The Freelance Fix

Saying no to opportunities can feel like you’re turning away money, which is scary and counterintuitive. But saying ‘no’ to things that aren’t the right fit for you, opens up space for to say ‘yes’ to things that are!

I’m sharing with you a few different times I’ve turned away opportunities, and what you should look out for when deciding for yourself too.

Links mentioned:
Influencer Marketing Masterclass (90 minute video training with workbook): https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/shop/influencer-marketing-masterclass

Legal rules & guidelines for bloggers: https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/podcast/legal-blogging

Holly Booth Studio is a boutique product photography and styling studio based in Derbyshire, and in this episode I'm joined by couple, Holly & Pete, to talk about the ins and outs of their business, including working together as a couple, finding a niche, and on keeping their business offering simple and focused.

You can find more about them at:
https://www.hollybooth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hollyboothstudio/

Welcome back to The Freelance Fix! I’m kicking off Season 4 with an episode all about the different marketing strategies I use to market my design and online education business right now.

I’ll talk you through the different platforms & tactics I use and why, plus some that I’ve tried and longer use as well.

Links & further reading:

My blog archive: https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/archives
Blogging With Purpose Online Course (£40):
https://byrosanna.teachable.com/p/blogging-with-purpose
Why Use Pinterest as a Marketing Tool:
https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/blog/pinterest-business-why
Grow With Pinterest Online Course (£70):
https://byrosanna.teachable.com/p/pinterest-marketing-ecourse
Why I Use Flodesk for My Email Marketing:
https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/flodesk
Email Marketing with Flodesk Online Course (£58):
https://byrosanna.teachable.com/p/flodesk-email-marketing
Join my FREE Instagram for Business course:
https://www.byrosanna.co.uk/free-instagram-course-online-training
Instagram Stories Success Online Course (£40):
https://byrosanna.teachable.com/p/instagram-stories-success
My YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvNR-4H402PF-ViHIrEf_wA

In this week's episode I'm joined by Cathy from Boelle Events to talk about how to stand out in the wedding & events industry. She specialises in bohemian event styling and planning, and her chilled out vibes are definitely infectious!

You can learn more about Cathy at boellevents.co.uk. She is actually currently a website design client of mine so her website is undergoing a bit of a makeover right now too :)

Have you ever felt crippled by comparison? Or thrown off guard by people copying you? In this episode, Olivia and I share our experiences with these issues, and our best tips for getting back on track. It can be so hard when we are constantly surrounded by our competitors content online, but hopefully our advice will help even by showing you that you're not alone, and all small business owners feel this way at some point or another!

Email marketing is a hugely important element of marketing and right now is the perfect time to get started growing an email list if you haven't already! In this episode I'm talking about what email marketing can do for your business right now, plus why I use Flodesk (rather than Mailchimp or Convertkit) for my email marketing.

Remember, if are interested in trying or moving over to Flodesk, sign up using my affiliate link to make sure you get your 50% off (for life!) discount, + a 30 day free trial: https://flodesk.com/c/00G2QH

I have also just launched an online course called 'Email Marketing with Flodesk', which takes you through everything you need to know about email marketing, from starting and growing a list, to creating and sending out valuable email content, all along with video tutorials for using Flodesk's software. If you'd like to learn more, and take advantage of the limited time payment plan and low price, head to: https://byrosanna.teachable.com/p/flodesk-email-marketing

In this episode I'm joined by Jemma Broadstock, who runs a VA (Virtual Assistant) business, and also trains other VAs how to start and grow their businesses too with her resources at virtuallydoneltd.co.uk.

We discuss her story and how she got started, how she started to scale her business through building a team, and what she does now to help other Virtual Assistants to get booked out with their ideal clients.

To learn more about Jemma, head to:
Collectivelydone.com

Instagram.com/collectivelydone

Facebook.com/collectivelydone

Virtuallydonevas.com

Instagram.com/virtuallydone

So for today's podcast, I had actually planned to share an episode about Times I've Turned Down Money in my business. But with things the way they are in the world at the moment, with an economic downturn and small business owners already struggling to keep afloat amid the coronavirus panic, I just didn't feel that it made sense to post that right now.

So instead, I thought it would be more relevant to share my tips for working from home, as I know so many people are now being forced to do this due to self isolating and potential lockdowns depending on where you are in the world.

I hope that if you're being forced to work from home right now, you can find these tips useful, but most of all, stay sane and stay safe! x

How I experienced the transition to working from home (01:31)

“Self-motivation is definitely a skill that you develop over time” (02:29)

Why establishing a daily work routine is important, and what mine typically looks like (03:23)

One of the best ways to get out of bed and avoid the temptation of a lie in! (05:34)

How to stay focused and be more productive during the day (06:22)

Tips to avoid work blending in with your free time to ensure a better work-life balance (06:58)

Why a dedicated workspace or home office will do wonders for your focus and productivity (07:48)

The importance of setting boundaries when working from home (08:43)

Different ways to socialise and tap into your support network from home (10:15)

A lot of us find it hard to draw the boundaries between what we should share online as a business, vs. how much of our personal lives we should share in the name of being authentic and building a personal connection. Both Olivia and I come at this from different perspectives; Olivia has one Instagram account for her business and personal content, but has a strong boundary of what personal stuff to share. Whereas I have two Instagram accounts and go more personal on my personal one... We discuss this, plus whether you should split out your business if you have two different target audiences too.

Have you ever fallen out of love with your business?

It sounds dramatic, but this happened to me.

And while you may not be able to relate quite to that extent, I have a feeling you have probably at some point in your business experienced the feeling of being in some kind of rut or slump.

It happens - but does it mean we have to scrap everything and start completely over again? Not always.

In this episode, I'm sharing my experience with losing the passion for my business a few years ago, and my tips for if this happens to you too.