7 classes I learnt in 2022

2023 is quick approaching and on the finish of the 12 months, I prefer to spend a while reflecting on the 12 months passed by and being attentive to the teachings I’ve learnt. I don’t have many traditions on the weblog however that is positively one I unintentionally began in 2020. You’ll be able to try my earlier end-of-year reflections for 2020 right here and 2021 right here. Carry on studying to search out out the 7 classes I learnt in 2022.

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Lesson 1: There are various methods to scale a enterprise and you want to actually take into consideration what’s best for you.

Certainly one of my objectives for 2022 was so as to add a scalable provide into my enterprise. Till 2022 my enterprise had been purely promoting one-to-one companies and the actual fact is I like working one-to-one with small enterprise homeowners. I actually imagine within the energy of getting customised advertising and marketing methods and due to this fact working one-to-one with enterprise homeowners simply is smart. Nevertheless, solely promoting one-to-one companies gave me two issues. Firstly, my revenue was restricted to an quantity I used to be not glad to be capped at. Secondly, I used to be limiting the variety of enterprise homeowners I might work with and the stage at which that enterprise proprietor needed to be at. My pricing meant I wasn’t in a position to assist enterprise homeowners who had been at an early stage of their enterprise or had a smaller income potential. I wished to have the ability to handle each these points, which meant trying into scaling my enterprise. This might allow me to have the ability to earn more money in my enterprise, have the ability to assist extra enterprise homeowners and have a suggestion at a value level that might assist an early-stage or “small”-revenue enterprise proprietor.

My purpose didn’t state what my scalable provide was going to be and initially my concept was to scale in two methods: a gaggle accelerator and a bodily planner. I first ran the group accelerator (Begin Robust) in January 2022. For years in my enterprise, I’ve labored in quarters and with all my mentoring purchasers we plan in 12-week cycles. As well as, I actually imagine within the energy of a brand new 12 months and making certain that you’ve a powerful Q1 to place your self “on monitor” for the remainder of the 12 months. With that in thoughts, I created Begin Robust with the aim of working with enterprise homeowners over Q1 and serving to to create a plan for Q1 that supported their annual objectives after which making certain they made the appropriate strategic selections and took the appropriate strategic actions with their advertising and marketing in order that that they had an impressive first quarter.

I liked operating Begin Robust and the enterprise homeowners inside bought nice outcomes so I’m operating Begin Robust once more in January 2023. In case you are studying this earlier than the seventh of January 2023 enrolment continues to be open and yow will discover out extra and join right here. 

 

WANT TO START 2023 STRONG AND TAKE YOUR CONTENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL?  Begin Robust is an intimate group accelerator for established on-line, service-based, enterprise homeowners who’re able to take their content material advertising and marketing to the subsequent stage in 2023! Creating  high-quality content material, on a constant foundation, that ends in leads and gross sales is on the coronary heart of Begin Robust. So in case you are critical about utilizing your content material as a lead-generation or gross sales instrument then try Begin Robust. Discover out extra and be part of by clicking right here.

My second concept was to have a bodily product – a planner. It’s no secret that I’m a planner and I like a bodily planner. Additionally, as I discussed earlier than I take advantage of a 12-week planning cycle with purchasers and am large on quarterly planning as a enterprise. With that in thoughts, the thought was to create a quarterly planner and use a print-on-demand writer so it could be a passive revenue product. In Q1 of 2022, I had a template and would alter weekly and stick it into one other pocket book. Then for Q2, I had a prototype made and I used it for the entire quarter. Nevertheless, by the top of the quarter, I realised while having a planner made sense for my model it didn’t really feel like the appropriate time to launch. It felt like a distraction and would take up invaluable time and power away from promoting my major companies, and given the value level, the quantity would should be large to justify taking on invaluable advertising and marketing house that I might use for my different companies.

 

LESSON: As a solopreneur, I can’t do all the pieces. There are various methods to scale and some would technically work for my enterprise, however I can’t add all of them in, while the enterprise is simply me. For each new provide, I’ve within the enterprise I want to make sure I’ve the flexibility to efficiently market and promote the provide too.

 

 

Lesson 2:  Put money into know-how that allows you to work smarter

As a solopreneur investing in tech is crucial. The correct know-how can enable a solopreneur to develop their enterprise with out rising their time. Nevertheless, I’ll be trustworthy and say I’ve traditionally been hesitant at investing in tech, particularly tech that entails a month-to-month subscription in {dollars} (I hate paying for issues in {dollars} the place every month I’ll get charged one thing totally different).

My large piece of enterprise tech funding this 12 months was Kartra. I’ve been conscious of Kartra for some time now and I immediately fell in love with the thought of it being a one-stop-shop for operating your on-line enterprise. I signed up as an affiliate and took all their trainings and favored what I noticed. Then I joined a course that was ran on Kartra and favored the expertise as a buyer. Then I discovered examples of different enterprise homeowners who had multi-million-pound companies that had been being run via Kartra which confirmed that’s was software program that might have the ability to develop with my enterprise. In truth, not solely might it develop alongside by enterprise, however as a result of performance to run memberships and promote programs it could enable my enterprise to scale.

Over the summer season I signed up and immediately began operating my membership via it. Then over time, I began to make use of different elements of the software program however the one factor I took too lengthy to type out was utilizing Kartra for e-mail advertising and marketing. I like e-mail advertising and marketing and was hesitant to lose the information I had constructed up through the years in Mailerlite. I shouldn’t have hesitated although as a result of inside a number of weeks of shifting my mailing checklist over I used to be absolutely in love with Karta’s e-mail performance and analytics.

Upgrading only for the e-mail advertising and marketing performance has been a winner. There are such a lot of issues I like similar to

• The power for subscribers so as to add a hyperlink to one in every of their social media accounts so now I can know extra about my subscribers
• Simply including tags so I can see precisely what weblog posts my subscribers have clicked to learn
• Permitting new customers to undergo a welcome e-mail sequence after which mechanically be added to my mailing checklist in order that they don’t get too many emails directly
• Having all of my purchasers tagged with their purchases in order that they aren’t emailed about companies that they’ve already purchased/aren’t related

And a lot extra.

Transferring to Kartra has enabled me to work smarter than earlier than. Not solely does it have the aptitude for me to run memberships and programs so I can have scalable gives in my enterprise, however even with out that, it has enabled me to take my e-mail advertising and marketing to the subsequent stage.

Having all the pieces in a single place is nice from a knowledge perspective. I can see when somebody has booked a name with me, clicked on a hyperlink in an e-mail and purchased one thing from me multi functional place. That stage of knowledge is a game-changer for a small enterprise proprietor. On prime of that having all the pieces in a single place means I solely have to be taught one piece of software program, and if I select to outsource sooner or later it will likely be simpler for another person to take over.

LESSON: Should you’ve been eyeing up some software program for some time – purchase it! If you find yourself hating it you possibly can at all times cancel however on the entire, in the event you’ve bought your eye on some software program for some time then there’s a good cause. Shopping for the appropriate software program is an funding, not a price, it would let you generate more cash in your small business so make the funding sooner reasonably than later.

To find out more about Kartra and enjoy a 14-day trial for just $1 click here.

Lesson 3: Discovering the appropriate neighborhood of enterprise homeowners could be tough

I discover operating my very own enterprise lonely. I’m naturally an extrovert and get my power from being round folks so I positively didn’t begin my enterprise as a result of the considered being house alone all day and never having to work together with folks sounded dreamy.

Operating your small business by your self could be lonely and I imagine within the significance of discovering the appropriate neighborhood. In April I left a neighborhood I had been in for 18 months. Adjustments had been occurring contained in the neighborhood and with the brand new monetary 12 months it felt like the proper time to maneuver on to one thing else, however the actuality is I haven’t discovered one thing else but that has given me the identical power and sense of neighborhood. I’m in two different on-line memberships: one for small enterprise homeowners and one for feminine founders, however each haven’t fairly hit the spot. So the hunt to search out my folks is unquestionably nonetheless on.

LESSON: Discovering the appropriate neighborhood could be laborious. In case you are additionally feeling lonely in enterprise please know you aren’t alone. And in the event you haven’t discovered your folks but carry on trying they are going to be on the market.

Lesson 4: Watch out what you experiment with – The “30 day” TikTok problem

In January I launched into what I assumed was going to be a 30-day TikTok experiment. Almost a 12 months later I’m nonetheless on the platform and have posted over 700 movies throughout the 12 months.

I like TikTok. It has a very totally different really feel from different social media platforms, which I like, and I’ve learnt quite a bit about creating short-form movies, which has helped with creating content material on different platforms. Nevertheless, it’s by far probably the most addictive social media platform I’ve ever been on and I’ve wasted extra hours than I’d prefer to admit.

After I launched into the experiment I used to be primarily considering it could be good to study TikTok as I felt it wouldn’t be lengthy earlier than I wanted to create advertising and marketing methods that concerned TikTok. Nevertheless, that hasn’t occurred. I nonetheless don’t have a shopper that’s on TikTok. And while I’ve had some heat leads which can be nonetheless in my gross sales pipeline I’ve not made a sale from somebody who has solely engaged with me on TikTok.

Will I proceed utilizing TikTok in 2023? Completely! However I shall be posting much less typically, having a extra sturdy repurposing technique and being a lot stricter concerning the time I spend “researching”.

LESSON: Experimenting in enterprise is nice. You’ll be able to’t keep nonetheless and particularly with on-line advertising and marketing there are at all times going to be new issues to strive. Set clear parameters for experiments and you’ll want to commonly examine in with the social media platforms you employ to make sure it nonetheless is smart so that you can use them.

In case you are on TikTok and aren’t already following me then yow will discover me at @charellegriffith

Lesson 5: Studying about ‘The Creator Economic system while being part of the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Programme 

The sudden spotlight of 2022 was being chosen for LinkedIn UK’s first Creator Accelerator Programme. Initially of this 12 months, I didn’t even know the programme existed and actually, I knew little or no about what it meant to be a creator on any social media platform. While I’ve been concerned in creating content material on social media platforms for over 7 years now I’ve strictly targeted on creating content material to extend model consciousness and generate gross sales. I’d by no means been curious about being an influencer or content material creator, and so had paid a lot consideration to the way it all labored.

For years I’d been conscious of LinkedIn High Voices, however once more hadn’t paid a lot consideration. After which in the summertime of 2020, I noticed somebody posting about being within the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Programme out of the country and checked out the programme. Being within the programme allowed creators to be a part of an incubator-style programme to deliver a inventive idea to life via trainings with business and enterprise leaders, entry to the LinkedIn Group Administration crew, monetary assist and being a part of an engaged neighborhood of creators.

By being within the programme I bought to be taught extra about what it meant to be a Linkedin Creator and a LinkedIn High Voice. I additionally bought to satisfy with creators who created for different platforms and actually begin to perceive how the Creator Economic system works. While I’m not about to pack my enterprise in at present and turn out to be a full-time content material creator my eyes have positively been opened to methods to how I can use my abilities to create further income streams.

LESSON: Each social media platform desires the most effective creators to be creating content material on their platform and there shall be programmes and monetary incentives to encourage creators to maintain creating there. Exterior of platforms there are more and more extra manufacturers that want high-quality content material and can rent creators to make that content material for them.

Lesson 6: Successful an award gained’t mechanically change your small business

In October 2022 I gained Content material Marketer of the Yr on the DigitalWomen Awards. I used to be shocked to win the award however really honoured. As talked about earlier I’ve been creating content material for 7 years and with out it, I wouldn’t have the enterprise or life I’ve at present. I satisfaction myself on being according to my content material whether or not that be right here on my weblog, sending out emails (you possibly can be part of my mailing checklist right here) or on social media (I’m at the moment on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok). Content material advertising and marketing permits me to do two issues on the identical time: entice new purchasers for my enterprise and assist extra enterprise homeowners than I might ever bodily have the ability to work with.

After the awards, I stayed in contact with most of the winners and it has been fascinating to see the influence the awards has had on their enterprise. Should you win an award, put an announcement publish on social media after which suppose it will change your small business eternally then you’re mistaken.

There are increasingly more awards to be gained than ever earlier than and inside a number of days of successful that award, everybody else has been forgotten. It’s your job to make sure that you could have sprinkled details about you being an award-winning X within the acceptable locations whether or not that be in your biography for press, your intro on LinkedIn, the signature in your e-mail, or the footer in your web site.

LESSON: Successful an award could really feel nice, however if you’d like it to truly change the way forward for your small business then you want to make sure that you benefit from it. Whether it is an award your potential purchasers would care about be sure to have details about you successful the award in the appropriate locations.

Lesson 7:  I like assembly enterprise homeowners and entrepreneurs in-person

2022 was the 12 months I bought again into in-person networking and I liked it! I completely love getting the chance to talk to different entrepreneurs and enterprise homeowners in particular person, and after a whole lot of time at house, I used to be excited to get out of the home and begin mingling with folks once more..

A few of the highlights included:

• The Marketing Meetup (Nottingham version) hosted on the attractive Impression workplaces
• The Imperfect Life Leaders Expertise – run by Kerry Lyons
• The Psychology of Getting Wealthy – run by Niyc Pidgeon

For me, the most effective occasions are these the place I’ve the chance to be taught and the chance to satisfy folks and all three of those occasions did simply that.

One of many causes for doing 2022 reflections is to be able to guarantee the teachings you’ve learnt transfer ahead with you. After actually having fun with getting again into in-person occasions this 12 months I’ve already booked 2 conferences for 2023.

I’ll be going to:

• Skilled Empires in March,  the place I’m trying ahead to seeing Denise Duffield-Thomas converse
• Atomicon in June, the place I’m trying ahead to seeing Rachel Rodgers converse

Should you’ll be attending both drop me a message prematurely so I can hold an eye fixed out for you. 

LESSON: I like assembly folks in-person and sure going to in-person occasions could be expensive (journey, lodging and the ticket), and imply having to clear your diary, Nevertheless it at all times finally ends up being value it. So clear your diary, ebook the ticket and go!

There you could have it! You now know the 7 classes I learnt in 2022.

The query is what did you be taught in 2022? I hope by sharing these classes with you you’ve been impressed to do your personal end-of-year overview. You’ll be able to be taught a lot from taking a second to look again. And bear in mind classes are learnt from the highs and from the lows. Writing down the teachings will assist make sure that you bear in mind what you learnt this 12 months and may carry if ahead into future years.

Should you do resolve to sit down down and do an end-of-year reflection I might love so that you can share within the feedback one lesson you learnt this 12 months.

HAVEN’T REFLECTED ON 2022 YET? HAVEN’T GOT A PLAN IN PLACE FOR 2023?

It isn’t too late! I run 2023 Technique Days in January as a result of some enterprise homeowners have a loopy busy finish of the 12 months so discover it higher to plan in January after they have a full understanding of how the final 12 months went.

Once you ebook a  2023 Technique Day and also you’ll get my questionnaire to assist information you thru the reflection course of prematurely of the day. Then on the day, we’ll use your reflection and my overview to place collectively a plan for the 12 months. You’ll go away assured about your objectives after which a transparent map of find out how to obtain these objectives via your choices, costs and advertising and marketing technique.

You will discover out extra and ebook a 2023 Technique Day right here.

Need ongoing coaching, assist and accountability to develop your small business in 2023? Discover out the opposite methods you possibly can work with me right here.