small business Archives - Page 12 of 29

Here's the thing: strength

Yesterday, I launched a Crowdfunder for Copper Boom. I will tell you all about it, I promise, but right now I need to tell you about strength.

Isn’t it sometimes true that you have to go beyond your limits (or what you thought were your limits) in order to see how capable you are? In order to see how strong you are? Strength, it seems, is what I’m discovering new layers of, beyond the surface and the next rung down and the places I knew so well.

Last week, Copper Boom moved out of my house and into commercial premises, and I tell you, it is a relief. It feels better already. Bigger, more real, more professional, more capable. But boy is it hard work. Hard in ways I hadn’t quite imagined. We still have no phone line, no internet, because lord love them, BT cancelled my order without telling me three times. After I diligently planned ahead and had a date a whole week before we moved in when they would install! There is strength in calling them back – again! – to see what the hell is going on.

My team also trebled overnight. Two permanent team members started last week. Thank goodness. I held a team lunch on Friday and there were eight of us around the table. Eight! And at the end of that long week, it felt like strength to sit there and not let all of my fears and exhaustion show through, but instead introduce them to each other and give us all the opportunity to celebrate and get excited.

There’s strength in being so completely brain-dead at the end of the day that I burn the dinner, and then getting up in the morning to do it all over again.

There’s strength (or is it just an ache?) in my calves, thighs, shoulders, from standing and lifting and moving and working on photoshoots.

There’s strength in coming back to my vision, my integrity, my dream – even when I see other people doing other stuff, or when I’m asked if we can do something else.

I was thinking about strength, and I wondered what my strengths are. In the chaos of moving and building and adding people and launching a Crowdfunder, it doesn’t feel like organisation is my strength. But perhaps flexibility or riding the wave is a strength.

Writing and communication are strengths of mine, and yet I’ve called two people the wrong names every time I’ve seen them this week. And I’ve read over emails I’ve written and thought, Jenny, that really isn’t clear at all. I know that they’re still strengths underneath it all, but in this busy phase, who’s to know?

I do believe one of my strengths is hope. I am good at finding hope in dark places, whether for myself or for others. Recently, I worried that perhaps hope was my downfall – do I just hope too much, without really putting the effort in to make it happen? This is a genuine question I have put to several friends. They all laughed at me. Apparently running two businesses and pushing one of them quite hard is practically the definition of “putting enough effort in”.

And you know me. I see strength in the tears, in admitting that it’s hard and I still want to do it. There is strength in acknowledging that there’s still so far to go and, damn it, I’d just like a rest, please.

There’s strength in becoming more visible. (Oh, I have a whole book to write on this subject, but safe to say I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently.) Especially when you don’t feel polished and up to scrutiny.

I see strength in the client who emailed today saying she has two staff members out of action and is struggling to draw breath. I hear ya, sister. There’s strength in powering through.

There’s strength in the client who asked me to create a business plan with her, even though she’s going through IVF treatment, because whether she’s pregnant tomorrow or not, she needs her business to change.

This year, I chose bloom as my word. I think about it a lot. It’s been very apt, so far. Today, thinking about strength, I notice what a vital component it is to blooming. A flower needs strength to grow, to stand, to open its petals. Even the most delicate flora needs strength. It doesn’t question whether it will be strong enough, or whether being strong is even worth it. It just blooms.

And so here’s the thing:

Let’s be strong together. Let’s recognise our strengths. When was the last time you considered what your personal and professional strengths are? Perhaps now is the time to make a note of them.

And: what do you need to be strong? I need sleep and good food and space to completely collapse at the end of the day, with no expectations that I will have anything further to give. Right now, that’s what this building-a-business strength requires.

I am strong. And I’m glad of it.

Here’s to us.

The Big New Idea: the need for courage and clarity

Hi, my name is Jenny, and I’m mostly tired and not entirely sure what I’m doing.

Not necessarily what you’d expect to hear from a business mentor and coach, right? Being mostly tired and uncertain may not sound like what you want from a person whose job it is to help you run your business better.

I have turned these truths – that I’m tired, and that that might not be my best ever marketing message – over in my mind many times in the last few weeks. I thought maybe I’d just have an unintentional break from blogging while I’m in the difficult, murky work of setting up Copper Boom Studio (LIMITED!!), and then re-emerge when it’s all shiny and functional and awesome.

But then I realised that it didn’t feel right.

So many of my favourite writers and people do it differently. They share while they’re going through The Hard Stuff, rather than just looking back at it when they feel sane again. Elizabeth Gilbert continues to do it so elegantly and evocatively. Glennon Melton Doyle warriors on through difficult times. Brene Brown talks about this as an important step in Rising Strong.

So I knew I had to write about my progress, even though I don’t feel clear or enthusiastic. I had to share this messiness, in order to be as authentic as I believe myself to be.

Since I last wrote (over a month ago), here’s what’s happened:

Copper Boom became a limited company (yay!)
I got a loan to grow the business by moving into premises and adding people to the business (yay!)
The process of commercial lease and lawyer and long waits began (yay, and also bleurgh)

I’ve been, in turn, wildly excited and amazed at what I’m building, and then completely overwhelmed by what I need to achieve.

There have been tears, and moments when I’ve said, “I just can’t,” and, “I don’t know what to do” over and over again. I’ve shouted at my partner, as he tries to help me figure out what to do next, “Everything is important. There’s nothing that I can de-prioritise.” Yep. Glamorous moments.

These moments are when I ask (myself? some mysterious higher power?) for courage and clarity. For glimmers of hope, and for the way ahead. Because sometimes that’s all I can do. The weird thing is, once I sit and ask for clarity on something, it usually comes. Not because I sit there puzzling over it like a Sudoku, but because I stop thinking about it and follow my instincts instead.

After the “everything is important” conversation, I stomped out, walked around, had tea, and then realised that Ryan was right. In fact, he had given me the key to my mountain of work, my paralysis. He had used the phrase “Mission Critical”.

So I wrote up another version of my epic list. I labelled things Mission Critical, Very Important, Important and Less Important. (Because everything’s still important, y’know?)

It helped. It helped me see that having everything on the first day we move into our new premises (and I don’t yet know exactly when that will be) isn’t actually essential. We can survive without all the furniture for a week or so. We can borrow a vacuum cleaner from home if we need to, at the beginning. This clarity helps. Let’s keep it to absolute essentials: sign the lease, have a limited bank account, make a box of kitchen / bathroom essentials. Do the rest later. Keep the short term truly short term.

And, as we’re not even sure when the lease will be signed just yet, there’s no point buying furniture and booking it to be delivered. I can move quickly on that tomorrow or next week, when I have more information.

Which reminds me of something my mum says: “Where you have clarity, make decisions.”

Even today, this Tuesday, I have said I’m struggling. I have hoped, out loud, for some good news, because there are so many requests and questions. I have questioned whether this studio, this business is something I really want to do. Please understand. I am doing this. It is happening. But I want to show you that I, too, like all of us, question things even when I know that they’re good and will be worthwhile. It is always messy. There is always doubt. Even the best business plans require change and adapting to fit the reality. Because no one in the history of the world has followed an exact business plan. Predicting the future is still elusive.

This is courage. To continue, even when I’m not sure of every step on my path. To pivot in a direction I didn’t expect to take, knowing that it’s essential to do so, not a problem.

Do I feel like I’m failing? Yes. Am I actually failing? No.

I actually feel like I’m developing experience, resilience, and empathy that’s going to help me mentor clients and support others in the future. It’s already helping. My existing clients (who have had more patience and understanding for me than I could ever have expected) have already said that they know I get it, because I’m going through it. (“It” being the challenge of business, of decision making, of juggling conflicting priorities all the live long day, of desperately wanting a conversation that isn’t about money.)

So I have hope that this is the essential middle. That this is part of the purpose of Copper Boom – to teach me how to get through this building phase.

Two phrases spring to mind:

This too shall pass

and

The only way out is through

I will keep going. I don’t yet know what I’m going to do once I post this, but I know that one small step after another will get me through.

Before I sign off, it feels important to say, if I’ve let you down recently, I’m truly sorry. If you’re waiting for me to get back to you about something, please accept my sincere apologies, and nudge me if I can still help. I will, at the very least, let you know when I’ll be able to respond properly.

Courage and clarity, my friends, courage and clarity.

Until soon

Jenny x

The Big New Idea: over a month in

So, just over a month ago, Copper Boom Studio went live. We had a brilliant first month. I’ve been kind of blown away. Thank you to everyone who has supported, shared, and booked in with us. You’re amazing.

I’ve been thinking about how to update. About how to be honest about the struggles, as well as grateful about the progress. And, somewhere, optimistic about the future.

So let me start by saying this: it’s been really busy. Busier than I anticipated. There have been 12 hour days, weekends worked instead of played, and late, exhausted nights. Partly because I’m also running Christmas Support throughout August, and partly because so much of Copper Boom still hinges on me personally.

There’s a huge learning curve, which also adds to the tiredness and challenges. It’s hard learning new things! In the last six weeks, we’ve taken photos of balloons, mirrors, textiles, tea and much more. Things I’ve never had to style or shoot or plan before. We’ve been learning about how much time we need, the sorts of props and equipment we need. We’ve been working on lighting options and layouts. It’s all come up.

Plus, I’m training my assistant and other freelancers to write. This is a longer process than I remember! And it requires plenty of editing and teaching time from me.

It’s also been incredibly rewarding. I’m so proud of the photographs we’ve taken and the things we’ve written. I’m amazed that the business has broken even straight away. I love working with a team, and I’m excited about so much potential for the future.

But.

I’m thinking about balance. I’m thinking about why Copper Boom felt important to me. I’m thinking about going bigger or keeping things small.

It wasn’t my aim to create a second full time job for myself. Which is kind of where we’re at so far.

So I’m already working on the plan from here.

Some things aren’t working, and there are some things that need improving. There are things that are working great, and I don’t want to stop that from going forward.

Here are some examples:

Some products (or their set ups) take much longer than others (e.g. mirrors, balloons). We need a second pricing level for more complex products.
Booking full days of photography is much more reliable for my margins (paying photographers and stylist), but it doesn’t allow for accessibility of just sending in one product. I want to build in more full days, but make sure we’re always open to tiny businesses and start ups.
Lots of people have booked in photography with us, and then added copywriting and/or upload later. I want to make it easier to book in the full package at first.
We’ve been booking into photography days, but that doesn’t give us much margin for error if we do need more time to get a shot right. I’m going to shift to booking into a week (unless booking a full day) so that we can be more efficient.

And then there are big questions, which I hadn’t imagined considering yet:

When can we move into premises? Is that the right decision? What does the financial commitment of that do to the business?
Who do I need in the business? I currently have a full time assistant, plus freelance photographer, stylist and additional assistant. But it already feels like I need more in order to move back to my mentoring and main focus.
How can I get cash injected into the business to set up the next phase? Currently considering bank loans, crowd funding and potentially family support.
Is now the right time to build the business further? How long could I maintain at the current levels?
Is it right to build it bigger in general? Is that what I want? Will the effort and dedication and commitment and risk be worth it?
What about the other services I want to introduce? Marketing, social media, blog writing… Where do they fit in?

So. Lots to think about, right? I feel like, finally, after seven years, I understand in my own life what it’s like to deal with being over-capacity so quickly. And what it’s like to have to depend on other people.

I hope, as ever, that it’s helpful to read about my experiences, my thought processes, my outlook. And it feels important to say that mentoring, retreats and workshops are still the biggest part of my personal plan.

I’ve just got to figure out this thing first…

PS Would you be interested in investing in Copper Boom through a crowd funding campaign? How do you feel about the studio in general? Are you planning to use it? Would you be interested in our marketing and blog writing services? Feedback is so valuable to me while I contemplate all these questions.

And so here’s the thing:

This too shall pass

The only way out is through

Enter The Forge