Solopreneur SOS: Recent Episodes
Karen Murray
We all know we need to be structured and organised in our solo business. But how do we do that and get everything done (especially the things we don't feel good at or hate doing!)? Each week in Solopreneur SOS we'll be exploring what it takes to run a solo business and how to do it in a way that enables you to stay sane, enjoy life and get the results you want. Karen gives you clear teaching, masses of encouragement and proven ways to grow your business so you can do more of the things you love and have the cash to outsource the things you don't.
If like me you are a bit shy about asking for testmonials and you don't really have a system for it then you are making it so much harder for people to confidently buy from you. Testimonials give you confidence, help you attract the right people and enables them to build the know, like and trust factor so that they feel happy and excited about their buying decision. What's not to like? Find out how in this episode.
I often talk about 'complete' not 'perfect' when it comes to getting things done in our businesses. But what does 'complete' look like when it comes to a marketing campaign? What should you include? In the second of this two-parter I'm sharing the steps you need to take for a complete campaign.
You have something to sell and you want to run a focused campaign. And somehow everytime you do you either run for the hills before you even get started or pull your sales punches at the last minute. Either way the result is disappointing. So, as solo business owners, how can we get to grips with creating and running marketing campaigns without all the drama. Find out in part 1 of this two part series.
"The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life." So said Edward de Bono. If that's the case, how can we set ourselves up for better thinking and making better decisions in our businesses? Find out in this episode, where you'll find out that not all heroes wear capes, but good thinkers do.
It's easy to feel that we need to be constantly engaged in personal development and learning new things as solo business owners; but we can easily get into a viscious cycle of investing in courses and coaches, not implementing and then looking for the next shiny offer that promises we don't need to work so hard to get what we want. Getting out of that cycle needs us to engage in intentional personal development planning. Find out how in this episode
We will all experience up and downs in our business, so if you want to make sure that you can survive the downs, and even come back better than before, you need to think about building a bit of resilience now. Don't leave this until you need it... take action on this episode today.
Don't worry I haven't disappeared... just a temporary blip while I get over a problem cough. I'll be back soon...
If business was easy every one would be doing it. As it is, the slightly mad amongst us have decided to not just start businesses but to start them solo. And when problems come it can be difficult to know what to do. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes to show you how I am dealing with a blip in my business and to hopefully reassure you that you aren't alone and now is not the time to be giving up.
It's often the question solo business owners actually dread! Sometimes we feel embarrassed about our businesses, sometimes we just aren't sure how to answer, sometimes we just aren't prepared! But we will get asked, so it's vital that we get a good answer and fast! Find out how in this episode, where I'll also be sharing my own networking 'what do you do?' disaster.
To niche or not to niche, that IS the question... apparently. But is it the only way to stand out in a noisy world? Niching seems to create alot of anxiety for solo business owners but if we don't do it are we risking our businesses? I'm exploring all that and showing us another way for our perfect clients to find us in this episode.
Social media is a necessary part of having your own business in today's world. But knowing that and making the most of it consistently can be tricky for many solopreneurs. We often find we have good stretches and then fall of the consistency wagon, or we pull our punches when is comes to promotion so we never get the results we want. If you want some inspiration for your social media, no matter where in the year you are listening to this episode, you'll find it here.
Every now and then I read a book that properly changes how I think and act. Atomic Habits by James Clear is just that kind of book. In this episode, I share with you the core principles of creating habits that we actually stick to and a few key things that I have learned as I have implemented the teaching from this fantastic book. If you want to really make things happen in your life and business, this is a must listen episode and a must read book.
It's always exciting to start a new year. Like a fresh page in a book we start with a clean slate and as a solo business owner you probably feel ready to take the world by storm. If you want to make big things happen in 2022 then this is the episode for you and it's a goodie. You'll want to come back to it time and time again to keep inspiring and motivating yourself to keep showing up and making things happen.
It's that time of year when everyone is talking about end of year reviews and goal setting. But what if you haven't managed to achieve all your goals for this year?! Honestly, the world isn't going to come to an end but we do need a way forward so we don't stop ourselves from making progress and moving forward and this week's SOS has got you covered.
How many times have you got yourself really organised and stuck to a structured way of working for a few weeks and then totally lost it?... Yeah, me too. It's taken me time to fall in love with a more structured way of working but now I have, I'm a real fan girl! Find out how to fall in love with structure in this episode.
With Christmas just 5 weeks away at the time of release I'm sure I can't be the only one with a little festive ground rush! And this can happen a lot when we have an 'extra' in our lives like a family occasion or a big event in our business. So I'm sharing 7 steps to staying calm and getting the essentials covered.
We all have a negative committee that meets inside our head from time to time. After a particularly challenging year, I came across the High 5 Habit and I thought I'd share with you what I learned from actually trying to implement what I read and how it could help you too.
Nothing in business - or life for that matter - evokes a wider spectrum of emotions than money. But it’s not money itself that has the power; it’s our thoughts about money where the true power lies.Our minds are the most powerful business tool we posses but even the most experienced of us will have gremlins to contend with, so in this episode we're sorting out our money mindset and clearing away the debris for a fabulous next season in our businesses.
It's a totally rubbish situation when you are working your butt off and not making the money that you want to. And it's totally avoidable. In today's episode we're going through 4 reasons you are working so hard but the cash isn't rolling in.
As Solopreneurs we don't get to hibernate in the winter and hope our businesses will still be there in the Spring! And for some of us this is our busiest season. So with the shorter days and sometimes damp, gloomy weather how can we keep showing up and going for our dreams. I share a few tips in today's SOS :-) x
There are six parts to a marketing system that will make your life so much easier. The first three we covered last week: generate, capture, create. This week we are looking at the next three: connect, offer, track and measure. I promise you that intentionally having a system that includes these six elements will see you reach a level of consistency and effectiveness that you once only dreamed of.
Hands up if having to do so much marketing for your business was a bit of a surprise? Just me? I didn't think so. I hear all the time from solopreneurs that what they really want is just to work with their clients and not have to be hunting for their dinner all the time. I promise you, it is so much easier when you have a system and in the next two episodes I'm going to help you create one. Let's get started...
I am really fired up about you getting the results that you want in your business and I know that creating a business that is a joy to work in and has all the right pieces working really well together is essential to making that happen. But I also know it's not every solo business owner's favourite place to start and if that's the case for you then this is definitely for you. If you love structure and organisation you are just going to feel right at home.
"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." President Dwight D Eisenhower brilliantly articulated exactly why it matters how we plan. It doesn't matter what type of plan you have, how detailed it is or whether you've mapped out every day of the month! What matters is the way that you have gone about your planning; because the way you do it will determine whether you achieve it. Find out more in today's episode.
You've put so much effort into what you do in your business that everything can feel truly precious and difficult to let go of. But if we get into the habit of hoarding and adding more and more 'stuff' to what we do, we can become overburdened and confuse our audience. It's time to let go. And I believe we can learn from nature about releasing rather than cutting off things that are no longer serving us. Listen now and clear the way for new and exciting growth in your business.
You've put so much effort into what you do in your business that everything can feel truly precious and difficult to let go of. But if we get into the habit of hoarding and adding more and more 'stuff' to what we do, we can become overburdened and confuse our audience. It's time to let go. And I believe we can learn from nature about releasing rather than cutting off things that are no longer serving us. Listen now and clear the way for new and exciting growth in your business.
It's not always easy to take your own advice but as a business owner you definitely need to take some time to get quiet and hear what you would say to yourself because you are the very best person to tell you what to do!! It's totally worth taking some time to get quiet and you'll be amazed what great wisdom you have.
If you really want to stop bouncing from one task to the next, and you'd like to end the day with a sense of accomplishment then it's time to start being more intentional. Being intentional sets up tasks and finishes them with a sense of purpose and is much outcome focused. Have a listen to find out more ways that being intentional can boost your business.
Do you have a lot of business ideas? Most solopreneurs get them all the time. But if your business feels like it has become a place where your best ideas go to die, or where you just feel you have too many and should top; this episode is definitely for you.
'...if you want to far go together.' so the African proverb goes. But when we are looking at bring on freelancers or outsourced help, how do we know what to ask to make sure they are a great fit and we're going to get what we need? Kate Chastey answers this brilliantly in today's episode so you can build you team worry free.
Easy to say, not always so easy to do. So in this episode I'm breaking down 4 ways that will lead in you to thinking more like a business owner and take your solo business ownership to the next level.
We all love a good spring clean... well, we love the feeling after! But in our businesses we often put off cleaning up or even looking properly at the messy parts. All that changes though when we set up for success. We can't afford to have the flotsam and jetsom of a messy business floating about. So let's get to it and spruce up our businesses for success.
Almost every business owner I speak to wants to be more productive. And one of the most productive things we can do in our business is work from a place of rest. It sounds counter-intuitive I know but in today’s episode I want to convince you and inspire you to establish proper rhythms of rest and planning to set yourself up perfectly for audacious action taking.
Ready to set yourself up for the success you want? Let’s go.
Many solo business owners I work with face the same problem: they don't know what they should be doing when they're not working with clients. This can often lead to feeling ineffective and inefficient or being busy with things that don't progress their businesses. What we need is to create a repeatable, reliable system that can grow with us and it just so happens that I have been working on that system and am sharing it with you in this first of a four part series on setting up for success.
Many of us go into business with a fantastic concept or solution. We are ideas people. We're relationship builders. What we are definitely not ready for, is become sales people. The word itself is enough to cause cold sweats but the reality is, if we don't sell our product, how can people buy it? In today's episode I'm giving you 5 ways to make selling easier for yourself.
There are times when need to intentionally take a look and see what psychological and emotional baggage we are gathering and decide what we want to take with us moving forward. In this week's episode I give you two images to help you think about this as we go into the second half of the year.
If you come out in hives at even the thought of having to 'sell' then this is the episode for you. Leigh Ashton's passion and incredible insight into what we are truly doing when we 'sell' and how to have major mindset shifts around this vital business function are unmissable.
Are you really clear on your strengths and can you own them, at least to yourself? Are you really leaning in to them and using them everyday? Or are you someone that holds back a little or finds it hard to be really clear on what your strengths even are? In this week's episode Alison Hughes helps us understand what our strengths really are and how to use them to get the results we want in our businesses.
Ever heard the saying 'it's darkest just before dawn'? Very often when we are about to breakthrough... that's when we need our belief the most. But whatever you are going through in your business, be it highs or lows right now, belief is a vital part of the solo business owners toolkit. So in this episode I'm sharing some tips and tricks to maximise yours.
There are two key questions we have to ask when we catch ourselves saying this phrase and in today's episode I take you through those essential questions and give you some hints and tips for getting out of the trap that gets us stuck and feeling that we aren't making progress.
Have you ever wondered if your personal development work was actually leading to any real growth for you or your business? Over the years of using the SMART framework, I have revisited and refined the Teachable area because I see solo business owners falling into various traps in their personal development practice that actually do more harm than the thing they are trying to correct! Have a listen to this episode to make sure you are getting the results from personal development that you really want.
We're open for business!! It is an exciting time as things start to open up again and vaccine roll outs happen all over the world. But as we emerge from this strange time we need to think about the impact on ourselves and our business and we ready for that. In this episode, I'm talking about 5 things to think about that will help you do just that.
Getting more clients and growing our business needs more visibility, right? Well, I put this question to our guest today and the brilliant Alice Fewings gave us an interesting perspective on the topic of visibility and some key pointers for how to grow the right audience to really grow our business.
It's not easy creating consistent weekly content in your business. You know the benefits but sometimes it all gets a bit much. Surprisingly, I thought it would all be about having a good process and that is part of it, trust me! But equally were some of the other lessons that I learned along the way that now make weekly content creation so much easier.
I am so lucky that I know so many amazing business owners and now I have a podcast I get to share them with you too. And today I have a real treat, as multi-award winning business coach Ian Dickson is on the show to reflect with me on the last year and casting an optimistic vision for the coming year. This is a fantastic episode that will surely get you excited about what you can achieve as we move out of this global crisis.
So you've got a plan to outsource and now you want to get started... but how does that work? Who do I speak to? What do I need to have ready? If you've ever stopped yourself from getting going with outsourcing because you're not sure you are ready, then today's episode is for you. This is a brilliant conversation with the fabulous Kate Chastey and I am sure it's going to get you fired up to get started with outsourcing.
Is your business ready for growth? It's easy to create goals but without the right planning in place we can sabotage our own efforts to achieve them and one of the areas I see this happening is a reluctance to get the right help. So this week, we're looking at how we can create a plan to outsource so that we are ready for growth, even if right now we don't think we can afford it (and I may have a surprise or two there too).
"The results you want are the other side of consistency" Jasmine Starr. Great quote and one I use in my business all the time. It's true, but it is also oh so difficult! So today I'm going to be sharing the most common areas that I see inconsistency in marketing, what causes inconsistency and of course, some action points to crack the consistency code.
Finally, we seem to be on a definite path out of a global pandemic and into a more open economy and for us as business owners that probably means a bit of a shift in our thinking and ways of working. As always, I want you to be ready and prepared both as the business owner and that your business is also ready so in today's episode we are getting methodical and creating our own roadmap out of lockdown.
Lack of time is not often the reason you aren't getting everything done that you need to in your business. It's more likely that we forget that the most important thing to manage is ourselves, because we are the ones doing the work. In today's episode we're talking about managing our capacity... capacity for creativity, our emotional capacity, our focus and our capacity for self-discipline. These are what will truly help us get more productive and achieve more of what will help us get to our goals.
So fear has a job to do. It's job is to keep you safe. And you have a job to do... achieve your dreams, reach your goals and make things happen in your solo business. Very often those two jobs are fighting against each other, which generally leads to us feeling demotivated, tired and that we are in a constant battle. In today's episode, I'm taking a look at a process I use in my business to let fear keep me safe, while I keep making progress.
Joy isn't always the first word I think of when someone mentions social media to me! But there is joy is connection, in service and in knowing that we are doing something that educates, inspires and encourages as well as growing our own business. In this interview with the fantastic Alice Fewings we get into all of that and more.
We know we need to be focused and organised as solopreneurs but we love the spontaneity, creativity and freedom to choose what we do and when. How do we balance our natural distaste for structure and 'admin' with our fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants preferences! Have a listen to this episode for some answers.
Whatever your start to the year has been like, you are going to want to make sure that in 2021 you achieve your goals and make progress in your business. In today's episode, I'm sharing with you the recipe for success that I am using this year so you can try it or adapt and adjust to suit your taste.
Ready to take 2021 by storm? Maybe not yet, you might not have got done with 2020 yet! But as a solo business owner you want to be ready. You know you have challenges to face and things to achieve so in this episode I giving you a preparation plan to make sure that you are ready for anything!
Do you really need a business plan? After 2020, you might be forgiven for thinking there is generally no point. But business plans are a vital part of making sure we create the business and life we dreamt of when we started so in this episode I'm showing you how to do it in just 15 minutes a day.
If like me you are a recovering, or maybe not so recovering, perfectionist then don't miss this week's episode that I created to help you move past the thinking that stops you making progress and kills all your best ideas.
When I was struggling in my business, someone looking to encourage me said '100 people want to work with you, they just don't know you exist yet'. It worked. I realised that my most effective productivity efforts needed to be focused on marketing. Along the way I realised 3 other reasons that 100 people weren't working with me, and today I'm sharing them with you. Be encouraged, friend, 100 people are out there waiting to work with you.
2020 hasn't exactly been a year conducive with maintaining our maximum mojo. But it does seem SMART to work to get it back when we can, because, although we can do business without it; it feels great to have it and feel that we are firing on all cylinders. In today's episode we look at what it is, where it comes from and how we get it back.
So you get your business running somewhat smoothly and suddenly something happens, either a fantastic opportunity or something less exciting! And it's all change again. It can feel disheartening to be constantly having to shift things but that is also the life-blood of your business; solving problems, making decisions and moving forward. In today's episode we're talking about how to take yourself through a process of change management in your solo business so you keep making things happen.
If you don't always feel like you know what you are doing in your business and are operating way outside your strengths, today's episode is for you. Find out how you can really start to shape your business around your strengths and move towards that time when you are outsourcing your weaknesses and the stuff you just don't love.
The results you want are the other side of consistency. Whilst you know its true, if you are human, you probably have a few barriers that get in the way of being truly consistent. In today's episode I take you through 3 of those barriers and provide some ways forward to get you the results you really want.
We can all feel overwhelmed by how much we have to do at times. But that can really be a problem when we don't know where to start and so we don't begin. We just leave things undone or wait until another day or for some magic answer to appear. In today's episode I give you 4 strategies that you can help you use to unravel your brain and find your next actionable step.
I'm sure many of you would love to see the back of 2020, but we aren't quite there yet! And even when we are, there are no guarantees for 2021. So let's fully commit to ending the year with a bang not a whisper with my four step plan and give ourselves plenty of positives to celebrate at the end of the year.
Saying 'no' is a challenge for many solo business owners... especially when it comes to our clients or prospective clients. Even saying no to ourselves can be a difficult! But it is absolutely essential that we learn how to do so confidently when we need to, and in a way that is non-negotiable; leaving us free to say yes to the things that really move our business forward and give us joy.
It's becoming less taboo to talk about mental health, but by no means are we as open and easy about it as we are physical health. But your mental and physical health are critical factors in being able to show up as your best self. And they are absolutely essential to the health of your business. So in today's episode I share with you my thoughts on this topic, as well as some lessons from my own life learning how to manage my health and run a business.
Do you ever reach the end of a quarter or a year and feel that you haven't made progress towards you goals? It may be that you haven't quite dialed in working ON and IN your business. So in today's episode we dive deeper into what that means and the difference it makes, as well as exploring how you can get the balance right so you make real progress on the big picture and not just the day to day.
Get in control of your diary and start making things happen instead of reacting to everything that comes your way. Consistent effective action is totally within your grasp and this week I give you a simple tool to enable you to do that and show you how to personalise it so it works for you.
We all want to be more productive as solo business owners, but so often we allow time thieves to rob us of our most valuable resources - time and energy. In today's episode we expose these menaces and think about how we can defeat them and free ourselves to make real progress and take effective action.
Before we start with time management tools, planners and endless productivity hacks, the very best thing we can do is understand how we think and feel about time. In this interview with expert, Sheryl Andrews, we talk about how to make time your friend, how to understand the language you use around time and how to ensure that set yourself up to work at your best.
Consistency is a persistent problem for solo business owners. Because you are doing everything, and you are totally reliant on yourself for all your motivation, energy, ideas and creativity it can be a tough nut to crack. So in today's episode we're getting into four of the things that will really help you to nail this vital element of business ownership so that you can grow your business and start outsourcing the areas that would make your life easier and happier.
Pricing is so often a tricky area for solo business owners and we really want to get it right, both for us and our clients. And that desire, whilst good, can lead us to say two words that actually create a barrier to a potential client wanting to work with us and can lead to a pricing model that diminishes our client's experience over time. In this episode I take a look at those two words and what we can say and do instead.
We all need time out sometimes to take stock and have a think about where we are in our business. There are many ways of doing this and today I am sharing one of mine... The Smart Audit. It uses the SMART framework to take a look at your business generally or any one specific area and will help you to step back and get clear on what's next.
If you want a business that makes you serious revenue and that doesn't take every hour you have to run, then you need to get it set up properly with the right systems and processes. But as business owners we all avoid it. In today's episode I make creating processes simple and straightforward so you can quickly set up the ones that will make the most difference and start enjoying the consistent results they bring.
Have you ever felt frustrated and disappointed with the amount of money you actually make in your business? And does it sometimes feel that you are working really hard for little reward and with less time than you had when you had a full-time job? If so, then this episode is for you as I introduce you to 2 additional areas of profit, beyond money, that you need to be looking at in order to have a business that truly works for you.
Free content and the broad sharing of knowledge is such a bonus of the internet and social media. And it can be a major cause of loss of focus and disappearing down rabbit holes learning things that will never help us grow our businesses. In today's episode I am sharing my key strategies for engaging with free content so that it is a genuine boost to your business.
Have you ever found yourself comparing yourself to others and disappearing down a really unhelpful rabbit hole of self-doubt or wondering if you are ever going to make it? The reality is that comparing yourself with others will always place your focus in the wrong place, on things you can't control. In today's episode I uncover some comparison scenarios and what we can do about this really unhelpful thought pattern.
Dealing with distractions and engaging with tasks we don't really want to do is a way of life for solo business owners and something we have to master, if we ever want to grow our business so we can outsource the nasties (that other people love doing)! In this episode there is no room for excuses. It's all about the action.
It's great to have a focus first aid kit to fix a bad day (ep #15), it's even better if we can reduce the number we have! This week we are looking at how we can be methodical in our preparation for focus and get more done every day.
We all know what it's like to wake up and feel in a bit of a fog, or to sit at our desk and just not be able to make progress or stay focused. An occasional duvet day won't harm your business but, as solopreneurs whose businesses rely on getting things done, we need to make sure we can turn around those days so we are always focused and moving forward. In today's episode I help you to create your own Focus First Aid Kit to do just that.
If luck is where preparation meets opportunity (see episode 13) then how can we make sure that we make the most of those opportunities to build long term client relationships and raving fans. Find out in today's episode.
Do you ever look at some business owners and wonder how they got so lucky? In today's episode I'm sharing some of the ways that they did it and how you can get in on the action too.
Black lives matter is a conversation that I believe all business owners need to be involved in. And if you are a white business owner, it can be a challenging one. In this episode, I share with you my personal thoughts and how I am carefully moving into the conversation; how I am moving forward to ensure that diversity and inclusion are clear and obvious in my brand and how I will continue to engage with social issues. This is the start of an ongoing conversation and one that I hope you will join me in.
Black lives matter is a conversation that I believe all business owners need to be involved in. And if you are a white business owner, it can be a challenging one. In this episode, I share with you my personal thoughts and how I am carefully moving into the conversation; how I am moving forward to ensure that diversity and inclusion are clear and obvious in my brand and how I will continue to engage with social issues. This is the start of an ongoing conversation and one that I hope you will join me in.
Have you ever tried and failed to deal with old limiting beliefs and just got really fed up with them? The thing is dealing with them in terms of getting rid of them is a myth... and if we keep trying we will feel like personal development failures. Listen to today's episode to find out what to do instead.
Do you sometimes find that you 'know' something but can't really action it? The principle of working ON and not always IN your business can get a bit confusing and then annoying if you don't really know what the heck you are meant to be doing. In today's episode I unlock 3 key roles in your business to help you get this game changing balance right.
Banish overwhelm and feeling that you aren't making progress in your business by following the steps in today's episode. Not only will this help you to prioritise if you have too much on your plate, but it will also help you to stop that happening in the first place. In this episode we keep it simple but make sure that what you do is truly productive and not just busy.
Too many solopreneurs are struggling to make money in their businesses. In today's episode I uncover 6 reasons that, whilst you may 'know' them, you aren't intentionally doing anything about them, so they are really hiding in plain sight! Let's change that and get your business ready for a much brighter financial future.
Taking yourself seriously as a business owner means seriously investing time, energy and money into your development. Your business will be limited in it's ability to grow until you do and in today's episode you will find out exactly how to ensure you are working smarter at your learning and without wasting precious resources.
You know that relationships are essential to any business, and especially to solopreneurs. So how do we make sure that we don't take them for granted and we build and maintain the right ones. In today's episode we look at the principles for building relationships that start strong and stay strong.
It's all about you this week. Since your business is run by you and only you as a solopreneur, then taking care of yourself and leading and managing yourself effectively is by definition a revenue generating activity. Listen in and get valuable insights into how to make the most of... yourself!
'Take massive action' is not always the best advice in the world. In this episode I talk about taking the right action, that really makes a difference in your business and genuinely moves the needle. The difference is true productivity, not just activity.
Creativity, freedom, more time and money might be the reasons you decided to blaze your own trail, but without a methodical approach you may just find you have less of all them! Listen up to find out what you need to ensure that your business is always taking you where you want to go.
Showing up can easily become one of those buzz phrases that loses meaning. But in this episode we look at why it really matters, how it saves you time and effort and 3 vital practices that ensure you have the confidence, courage and energy to show up as your best self everyday.
Have you ever wondered what it really means to work smarter, not harder and how you might achieve that? In this episode, Karen answers that question and introduces you to the SMART framework, so you can get started.