Smashing Self-Employment - Marketing and productivity help if you're self-employed.

You may have heard one (or more) of the following phrases: Knowledge is power Leaders are readers Earners are learners However, none of these phrases have any impact until you start putting your learning into ACTION! That's right, you need to do something with the knowledge you gain. So, this episode gives you some ideas on how to make sure you're making the most of your knowledge and lear...

I'm often asked the question "Does email marketing still work?". And my resounding answer is usually "YES!" But... There's always a 'but'. You have to make it relevant to your target audience and not just keep bombarding them with 'buy my stuff' messages. Even that last sentence comes with a 'but...' You see, if you're in e-commerce then emai...

When you're self-employed (or running a small business) the mission is to make a profit. If there's no profit then you have a hobby, not a business. And the way to profit is to make sure you're not spending money on stuff you don't need and that, eventually, you bring in far more than you spend. Key points: Keep an eye on cash-flow Ask yourself: 'do I really need this?' wit...

Even if you're working from your kitchen table, with a tiny business, it's still important to have a website, and here's why: The key thing to remember is that your own website will be the only bit of online real-estate that you actually own and control. The social platforms belong to someone else and they can change their algorithm and shut you down almost instantly, as Facebook has d...

Have you ever contacted a company and they didn't respond? Here in New Zealand this is very common, even if you're trying to spend some money. I can only guess that those companies are making too much money or they simply don't give a damn. But here's the thing: Even if they're the best at what they do, I will never try to do business with them again. As far as I'm concerne...

This episode is the story of Tom and Dan who tried a crazy marketing idea with expensive and disastrous results. They spent a bunch of money in the 'hope' that it would work first-time. Sadly, marketing rarely works first-time. There is a usually a period of refinement to get desired results. Key lessons in this episode: Get to know your audience as well as you can before starting a market...

In this example of great customer service you'll learn an important lesson in making sure the buying experience with your company lets customers know that you're there to serve. You see, it's far too easy to take your customers for granted. And when you do, it's only a matter of time before this starts to eat away at customer loyalty. LET'S CONNECT: Web: ⁠smashingselfemployment...

In this interview with self-employed trainer and facilitator Steve O'Neill ( https://sondevelopment.com/ ) you'll learn some of the key things that you need to get to grips with when you become self-employed. Key learnings: Don't be afraid to 'go for it' if you get the chance Using your network is a great way to pick up work You have to become multi-skilled quickly You don'...

We all want to get more done. But it's often a challenge because, when you work for yourself, you're spinning so many different plates. And it's important to get the vital stuff done when you're at your most alert and awake. In this episode you'll discover a simple technique that will enable you to identify your best time of day to get the most important work done. LET'S CO...

Sheila Smith (now retired) shares her business tips in this interview recorded in November 2020 during the Covid lockdowns. The key lessons are: Be adaptable Try new things (even if they're uncomfortable) Partner up with complementary skills Keep your word - your reputation depends on it You're never too old to learn new stuff Don't sit and suffer in silence, speak with someone Look fo...

When starting out in business it's very tempting to just dive into loads of different marketing channels to try and be everywhere. However, this is usually a mistake. Largely because you can't be good at them all if you're spreading yourself too thinly. The best way is get really good at just a few and then add more from there. This episode explains the how and why of this approach. LE...

Want to beat perfectionism? It's simple: just learn to accept that most things only need to be 'good enough'. You see, very few things in life and work need to be perfect. But most perfectionists get too hung up on making things just right. So, if you're a perfectionist you should listen to this. This episode talks you through a couple of examples of where 'good enough' wou...

Chelsea Baldwin, copywriter and content marketing specialist, shares her thoughts on being a successful freelancer. Her ideas include: It doesn't have to take long to get started You need to get "Business Smart" as fast as possible Learn from those who are doing it well Get good at selling - Pronto! And more... Since this episode was recorded Chelsea has been working as an employee b...

This episode was recorded as part of a webinar where I was one of the guest speakers. The intent of the webinar was to help networkers get better at what they do get more out of networking, hopefully to build their businesses and make it into a more successful marketing channel. So if you're into networking, and you want to do better, listen on. LET'S CONNECT: Website : ⁠⁠⁠⁠smashingselfemp...

In this episode of the Smashing Self-Employment podcast we interview Caroline Hunt of Emerald Starfish ( www.emerald-starfish.com ) who is a self-employed recruitment specialist. After 10 years of being in business, Caroline has been through the highs and lows of being self-employed. She has now become well known in her target market for having a high-integrity approach to her service. LET'S C...

Getting into a flow is vital when you are self-employed or running a small business. These 3 simple ideas can make a huge difference to how much you get done, the kind of work you're doing and also how well you attract and keep customers. They are: Say NO a lot more Delegate more Do some marketing every day. This live recording talks you through how to make these work for you and gives you ple...

Here, Sebastien de la Hamayde ( www.designeering.com ) shares his thoughts on how to stay in business for over 20 years. Starting a business can be quite simple but longevity in business takes some dedication and knowledge. Learn from Sebastien's experience and unlock some of the secrets to long-term business survival. LET'S CONNECT: Website : ⁠⁠⁠⁠smashingselfemployment.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram :...

Libby Langley is a UK-based business coach and mentor ( www.libbylangley.com ). In this interview she shares some of her top tips for being successfully self-employed and building a small business. Whether you're new to business or you've been around a while you'll discover some real nuggets in this podcast interview.

We get asked a lot whether there is an outright best single marketing tip, tool or technique. The answer is normally quite surprising for many: Do Some Marketing Every Day! Is it that simple? Yes it is. But you'd be surprised to find that very few (like, less than 10%) small businesses latch onto this. So, have a listen and find out how to make it work for you and your business. LET'S CONN...

Clare McCabe of Purple Star Design ( www.purplestardesign.co.uk ) shares her top tips for success in self-employment. Clare shares the key things that she's learned in nearly 20 years as a freelance designer. This includes: Being brave Sticking to your values Being prepared for a bumpy start Setting goals and more LET'S CONNECT: Website : ⁠⁠smashingselfemployment.com⁠⁠ Instagram : ⁠⁠www.in...

For many people in the self-employed world having a holiday can be a stressful time. There's a risk that you'll end up spending more time fretting about your clients, and what they need, than actually taking the time to relax and enjoy your  holiday. The interesting thing is that your clients won't be surprised that you're having a holiday and will actually expect you to be unavail...

Getting things done is key to success in business (and life) but many of us struggle. The key is FOCUS! So, this short episode walks you through a very simple idea that could seriously improve your productivity almost immediately. So here it is: Switch stuff off! It really is that simple. Listen in to find out the how and why of this powerful concept. LET'S CONNECT: Website : ⁠smashingselfempl...

If you don't segment (split up) your target audience then you may end up trying to sell the wrong things to the wrong people. In essence, you're improving your market targeting so your marketing results will be as good as they can be. This episode explains. LET'S CONNECT: Website : ⁠smashingselfemployment.com⁠ Instagram : ⁠www.instagram.com/smashingselfemployment/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://w...

Being self-employed is the best way to work but it doesn't come without it's challenges (like all things in life). Knowing your key reason (or reasons) for being self-employed will help to sustain you and give you motivation going forward. The stronger your reason(s), the easier it will be to keep going into the long-term. This short episode talks you through the why and how of knowing you...