Hey there, my fabulous listener, welcome to episode 169 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.
Thank you for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!
If you’re enjoying this podcast – I’d love to you take a screenshot and share it on your socials and tag me in it. How cool would that be!
Don’t forget you can get the show notes for this podcast at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/169
As Christmas gets closer, I’d love you to consider supporting rural and regional small businesses this year. Spend With Us – www.spendwithus.com.au supports over 1300 of them and I know they’d love your sales as they head into another peak season.
If you’re already done with your shopping or Christmas isn’t your thing, still visit the marketplace or refer to some family and friends. Think Rural this Christmas.
And because it’s so close, consider a site-wide egift card – delivered almost immediately to their inbox – any amount – it’s up to you! And if you’d like it personalised with your logo – just contact support@spendwithus.com.au and the team will get that organised! Simple!
At the time of recording this I am winding up for 2021 – or is that winding down! Tonight, so in respective as you listen to this, is my last night for my HUB. My HUB is for a group of local businesswomen and we gather once a month to talk business, marketing, staff, ebbs, flows, solve problems – just everything you would expect from amazing businesswomen. If you’re local to me and like to become involved in 2022, then just DM me and let’s chat about that.
Each meeting we have a little formula we follow. So today, as we finish up a year, I thought it would be good to share with you that little formula as you can work through it too.
So, the first thing we do every month is celebrate the small stuff (or big – doesn’t matter). We talk about champagne moments.
So, what are the things you need to celebrate that you achieved this year? Big things, little things, microscopic things – doesn’t matter – they need to be celebrated.
Make a list. Physically make a list. Give yourself some space to make a list of the things you achieved in business and/or in life. If you make a physical list you’ll see how amazing you actually are rather than just thinking “meh, didn’t do much”. I know you did. You made it here. There’s loads to celebrate.
The second thing we talk about is what worked?
So what worked in your business this year? What did you try that was new or old that worked?
Now as we are discussing business, I guess what worked normally equals money – as in it brought in money for your business (or profit), or perhaps it was a great lead generator and grew your list or network. It doesn’t have to do one of these things to be something that “worked” – you do you!
For me, what worked was networking – growing my network and giving before asking. It is a philosophy I live by, giving before asking, but this year I did it more strategically – that is with a key indicator of success behind it, and it worked. I gave for free upfront, enormous value and it built my network which has turned in many thousands of dollars of work in 2022.
So again write down, what worked in your business?
And I guess, as it’s the end of the year if it did work in 2021, are you going to do it again in 2022? Maybe tweak and test, but are you going to do it again as part of your business strategy?
I only ask that because sometimes we do things that work – like really work, but we hated doing it, so we won’t continue for that reason!
Alright, next question is, a little obviously, what didn’t work!
What did you do in 2021 that simply didn’t work? Doesn’t mean it failed, but perhaps it just didn’t work the way you had planned or worked but took too much focus or maybe it did flop and you’ve learnt so much from that flop.
Write a list, what didn’t work in 2021.
Will you tweak, test and measure that activity in 2022 or just shelve it?
What didn’t work for me was my mastermind programs. I ran one very successful in February and then they sort of fell off the boat thereafter.
I just don’t think my heart was in doing them. I was conscious of the world around me, the pressures and just never put the energy into them that they needed in order to get them up and going during the year.
I think I was comfortable doing what I was doing – on reflection maybe a little too comfortable.
I think, like many of us, I thought 2020 was the end of Covid, and was totally surprised and astonished that I think, for me, 2021 was worse! It really threw me.
But 2022, I will 100% be running masterminds again and fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed, they might be able to have a face to face element to them! Oh, how wonderful would that be!
Ok, so now you have your list of
- Things to celebrate – champagne moments
- Things that worked, and
- Things that didn’t work
Next of course is what’s next?
What does 2022 look like? The seriously BHAG plans, and the smaller things!
That’s how we finish our monthly sessions – setting the goals for the month ahead – but of course, now I am talking to you about the year ahead.
If you’re not sure what the year looks like. Reflect on your list of what worked and what didn’t and put some emotions around that list too. That might help. Like, what didn’t work for me, I know why – I know exactly why things didn’t work but that’s not to say they can’t work or that I don’t want them to work. So they will be on the 2022 goal list.
Other things that worked, won’t be necessarily on the 2022 list because it’s a different year – it’s got to be – seriously! My zoom networking, calls, sessions, all worked amazingly but next year – less zoom more face to face!
If you’re keen to do a planning session in January – to work out the plans for 2022, then let’s do that. I would normally do a planning session for my community like you at the end of the year, but I think I’m exhausted and you probably are too.
So I’ve decided to do the planning session in mid-Jan instead.
If you’re keen on kick-starting your 2022 with a fabulous plan – then here’s the workshops I’ve got planned (on zoom!).
The first one, (insert date) will be all about working through goals. What are the goals for 2022? The annual goal, the quarterly goals, the monthly goals. We will walk through step by step to discover your goals and plan out exactly how you are going to get there.
It’s a 90-minute session via zoom with me leading it (and doing it with you!). You can have the chance to chat and run ideas past me and other superstars on the call or ensure your strategic plan is strategic!
To sign up for this planning session go to: https://bit.ly/virtualplanningday2022
The cost is $37
The second one is a fabulous lead on from that workshop – it’s getting your 90-day marketing plan done and dusted. Actually planning out your content for 90 days. Whether that be social content, email content, blog, podcast – doesn’t matter. It’s a content planning session.
And, most importantly, it’s using your goals for your business for the year, that quarter and that month to create the content.
No more thinking “what to post” on social media or what to email – do the plan, follow the plan and reach your goals. It’s that simple – ok not easy, but definitely simple.
Keen? Content planned for 90 days in January? And to be honest, once you’ve planned it for 90 days, there’s SO much you can repurpose for the next 90 days and the next – so it’s almost like having your years content planned out – with only a few changes needed each quarter. Freaking brilliant – right?
This session will also go for 90 minutes.
To sign up for that 90 days of content creation session go to: https://bit.ly/contentplanning2022
The cost is $37
So that everyone gets the love and attention they need numbers will be limited – so jump on board before Christmas and lock yourself into knowing that come mid-January your planning will be done, which means between now and then, you can just bloomin’ relax.
That’s what I need. I have little doubt that you need it too.
Any queries, just sing out – jenn@jenndonovan.com.au or send me a DM.
Let’s do this in 2022.
Omgoodness – let’s freaking do this!
So, that’s me for episode 169. Come and join the conversation in the Like Minded Business Owners group and let’s keep in touch in there if we aren’t already.
Episode 170 will land on Christmas Eve Eve (yes, that’s a thing!) so it will be short and sharp, as will the one landing just before this year ends! I’m not taking a break – so make sure you keep tuning in. I won’t take up too much of your time – even less if you double speed me!
But I’m here for you! 2022 is my year and I’d love to share it with you – so it’s YOUR YEAR too!
See you next week on the podcast for episode 170. But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.
But whatever you do,
……..remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!
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