I want to peel back the layers on small business growth in this digital age because I feel as if we don’t talk about the real behind-the-scenes enough. I have some thoughts I want to share.
Ever since I made the shift to digital consultancy and copywriting for the web, my small business has grown from referrals but also because of my relentless passion for education on the Internet.
I’m in the trenches of online writing and using my talent to foster my small business growth.
I write every day and publish 2 newsletters and a long-form blog post every single week.
I’ve felt the pain of building community, the heaviness of writer’s block, and the sting of feeling like nobody gives a squat about what I say.
Still, I continued to write and the long tail of it all is that it has made my digital agency more discoverable.
It hasn’t been easy. Heck no! Navigating these past two years gave me a glimpse into HELL.
But this first quarter we’ve already booked a good bit MORE work than what we secured in sales within the first quarter of last year.
***BUT WITH GROWTH HAS COME …***
A real intense pressure to make sure clients are getting results (digital and SEO work demands this)
Adjusting to earlier mornings as I use my focus and energy to motivate and manage a global team
Getting behind on deadlines for my own e-commerce site (now 6 weeks late)
Feeling creatively drained at times when the focus switches to numbers and all I want to do is create
Dealing with self-doubt
Feeling the need to always be constantly up-to-date and switched on
Renegotiating what kind of personal support I need when I’m pouring so much into others
Redefining what workflow and life should feel like as they intersect
Upgrading backend systems (servers, payment gateways, content management systems etc.) that fail even when I thought I had it all figured out.
That’s the world I juggle every day.
Small Business Growth Can Look Like This
Look, you need to know growing your small, amazing business in a sustainable way means you are going to feel the hard knocks.
With GROWTH naturally comes new challenges, new fears, new responsibilities.
So I’ve redefined growth and sustainability not just to mean revenue and profit. These are important but not everything.
Sustainability (to me) is about “waking up” and feeling good about whom I’m serving. It means making sure my happiness is at the forefront every single day as I cannot serve when my cup is empty.
Maybe for you, it means…
Saying no more than yes (even if you’re feeling some FOMO!)
Redesigning your lifestyle so work is part of your day but not all of it
Getting the right support in place
Exercising
Pushing deadlines and new projects to fill your cup back up FIRST.
Does any of this sound like you? I really want to know how you keep your passion up for what you do. Looking forward to reading your message.
P.S Oooooh, last week I just dropped a gem on the biggest shift I’m making in 2022 with creating content so I can feel focused and happy. Did you miss it? You can read it >>> HERE <<<
