate – because we are disciplined!

That said, I’m all about avoiding things you hate (that’s why my business is ‘Learn To LOVE Your Words‘) – that’s the beauty of being self-employed, you can make those choices.

 

If you really HATE blogging, you’re in the wrong place!

 

If you want to do it, try those tips.

When you show up on the day, with a positive attitude, don’t put yourself under pressure to write a perfect blog in that 30-minute gap over a coffee!

Writing a quality piece of content will easily take you 2 to 3 hours.

Show up with the intention of making inroads.

Do ‘blogging related activities’…

 

That could be:

 

Blogging Related Activities

Reading blogs or books for ideas
Whatching TED talks/You Tube videos to inspire you
Going back through your notes and making a start on some ideas you’ve already jotted down
‘Thinking Time’ – just breathing and thinking, allowing your mind to wander and seeing what ideas crop up.
Going back to your drafts and working some more on that blog you started writing last week.
Editing and scheduling an unfinished blog
Refreshing and updating an old blog
Finding a polular update on your Social Media channels and expanding on it as a blog
Brain Dumping a load of ideas onto a big bit of paper
Splurging, free writing, writing unintentionally. Just writing what comes out of your brain, no matter what that could be, and letting rip in the privacy of your own hardrive or notebook!

 

How to get people to see my blog

The next most common of the challenges was, ‘Getting people to see it’.

My response to this is, you can’t ‘get’ anyone to do anything – but you can help them to see it by sharing it widely.

What you can do is develop a system and get into the habit of sharing your blogs in multiple ways.

 

Here are a few ideas:

Optimize it for Google (SEO = Search Engine Optimisation) – Talk to me about learning simple SEO techniques
Share and schedule across your Social Media channels
Add a link to your newsletter
Use it as a resource to help a contact – I often talk about a concept with someone then email them a follow up to a link for a blog on that topic
Agree with your business friends to share each other’s content
Make sure you have your webiste on all your correspondence

 

What do you think?

I’d still love to hear what people think about this topic, and I’d be interested to see if people’s challenges change over time.

To share your opinion, complete the quick survey here:

 

 

 

 

 

What are your challenges with blogging?

 

Book a FREE 30-minute Inspiration Call with me and toghter we can overcome them!

For instant updates when I publish a new blog post, Follow me on Bloglovin’
For extra goodies and exclusive new information, join my mailing list HERE.

 

 

 

The post The Biggest Blog Challenges for Business appeared first on Amy Morse.

How to Discover Your Expertise – A Guest Post

 

It’s always a privilege to host fellow entrepreneurs as guests on the blog and share their expertise. When they have been long-time business buddies too, that’s an extra bonus.

Linda Davies-Carr’s drive, determination and passion are impressive. As The Master Fixer, she’s helped plenty of businesses to achieve their goals.

Thanks to Linda for this great article, with actionable activities you can do, right now, to work ON your business.

 

Over to Linda…

 

How to Discover Your Expertise

 

Just remember, every expert started exactly where you are now – with a desire to get paid for doing what they love and are good at doing. Be careful though, entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart!

If you truly don’t have a passion to run a business, then you should choose a different path.

Before you start going wild trying to think of clever ideas that might sell, ask yourself the age-old question; “What’s in your hand?” In other words, what do you already possess that you can use to become successful?

 

Time to take a quick inventory! Grab a notebook and pen and jot down your answers to these questions.
1) What subject do you have a more than average amount of knowledge on?
2) What have you spent time learning to do expertly that you can now easily teach or write about?
3) What can you do that will solve people’s problems or enhance their lives?
4) What are you really passionate about?

 

If you are honest with yourself then these answers should reveal your area(s) of expertise.

Keep in mind that your expertise should be something you’ve worked long and hard to develop and ideally it is something that you enjoy doing or offering for the benefit of others. You won’t believe how many clients I have that realise they have been giving away their expertise freely without even realising it!

If you have a proven track record of results, then chances are you are an expert to a group of people who would be willing to pay you well if you monetise and market your expertise the right way.

 

How to Monetise Your Expertise

This is the tricky bit. Monetising your expertise will require a significant amount of time and a huge amount of market research, you need to know the ins and outs of your biz to be able to price yourself appropriately. Also, are you ready emotionally to monetise your business?

Lots of people talk about making more money – few execute what is needed!

In order to correctly price your expertise, you should consider the following:

 

Demand – Is there a gap in the marketplace for it? Or is what you want to offer currently over saturating the market? You may have a hobby that you love, but will people drop hard cash for it?


Uniqueness – How specialised is what you want to offer? What is YOUR point of differentiation?


Quality – Is what you will offer superior to most products or services in your chosen industry?


Target audience – Are you serving only the affluent? Or are you appealing to recent university graduates? Have you really nailed your ideal client? Value is perceived differently depending on who you are selling to. If your desire is to sell to everyone you end up appealing to no one!
Also, prices may also need adjusting based on location – what sells like hot cakes in London may not go down well in the country.


Competitors – What are current companies charging for similar products or services? What is their USP? You need to do your competitor research and know your worth, and what someone will be willing to pay for it!


Depth – What’s your track record? Can others achieve accelerated results by applying your expertise? If you can easily solve a complex problem for your clients, you should get paid well for it.


Scale – How can you scale your business? Is it scalable? Being a “busy” solopreneur can be hard, daunting and exhausting. Can you delegate, what can you outsource? I’d urge you to do what you do best and outsource the rest – even when you feel you can’t afford it. I’d probably say you can’t afford not to!

 

 

Once you’ve discovered your area of expertise and have determined your pricing structure, you will have laid down the basic foundation to start earning.

The two greatest joys of being an expert are that you get to improve lives while getting paid to do what you love.

The next phase is learning to scale, let’s cover that next time!

Remember the world is waiting for what you have to offer!

If you’re ready, book your Free Strategy Session with me now. Alternatively, head over to my Facebook Group now where I share my free, expert advice with a bunch of like-minded business women!

Hugs,

 

Linda’s Story

A Bit About Me:

I have thirty years of experience in running businesses. I have led and informally coached thousands of people from Sainsbury’s to Barclays and so many in between. I am professionally qualified as a coach, hold an Executive MBA, have trained to Master Belt in Six Sigma process improvement and hold masses of other business qualifications and an arm of Brownie badges to boot!

The funny thing is, I never made a conscious decision to become an entrepreneur I am today. I was always a corporate girl and I felt very comfortable in a corporate environment; I knew where I was, I knew my position, I knew the hierarchy and I liked the regular income. But as I got older and my children grew up, I, just like many others, yearned for greater flexibility and an insatiable itch to do something just for me,  something that wasn’t going to benefit a big company, something that was going to benefit myself, my family and the people around me. So, I wouldn’t say I was a natural entrepreneur, I just fell into it and got good at it.

I’ve always coached all my friends that have a business, I traded my business advice for lunch or dinners! It’s in my nature to help, I’ve always been a fixer – hence the name.

I’ve always helped the people close to me and people at work to be better, to have more, to achieve more and to be happier.

About 3 years ago a friend said, “you should do this for real”.

To say I was a bit hesitant is a huge understatement, I didn’t really want to because I knew a ton of coaches who didn’t do or achieve what I wanted to deliver. They were getting results that I didn’t think were tangible or good enough. So that’s why I launched the business as The Master Fixer.

When I first set up, I kind of fell into it. I was an accidental entrepreneur! I foolishly set a goal and I thought, “if I can get 10 clients in the first 12 months that would be really cool” I thought it would be a way of me contributing to the family fund and it would make me feel successful.

Fast forward 2 years, we have double digit growth!

We get phenomenal results, we have over 100 fabulous 5* reviews.

Business is growing and thriving; I started The Master Fixer with absolutely no investment from the modest confines of my kitchen table and somehow it has evolved from there! If I can do it anyone can!

 

 

For instant updates when I publish a new blog post, Follow me on Bloglovin’
For extra goodies and exclusive new information, join my mailing list HERE.

 

The post How to Discover Your Expertise – A Guest Post appeared first on Amy Morse.

The Real Writing Is In The Edit

“The real writing happens in the edit”

I find myself saying that a lot.

I say it, because I believe it and I preach it to anyone writing their own blogs and other content.

I’m going to use a rather crude analogy here, so brace yourselves…

 

You’re walking along the street and are getting increasingly desperate for the toilet.

What do you do?

It seems obvious, right?

You find the nearest toilet and relieve yourself.

You don’t l think, “I just need to get this done,”  then soil yourself!

 

This is why it baffles me that someone would just splurge onto a blog (or Social Media) post, and the only edit is a cursory check for spelling mistakes before they hit publish!

All you’re doing is filling the internet with more rubbish. Stinking up the place with your soiled content!

It’s like wetting yourself, giving it a quick dab with a handkerchief and saying, “that’ll do!”

Creating content on your blogs, Social Media and other marketing is not just about ‘getting it done’, it’s about doing it well and adding real value.

 

It’s Your Reputation

Do you really want to develop a reputation for being slapdash and careless as a business? If your content comes over as this, whether consciously or otherwise, the message you send out to the world is that the business is too.

 

It’s Your Responsibility

You have a responsibility to the audience you have carefully cultivated, to give them something interesting, inspiring, entertaining, educational… If not, what’s the point?

 

I’m being a little harsh – and perhaps a little facetious!

 

In reality, when I’ve worked with a client to improve the quality of their content, their writing is rarely as bad as they believe it is.

 

Often, all it takes are a few small tweaks to make a big impact in the quality and readability of a piece of writing.

I’ve written previously on this within the context of writing a book, but the same applies for writing anything from a quick update, such as a Tweet, right through to producing a report for a client, writing an email, or creating a blog.

 

First Editing Pro Tip: Brain Dump

Write your splurge. Get the words out of your head and onto the page/screen. Brain dump. Don’t worry about how it reads just yet. Don’t edit at this stage. Say what you need to say. The first draft of any writing is supposed to be crap. At this stage, the point is to get the words out of your brain so you can do something with them.

The problem comes when we rush straight into publishing it.

 

Second Editing Pro Tip: Brain Switch

Step away from the keyboard!

Once you’ve dumped the ideas from your brain onto the page/screen, walk away for a while. Preferably, take a breather rather than flicking to another window and doing more work.

Have a break. Get outside. Go for a walk.

The point is to refresh yourself and give your brain time to reset.

Get your brain out of ‘writing-mode’ and into ‘editing mode’. If it helps (and this helps me), stop, take some slow, steady breaths and imagine a switch on your brain, then flick it from writing to editing mode.

 

When you edit your writing immediately after drafting it, your brain will read what it thinks it’s written; mistakes can easily be missed. By giving your brain time to reset, you allow yourself the space to look with a fresh perspective.

 

Third Editing Pro Tip: Clutter Words

When we’re talking, we um and ah, repeat ourselves, adapt the way we speak to reflect the receiver. We naturally include words in our speech that are unnecessary. I think of them as ‘clutter words’.

They’re like the piles of ‘stuff’ in your office that might be useful sometimes. Yes, one day they will get used but that doesn’t mean you have to scatter them all over the place!

For concise, persuasive and interesting writing, we don’t need to include these words. On the one hand, good content needs to be approachable and conversational, but on the other, we need to get our message across effectively.

There are a few words we clutter our speech with that we can do without in our writing. Removing or rethinking these words can make the writing flow better.

I want to stress I’m not saying these words are ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’, just to find them in your writing and consider whether you really need them in that context.

(In fact, I used a couple of them in the previous sentence!)

When you edit a blog or other content, look for these words:

That (i.e.: ‘he knew that it…’ becomes ‘he knew it…’)
Really
Very
Also
Suddenly
Actually
Then
Some
Again
Is, am, was, were (use powerful verbs and fewer words)
Started (i.e.: she started to walk…’ becomes ‘she walked…’)
Like
Briefly
Trying to (is it happening or not?)
A little (whether something happens a little or a lot is often inconsequential in context, rely on the verb to do its job)
Only
Just
Certainly
Always
Barely
Sometimes
Something
In order to (‘to’ is enough)


Try This: If you take the word out, does the sentence sound better?

 

Forth Editing Pro Tip: Short and Snappy

There is definitely a deficit of attention in today’s fast-paced, instant gratification world!

 

The average time someone reads a blog is 7 minutes!

If something doesn’t grab us in the 2 – 3 seconds it takes to scroll down our phones, it’s gone.

When we do settle down to read something it needs to ‘feel quick’. Even if it’s a longer piece of content, such as a blog, when it doesn’t feel like a long read we’re more likely to stick with it.

To make reading feel shorter, sentences need to be shorter.

Have plenty of w h i t e   s p a c e on the page

Use bullet points

The point of a bullet point is to make a quick statement! A bullet point shouldn’t be more that one line.

Have subheadings
Try This: If a sentence has an ‘and’ or a comma in it, take it out, add a full-stop / period and make it into more than one sentence. Does the writing have more impact?

 

All of these writing styles and layout techniques make it more likely that your article, update, blog… is read.

 

A Worked Example

Here’s an example of a sentence that could be improved. The eagle-eyed of you will note it’s from a previous blog. I hasten to add, I didn’t write this, a contributor did so I cut them some slack!

Old Sentence

“It is useful to know exactly what you need to focus on in order to make that go to plan, and this is something that you are going to need to think about to get it right.”

My Edit

If I’d written this sentence:

“Think carefully about your next steps. Know what to focus on before you make a plan.”

Which do you prefer, and can you identify why?

 

 

 

Want to improve your writing skills?

 

Book a FREE 30-minute Inspiration Call with me and pick my brain!

For instant updates when I publish a new blog post, Follow me on Bloglovin’
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The post The Real Writing Is In The Edit appeared first on Amy Morse.

The Joy Of Freedom – On Your Bike

 

 

Meet Barry…

 

 

Barry The Bike

 

He’s been sat in my shed for seven years until this summer.

I re-homed the various spiders who’d moved into Barry’s nooks and crannies and took him to Crucial BMX for a service.

For just under £80 – a new chain, pumped up tyres and a good oiling – Barry is back on the road.

The mechanic at Crucial did a great job. And I found myself cruising around the cool accessories in the shop thinking about how I could pimp my bike!

 

When Does Cycling Become Fun?

I had these happy little daydreams about breezing along, enjoying the wind in my hair, getting around Bristol quickly and easily, while carrying all my gubbins in the basket.

A lovely thought.

“On your bike!”

The reality = a battle of wills!

Me, verses Barry, verses the hills of Bristol!

 

People actually do this for fun?

I’m not going to beat about the bush here, so far, getting back on a bike has quite simply, sucked!

The worst part is getting going.

Every time I stop it’s a mammoth effort to get going again. And I’m stopping – or slowing down – every few yards: for pedestrians, dogs, vehicles, other cyclists, zebra crossings, Traffic Lights, roads to cross and countless other obstacles.

Don’t even get me started on my painful posterior! My coccyx will never be the same again.

I’m not gonna lie, it’s tough, it’s bloody tough.

In my 40’s, I’m the most unfit I have ever been.

Every yard I’m pushing, and panting, and sweating, and struggling.

 

Cycling, Then and Now

I have a happy memory, my first ever bike. What it looked like is vague and there are no pictures of me on it.

What I do remember is the first-ever feeling of real freedom.

I remember the sense of achievement when dad removed the stabilisers (training wheels for American readers!).

Suddenly, I could speed off on my own.

Confident.
Grown up.
Free!

I don’t ever remember it being as tiring or aching as much when I was little!

With the perspective and experience of an adult, I know there would have tough moments on my bike as a kid. There must have been hills and other obstacles. I was the kind of kid who always had scabby knees anyway, but there must have been injuries – we all get a bit cocky when we’re excited about something new.

When we look back at things, it’s easy to forget the tough moments. It’s the fun parts we like to remember most fondly.

 

Bikes and Business

The experience of getting back on my bike after so long shares many of the feelings and ups and downs I’ve been on in my business. At the time of writing this, I’ve been self-employed for coming up to five years.

The motivation that drives me to do this is to feel and live in that sense of freedom.

To know I am master of my own destiny.

Be my own boss.

Keep the money I earn (after tax and bills, of course).

Having the flexibility to plan my week – I can run my errands, like grocery shopping, in the week when it’s quieter and spend all the quality weekend and evening time I can with my husband, friends and family.

I can be there for friends and relatives when they need me.

Get to choose who I will and won’t work with and what I will and won’t do.

If it’s a sunny day, I can choose to go out for the day and enjoy it (with or without Barry).

That feeling of freedom: speeding downhill, no effort, no peddling, just controlling the breaks so you don’t fall off.

Then you reach a hill…. You have to get up that dam hill if you want to speed down the other side of it.

Some days the sun is shining and the going is flat and flowing. Other days it’s hammering with rain, miserable and hilly. But even on a wet day, every uphill has a downhill.

Whether it’s manoeuvering a bike or getting stuck into a task, the hardest part is getting going.

But no matter what, you HAVE TO START.

If you want to coast down that hill, enjoying the speed, freedom and fresh feel on your face you need to build up the momentum to get there.

You have to climb that hill, negotiate that obstacle, weave your way through, slow down when necessary so you don’t crash and hurt yourself or someone else.

But…

Freedom is the best feeling in the world, it’s always worth the effort!

 

 

 

 

Stuck at an obstacle and need help to get going?

 

Book a FREE 30-minute Inspiration Call with me and pick my brain!

For instant updates when I publish a new blog post, Follow me on Bloglovin’
For extra goodies and exclusive new information, join my mailing list HERE.

The post The Joy Of Freedom – On Your Bike appeared first on Amy Morse.

Three Things Your Business Should Work On

It’s all too easy to swamp yourself with work In the business, while neglecting working On the business.

But working on the business is more than thinking about cashflow and how to win the next client!

In fact, personally I hate the phrase ‘winning’ a client. For me, it’s not about ‘winning’ it’s about serving and helping. My world and my business doesn’t operate in binary. It’s never ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘win’ or ‘lose’ for me. So, I was glad to host this blog for a contributor. I share the view that seeing a bigger pitcure, thinking deeply about your business’s place in the world will strengthen it in the long term. Direct your energy at working on these three areas and the cashflow will look after itself.

 

3 Things That Your Business Should Work On

 

If you are trying to make it so that your business is a perfect example of what a business should be, there are plenty of things that you will need to think about. It is useful to know exactly what you need to focus on in order to make that go to plan, and this is something that you are going to need to think about to get it right. Knowing that your business is going to be moving in the right direction is clearly very useful, so this is something that you should not attempt to overlook even if you feel you could. In this article, we will focus in particular on three of the things that you are going to have to work on to make sure that your business has a great looking future for itself. You might find that these are going to be helpful for your business anyway, and are all worth thinking about.

 

Credit – CCO Licence

Reputation

The better the reputation your business has, the more that you are going to be able to build it and drive it in the way that you would most hope. There are fortunately, plenty of ways to develop a business reputation, and you should never feel as though there are no solutions left for you to take. One of the major things that your business needs to think about to ensure a good reputation is finding a good address to send post out from. If you don’t have an address that seems reputable or impressive, then you can get help here with a registered office – and that is why use a registered office for your company, along with a few other reasons you might want to consider.

 

Ethics

It is good to try your hardest to run your business in as ethical a way as possible. Not only does it mean that you will feel good about yourself, and that your business will be able to ensure it is going to be moving in the right direction and often saving money, but it also means that people respect the business more. That is useful, and something that you should be aiming for at all times anyway. Being ethical in business means putting what is right ahead of profit, and if you can make a point of doing that then you will find that you are going to be running your business with a good set of morals in charge of proceedings. This is hugely valuable, so be sure to think about it.

 

Credit – CCO Licence

Partnerships

There are a lot of great things that you get out of partnerships with other businesses, and appreciating that is going to mean that you are going to see why you should do it, and then make a point of making that happen. You might actually be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to find a good partnership for your business, and it is something that is going to bring many great things with it, so make sure to consider this.

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How To Set Boundaries On My Blog? (A to Z of Blogging)

 

 

I’ll be the first to admit that the last three letters in the A to Z of Blogging are a bit tenuous! I’ve come this far, I want to complete this series!

X is for X-Ray

Y is for You

Z is for Zoom

Let’s tackle them together…

 

Give Your Audience an Insight

Your blog gives your audience an insight into what it feels like to work with you and your business.

They want to see the story behind the story (the X-Ray), they want to know about YOU and they want to Zoom in and get a deeper level of knowledge and information from you.

 

How Personal Is Too Personal

There’s no doubt that people are interested in people. We can’t help but be curious about other people’s lives. However, it can feel exposing, putting yourself out there.

A common fear I hear from new bloggers is, “how personal is too personal on their blogs (& Social Media)?”

This is one of those ‘how long is a piece of string’ questions!

 

How personal should you be?…
…How Long is a peice of string?

 

 

When it comes to setting your own boundaries, only you know what is comfortable for you and appropriate for your audience.

You might not want to put pictures of your children all over the web, but at the same time – especially when you are at the heart of your business – your audience wants to get to know you a little.

They don’t need to know everything about you. No one says you have to air your dirty drawers in public! You don’t have to tell your entire life story and all the people and problems in it!

However, making a human connection means showing a little of your humanity.

Your joys, fears, loves, hates, and heaven forbid, even your vulnerabilities.

 

“What better way to really get to know your customers than by allowing them to really get to know you”

 

Blurring The Boundaries – Living Online

So many people live their lives online these days. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It is possible to be active and engaged without talking about every damn thing that’s happened in the minutia of your life!

Few of us need ‘more content’, less is more in the digital noise.

 

Pro Tip:

While as businesses we want to show our human side, at the same time, we need to be mindful of setting some personal boundaries.

 We are not the same person at work as we are in our own time.

 This distinction can often be blurred when you work for yourself.

Respect your own privacy, as you would anyone else’s. 

Be clear with yourself what you are prepared for strangers to know about you and what you don’t want them to know.

 If you must ask the question ‘should I write that?’ the answer is invariably ‘no’!

 

Full Circle

Whatever you do decide to reveal about yourself, how much of your story you choose to tell and how far you let people look in, the most important thing to remember is to be authentic.

The point of your blog is to help people to get to know you and your business, (some) warts and all!

Which leads me nicely back to the first letter in the A to Z series: A for Authenticity

 

 

 

 

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Why I Wanted to Self Publish (& You Could Too)

I responded to a comment on a fellow writer friend’s Facebook post a while back in which someone said, “You’d have to be desperate to self publish with Amazon“.

I couldn’t resist the urge to challenge them on their assumptions about self-publishing…

 

 

I’ve published 3 fiction novels and 2 non-fiction books on Amazon (and counting) and I assure you, it was not out of desperation – quite the opposite in fact!

 

For me, self publishing was a business decision and I’ve built my business around my books.

 

Like everything else, the book industry is changing. The freedom of the digital space has allowed independent authors to operate outside the confines of the traditional publishing industry like never before.

 

The Big 5 publishers have been accused of being too slow to react to a changing market, resistant to change and of being complacent.

Ultimately, I’d like to be taken on by a big publisher, but not in order to be published, and not yet. I want to be approaching them from a position of proven publishing success, something they can help me to amplify and build on.

There’s never been a time in history of greater freedom for writers, whether it’s the immediacy of publishing through blogging and creating web content or being able to self-publish.

When I completed The Bronze Box in 2012 I researched the different options available to get it onto the shelves, digital or otherwise.

I quickly realised I would struggle to put a convincing business case to a traditional publisher to take on my book because I had no credentials as a writer. I’ve never won any competitions (I’ve not entered any!), I had no previous work I could put my name to, I couldn’t prove I had a following of readers and fans, I don’t have any friends or contacts in the publishing industry and I’m not a celebrity.

I was under no illusions; being taken seriously by a traditional publisher was unlikely for me.

That wasn’t going to stop me. Gone are the days when self-publishing was the last resort of vain writers who weren’t good enough to attract a traditional publisher.

Independently published books now represent a significant and increasing, share of the global book market.

There are pros and cons to both self-publishing and traditionally publishing your book.

You need to make a decision in the best interests of your business and career goals.

Here are the 8 reasons I chose an independent road:

1) I wanted validation and social proof

I needed to get some credentials as a writer, I wanted some feedback and to build up an audience.

2) I wanted something I could build a business around.

I’ve been part-time self-employed for years. I’ve been working towards being fully self-employed and publishing books gives me the freedom I crave. My goal for the future is to be able to live and work anywhere I want to, to be beholden only to myself – but I also like life’s little luxuries. Trudging around carrying my life in a backpack, relying on the hospitality of others and staring longingly into the windows of restaurants knowing I could never afford to eat there, is not enough for me.

3) I wanted to keep the profit.

I have several traditionally published writer friends who’s royalty cheques are so minuscule they might as well not have bothered. There is a long-held belief that traditionally published authors have all their marketing handled by their publisher. This simply IS NOT TRUE and NEVER has been! Yes, a publisher will do a certain amount, but in an increasingly competitive marketplace, their budgets are even more squeezed. Yes, it gives you a boost and help to have others on your side with connections, but you still have to take responsibility for your own marketing if you want to be a successful writer. It is in your best interests to take this seriously and do everything you can to market your own work. Better sales, means more likelihood of better publishing deals and more money in your pocket. So, I asked myself; hang on, if I’m doing most of the work, how come the publisher gets most of the money? I’m willing to put in the work, but I want to reap the rewards of that myself.

4) I wanted some control over the pricing of my books.

There has been an ongoing dispute between top publishing houses and Amazon about the pricing of eBooks. This report by Authorearnings.com discusses how big publishing houses artificially inflate prices to the detriment of authors and themselves because their motivation is not to serve their customers (readers and authors) but to try to damage their competitors (Amazon). Self-published eBooks are outselling traditionally published eBooks on Amazon because independent authors set their prices. Having control over the pricing means I can run and control my own marketing campaigns.  (Read the report HERE)

5) I wanted to get the book out quickly.

By doing it myself, I can respond to the market and set my own lead times. I don’t have to spend months querying agents and publishers, then more months re-writing the book to suit the publisher’s requirements. Before I know it, years of my life have sailed past and I still don’t have a book out. I wasn’t prepared to put that much of a brake on my career and business goals.

6) I wanted to maintain creative control.

It’s my book, dammit, I want to maintain control over the story, the structure and I want to own all the rights to it. I don’t want to be strapped into publishers clauses that prevent me from doing what I want to with my words.

7) I wanted to test out ‘being a writer’.

It’s one thing to have a hobby, quite another to turn it into a business. I wanted a low-risk way to test the market and test myself. I didn’t know if I actually wanted to spoil my beloved hobby by making money from it.

8) I wanted to see if I could.

A personal challenge is a great motivator for me. I wanted to see if I was capable of getting a book to market and selling it. My goal for The Bronze Box was to sell 1,000 copies in three years. I doubled this in half the time and it was enough to convince me I did want to be a writer and I was capable of doing it.

These reasons seem to be common among other independent authors. I like this article in Black Fox Literary Magazine:

Selfies vs. Traditional Publishing – Which Style Fits You Best?

But self-publishing isn’t just for fiction writers.
Self-publishing presents entrepreneurs with an excellent opportunity to build authority and influence by actually doing the one thing so many people want to do, but never do – write a book!

There is still a good deal of pomposity around self-publishing, but ultimately, as a writer, you can choose to be bitter and resentful that others had the courage to go it alone while you remain ‘undiscovered’ or you can take a risk – because business is really just about taking calculated risks – you never know, you might even make some money!

 

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Passion Projects #8: Pearls of Wisdom with Jan Para

 

 

Retiring quietly and retreating into the shadows was never going to be an option for the next passion-driven entrepreneur I’m featuring in the Passion Project series.

When Jan Para started The Rocks Collection, it was a way to see more of the world with her new found freedom from corporate life, but still build something meaningful and enjoyable that she could sink her teeth into. Her next big adventure would be entrepreneurship!

 

Let’s meet Jan…

A Passion Project Interview with Jan Para of The Rocks Collection

 

Why did you decide to do what you’re doing? Tell your ‘Origin Story’

The rocks collection started as a hobby ten years ago with my late close and dear friend Vicki.

I was persuaded, as a post-retirement adventure, combining travel with sourcing pearls and semi-precious stones to make into jewellery and sell.

Together we holidayed and travelled in the Far East sourcing beautiful freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones and learned how to create lovely pieces of stylish and affordable jewellery.

 

 

What would you do with your time if you didn’t have to work?

Travel

 

What really makes you smile from the inside out?

My family

What is your proudest achievement?

Aside from having my children, it would be my Directorship in my recruitment career

Where do you want to be in 5 years’ time?

Travelling somewhere exotic

Who do you serve? Be specific, think of everyone you impact (not just customers)

My friends, my family, other women whom I support, my charity work

How do you want the world to see your business?

As an inspiring collection / curation of attractive, stylish and affordable jewellery crafted from real freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones and silver and offered through a flexible, personal and reliable quality service.

What one thing would you do to change the world?

Create more equality of opportunity

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Really don’t know if I want one. Maybe the ability to fly then I wouldn’t need planes.

What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?

Stick to your original career plan.

And finally, is there one thing you wish someone had told you before you went into business?

You will literally have to do everything yourself!

 

Thank you, Jan, for being part of the Passion Project movement!

 

To connect with Jan and learn more about her work, her website is: https://www.therockscollection.co.uk/
Get to know herand see her goregous pearls on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_rocks_collection/

 

 

 

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