The Smashing Self-Employment Business Podcast: Recent Episodes
Auckland Business Builders
Smashing Self-Employment (part of Auckland Business Builders) is the online community for those who are self-employed or running small businesses in Auckland.
Learn how to get, and keep, more customers and build a brilliant business.
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Steve O'Neill, (self-employed trainer, voiceover artist and podcaster) shares his thoughts and learnings on having been self-employed for nearly a year.
The key lessons include:
- Have a plan
- Don't be afraid of the steep learning curve
- You need to be ultra-disciplined
- Work on being multi-skilled (quickly)
- And more
You can find Steve here:
Website: www.sondevelopment.com Podcast: www.sharppodcast.com
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In this episode strengths coach Daria Williamson (www.dariawilliamson.com) discusses how working out your strengths (the things you enjoy and are good at) can help you in your working life.
You see, we all have things we like doing and don't like doing. The things we don't like can demotivate us and we're prone to putting them off.
Here, Daria gives you some thoughts on how you can work with areas where you're not strong and make more of what you enjoy (without ignoring the less exciting stuff).
We look at procrastination and how to reduce it, how to leverage help when needed, and ideas for getting the most out of your 'zone of genius'.
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Emily Cordwell, business owner and productivity podcaster (https://open.spotify.com/show/managing-the-juggle), shares her tips for being successfully self-employed.
She also shares some pointers on how to organise yourself when you're a busy mum trying to run a business from home.
Emily's key points include:
- Get some help - you can't do everything (neither should you try)
- Don't fret about having someone else look after your kids while you work
- Make sure you know what 'one thing' you'd like to accomplish each day
- Do your most important stuff when you're at your most awake
- Look after cashflow and get help if you struggle with this
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When introducing new products or services to your marketing there's no need to reinvent your marketing wheel. Chances are good that what you've done in the past will work with the new thing.
You see, those who want to build their business often overlook the stuff that's worked in the past when they do something new.
They think that "if it's a new thing then we need new marketing".
And this simply isn't usually the case.
If you're selling to the same audience (market) then the same tried-and-tested approaches will most likely work.
So try the marketing techniques you've used thus far and only change them if they don't seem to work with the new product or service.
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With Covid variants running rampant it's a wise move to try and plan short-term so you can quickly adapt to the changing business environment. Quarterly is a good time-frame to do this and here's why.
You see, nobody can predict what's happening at the moment and govt's seem to be very quick to just lock down the economy and this could have a very negative impact on your business.
So, make sure you've done some thinking about what will happen to your business if this happens.
This episode of the podcast will give you some ideas and things to think about.
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If you're running a small business you should remember that social media is there as a client-engagement and customer-attraction tool. And that means treating it more like an actual marketing channel.
You see, far too many smaller businesses (and the self-employed) seem to think that just 'putting stuff on social media' is the way to attract customers.
Yes it will have some affect but you need to make sure you're putting out some actual marketing messages.
- Are you encouraging people to visit your website to take a look at what you're offering?
- Are you steering people towards enquiring about your products/services?
- Are you promoting offers and/or featured products?
Whatever you do, just remember that social media for business is a marketing exercise.
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In our social media business world it's important to make sure you're connecting with the right people to maximise the value of your network.
This means taking the time to evaluate connections.
You see, you need to understand if a connection will be of use to you, you to them, or if they will provide something to your network that will be useful.
If you can't see any of this happening then you should decline the request and move on.
Remember: it's not about the quantity in your network, it's about quality of your network.
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Knowing your key financial numbers is vital for your business if you intend to grow it. Without up-to-date, accurate financial information you won't be able to make properly informed decisions.
In this interview, Murray Phillips (https://www.insightca.nz) shares his insights into the key financial figures that you should have available when you need them.
Murray addresses 4 important questions:
- How important is it to know your numbers in business (turnover, gross & net profit, customer LTV etc)?
- What are the most common mistakes that small business owners make with their numbers?
- How can they avoid those mistakes?
- What key financial knowledge does someone need when trying to grow a small business?
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One of the big deals in marketing is to fully understand what you're selling. If you don't understand how your product or service helps your customers then your marketing won't be as effective as it should be.
You see, we all buy things for a reason (or reasons). And when you get this you can focus on that reason in your sales and marketing efforts.
For example:
Hairdressers are in the business of helping people look good and, as a result, feel good.
Accountants bring the reassurance that the numbers are right so that the tax authorities don't come knocking.
An electrician is there to fix and maintain electrical things so that it's all safe, thus providing a secure feeling.
Whatever it is you sell, work on the results (the why) that your customers get out of buying from you.
And then market your ability to help customers get said results.
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We all know that "talk is cheap" and "actions speak louder than words".⠀But are you actually working towards what you say you want?⠀
A lot of people say they want success (whatever that means) but don't seem to be putting in the effort to achieve it.⠀
Their words and their actions don't tally. And, as a result, they're very unlikely to reach their stated goals.⠀
They'll end up disillusioned and, even worse, other people won't take them so seriously.⠀
So, just make sure that your actions are taking you towards what you say you want.⠀
This episode will give you some pointers.
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You may have heard the phrase "Just Say No!". In this short podcast episode I'll share a true story of how this approach to potential opportunities can backfire.
You see, as business owners we see opportunities everywhere and this can be a blessing and a curse.
But, in this case I was given an opportunity to earn some easy advertising money. But, because it didn't immediately make sense, I turned it down.
Turns out it was a bad mistake.
If I'd asked more questions and taken the time to think about it a bit more then the outcome would have been different.
So, never just flatly turn something down without doing a spot of research first. You never know if it could end up being a great opportunity.
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It's important that your branding is consistent across all your channels these days. This is because people do a lot more research before buying and if there is anything that looks out of sorts then they're less likely to see your brand as trustworthy.
But it's not just about logo and company name, you also need to make sure the colours and the wording are consistent too.
The key with marketing is to build trust and if potential buyers see the same branding across all your channels then this familiarity will reassure them that you are who you say you are.
Any irregularity in your branding will encourage the potential buyer to think that there's something wrong here and they're less likely to buy.
N.B. This channel will soon be re-branded to Auckland Business Builders. You'll get the same great content but it'll just be called something else.
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We're all encouraged to be on social media. After all, that's where our customers are right? However, only a minority of people have a plan for their social media marketing and are, therefor, not doing social media properly.
You see, it's vital to make sure you're encouraging your followers and connections to get involved that little bit more.
You need to nudge them to take some interest in your services or products.
In essence. your social media activity should be there to nurture that audience towards becoming paying customers. And if you're not doing this then you're only doing it for the fun of it.
So, try and ensure that your social media is serving your business in some way.
N.B. This channel will soon be re-branded to Auckland Business Builders. You'll get the same great content but it'll just be called something else.
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There are few secrets in marketing but there is one marketing ingredient that over 90% of small businesses don't seem to have caught onto.
And that ingredient is this:
Tell me "what's in it for me?" if I buy from you.
You see, most marketing just tells people what they do. As a result it's pretty-much like all the other marketing.
But when you start to highlight the benefits of buying from you the results will improve because you're showing me a reason to buy.
Listen this episode to find out how it's done.
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Many people suffer from a lack of energy in the middle of the afternoon so here's a quick tip to help boost your energy levels after lunch.
The key to this is to get moving.
5 minutes after eating your lunch you should go for a short (10 minute) walk to get your circulation moving and stimulate all the happy hormones normally associated with exercise.
You see, what happens after lunch is that your body reacts to the food in your stomach by sending blood to the digestive system and this lowers the blood (and therefore oxygen) to the brain.
So, anything you can do get the blood circulating more effectively again will oxygenate the brain and give you an energy boost.
Give it a whirl. It only works.
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A content sharing strategy is a must-have if you want to win in the search engines. This episode will help you to get started.
You see, content sharing enables your target audience to access you content a lot faster than just leaving it to the search engines.
When you create a content item (e.g. a blog post) you need to make sure you share it out far and wide.
Share it on:
- emails
- social media
- highlight it on your website
- social sharing plugins
And then share it out periodically again.
This combined content sharing approach will drive traffic to your site and this will help your website in the search engines.
Resources mentioned
- Monarch content sharing plugin : https://www.elegantthemes.com/plugins/monarch/
- Revive Old Posts plugin : https://wordpress.org/plugins/tweet-old-post/
- Buffer social media management : https://buffer.com/
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It's easy to wonder about often you should send marketing emails out and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. This episode of the podcast should help you to work this out a little better.
This a question we're asked a lot and it really depends on 3 things:
- your type of business,
- your intended audience
- and how much time you can dedicate to sending out emails.
If you're in Business to Consumer (B2C) then you'll likely get away with a couple of times a week (maybe even daily).
If you sell to other businesses (B2B) then you'd probably get huge unsubscribes if you send something more than once a week.
Have a listen and you'll get more food for thought on this along with some examples.
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Life gets in the way when you're planning on doing something else. That's right, there will be times when it's hard to get things done or make any progress because of other things happening in your life.
The key is to not give yourself a hard time when you're in the middle of this.
Avoid being too self-critical and try to work with this philosophy:
"Do what you can with what you have, in the time available, under your circumstances".
When you do this you'll learn that even doing a little can end up making a big difference.
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In this episode master salesman and sales hypnotist, Gary Foster, (www.saleshypnosis.co.uk) shares his thoughts on how to improve your sales with proven ideas and techniques that he uses every day.
Nobody is born a salesperson and most people never get as good as they could be.
However, it's a skill that can definitely be improved with coaching and practice.
Key points:
- If a successful sales person tells you what to do, just do it (exactly as instructed)
- Find a formula and repeat it
- Test and measure, look to improve always
- Avoid Price Shoppers from Hell
- Be relentless (but supportive and positive) in your follow-up
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Daria Williamson (www.dariawilliamson.com) shares her thoughts on why (and how) people get into a rut with their career and business and how you can begin to work your way out of it.
It's easy to get into a situation where you feel like you're just going through the motions each day or, despite you best efforts, you just can't move things forwards.
Well, it could be that you're not working to your strengths and are thus unenthused about what you're working on.
Identifying and working with your strengths can bust through the blocks and enable you to get more done, improve your confidence, and move forwards in your business and career.
Key points:
- Your strengths are where your energy lies
- If you're doing stuff that doesn't connect with your strengths then it'll be harder work than it should be
- Do more work on your strengths and approach other stuff from a position of strengths
- Delegate (outsource) stuff you don't enjoy
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A great way to get better results from marketing is to create a process for doing it.
The more systemised (process-driven) your business is then the easier it will be to run and manage. And your marketing should be no exception.
So, work on developing a marketing system to ensure that your marketing is consistent. Because consistent marketing usually outperforms all else.
Key points:
- plan your marketing
- create a marketing schedule
- monitor results more frequently
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One of the challenges of being self-employed is knowing when to switch off. It's vital that you regularly disconnect from work and allow your mind and body to relax.
This episode discusses the idea of making sure you take at least one day off each week.
This means a day without work including emails, social media, work-related reading, all of it.
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When you start a new marketing campaign you can waste a lot of time and money if you don't know what you're doing. And small businesses usually don't have money to waste.
However, with a few key things in place you can save yourself money and stress and give your campaign a better chance of success.
The first thing is to make sure you start with your target audience and how you're aiming to help them.
Make sure you understand your key message and that you're using the right channels to reach out with.
Always start small and split test your campaign to work out what's doing well.
Monitor the results vigorously.
Aim for the maximum return on investment.
Scale up steadily as your confidence in the campaign grows.
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Blogging is incredibly good for your website and can help your site perform better than your competitors.
The problem is that writing blog posts takes time and, if you're already busy, you may not have any time to write.
So, this podcast episode walks you through some options to get content for for your blog in a faster and more time-efficient manner.
The keys are:
- get someone else to write for you
- record and transcribe an audio
- use a voice recognition software
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Ever heard of 'Shiny New Thing Syndrome'? It's the habit of skipping from one thing to the next because the new thing looks exciting and new.
The problem is that it can be bad for your business because it's a distraction and also can erode your ability to master the things you were working on.
Just because everyone is raving about this new thing doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be good for you, your business or your ability to serve your customers.
This episode talks you through the syndrome and gives you some ideas on how to avoid it.
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If you really want to get stuff done you need to give up multi-tasking. The idea that this is a great way to work is a an outright lie and actually stops you from really being productive.
Some good ways of being productive are:
- Have a plan for what you want to get done
- Clear your workspace
- Switch off notifications
- Do one thing at a time
- Use the Pomodoro technique
The episode will talk you through these ideas and how they fit together to help improve your productivity.
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Measuring your marketing is important because you need to know what's working and what isn't.
That way you can look to improve what's not performing and also make the most of what's doing well.
This episode of the podcast gives you some examples of how you can do this in your business.
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Every business would like to get more referrals so in this episode you'll hear about how a mortgage broker seriously increased his referrals with a simple strategy.
Referrals really are the best way to grow a business. They don't tend to cost anything and a recommendation gives you instant credibility in the mind of the potential new customer.
It really is the easiest sale you could ever make.
But the key to nurturing referrals is to treat your referrers like the important people that they are.
And the simplest way to do this is to give something back for every referral you receive.
Listen to the podcast to find out how it can be done.
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John Maybury (https://www.johnmaybury.com) is a coach who helps clients get their message across on social media using video.
Here John shares some of his challenges and how he's carving out his niche in the crowded social media marketing industry.
Key lessons:
- Have faith in what you're doing
- Make the most of time available
- Be positive - look for the good in all situations
- Take ACTION - nothing happens if you don't put in the work
- Never give up hope
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Yep, time management is a lie. You simply can't manage time. The key to getting stuff done is to more effectively manage yourself.
Unless you're a time traveller you'll only get 60 minutes in an hour, just like the rest of us.
But it's what you do in those 60 minutes that makes all the difference to your ability to get stuff done.
And it's all about managing YOU!
This episode gives a couple of pointers to help you get started.
Key points:
- Give yourself time and space for focus
- Minimise distractions (this is a biggie)
- Discipline yourself to resist the temptation to check your email or social media
- Don't let customers run your life
- Make sure you actually have a weekend, free from work distractions
- Chip away at managing yourself
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Let's face it, self-employment can be tough. But it's also the most fulfilling career choice too. Here we discuss a few things that you'll need to take into account when self-employed and why you should reconsider if you just can't hack it.
I see an awful lot of people who are self-employed and running micro-businesses who, in all honesty, really shouldn’t be self-employed and doing what they’re doing.
You see, there are an awful lot of things which make it very different from working for somebody else.
First of all; you have to be multi-skilled, more so than in any job.
You have to accept and inconsistent income.
You will face some rejection (possibly a lot of it).
And you have an absolute self-starter with plenty of motivation.
But it's not all doom and gloom. This episode shares some ideas to help you with all of these so you can overcome the challenges and move forwards.
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Far too many self-employed people (and small businesses) don't get the best out of their marketing because they're not consistent.
This episode shares with you a simple, but highly powerful, method for making your marketing work more effectively.
But the best part is that if you're more consistent than your competition then you'll get more consistent results.
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The Law of Attraction is the notion that if you put what you want out into the universe then the universe will deliver.
The problem with this idea is that it often overlooks the fact that if you want to be successful then you have put in a whole heap of work.
However, what's good about the concept is that it encourages you know what it is you want.
And focus and singularity of purpose are highly useful things in business.
But don't for one minute believe that you can sit on your couch, watching trash TV, and expect what you want to land in your lap.
Yes, be clear about what you want. Put it 'out there' if you wish.
But don't expect it to just happen; you have to do the work!
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You may, at times, feel that there is more to do than there are hours available. And that's just a normal part of being self-employed.
But being able to outsource or delegate stuff can help make your business easier to manage through getting rid of jobs that you don't enjoy or just take up a lot of time for the value they add.
In all honesty, you can't build a properly sustainable business until you get good at delegation or outsourcing.
So, this episode focuses on the why and how you can outsource and delegate some of your work.
Key points:
~ make sure you're clear on what you want and when you want it ~ Focus on results rather than method ~ If it's not working, offer training or find someone else.
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The idea that "Knowledge is Power" is a myth.
In fact, knowledge is useless until it's actually being used for something. Here's how to make it happen for you.
It's important to be constantly updating your knowledge and skills but being the most knowledgable person around isn't going to make you any more successful if you don't use what you've learned to further your goals.
There are plenty of educated and knowledge-filled people out there who are unemployed or struggling to get by.
And it's often because they've not done anything with what they've learned.
So, the key message of this podcast episode is to make sure that you're putting your learning into ACTION!
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In the age of social media you might be inclined to think that email marketing has had its day.
But the reality is far from it.
Email marketing is still a very effective (and inexpensive) marketing tool and is likely to continue to be so.
The key things to consider are:
- 3 billion people use email for work related purposes, more than any social media
- It's still dirt cheap, so ROI is easy to achieve
- It's great for creating cross-channel engagement
However, it's important to use it wisely and not stuff your contacts' inbox with irrelevant and useless rubbish. You'll quickly lose fans if you do.
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In this episode you'll learn some simple ideas that'll help you avoid wasting money in your business.
You see, it's far to easy to just spend on things you don't really need and (usually) there's nobody to tell you differently.
The key areas are:
- Graphic/brand design (often over-rated and unnecessary)
- Technology (buy what works, not the most expensive)
- Office equipment/furniture (charity shops sell some great stuff at dirt-cheap prices)
- Accountant (often not legally required, should provide value, shop around if you're just after someone to file the tax returns)
- Office space (go for out-of-town since it's usually a lot cheaper)
These things alone could save you a whole heap of money.
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Your business needs a website, a proper hosted, stand-alone website. And there's loads of reasons why.
You see, all of the social platforms are owned by someone else. You may have thousands of followers or likes but if they take a dislike to you then they will kick you out.
But if you have a website and use it as the hub of your online activity then nobody can take it away.
Not only that but your prospective customers will likely do a search for you and if they can't find a website it reduces your credibility as a business.
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Based on recent experience I share some examples of where small businesses can up their game by following-up more effectively.
Most of us will know what it's like to phone a company (plumbers are often the worst) and then not get any kind of response.
This is not only rude but can also damage your reputation as a business.
Also, it's wise to keep track of all of your social media channels even if you don't actually use them that much.
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In this case-study I share the story of Tom and Dan and their expensive marketing blunder in the hope that you'll learn from their mistakes to save you time and hassle.
Tom and Dan ran an IT business and they paid for a campaign that was badly targeted and badly written.
The campaign cost them nearly £1,000, which they couldn't really afford to waste, and picked up no new clients.
The key lessons were:
- don't spend a tonne of money on an untested idea (start small and scale up if it works)
- make sure you understand your target audience before doing anything
- make sure that your marketing messages speak to the target audience
LET'S CONNECT:
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2020 has been a disaster for many self-employed people but it looks like 2021 should be better. Here's how you can take advantage by getting your 2021 plan underway.
The key thing is that there are Covid vaccines rolling out and confidence is beginning to take an up-swing.
This means that business will start regaining some momentum and you need to give yourself the best possible chance of being well-placed when it happens.
So, get cracking with your 2021 plan.
Examine what's different. Can you do things better, add different products/services, improve your processes, scrap things that don't work?
The list goes on but get this done early and 2021 will be a good year for you and your business.
LET'S CONNECT:
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Sometimes it's hard to find good customer service but here's an example of where I was turned into a raving fan by an amplifier company.
The lesson in this podcast episode can be applied to almost any business, even if you're running a tiny side-hustle after work.
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A great way of maximizing your time is to know when your mind and body are at their sharpest and most energetic.
This simple, yet powerful, idea can help you get the most important stuff done when you know you're at your best.
This means that you'll stop wasting your best time on non-essential tasks and really get to grips with what's important (and no; social media, emails and admin are not the most important tasks in your day).
Key points:
- You will have a time (or times) in your day when you're at your most awake and energetic
- When you work out what these times are you can put them to use
- You can use these times to do the really important stuff in your working day
LET'S CONNECT:
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Sheila Smith, of Your Business Expo (www.yourbusinessexpo.co.uk), had a torrid Spring and Summer of 2020 as all live events were cancelled due to Covid.
In this episode of the podcast Sheila shares how it affected her and what she's done to pivot her business as a result of the business climate.
Not only that but she shares ideas on how you can begin to get your mind back on track too.
The things Sheila discusses are:
- How to avoid an emotional black hole
- Why working with others makes you stronger
- Key things to look for in a collaboration
- The importance of learning new skills (no matter how much you think you already know)
- and more
LET'S CONNECT:
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It's very easy to try and get stuck in to loads of different marketing channels, especially when you're just starting out.
But it could actually be damaging to your marketing effectiveness if you're trying to do too much.
In this episode I'll share my thoughts on why doing less can actually get better results overall.
The key thing is that it's impossible to get really good at loads of different channels, it's much better to be top-notch on 2 than mediocre on many.
Not only that but you can't properly monitor loads of different channels so you'll run the risk of not knowing what's working (and what's not).
LET'S CONNECT:
https://aucklandbusinessbuilders.co.nz/
https://www.instagram.com/AucklandBusinessBuilders
https://www.youtube.com/channel/AucklandBusinessBuilders
https://www.facebook.com/AucklandBusinessbuilders
In this episode we share some thoughts on how easy it is to spend time on things that aren't important and also how easy it is to waste time trying to make things perfect.
It's an age-old maxim that striving for perfection is a foolish mission.
However, when you're self-employed you're often precious about how things are and you'll always work towards making things as good as they can be.
The problem with this approach is that you'll end up spending valuable time on stuff that isn't particularly important.
So, here you'll find a couple of case studies of where this happens and how to try and make sure you don't fall into the trap of spending time on unimportant stuff.
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this episode Chelsea Baldwin of The Business Bitch (https://businessbitch.com/) shares some of the key elements that have taken her from copywriting freelancer to serial entreprenuer over the last 10 years.
The things Chelsea discusses are:
- Spotting opportunities
- Reaching decision makers
- Expanding a freelancing business
- Processes and automation
- Standing out in your market
- and more
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this episode (recorded live at a webinar) we cover some key points about making your message (your elevator pitch/speech) much more effective and how to get more out networking in general.
There's also a couple of examples of great elevator pitches to, hopefully, give you some ideas.
The key points are :
- Tell me why I should be interested
- Don't just tell me what you do
- Tell me what's in it for me
- Use just one message
- If you say you'll follow up, do it
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this episode Caroline Hunt of Emerald Starfish (www.emerald-starfish.com/) shares some of the things that have enabled her to maintain a successful 10 years as a self-employed recruitment specialist.
The things Caroline discusses are:
- Knowing your level of personal integrity
- Making your business fit your family life
- Having confidence in yourself
- Spending time 'on' your business'
- and more...
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this live recording of a talk given at a networking event I share 3 simple ideas that have helped me massively in my self-employed career.
One of the great things about being self-employed is that we can change things very quickly and we can also adapt whenever we need to. Even better still is that you don't have to ask permission either.
So, these simple ideas are here to help. However, just because they're simple. it doesn't make them easy. They will take some effort. But when you do get to grips with them, you and your business will flow much better and you'll have more customers too.
So, here they are:
- Just say NO! Turn down rubbish work, time vampires, non-essential stuff in your working day.
- Delegate / outsource a lot more! Farm out the jobs that have to be done but aren't high-value for your time and skills. Book-keeping, admin jobs, email management, customer service follow-up, and research (and loads more) are just some of the jobs that can be outsourced or delegated to free up your time for building your business or serving your customers.
- Do Some Marketing Every Day! When I did this in my web-design business the sales doubled in less than 9 months.
LET'S CONNECT:
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Here we chat with Atish Parmar of Metric Connect (https://metricconnectmc.com/) about his experiences of being self-employed, including having sold one business and starting another.
The things he discusses are:
- Delegation/outsourcing and why it's important
- Maintaining a work-life balance
- Using your most productive time wisely
- Why customer retention is more important than ever
- Effective processes
- Dealing with problem staff
- and loads more...
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this episode we talk with Sebastien de La Hamayde of Designeering (https://www.designeering.com/) where he shares his thoughts on being a self-employed engineering and brand designer for over 25 years.
The key things he discusses are:
- re-inventing yourself
- why constant learning is important
- not putting all your eggs in one basket
- and loads more...
LET'S CONNECT:
https://aucklandbusinessbuilders.co.nz/ https://www.instagram.com/AucklandBusinessBuilders https://www.youtube.com/channel/AucklandBusinessBuilders https://www.facebook.com/AucklandBusinessbuilders
In this episode we interview Libby Langley (https://libbylangley.com/) who is a successful self-employed online marketing specialist.
Libby answers the questions on how she became self-employed, what she's learned along the way, and the key things that she thinks will help you to be successfully self-employed.
The key things Libby covers are:
- Doing what fees right
- Being honest with yourself and your customers
- Coping with adversity
- Making tough decisions
- and loads more...
LET'S CONNECT:
https://aucklandbusinessbuilders.co.nz/ https://www.instagram.com/AucklandBusinessBuilders https://www.youtube.com/channel/AucklandBusinessBuilders https://www.facebook.com/AucklandBusinessbuilders
We all know that marketing is important. After all, 'getting and keeping customers' should always be a high priority.
The big problem, though, is that many people who are self-employed neglect marketing (often without realising it) and then wonder why they get poor (or no) results.
Well, in this episode you'll discover the secret behind consistent sales and marketing success.
And it's simpler than you might think.
OK, so it's this: "Do some marketing every day!"
But there's a bit more to it than that, so listen in and find out.
LET'S CONNECT:
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In this episode we interview Clare McCabe of Purple Star Design (www.purplestardesign.co.uk) and ask her the key questions about what it takes to be successfully self-employed.
The key things Clare talks about are:
~ Being consistent ~ Avoiding distractions ~ Having choices ~ Say no to stuff that's not your key passion ~ Being proud of your achievements ~ And loads more
LET'S CONNECT:
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Having a holiday can be more stressful than it needs to be when you're self-employed.
The fear that business will grind to a halt can be overwhelming for some people and they won't be able to relax properly as a result.
In this episode we share a couple of simple ideas, that really work, and can help to make your holiday a properly relaxing time.
The key points are:
- Let your customers know that you're having a holiday (they won't be surprised)
- Get someone else to answer the phone for you
- Get someone else to manage your emails (and social media) and only message you if it's something urgent that only you can deal with.
Remember: if you can't relax, because you're worried about what you're missing, then it's not a real holiday.
LET'S CONNECT:
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When you're self-employed, getting stuff done is absolutely vital.
This simple technique will help you to focus which will enable you to get more done.
Here we discuss the need to cut distractions to enable you to focus on the task in hand.
The 2 key things are to switch off your phone and your email (trust us, nobody will die if they can't reach you for half an hour or more).
OK, so it won't be easy for some people. But the more you do it, the more you'll be able to focus and then get stuff done.
And the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
But the key thing to remember is that very few businesses will suffer if you're unavailable for a little while.
LET'S CONNECT:
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One of the big things about marketing is understanding who you're selling to. And most self-employed people (over 90%) get this completely wrong.
If you try to sell and promote to everybody, then almost all of your marketing time and money will be wasted. This is because many people (and probably most people) won't really be interested in what you have to offer.
In this episode I'll share with you an exercise in how to work out your target market.
When you get this right you'll save time and money by only marketing to those people who are most likely to buy from you.
LET'S CONNECT:
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Working for yourself can be very challenging at times. It really isn't the easy path.
So, when you're self-employed it's vital that you understand the reason (or reasons) why you're self-employed.
It's important because, when things get tough (and they will at some point), your reasons will keep you going.
In this episode we explain how that works and how you can use it to help you.
LET'S CONNECT:
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https://www.instagram.com/AucklandBusinessBuilders
https://www.youtube.com/channel/AucklandBusinessBuilders
https://www.facebook.com/AucklandBusinessbuilders