The Creative Genius Corner
Lessons, musings and advice from the author of ‘The Life I Won’
In a busy world it can seem like a really hard slog to build your business and move it to where you want it to be. Long days in front of the laptop on social media trying to win as many likes as possible and getting nowhere fast. Trying to sell your products and services and nobody biting. Everyone is telling you to do this, do that. Feeling overwhelmed, confused and fed up to the back teeth of attending workshops, courses and networking events only to inch forward or stay still.
Ever feel like screaming aaarrrrgggghhh and hiding in a corner?
You are not alone, believe me. This is the journey of the entrepreneur. Add to that being a ‘creative entrepreneur’ and the journey can seem even harder. The viewpoint of society is rooted in the myth of the ‘starving artist’, and creativity is ‘just a hobby’ that you may make a few bob from. Most of the creative women I meet have a ‘proper job’ that brings them an income which pays the bills, and their earnings from their creativity is extra, and minimal. These women are working long days and often underselling themselves in a big way. The creative brain also does not do well in the ‘hustle’. Easily overwhelmed and crushed by comparison and self-confidence issues, many women just give up trying.
Well, it doesn’t need to be like this. You don’t know what you don’t know right now and when you know it then everything changes. There is not a woman I have worked with that has not had all of the above feelings. My job is to help them to move forward in a way that resonates with them. So, I thought I would share my top tips for getting some clarity in your business right now. Because we all need a bit of clarity, right? I want you to slow down in order to speed up and stop doing so much in order to do more.
Sounds a bit crazy? You will have some resistance to this, for sure, but I can assure you that if you stop doing all of the things you are doing right now and just focus on doing a few of the right things, it will have an impact. Don’t get me wrong, there are no quick fixes or instant wins (despite people trying to sell you them!), it takes consistency and focus. I just want you to focus on the things that will send you in the right direction in your business.
Write your Business Story.
It really helps you to find your voice on social media if you put some time into writing your business story. What is your business story? Well, it is the reason you do what you do and the journey that brought you to the decision to do it. Some people call it ‘your why’ but I think that oversimplifies it. It’s more than that. It can be the pain you went through, your fight with your confidence or disaster or it can be the calling you had in your heart and never followed until now. Whatever your story is, tell it with passion, write at least a couple of A4 sheets, and write it chronologically so that people can see the journey. You don’t need to tell the whole story every time but having it well written will allow you to use snippets and become familiar with telling it succinctly. Here is the link to my story, which is on my website.
Nail your Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA).
People who skip this stage have no idea who they are talking to and therefore they are talking to nobody! The more niche you can be in terms of your product or service target client/customer, the better. You can NEVER be too niche or unique. The knowledge surrounding your ICA is gold. You need to know them intimately and know what makes them buy. Putting your energy into this fully at the expense of other things that you currently see as important will pay dividends. Dig deep and be specific! Pick a person and nail their sex; age (not a range of ages – just one, someone can’t be 25 – 35 they are either 25 or 35!); what house they live in, the car they own; where they holiday; marital status; kids; earnings; disposable income – to the penny etc. here is a link to a free training on nailing your niche that will help you.
Know where you want to be in 12-months.
If you don’t know where you are heading, how will you know when you get there? Your job is to be crystal clear about what good looks like to you. How much do you want to earn per month? Where will you be living? How much money will be in your bank account? What will people be saying about you? The more details the better. It is so easy to meander through business life without a signpost or checkpoint. Successful people create goals, habits, procedures, multiple income streams and they review their progress weekly.
YES WEEKLY!
Taking the time to sit down and ask what went well, what did not go well and where you are versus your plans and goals is THE no 1 habit of the successful. Developing the habits for success will transform your business. Delete all of the unnecessary stuff and adopt the game changing habits. They are not spectacular, they are the small things that when done consistently, make all of the difference.
If you struggle to do or ‘get your head around’ any of these key actions in your business, then you need some help. If you want calm and not hustle and you want to find out exactly what you don’t know, invest in someone who can teach you. It does not need to be me; I am not pitching!
The statistics are crystal clear, you are 70% more likely to succeed when you invest in a mentor who will help you to fill your gaps in knowledge, challenge you to be better and hold you accountable. You are the best investment you will ever make, with guaranteed return.
Love and Colour
Mandy