Tips for new business owners

It's been a busy week and this week I delivered the #Socialmediafest in Wexford. 140 small business owners came together to network, learn and help each other. I met so many people who I hadn't seen in ages and had plenty of conversations about possible collaborations and we gave each other tips on doing different things especially around using social media. It was a lovely event, great atmosphere and everyone left with plenty of new tips they could implement.

A few stories came out about people who they hired but who didn't deliver. This is so frustrating as I know what it's like.

Storytime: I remember when I first started out I hired a company. They promised this and promised that and naively I thought ok I'll invest a lot of money in this as it's gauranteed to work. The sales person was so nice and I needed some minding!

But alas the sales person just left afterwards and I was left with a company who actually didn't care at all and didn't do what they said was going to be done.

The nice thing about using a small business owner to provide a service is usually it's just them or a small team so they care and rely on recommendations so they will usually deliver. People definitely buy from people they know, like and trust. So if your gut is telling you 1. I don't really know this person 2. I don't think I trust this person or 3. I don't think I like this person then don't commit. Say 'Thanks I'll get back to you' or 'I don't think this is something I want to invest in right now but thank you for your time.'

The business world is a small place and people talk. So even if you think they are getting away with bad service trust me they aren't. Word spreads and people talk.

Here are some tips to help you:

If you have just started a business....

1. Just because someone says you need their service doesn't necessarily mean you do.

2. Not everyone is great at what they do...some are just great sales people

3. Go with your gut.

4. Ask for referrals from people you trust.

5. Shop around. Get 3 quotes and look at their own business. e.g. if it's a marketing person look at their social media. Are they putting out great valuable content or are they bitching or 'giving out' about others. If it's a web designer for example look at their website and recommendations on LinkedIn or google reviews.

6. Do a google search for them. Look at the way they engage with others online. Is it just 'me me me' or do they seem to help others along the way?

7. Is there something you are not good at? Would you rather be focusing on something you love then wading through spreadsheets for example. Or would you rather be designing images and creating videos than promoting your businesss? Do you prefer to be in the background or are you more comfortable with being in the limelight? Discover what you love and outsource the stuff you don't like to do.

I love creating events but don't like the whole spreadsheet, budget, creating images part so I outsource this part.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and I love creating events but couldn’t do it without the help of my virtual assistant áine who excels at things I don’t enjoy doing, such as budgeting, liasing with vendors, creating images, etc. She helps me stay organized and no ask is too big.

Next time we need to have her step out of her comfort zone and present a Canva training on stage, so she can showcase one of her many strengths to the audience that she regularly helps me with behind the scenes.

8. Are you time poor? You know you should be promoting your business but you just don't have time. Put things in place to give yourself the time you need. You can outsource admin to a virtual assistant for example. You can outsource marketing to someone like me. Or you can do my 6 week 1:1 calls and we can improve all of this together. Learning new skills and putting proper sales funnels in place can give you back time so you're not wasting time on people who just want to 'pick your brain' for example.

If you are unsure about what you need or you are struggling ask me who I would recommend (or if you even need the service in the first place). I will point you in the right direction.

In the meantime, enjoy the journey. If you're not enjoying being a business owner and it's affecting your life outside of work maybe it's time to re evaluate or review your strategy. What's working and what's not. I know people who can help with this side of things for example.

If you feel you can't afford help from outside that's another reason to look at your business and see if it's worth all your hard work. Or YouTube is a great resource for free tips. But usually you will have to pay for quality advice. But make sure it's not just a good sales person you're talking to and it's a person who will deliver for you.

My email is [email protected] if you want to discuss raising your profile online using LinkedIn and X or fill in my form to see are you ready to go for it in 2024! Expand your network, get more opportunities and show you ARE the 'Go To' expert in your niche that people can trust and that people need to hire this year.