small business

10 Simple Ways To Boost Your Business Energy

The start of the month is a great time to bring some intention to your business – and especially to boost your business energy. These 10 simple tips are great ways to energise your business and feel good while you’re running a creative business this month.

If you’re a small business owner, chances are you easily find yourself on the hamster wheel of your to-do list, responding to enquiries and orders as they come in. The bigger business strategy can fall behind! However, having simple steps to work through can make a huge difference.

Even if you don’t do a full plan for the month or the quarter, I have some tips that will help you to bring in some fresh energy in the month ahead…

Jenny is smiling with her hands together, over a graphic image that reads, "10 simple ways to boost your business energy"

10 Business Tips To Boost Your Business Energy In April:

  1. Refresh your homepage. Does it reflect your current bestsellers, offerings, and energy? Rather than a chore of technology, imagine you’re tinkering with a real-life shop window. What would you put on display? Let your online equivalent reflect that spirit.
  2. Check your Instagram bio. Could it share more authentically about your creativity? Are the links up to date and useful? Does it articulate your value? I’ve had “update highlights” in the back of my mind for a while, and I’m determined that this will be the month for it!
  3. Have a gorgeous Money Date with your business. Invite yourself to coffee and cake (or whatever tickles your fancy) and catch up on your bookkeeping and cash flow. This is something creatives procrastinate, so make it enjoyable!
  4. While we’re at it, get ahead with your tax return (if you complete a UK self-assessment). You’ll feel really smug if you get this done early, and your cash flow planning will thank you later. If in doubt, hire an accountant to help.
  5. Plan a creative outing with yourself or a friend. Visit an art gallery, take a day trip somewhere, or even book a class! Cultivating creativity ultimately fuels your business, so it’s highly recommended.
  6. Invest in a pretty wall planner that inspires you. Betsy Benn has one that starts every quarter, so there’s no wasted space.
  7. Choose ONE marketing channel to focus on this month. Instagram (especially Reels) can be great for visibility; email marketing typically converts to sales at a higher rate.
  8. Check your profit margins (and put your prices up!). There’s no denying that costs are rising, so make sure you’re not caught out. My profit calculator spreadsheet is now available for just £22, making it a wise investment that pays off.
  9. Have a spring clean. “Outer order, inner calm,” says Gretchen Rubin. She’s right, and yet I’m still allergic to decluttering. Taking 15 minutes to clear my desk is manageable and effective. Do that weekly and you’ll see a big difference.
  10. Choose 2 or 3 pick-me-ups to raise your spirits this month. Try a new blend of tea or coffee. Buy yourself flowers for your studio. Order cake for 3 weeks’ time and be surprised when they arrive (Jess makes great options). Enjoy an inspiring book (Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist has a gorgeous 10th anniversary edition, and it’s easy to just read one page). Try a new essential oil roller (I love the chakra range by Eve & Keel).

This isn’t a perfectionist to-do list.

You don’t have to do every single one of these things to boost your business. One is great!

Above all, listen to your own inner wisdom: I’m pretty sure there are things you know will benefit you, too.

What are your favourite ways to boost your business energy? I’d love to hear!

Episode 14: How To Stop Overthinking

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Are you an overthinker? Do you tend to worry about every small decision in your business?

Well, you’re not alone. This podcast episode is for anyone who tends to get stuck in a loop, wondering “what if” over all the tiny things, and feeling exhausted at the end of it.

You’ll discover:

  • What overthinking is, especially for business owners
  • Step 1 to calming your nervous system and resetting your busy brain
  • The connection between overthinking and the patriarchy
  • Why we tend to overthink and get stuck in decision paralysis
  • How you can reduce overthinking and free up your creative energy

Spoiler alert: reducing your overthinking is a HUGE step towards reclaiming your power.

And we 1000% need more of that in the world.

Questions to help you stop overthinking

  • Will this matter in a year?
  • What’s the actual risk – and potential reward?
  • What does your gut say?
  • What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
  • What would be worth doing, even if you do?

Enjoyed this episode? I’d love to hear! You can pop a comment below, DM me on Instagram, or even buy me a coffee.

And if you want to access regular support to stop overthinking in your business, consider joining The Better Business Collective.

A Little Better: When Facebook Goes Down, Use Email Marketing

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Today’s episode is for small business owners who don’t want to be hyper reliant on social media, and who are looking for calmer, more confident ways to market their business. (Hint: it’s email marketing…)

So Facebook went down. Again. There have been a few incidents recently. And personally there’s a sigh of relief. I like an excuse to put my phone down and connect with the present moment and what’s in front of me!

But it’s also a bit discombobulating, especially if you’re a business owner in a sales period.

First, I want to say that I am not one for scaremongering. Facebook – and Instagram, same family – are sticking around. They’re unlikely to disappear at the drop of a hat. Like all technology, they are constantly innovating, and sometimes that means down time. It’s part of the process.

However, it’s a good reminder, especially at this time of year, to have some contingency plans. Things can change. Servers can go down. And while it’s unlikely to be over Black Friday weekend (they rely on advertisers too much to risk that), as a business owner, we want some other options.

Here’s the big contingency plan: email marketing.

I am a huge fan of email marketing, as I’ve shared before on this podcast. And one of the reasons is exactly this: you have way more control over it than social media. Even if you use Flodesk and Flodesk goes down, you can grab your list and use it through another platform.

And you’re not so reliant on algorithms, either.

So I like email for the ownership element, but I also like it because it converts.

It really, really helps your customers to sit and actually place the order. Which, at Christmas, is highly, highly effective!

Yes, that conversion is boosted by seeing your product on social media. But the emails are the catalyst.

Email marketing is more intimate, more likely to convert, and builds loyal, repeat customers.

The dream!

What to do if you’re slightly freaking out and short on time

If you have an email list (even if it’s only small), but haven’t been great at sending emails out – schedule a few over Christmas. Send one out this week and see what happens. Reintroduce yourself.

If you have a very small list, or no list at all, start building it. Create a download or offer that customers need to sign up to receive, and start collecting those email addresses. Add a sign up box at checkout so that you’re collecting email address of customers who are buying already – that’s the low-hanging fruit.

The best time to build an email list? Five years ago. The second best time? Now.

Resources:

And if you’re feeling all adrift, book a strategy session with me in October to contingency plan, get support with your content, and get organised.

I hope that the best thing to happen when Facebook goes down is that you put your phone down, put the kettle on, and just do whatever it does that makes your heart sing.

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Notes of Encouragement

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