So I get asked this ALL the time… well Sam you must of gone to school for business to know how to create a business yourself. Surprisingly if you can believe it the answer is a definite no, I went to school for Biology. I remember taking accounting, marketing and a broad business course back in my first year of university. But owning a small business wasn’t even in the running for my ‘career’. So I was just like anyone else, not a real clue on how to market, run, grow and own a small business. But I’m hear today to let you guys in on the method to my madness and how I’ve really ‘upped’ my small business game.
My Secret!
One remarkable thing that I’ve learned throughout this whole journey I’ve created into my motto that I practically use every day. If you admire something or someone, if you ‘want’ what others have, if you don’t know how to do something, you secretly want to buy those ‘for dummies’ books but feel stupid for doing so, you want to learn how others are successful, you want to learn the ‘secret’ to success? Well, I have a HUGE secret that I’m going to share just with you – there is resources for it, you just have to get off your butt and source it out. I just gave you guys my complete method for growing my small business.
The Best Free Education is at your Fingertips!
Looking back of course there is things I would and wouldn’t change. I didnt learn that ‘secret’ I just told you guys until about a year into my business. Yes, I was literally winging it and was just going day by day. However one word I never thought of when starting my small business is brand. I just had this vision in my head I was going to name my business, make a logo and purchase the business cards and boom, I’m on the right path. Little did I know I should of been thinking bigger picture. I should of been creating a brand – because now I want to branch out into all this endeavours (hence this blog) but I’m not under one big umbrella. I kind of have all these branches of a tree with all these different ideas and the only thing they all have in common is me as the trunk or the provider for them. Now all of this information didnt just come to me one day, I had a A Ha! Moment when I started my full time dream job. I had to do a lot of driving, and my one coworker told me I should start listening to podcasts to pass the time. What the heck are podcasts, and how could they benefit me? Well friends let me tell you… I fall asleep to podcasts now hoping that even in my sleep I’m retaining some insights. Crazy right. I live breath and worship my podcasts. I feel like I know the hosts personally! Remember that quote I said before about sourcing out help? Podcasts my friends – have changed my outlook, and has made me feel like a mini business pro.
The Bones of Building a Brand
Podcasts including Goal Digger, The Influencer Podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy have single handedly upped my business game. These fantastic ladies are giving away content for free to help small businesses like myself. One in particular, Jenna Kutcher of the Goal Digger Podcast speaks so well regarding that word again – brand. Building a brand vs a product is a hard thing to do when all you have to sell is products. But, as you grow as a business you can only help but want to start making passive income. Another phrase that was new to me. Now rewinding a year or two – I had this blog dream even when I was still living at my parents home. But I knew it wasn’t the ‘right time’ to start building my blog brand. Something was missing. And that was my home. My sense of comfort, creativity, inspiration, motivation.. once you own a home that you are sincerely proud of, all you want to do is show it off right? Bingo. I decided when I finally purchased my home and starting full on ‘adulting’ that is when I was going to start building a brand that was at the top of that umbrella, and I could now call a home for all my creative ideas and personal stories under it.
Building a brand is essentially creating a name or a face for a business or many businesses to fall under. For example: Chip & Joanna Gaines are like the King and Queen of branding. Fixer Upper was one of the first big names they released to the world, but now they have many businesses including Fixer Upper under Magnolia. That is what every business should be striving for – that keyword or key name that people vision exactly what you want them to – many aspects of your business. I hope years from now when you think Arrows & Twine, you think of this blog, custom signs, wedding rentals, calligraphy, styling services, myself, antiques and the list will continue to grow. Oh and of course my obsession with Rae Dunn!!!
My Next Goal
Do you see what I mean? So for the next couple of months, I’m going to really strive to build my brand. Not really sure what that looks like yet, but from sourcing out education from Podcasts, Books, Free guides or just a simple google search, will help me get there! I have almost trained myself to study accounts that I come across that are successful and try to quickly dissect their brand and how they are working to keep their brand at the forefront of their social media. From keeping a consistent colour scheme, relevant photos, easy to read and informative captions, action on stories and video.. you can really formulate an attractive brand or presence that intrigue your viewers to stay longer and get to know you. Curating my brand is a full time job in itself within my business, but its oh so worth it! So if you have a small business and you aren’t familiar with the term brand, start sourcing out education on it. It will transform the way you look at your business, and other businesses for that matter. Start listening to podcasts, reading books and asking questions, its the most valuable thing you could do for yourself and your business! What are you working on right now in your small business! Id love to hear about your current status! Thanks for popping by today friend, means so much to me that you’re here!
Talk soon! Sam xx
