Erin Thomas Wong (00:00)
Welcome back to the Life Friendly Business podcast. I'm Erin Thomas Wong and this episode is one from the heart.
Today I want to speak directly to those of you who are feeling like business is just harder than it used to be. Maybe your sales aren't flowing, your energy is low or you're quietly wondering if you're doing something wrong.
First of all, you're probably not doing anything wrong. The truth is, a lot of small business owners are finding it tough right now, even if they're not saying it out loud.
The economy is shifting, buying habits have changed, and many of us are having to make difficult decisions with how we're spending our money.
In this episode, I want to be real about that and have an honest discussion about what happens when times like this make business really, really hard. And I think it says a lot that one of my most listened to episodes is episode 40, When You Feel Like Giving Up Because running your own business is not an easy option, especially when...
changes in the economy and people's buying habits are affecting the things that you do that have maybe worked for you in the past and now suddenly are not.
But don't worry, this isn't going to be all doom and gloom because we are going to talk about the things that are still within your control and why clarity and connection matter more than ever.
So today in this episode, we're talking about the honest truth, the fact that business is really hard for so many of us right now. And it doesn't mean that you are doing anything wrong. We've got to recognise what's going on around us with the economy, with the rising cost of living. People are more hesitant to invest money than they were before.
And generally the uncertainty in the world is affecting how people are buying and the things that they are choosing to spend their money on. And I know from firsthand conversations, but also, you know, in a wider sense, how many business owners are quietly struggling, but not talking about it publicly. So I hope by recording this episode,
you will feel that solidarity, that we are all struggling at this point of time. And, you know, there are things that we can do to keep ourselves resilient during this difficult time.
In tougher times, people need to be even more cautious about where they're spending their money and where they're investing. And this is why our messaging needs to be as clear and as confident as it can be about how we can help people. I talk a lot about the phrase, selling is simply offering someone the opportunity for you to help them. So are you making it absolutely clear?
how you can help people and what problems you can help them with. Because when we are all living in a time where we're being really careful about where we're spending our money, we're going to be looking for that person or that thing that can solve our problem in the best possible way. And it doesn't always come down to cost. It's not always the case of they're the cheapest, so I'll go with them. It's about all the other things and it's about the...
the trust that we can build with people, that we are the person to help them. So how clear is your messaging right now? And that's something that you could go and review if you've got other people around you, business buddies or a business tribe, maybe you can do some swaps with each other and get that feedback on are you being absolutely clear with what you can do to help people. And this is why we need to be
really focusing on our marketing and visibility weekly if we can and this is what I encourage you do during your CEO time. I do mine every Monday morning thinking about what are the messages that I need to be getting out there right now, how can I make them clearer. One tip that I would really give you is that you know we need to be focusing on the outcomes that we can give to people you know you might have heard the word transformation
It feels really daunting to be thinking about, especially if you are the person that is giving the service, how you can describe that transformation. But actually a great tip is if you collect together as many testimonials as you can and use ChatGPT as an amazing tool and say to ChatGPT, please can you read these testimonials and then help me write some copy.
to explain the outcomes that people get from working with me. And you'll just be absolutely astounded by what it can do. And it will probably break it into different themes as well. So you can use that as bullet point lists and then, or you could do separate posts about the different themes of how you help people. So that's a really good tip, but we need to be focusing on that marketing message that we're putting out there. And along with that.
We need to be thinking about the journey that we're taking people on from the moment they find out about us through to hopefully when they buy. So when I talk about visibility and my approach to sustainable visibility, I talk about putting out the information that people need to know about us and what we stand for and how we can help and drawing people into our world. And we want to move them from cold to warm to hot. So we need to think about the different things that we could create.
so that they can consume that and get to know us and build the know, like, trust factor and then hopefully come in and work with us. So this is something that we do have control over in these difficult times. We can decide that, do you know what, sales are really hard right now, so let me check that I have optimized everything I can on my website, through my social media. You know, when I'm going out and speaking to people, am I being clear enough about my message?
So the other thing that we can control to a certain extent is our own mindset. We can work on staying resilient and staying positive and staying hopeful because the more we look for bad things, the more we're gonna see them. And the opposite is true. The more we look for good, the more we're gonna find good. So if you feel like, you know, you're feeling quite low because...
you you're not getting the sales that you want, things aren't working in the way you want to. Think about practicing gratitude, like writing down three things a day that you can be grateful for, trying to focus on that positive element of your life, because then you will find more of it. But also with our mindset, we need to give ourselves grace when we are feeling low and
you know, and I'm going to be totally honest with you here. It's been a really tough year for my business as well. And so I've been having to double down as well on my own mindset and, you know, having that bounce back ability when things haven't worked out like I wanted them to. And then having the clarity to think about what my next steps are and what I can be doing in this moment to move forward. So I talk about the snow globe.
analogy, if you haven't heard me talk about that before, it's the fact that most of us are walking around like a shaken up snow globe. All these thoughts going on in our heads which overwhelm us. It means that we can't see clearly, we're not making the best decisions from that place. So if you can give yourself a regular practice of learning to put that snow globe down, that's where you'll be able to get the clarity you need to see clearly what your next steps could be.
and then start moving forward with it. I think, you know, in times of uncertainty as well, it's quite hard to plan far ahead, but if you can at least plan your next few steps, you know that you are moving forward and making progress.
And I think the other thing to remember is the power of surrounding ourselves with people who get it. And like I said, there are so many business owners who are silently struggling right now and they're not talking to anyone about it. And obviously, you know, we're worried about how we might be perceived if we're honest. And that's why we need spaces where we can have those honest conversations. So that's why I created my Cocoon membership.
and also The Visibility Commitment to create those spaces with women who are happy to share honestly and then support each other as well. Sometimes you might find that you're supporting other people all of the time and then other times it's their turn to support you.
And I want to say at this point as well, that it's okay to pause, it's okay to pivot, and it's okay if you need to get a job alongside your business. It doesn't mean that you're failing. We have to do what's best for us in this moment right now. And you know, sometimes being life-friendly is about doing the things that are gonna work for your...
life right now and we all have bills to pay and you know it makes me feel really sad when some people say to me you know they're kind of embarrassed to tell me that they've gone to get a job and there's absolutely no shame in that and when I was starting this business I worked as a social media manager on a contract basis alongside setting up the business and it was great because I had the flexibility to you know do little or a lot of hours depending on
what my availability was around the business. So there are absolutely ways that you can be putting yourself out there to get a bit more income, to help support during this time where your business might be hard going. But I just want to say as well that, you know, we go through phases and in business there are times when things feel really hard, but it doesn't mean that that's the end. Sometimes...
maybe it does. And that's a decision that we all need to make for ourselves when it's just not sustainable anymore. And it's well worth listening to episode 40 if you want to think more about that decision of do I stop my business now?
Things are tough out there right now, but it doesn't mean that it always will be this way. And, you know, I've been in business now for coming up to 17 years, and there are definitely cycles that we go through, whether it's, you know, within our own self and our own business, or whether it's external factors that are affecting our businesses.
But we go through cycles where we feel like we're in a really great growth period and things are going really well and we're climbing those stairs. And then we have cycles where we're just in maintain. And if we can just hold on to what we've got, then that's brilliant. And then we also go through cycles where we're in survival mode and we're trying our best to just keep the business going. So have a think about where you feel you are right now.
and then look at what you could be doing for that cycle that you're in. And like I say, focusing on marketing and visibility, whichever cycle you're in is going to benefit what you're doing. If you have been relying on a handful of really good long-term clients and then their businesses start suffering and they have to cut back.
you know, you will really feel that, you will feel that loss. So sometimes we've spent so much time kind of having those long term clients or relying on word of mouth and then it suddenly dries up and that's when we start panicking. So that's why having this consistent approach to our visibility and marketing hopefully keeps the wheels turning and keeps
that warm audience coming through all the time so that you can be nurturing them for when you do have space for new clients. But I just want you to know that just because you're finding it hard right now does not mean the end.
So have a think about what small changes you could make to your business right now to make it feel more sustainable. So if it's sales, think about is there a particular thing that you're selling that you could double down on and be more focused?
with the stuff that you're doing and the activities that you're undertaking, with your marketing, with your visibility, with getting out there in person, with contacting old clients, would it help to focus on one thing, for example?
Would it help to simplify the way that you're doing things in your business, to get systems and processes into your business? So if you are struggling to have that kind of motivation and that energy to put yourself out there and to be promoting your business, what can you be doing behind the scenes to keep that consistent presence but without having to feel like you always have to be out there?
when actually all you want to do is hibernate.
And really what I want you to be thinking about is how you can be the best boss to yourself right now. Because during difficult times, we need to work on our resilience. It's not an easy option running your own business. So what could you do right now to surround yourself with the right kind of support, with the right people, with people that are gonna lift you up,
people that are going to listen to the challenges that you're facing, but who are also going to celebrate with you when things take a turn and get better. Because they will get better. We have to have that hope. And I think that's the thing that has always kept me going is the possibility. When you run your own business, there is endless possibility. And that's what we need to be focusing on. And maybe right now we need to be thinking about changes, whether they're small changes.
or whether it's a pivot, what can we be doing to make our business more attractive for people, to make it clearer that if they spend their money with us, this is what we can help them with? And what can we be doing to keep ourselves uplifted and motivated during tough times?
These are the moments where resilience is built. Where we learn to trust ourselves, to adapt and to find new ways of doing things that feel better aligned.
If you're looking for a space to feel supported and seen in all of this, I'd love to welcome you into The Cocoon This is our membership where honest conversations and gentle encouragement are always on offer.
And if this episode brought you some comfort or clarity, I would love you to share it with a friend who might need the same reminder. Please tag me on social at @lifefriendlybiz I love hearing what has resonated with you. Until next time, take care.
