Coming of Age

Since my last post, it's fair to say a lot has happened!  I was a little nervous of posting it, not sure how it would be received: I needn't have worried.  I've had countless messages of support and empathy, offers of ideas, and messages from others in the same situation.  

So I thought I would share some of the developments I've made, and things I've learned in the last month. 

Firstly, I've made a lot of progress with the way I run my business.  The biggest step was simply admitting to myself that it is a business, and I'm not 'just self employed'.  That has taken something of a mindset-shift, and a spoonful or two of confidence.  I decided to work as though I was setting up from scratch, and that decision has paid off.  

I have also decided to rebrand my business.  For now, I will just leave the new logos and name here, and will talk more about that in a future post. 

I've taken several steps to automate my business processes, such as adding a calendar to my website, and an automated booking form.  Most importantly, I've signed up to two things that are helping a lot with automation:  Quickbooks Self Employed, for accounts & finances, and Mailchimp, for marketing.  Amazingly, Mailchimp can do what I need it to do, for free!

I approached several people for advice: a couple of experienced friends who run their own businesses, and a highly respected paddler & coach who has agreed to act as a mentor to me over this next stage of my career. 

Most usefully of all, I made an appointment with a Business Advisor at Business Gateway.  This fantastic service is open to anyone north of the border who is self employed or runs a small business, and they offer much more than just classroom courses.  They can give advice, and they can set up arrangements with specialist advisers, free of charge, to help achieve what you need. We're very lucky to have access to the service in Scotland. 

And for me, the biggest learning of the last month: I need to give myself a break, be good to myself.  I care, very much, and I hope that all of these things will help me to give my clients a better service too.  That may mean waiting a little for an email reply, while I take the dog for a walk, go for a run or a paddle, or drink coffee with a friend.  These things are trying at the time, but I've come out fired up and more enthusiastic than ever: I look forward very much to seeing you on the water!