07 Jan Beating the January Blues

Happy New Year and welcome to 2016! Got those year goals pinned on your vision board or already doubting they are even achievable? They don’t call them the January Blues for nothing, the holidays and celebrations are over, for some sales can be quiet as people have overspent, and we even have to get through ‘Blue Monday’ the third Monday of the month and proclaimed as the most depressing day of the year.

Well in the words of a certain pop starlet, it’s time to shake it off! You have a career, and hopefully, one you are passionate about! Monday 5th January is the start to a new week! Traditionally a Monday is the toughest day of the week – if that’s how you still feel, you gotta change your way of thinking!

Mondays should only be hated by people who hate their jobs. Besides it doesn’t even have to be the first working day of your week, you can choose your own day, your own hours, and work during the day or in the evening, or split your day and take a siesta, work through the night and sleep all day, work while your kids are at school or when you can fit it in between the myriad of other things you have to do. But set your schedule and stick as closely to it as you can – of course, it can have some flexibility to suit your circumstances but for the most part if you work consistently and productively you’ll get more done. I’ve also taken the possibly extreme decision to do a digital detox from everything social media on a personal level. Obviously I’ll still be checking in on LinkedIn and business emails but as of today I am deactivating my Facebook account and deleting my Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, apps and logging out for one whole month!

So if last year was tough and you didn’t get anywhere close to hitting those goals you wrote down in 2014 then it’s time for a change. As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (an overused clique attributed probably incorrectly to Mr. Einstein but you get the gist!). You can sit in your cage or you can shake those bars until they break. Create your most efficient, productive days and working hours that will suit you and of course your ideal clients. I have a timetable where I add in block hours for client work, meetings, learning, and free time for socialising and absolutely remember to include some me-time! You need time to relax and unwind so you can stay sane and also be more productive when you are working! Keep some time to just think, open your mind to a little bit of creative thinking, review your plans and goals and make changes if you need to but be consistent in yourself belief and stay motivated in working towards those goals.

We know that money can’t really buy happiness. But we also know that a good investment now can pay for all those little and big moments in the future. Coffee and with friends, outfits for special occasions, gifts for loved ones, relaxing holidays in your holiday home. They are all memories I want you to have without thinking about the cost so how can reach that goal? You need:

• Consistent marketing
• Good sales funnel
• An email list and newsletter
• Core products & seasonal or promotional products
• Read, research and continue learning from successful business owners

And if you want to grow then it’s worth considering other income streams as well. If you charge by the hour then your income is limited by the number of hours you work. Personally, in addition to my services, I also sell my book which will be three books by the end of the year, and I’m going to be launching automated downloadables and group workshops by the summer as well.

So you have some options, you could create group events where you teach what you do to multiple people at once and charge them a set fee for learning from your experience. This means you can earn more per hour although keep in mind this can mean more organisation and more emails/calls etc. as you’re dealing with groups of people so take that into account when working out your pricing.

Another example, I had a chat with a make-up artist while I was getting ready for a photo shoot a while back and after finding out what I do she began picking my brain. I don’t mind a bit of complimentary advice now and then and I liked her so we had a great chat about how she could develop what she did. We ended up coming up with a plan for her to source some local beauty people and work together offering packages to customers. I suggested they can also recommend one another for their different services, exchange a bundle of business cards and have backlinks on each other’s websites.

I also pitched that she book girly events to groups of 4-6 friends who come along to have a pre-night out evening with beauty treatments, bubbly, music and professional photographs. If she runs the events and pays for the advertising then she will be able to keep the bulk of the profits after paying the other suppliers for their time.

If you don’t have a skill your client wants, rather than shrugging your shoulders and sending them off to deal with it themselves you can help your client! Find someone good who offers this service/product and then you have three options:

• Add the service into your packages at a profit for doing the sourcing
• Ask the supplier for a referral fee
• Buy the product/service at an agreed discount, sell it to the client at the standard price and keep the difference as commission.

Your customers will appreciate your help and you’ve saved them time and effort so they’re more likely to recommend you so it’s a win-win! Don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial from a satisfied client. There are plenty of easy places they can leave one for you and only takes them a minute or two to do so.

Anyway, it’s been a busy start to the year for me already as I get back into the swing of things after the holidays. I’ll let you know next blog post how I get on with my digital detox! Wishing you a great start to the new year and speak soon.

Kirsten

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs from Pexels