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It was exactly two years ago that I made a very purposeful and conscious decision to establish an online presence for myself. I had already gained some traction, though not much, on social media through my sporadic but valuable posts and shares about how essential oils had become such a game-changer in my small family’s life. I remember so vividly the feelings of fear and self-doubt creeping in as I was making this decision. I remember thinking I don’t have what it takes to make it online, or I would never amount to these successful entrepreneurs and wellness coaches that are already attracting their tribe, helping and serving so many people. I just didn’t think I had what it took to “make it online”. I didn’t even comprehend what it actually meant to be successful online but I knew that it was the journey I wanted to be on.
Small Business Guest writers
The importance of actively listening
Technology is something that I’m sometimes a little bit cynical about. Simply being new and shiny isn’t enough for me. My favourite gadget is my Swiss Army knife and I still have a Melways in my car. I even resisted getting a smart phone for as long as possible. But I am a complete convert to social media.
Years ago I left a standard 9-5 job to do my own thing as an independent consultant. I didn’t use tech much. After being invited to join LinkedIn I created an account and then ignored it for the next 5 years. Twitter passed me by. I was fortunate enough to have a steady stream of projects coming in from an existing network to keep me sufficiently busy. However, what I was doing was a classic case of working in my small business rather than on it.
Combining brand and Vision – a killer combo
Twelve months ago, I had a vision for my business. I wanted to create Australia’s largest community and support network for mum entrepreneurs. A place where we could all come and connect over what it is really like to be an entrepreneur and a mum. How we manage the mother guilt. How we balance (or fail to balance!) the hours that building a business requires with the demands of keeping a house running. The struggle with maintaining a healthy relationship with our partner while we focus all our energy on building our dream.
I wanted the community to be a place where like-minded business women could come together and feel safe about sharing their daily struggles while being a support network for each other. We would also provide mentoring and coaching where needed, as well as networking events.
Mailchimp the lifesaver
Gosh! Starting you own business especially a business in an area that you have little to no experience in is quite an undertaking; a completely mad one at that, however 8 months in and thankfully things are starting to gain traction.
There have been so many decisions to make and compiling an email list and setting up email broadcasts to prospective and actual clients was initially a very time -consuming process, until I discovered Mailchimp!
Gen Y for social media management
I really love working with Gen Y’s.
Me, I’m a Gen X and I love that too. Such good music (Grunge memories) comes from our Gen X era. You know what I had less love for? Business social media. Now don’t get me wrong, I love social media in general. As an entrepreneur with a brain speed of 100 kilometres per minute (I get tired just thinking about that), I can multi task and connect with all channels effortlessly, but really connecting with my targeted audience for business needed my full attention. Just like my conversations with my accountant.
The Silent Observers on Facebook
Since the constant fine tuning of Facebook Edgerank and its effects on Facebook business pages, one question I constantly encounter from creative business owners are: “Do I still need to bother with Facebook? I’m guessing Instagram or Pinterest is a better option.”
So, in my quest to figure out if Facebook is worth our time or not, I decided to do some experiments on my own Facebook page. Because even though many articles discuss various information and strategies, implementing these is more crucial to get the ‘Said’ results.
In my recent experiment with Facebook Organic reach I think I have proved that Facebook is not dead for businesses. But there’s one more reason why I stick to Facebook – it’s the power of the “Silent observers”. No other social media has this important piece of the jigsaw.
E-booking and the power of young teams
Today we are in the “age of technology”, making our consumers more educated than ever. Technology has revolutionised and changed the way businesses market and sell products. If you aren’t positioning yourself online then you are losing ground in the game of “entrepreneurship”. Having an online presence is the differentiating factor between recognition and flying under the radar. Consumers are smarter and more aware than ever, which is forcing businesses to establish content that is going to place them ahead in the game, or in other words, position them as the “expert” in the industry.
In the coming weeks I will be releasing my first E-Book called “The Team Effect: 8 reasons why team sport improves your child’s well-being”.
From the green pastures to the web
Humble beginnings
In the beginning when I first decided to turn my hobby into a business I was asked by so many people “WHY“? Every time I was asked this question, I would again ask myself why? There were the usual answers, such as working for myself, working my own hours, being able to work around my children and family life and personal satisfaction, but – if truth be known – it was something I was passionate about and I had self-belief that I had a great product that the market was missing.
There is a need in the market place for a product such as mine; the feedback that I received from those who tried my jerky all confirmed for me that my passion for creating a wonderful product was not wasted. It was quickly becoming apparent that Nicks Beef Jerky had a place in the world, not just my heart.
Building a brand on Facebook
The challenge of developing a representative brand
Airtime Dance Academy teaches a variety of movement styles such as dance, acrobatics and aerial skills which had to be immersed in my brand. The vision of free flowing movement, flying, and awesomeness had to almost jump out of the logo. I chose my friend, James Quinn-Hawtin, who is an established designer and qualified trainer in his field but lives in Queensland which is a 5hr flight from me. Apart from distance, another challenge I faced was that – even though he also teaches dance – James did not fully understand the concept of acrobatics and aerials silk. Consequently there were a few changes to the initial submissions. Read more
Introducing our Guest bloggers
Project […] is proud to announce a new monthly blog series called ‘They came and they conquered‘, written especially for small businesses, by small business owners, who face the same issues our audience face when setting up and existing online.