I'm stood in Sainsbury's, my heart is racing, I'm sweating. In my basket I have:
One bar of Cadbury's caramel
Sprouts
Jar of sun-dried tomatoes
Earl grey tea bags
Shell pasta
a lemon
carrots (I don't even like carrots)
I've done the one thing I know I shouldn't do. I've gone shopping without a list or a plan. This means I've spent 45 minutes walking around the busy shop (getting more and more stressed) trying to figure out what on earth: a) I've run out of at home and; b) what I am going to buy to eat for the week. This is my worst nightmare. I know that by Wednesday I'll be back having nothing in the cupboards that actually resembles a meal and having already spent 3x as much as I would on a week's shop. I'll also have forgotten I'm out for dinner one night that week and that I'm working late twice so will want something quick to eat - which results in me standing in front of the fridge for 20 minutes before settling on crumpets and marmite.
"Emma, you're going to need to get to your point..."
THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE IF YOU DON'T SET GOALS OR HAVE A PLAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS! 🤯
You become Shopping-Listless-Emma. The one who over-spends, who doesn't even buy the right food, who forgets loo rolls and ends up having to use pages of your local newspaper and hope that you don't die from ink poisoning.
When I spend 45 minutes on a Sunday with a cup of tea, planning my meals for the week - checking it against my schedule, writing my shopping list, checking the cupboards to see what I already have; I enter the shop the following day feeling like a Victoria Secret model (O.K. that might be reaching...but you know what I mean).
The same happens for my business.
Don't be smug. No, wait...DO BE SO SMUG!
When I don't create a content plan. When I don't look to see what is happening in the world that's relevant to my brand. When I don't think about my audience, my key messages, my strategy - every morning I wake up and feel STRESSED! I spend an hour manically looking through news articles for inspiration. I panic over events not selling. I agonise over a newsletter list that doesn't grow. I stare at Instagram and wonder if it will just miraculously start posting for me and get me 10,000 followers in the process.
When I get my shit together and create a strategy. Create a marketing plan. Thought-shower content ideas. Research hashtags. Time block my week. My 👏 business 👏 blooms. But more importantly, I bloom. Like a glorious Helianthus (sunflower to me and you). I feel in control. I feel SMUG AF. I get to the end of the day with things ticked of my to-do list and I don't feel like I'm making more work for myself.
Ready to get focused? Heck yeah you are!
I know this is a transformational process and I know freelancers, small business owners and self-employed don't know where to start with this because I'm a marketing consultant that specialises in these areas and I've had too many conversations where people have said "I just feel overwhelmed" or "I don't even know where to start" or "I'm just not good at marketing".
So after the 34,000th time I had heard those things I decided to do something about it. I created two workshops that will tackle all of these sticking points and leave people feeling calm, focused and bubbling with excitement to get things crack-a-lacking. To be their own delicious Helianthus.
If this is you, if you want more clarity, more sales, more lovely waking-up-in-the-morning-and-not-feeling-FED-UP then put your money where your mouth is. Invest in your own peace of mind. Why not?! Each workshops is £45. £45 to kick-start the rest of 2021 and give yourself some time back in your working week.
Wednesday 31st March
Your Business SPRING Clean | 09:00 - 11:00
Here's what the two hour group session looks like:
08:55 | Arrive early to get settled in
09:00 | Reflecting on January-March
09:10 | Social media & website analytics
09:45 | Creating content ideas for April-June
10:10 | Setting goals for April - June
10:30 | Creating campaign ideas for April - June
10:40 | Starting your content & marketing plan for April-June
Your Business DEEP Clean | 11:30 - 13:30
Here's what the two hour group session looks like:
1:25 | Arrive early to get settled in
11:30 | Filling out your content plan for April-June
11:50 | Thought showering creative ideas (a guided session)
12:00 | Auditing your to-do list
12:15 | Mapping your year
12:30 | Finances
13:00 | Creating a marketing funnel
Emma Downey | Founder
Emma can be found glued to her laptop/kindle or embarking on her next favourite hobby. Avid cake-eater, Disney-superfan and passionate about female empowerment, Emma founded WWD in 2017. She's currently travelling around Europe in her converted camper van and eating far too many croissants.
You can contact Emma: emma@womenwd.co.uk
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Pssst...
Have you listened to our podcast? Her Business & Co is all about sharing the big stories from small businesses, just like yours. Listen here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast joy.
