Push Start Marketing is 12 months old, and I have learnt an incredible amount.
It's been a whirlwind year, from the highs of supportive clients, 'colleagues' and successful outcomes to the lows of a client that briefly destroyed my confidence and I agonized about taking to court.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and the outcome of that was I got a coach, learnt to separate emotion from business and started looking at things, people, and situations objectively.
As I approached my first birthday my coach (www.charlycox.com, can't recommend her highly enough) asked me for my 10 pieces advice for any new business. Whether they are right or wrong, I am sharing them with you.
1. Network fearlessly
Don't be worried you're a new business, don't be daunted by those 'bigger, more successful' people in the room, they all had to start somewhere. Know what you want from Networking; speaking opportunities, to make an impression in the room, to increase a contacts list, bums on seats and go get it.
2. Set out decisions and deal breakers and don’t cross the line
What will you do and what won't you do?
I will: Work for free if I want to, cold call, work 9.30-5.30, take on employees - create a team, embrace challenges, charge £xx per hour,
I won't: Work with arrogant clients, discount, take on regular/recurring work with no clear plan, non-paid evening work, work Friday nights.
3. Get a coach / support
Athletes that want to succeed get coaches, Kings and politicians have advisers, friends are great but they want to talk about themselves too. Invest (and I mean invest, this will cost, financially and emotionally) in a professional business or performance coach. Their advice and more importantly the changes you will make to your life, values and business are invaluable.
4. Set parameters
Where do you want to be in 6 months, a year, 2 years, 4 years?
What do you need to earn to break even, make a profit, reward yourself?
What will your working hours be?
How many clients do you need?
Give yourself a structure to work within and to, makes the whole thing much more manageable, real and achievable.
5. Celebrate more than you think you need to
When you work for yourself you have an eye on your cash flow, the need to pay the bills now your self-employed, the next thing to buy for the business etc.. But you will have been working so exceptionally hard, harder than you did for any boss that never appreciated you. You are now your boss, you need to appreciate you. Give yourself a budget to celebrate every time you hit that target, whether it's dinner out, a day off or a small gift to yourself. Another month in business, yay! Another client signed, yay! Celebrate all your successes, if you don't, who will?
6. Outsource anything that takes too much time
We all have strengths and weakness, so outsource your weakness; bookkeeping, admin, cold calling, blogs, social media, whatever it is. Because you don't want to do it, or it is a massive drain on your time give it to someone who can do it better or quicker than you and concentrate on doing what you do best, to earn the money (and more) to pay for it.
7. Establish values and only work with those who share them
Skills can be taught, decisions negotiated but values are not so easily changed or created. List out yours and your businesses and aim to work with only those who share your values.
E.g. A few of mine: Honesty, Integrity, Nurturing loyalty, Inspiring focus and direction, Curating expert advise & applying it, Taking opportunities to learn, Trust, Flexibility, Strength - convictions, Rewards, Clarity, Welcoming, Comfortable, Relaxed.
8. Price higher than you’re comfortable with
Most people don't value the price of their advice/work, it comes almost naturally to them because of their skills, training and experience, s it's hard to put a premium on it. But you will also spend time travelling, researching, on admin and follow-ups that you won't bill for. So take advice, do some research and charge appropriately, even if you're not completely comfortable with the figure at first.
9. Don’t buy work
I don't mean spending time networking, I mean lowering prices, discounting, over servicing and under billing, just to have work to do, or work for a certain client. You are effectively buying work.
10. Fake it til you make it (..or become it)
You might not feel like an MD, CEO or successful business person but if you are running a business, you are. Others WILL see you as entrepreneurial, brave and authoritative, and again you probably are. So if you don't yet feel like it, fake it, till you have the clients, projects and plans in place to realise, for yourself, you have made/become it.
