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Business books that you likely don’t need to read
In the business world there are certain rights of passage often promoted as being “required” of entrepreneurs and business owners who want to be successful. From business books, to hustle culture mentalities, to marketing yourself in specific ways, you’ve likely felt pressured in some way or another to conform to a certain way of being in order to get your business out into the world.
And while there are plenty of “successful” people advocating for these very restrictive entrepreneurial guidelines, I appreciate when people push back on some of the widely accepted narratives and approaches to business. So, let’s talk about some folks that aren’t in this category and why they shouldn’t be considered essential reading.
How to build demand for your business: 6 steps to take to generate more interest and sales
In marketing and business, we talk a lot about how to build demand for your services and solutions. In fact, larger marketing teams have dedicated professionals working specifically on demand generation. But what exactly does that mean?
Regardless of the tactics used, demand generation refers to any activity that drives awareness and interest in your offer. From the moment of awareness to the moment of purchase, every touchpoint with your audience can lead to increased demand.
Here’s how to take advantage of those touch-points to build demand and interest for your company.
Challenge the status quo with your business—in good faith
Hardly a day goes by where we don’t hear about a new change Elon Musk has made to the world of tech.
And while these changes are often framed (at least by Musk) as “advancements” to the industry, many critics (myself included) are wary of the impact of these – often seemingly abrupt and impulsive – changes.
Because while there’s no doubt Musk is challenging the status quo in all of the industries he has his hand in, my concern is that he’s doing it to build his ego, not for the benefit of society.
The problem with techniques and templates that oversimplify your business
There are endless resources online for those looking to ‘up’ their marketing game: templates to hone in on your target audience, specific formulas you can follow to grow your social media account or increase your email list, and techniques for getting clear on where and how you should be showing up online, to name a few.
And, while there’s nothing wrong with the intention behind these resources, there are a few issues that tend to come up when business owners rely too heavily on them.
A few of my favourite productivity and creativity tools for small business owners
To build a successful business you need to focus on sustainability.
To support you in your pursuit to accomplish more in your business, without running yourself into the ground, I’ve compiled a few of my favourite productivity and creativity helpers.
I use these frequently in my business and with my clients for increased efficiency, and to help ensure I have a more manageable workload!
The cost of burnout and how to avoid it
I regularly work with creatives and business owners on honing in on their marketing plans and strategy, and more often than not there is no shortage of ideas. There’s rarely a lack of inspiration or an empty to-do list. Instead, I’m generally shutting ideas down (in a loving way), streamlining processes, and encouraging entrepreneurs to be more realistic with what they focus on and commit to.
Because although their ideas might be new and fun and exciting, there is always a cost to pursuing them. And far too often I see business owners spinning their wheels – trying to do way more than they have the resources for, and bringing themselves to the point of burnout, because they don’t have a plan in place.
How to know when the expert you're hiring is the right choice
Many entrepreneurs have bigger business goals than what they’re able to achieve on their own. They crave bigger impact and expanded reach. They want to free up more of their time and energy. They desire greater revenue.
This transformative business growth can’t happen though, without the recognition that you don’t have all the answers, and that you can’t do everything on your own. These goals generally require hiring, delegating, automating, and outsourcing.
Here’s how to know you’re making the right choice when hiring.
How to make more objective decisions about your products and services
Every now and then, I have people who want to share various different business ideas with me to see what I think about them. Inevitably, my strategist's brain starts whirring with questions. Most importantly: why and so what?
In my experience, business owners and leaders often have great affinity for their work. It's understandable when they've put so much effort and thought into building a business around an idea. And in many ways that confidence is great! The work is borne out of passion, beliefs, and values they hold dear.
The challenge comes when you become so attached or immersed in what you've created (or plan to create) that you can't see the flaws anymore.
Here’s how to make more objective decisions around the products and offers you release.
Small But Mighty Episode 26: Lisa van Reeuwyk on achieving balance in business
Karen Wilson invites Lisa van Reeuwyk, a business coach who runs Bloom Business Development, to the show. Lisa is Karen’s own business coach and an entrepreneur, she understands the ups and downs of business and the power a positive mindset can have on success.
The importance of documenting business processes (even for small businesses and entrepreneurs)
By laying all of the steps you take to accomplish various tasks or complete recurring projects out in a document or program, you've created a basic standard operating procedure (SOP) that will help your business thrive.
Documenting processes and procedures, even as an entrepreneur or small business saves time, and can support productivity, business growth and hiring, consistency among outputs, and regular review and analysis to improve efficiency.
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