2020 was a long year, everyone was waiting for the highly anticipated 2021 to arrive albeit we all knew the problems weren't going away overnight but this year there is hope as the worlds Covid vaccinations get underway.
Yet during this Christmas the entire UK was locked down again and we witnessed some extraordinary news from the US. It is little wonder I noticed many of my wedding business owners were feeling down.
The one word I can think of at the moment is fragile, the world is a fragile place, people are feeling fragile and tired, trust me you are not the only one feeling like this so here are some of my tips I shared this week in my Facebook Group to help you ease into 2021.
PROTECT YOUR OWN MINDSET AND WELL BEING
2020 was a flurry of postponements, cancellations, managing distressed and upset clients. Weddings were moved, weddings were cancelled, couples split up when they realised they couldn't live together 24/7. Some weddings have been moved not once but a few times and as planners we have had to bear the brunt of our couples emotions.
As much as you wish to resonate and sympathise with your clients you need a barrier to protect your own mental health.
You are their wedding planner, or supplier, you are not there to counsel them. If they need this there are many experts available such as Wedded Bliss or friends and family to take on this role, it is not your within your remit if you are providing a wedding service.
TAKE THE TIME TO REVISIT YOUR BUSINESS
It is housekeeping time. 2020 was spent moving weddings, frantically checking your contracts and beginning to learn new skills. You may have had time to revamp your website a bit, learnt more about social media, Instagram, Pinterest, etc but now I want you to set yourself goals.
Is your website and branding really how you like it, are you 110% happy with it and feel confident or do you need to revisit it?
If you are clueless or just a bit stuck I can highly recommend following Fiona over at the Brand Stylist.
Image at Victoria Mc Ginley.
Think of your website like a shop. Maybe it has been closed since last March and needs to be reopened in 3 months. What would you do if it was a real shop?
You would be in there cleaning it up, dusting it down, clearing clutter and putting nice things in there to sell. You would be standing in your shop ready to say hello to your potential clients and welcome them.
The same applies to your website, it is no different.
TIDY UP YOUR WORKSPACES
Working from home has become the norm this year but for many business owners this has been the normal for many years.
Take the time to declutter and tidy up your workspaces. Make them an inviting and inspiring place to be. The less clutter around the more productive you will be.
Add some plants, create inspired quotes for your walls or just tidy up your computer.
Make new files, delete old folders and look at your information you send to clients. Could you improve any of your documents or introduce new systems into your business now to make life easier in the long run.
Write down the time consuming things you struggled with before and see if you can find solutions to help you when you get busy again.
Image from Beach Pretty
START BLOGGING
Start a blog or work on your blog. This is the next best thing you can do for your SEO, get found and show up as the expert.
Social media is great but people still love reading blogs. Build the know like and trust factor in your blog posts, share your tips, tricks and of course your fabulousness!
If you need help with blogging you can find a whole host of information here.
SMARTEN UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
If you are not focusing on Instagram you should be. Learn how to use it properly, get your page set up and start planning content.
Create a few sets of hashtags and change them up occasionally, it could be a new set of hashtags will elevate your profile on Instagram so take time to learn more about it and how to use it effectively for your business.
If you want to build an audience concentrate on Facebook and Instagram. The one thing you can do for your business right now is keep being visible, go live, talk to your audience, you have a room of how ever many followers there, it isn't just a numbers game, they are real people following you because they are interested so show up and speak to them.
Think of it like a party, they are all waiting for the host to arrive, if you don't pop in and say hello, introduce yourself and entertain them they will get bored and find another party!
KEEP NETWORKING AND LEARNING
2020 was a brilliant year for networking online. Keep doing this, even if you are feeling down this is the best thing you can do to uplift you and speak to business owners who are going to totally resonate with you.
Keep learning as much as you can, being a business owner is always about learning and moving forwards. Whether you join a membership such as The Business of Weddings Membership or just become part of a Facebook Group it is super important to stay connected and up to date.
DEADLINES AND GOAL SETTING
Finally keep pushing forwards, this will end as quickly as it arrived. Don't think you have another year to dabble in your business, give yourself time lines and goals. There is nothing like a deadline to get something done.
If you were told everything would be back to normal at the end of April and you will be busy what tasks or jobs would you have wanted to complete?
Write them down and give yourself a deadline. If you leave things now they may never get done so create a sense of urgency to keep pushing your business forwards during the next three months.
I hope all this has helped, as business owners it is important to push through the pain barriers, if it were easy everyone would be an entrepreneur but it isn't, it is hard going and you must learn to keep going even through extraordinary times.
You will be the ones who succeed and whilst it doesn't feel like it some days and you want to hide, this is fine too but not for long, dust yourself down, remember you are brilliant and just keep taking steps forwards.