This How To Guide has been shared with the public for the first time to give them an insight into what goes on inside Simply Club. BUT, as always and forever, there's additional value for you that no one else sees!
Here's the blog with the solutions attached - yay!
I wanted to write this blog for several reasons, not least because I think it's important that we share what our common challenges are to find solutions together. But really it all started with me doing a little Google search to try and find data on the key issues facing micro businesses this year...and the results were woeful.
Firstly, there's the perennial issue that most blogs only talk about SMEs or small business (between 10 & 250 employees!). What I was reading was relevant to micros in some ways...but not really HOW those issues manifest in the day to day for micros.
Second up is that much of the data is around the traditionally talked about business elements (money, profit, growth) when in fact, for many a micro, it's often a little more human than that.
So here I am writing about what I experience when I work with members and clients from the micro business world. These are some of the top challenges I see being faced and some ideas about how to mitigate them and find solutions.
Sharing our challenges this way, shines a spotlight on the real experiences of micro business owners but also helps bring micros together to find strength and friendship as they navigate our ever evolving world.
Vision & purpose clarity. Why you're doing what you do and where you're headed is the most vital element of a micro business. Yes, there may be a gap in the market and a customer need but likely there'll be others doing something similar. The connective tissue in all that you do (marketing, finding funding, delivering product or service, staying motivated, maintaining confidence) will be why you do it. Too often, micros slip into 'beige' and don't quite share the real heart, the nub, about what drives them each day. Be more Marmite, be super specific, authentic, open & clear.
Head to our Video Workshop archive in Member Hub to find out exactly what finding your purpose is all about & ways to share it.
Join the 'New Beginnings' course for free inside Member Hub which will walk you through clarifying your vision & purpose with workbooks & videos.
Dive into our free resources in Member Hub to find business & marketing planers to help you get all this down in a meaningful way.
Head to the How To Guide archive to pick out specific guides to help you today.
Watch Simon Sinek's 'Golden Circle' TED talk on Youtube - it's fab!
Personal wellbeing. This is talked about far too little. Out of the 5.2 million micros in Britain, about 60% don't employ and the remaining will likely be founder/owners in charge of all decisions. In this tough environment, this is an entirely human and personal struggle. It's time to give wellbeing its proper place in the core business elements we focus on alongside income, cashflow & marketing.
Check out my How To Guide from early April about how to create a strategy around your number 1 asset - you!
Search the How To Guide archive for multiple 'wellbeing' focussed topics to help you find your way.
Join our monthly Group Mentoring session (last Monday of each month at 3.30pm) to find friends, lean in and get the support you need.
Pop along to a Meet Up or start one near you to build a network where you are that really 'get it'.
Dive into the Member Hub forum today to talk about your key challenges, share ideas or find a mucker to help.
Digital & Content Overwhelm. Blimey, it's noisy & busy out there! The pressure to deliver fresh content all the time, as well as staying on top of platform changes and digital upgrades is exhausting. If it's just you in your business in charge, it's a lot to be the master of all areas of your enterprise. Finding clever & efficient ways to create content that lands while making the most of digital tech quickly & easily is key to unlocking micro potential. Understanding how to choose best practice for your business will build confidence while creating space to continue to drive your business before it drives you.
Search the How To Guide archive for specific topics that you need help with.
Visit the forum inside Member Hub and dive into our 'Tech' topic for ideas or to ask for help.
Search your fellow members inside the Member Hub to find those who might be able to help you specifically & maybe start a little chat online using our 'member chat' function.
Ask me via chat or email and I will sigh post you to the best sources of help.
Download our content planner from the resources section of the Hub.
Costs, costs, costs. This is a depressing feature of 2023 that can't really be avoided but there's a silver lining & finding efficiencies now will make any micro business stronger and more resilient for the future. This might look like simple streamlining & being more sustainable (always THE key element of a micro) or could even be a complete business model change to pave the way for a brighter future in the longer term. Sharing your experiences, finding some mentoring help & being brave and radical will all be great ways to find innovative and long term solutions.
Join one of Group Mentoring sessions (last Monday of each month at 3.30pm on Zoom) to niggle out your key challenges in private & with those who have real experience & know how.
Download the 'Business Model Canvas' from our resources section to map out your business to see if there's a radical solution.
Use some of the options listed above to connect in the forum, contact me or share.
Staying visible & relevant. That should finish up with '...in an overwhelmed world'. Life has become such 'a lot' for us all, including your customers. Getting them to stay focussed on your business or breaking through the ever noisy world of social media is a real challenge. How to ensure your website is findable or ensure that people act on your content, are all questions that I get asked almost daily. It's about the 3 'Cs' - connection, conversation & community. We can't impact the whole world but we can connect, stay engaged & create a tribe around our micro business that will make all the difference.
There are multiple How To Guides in the archive plus workshop videos to help you stay visible & relevant even in the toughest of times.
Stay connected in the forum with your fellow members - THE best resources we all have.
Enrol in the 'New Beginnings' course to reframe your comms plan or marketing strategy. Full of workbooks, resources and ideas.
Reach out to me for 121 help or to sign post you to experts inside the Club...social media gurus, website masters, photography heroes & graphic designers are all there!
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