So here’s the usual ‘end of the year’ post. I am spending this week ensuring that all my client work is done so that I can take the next two weeks off with a clear conscience. Not that I will be off work totally, but I will not be doing any client work as I […]
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Well, I guess it’s inevitable that at some time or other you will succumb to illness and be unable to work. Here’s a few strategies to help … 1. Don’t hide it from your customers – especially if it’s going to be more than a few days. They deserve to know that their work may […]
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I build a lot of websites around the WordPress CMS so I have put this post together as a starting point for learning the important basics. Dashboard (Admin Panel) The first area you see when you login to your WordPress website. It looks complicated but believe me it isn’t. http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Panels Settings Where you control specific […]
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Like the proverbial eggs in a basket, is it wise to stick with one bubble when you’re a freelancer?
Yes and No.
Yes – because it allows you to become an expert in your field. Your clients know exactly who you are, what you do and you can concentrate all your efforts on providing the absolute best service for them.
No – because …
This is a difficult one to answer. Just like you don’t want to be working exclusively for one clients in case something goes wrong and you lose them (and therefore your income), you maybe want to expand your business base to ensure that you have a fallback in case your market disappears.
If you do think about more than one bubble then look at whether it can meld with your existing business. Perhaps consider something related to your field of expertise, add extra services that your clients would find useful in conjunction with what you already offer.
I feel that the benefit of having multiple bubbles is that it keeps your mind fresh and encourages you to explore different things which, in turn, could be beneficial to your main business. Who knows where that extra bubble will float to?
Keep your mind and business fresh by exploring new opportunities.
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I wanted to write up some articles for Create Bubbles today. Inspiration decided it was taking a day off though so I sat with fingers poised over the keyboard …
What I did -
I thought I had no inspiration but I still managed to write an article that might help someone… anyone…Bueller?
The post Things To Do When Your Mind’s A Blank appeared first on Create Bubbles.
Earlier this year I joined the local ESTA (Ethical Small Traders Association) but didn’t manage to get to many meet-ups until recently. The more I talk with them the more I know I am in tune with what the group envision for our area and the future.
We aim to provide a mutually co-operative framework for local social entrepreneurs to work together on developing products and services which serve to develop the prosperity and common good of the wider community. Taken from Lancaster ESTA website.
It has been lovely to connect with like-minded people in my local area. While I don’t always ‘trade local’ I do try to support and promote local businesses wherever possible. I always aim to be ethical in my dealings with clients and suppliers.
ESTA seeks to be a model of best practice in how to run a successful, resilient, environmentally and socially responsible local business network.
As a condition of joining, members agree to improve the way their business affects environmental sustainability, community well-being and the development of everyone. Rather than being additional business burdens this can actually enhance the success of your business.
You can read about ESTA’s 4 Principles and perhaps take some, or all, on board with your bubble – even if you’re not in the Lancaster area.
If more people traded ethically then perhaps we, the small businesses, can make a huge difference.
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The danger here is not only that you make yourself miserable but succumb to something I’ve heard called ‘small fish syndrome’. You unconsciously start to feel you have less to offer in comparison with competitors and limit the scope of what you’re doing, sticking with work that doesn’t take you out of your comfort zone or charging less than you could. The end results on potential and income are obvious.
This is a quote from Judy’s article recently published on the Guardian website. I know exactly what she means. I have ideas and plans but I never seem to ‘think bigger’ because I have no-one to bounce ideas around with. Then I talk to someone and they ask me why I think so small and give me confidence to at least think about bigger things.
Don't judge others only by their success. You do not know the full tale, I promise.
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If you find yourself feeling like this then please contact me via email to have a chat that I promise will make you feel you can conquer the world.
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It takes time.
You may see people suddenly ‘make it’ big, but often they have been making ripples long before the wave hits. They’ve been honing their skills, trying things out, failing and starting over then creating something that people will surf. It is an extremely rare occasion that anyone finds themselves as an ‘overnight sensation’, and often those that do float off into the distance as quickly as they appeared.
For instance, it took me 6 months to a year of connecting, talking, helping on Twitter before I started seeing results. For a time I gained a few clients through my twitter interactions, but recently I have been so busy that I haven’t been visible as much as I was – and I have noticed the difference.
Building a reputation takes time, keeping it takes more.
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I love social media, it has put me in touch with so many different people and experiences that I would never have dreamed of, but I have realised that there are good and bad ways to use it – one of the bad ways is to sell to me.
Sure you have a product or service to promote, and that’s great, but I don’t want to have it shoved in my face (not even cake, that needs to be eaten slowly and savoured). The recognised phrase is
People buy from people
It is true. I’d rather give my money to someone I know and have a good relationship with than a stranger; even if it costs me a little more.
The trust from a good relationship is worth a lot more than mere money.
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So when you connect with me via social media (or even in real life) start not with “Hi, can I sell you xyz?” but with “Hi, <insert interesting conversation starter here>.” There’s nothing worse than following someone, on Twitter for example, only to be bombarded with DMs selling you something.
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You’re starting out with your business and you have a brand image in mind so now’s the time to think about a logo. Maybe.
A logo is a depiction of your business that makes it memorable (you hope) and easy to spot. There are the famous ones like MacDonalds, Nike, and Apple – these you don’t even have to have their name anywhere anymore; the logo alone is enough.
Well you don’t ‘need’ one as such but it does add professionalism to your business cards, letterheads and website. Each one will be easy to see that they are the same business, and it brings consistency to your presence on and offline.
There are places that will allow you to create a logo online when you buy business cards and so on from them. There are places online that will ‘design’ you a logo for minimal fees – but you get what you pay for.
Of course, the best place to get a logo is to go to a proper graphic designer who will create you a bespoke logo that will work for your business and brand image.
If you go for the cheap option (or even DIY) then you must remember …
A reputable graphic designer will ensure that these criteria are met – plus others that I probably haven’t thought about. If you are doing it yourself please take note of the above.
In my opinion I think it would be better to have no logo rather than one that is poorly thought out...
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This is your brand image we are talking about, something that many people will see and remember. You don’t want them to remember it for the wrong reasons.
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One of the things I am wondering is what formats to create this book in. Should I keep it as an ebook or make it available in a dead tree version?
There are many options when you look, not just traditional publishing but self-publishing, print on demand, ebooks and so on. I am quite curious about print on demand, a couple of people have told me they have been very happy with it.
Of course, providing an e-version is the simplest in terms of distribution but a paper version would be nice to have and I am very aware that not everyone wants to read a book on a screen.
I am still considering whether to approach a publishing company but I feel that, with my first book, I would like to experience the process myself so that in future I would understand what the heck a publishing company are talking about.
The one thing about self-publishing is that I will have to do all the work myself – I may outsource some of it – but the bulk will be down to me, including marketing. After all, I will want people to know about the book or else how will I find readers?
These are questions I will have to address sooner rather than later. Big decisions ahead.
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After around 3 years of saying “I’m going to write a book” I am finally writing the darned book.
It’s not the first subject I’d considered but it is one that is close to my heart – I’ve had so much fun building my bubble and received so much help from various people and places that I wanted to pass that on. I’d be so happy to be able to say that I helped at least one person take the leap to a life they can love.
So, this is the start of things. The very, very first draft is done. Maybe I should say it’s the alpha version of the book, I’ll be working it up to beta level over the coming weeks and then spending August creating something that I wouldn’t be ashamed to show someone. September & October will be adding the final touches to make the book awesome ready for the launch in November 2013.
Why November? Because November is my business birthday month and this year Bay Web Designs will be 5 years old. I will be eating cake and blowing bubbles to celebrate.
Some considerations at the moment are whether to release myself or find a publisher and also whether to release a ‘dead tree’ version along with an ebook.
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So here it is…
A few years ago, via the wonders of Twitter, I met Colin the Radio Cartoonist. We meet for geeky & fun lunches (together with Pam) and chat on Twitter.
I have finally got round to asking him to draw a cartoon for me (of me) that I can use on my website & also in the book I am writing. I am writing honest Tracy.
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That moment when someone says to you “So what do you do?”
How do you respond? Do you flounder? Start a long-winded explanation of your business, your life and how your cat inspires you? Give a brief and boring sentence?
That moment when someone has actually taken the step to show interest in your work, that’s when you want to shine. When you need to be memorable. Often this happens at networking events where that person is meeting numerous people in a short period of time, you want what you say to stick in their memory.
The idea of an ‘elevator pitch’ is that you have approximately 60 seconds (the time for the elevator to reach your destination) to make an impact.
You need to state your name, what your business is and how you make a difference.
Elevator pitch - Be creative, honest, proud, fun, different.
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Eva, The Enterprise Vision Awards have been created to specifically recognise those ladies in The North West who are inspiring others by successfully running their own businesses or are at the forefront of their profession.
This will be the third year the EVA Awards have been held. Coral & Rae from Pink Link Ladies put a lot of effort into creating a great event and promoting women in business.
Want to enter or nominate someone?
Want to know more about the event or buy tickets?
Help celebrate business women in the north-west
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One big problem as a freelance web designer is that, for a lot of my work, I have to be sat at my computer. I’m always trying to find a way to get my body moving a little so here’s some of my suggestions…
1. Put on a favourite song and dance around your workspace. Most songs are around 3 – 5 minutes and if you’re clever you’ll pick something energetic that will get the blood pumping.
2. You’ll have to go to that bathroom at least once a day. Run up those stairs, run down and then run back up again. Once you’ve made your visit run back down, up again and then down again.
3. Making a coffee? Dance or jog on the spot on do some stretches. I’ve put my small step machine infront of the table where my coffee machine resides. While it’s making my coffee I try and see how many steps I can make before it’s finished.
I was going to say ‘go for a walk around the block just after/before lunch’ but then I saw the weather outside. When did May become the new October?
Staying healthy is necessary when you run your own business. Exercise is important.
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Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.
This isn’t a technical post, it’s a very brief overview of what happens when you put an address in your web browser …
You buy a domain name from a provider such as 123-Reg. Of course, browsers (and computers) don’t really like to work with words but prefer numbers. When you buy a domain name it is automatically linked with a unique IP (internet protocol) address. For instance amazon.co.uk is actually 178.236.6.251 (copy & paste that number into your browser and see what happens).
The files for websites are kept on big huge computers throughout the world called ‘servers’. When you buy hosting you’re getting a unique space on a server. These servers have back ups, rollbacks, crash plans etc to minimise disruption. You tell whoever you bought your domain name from where your file space is – that’s why you will sometimes be asked to modify the ‘nameservers’ on your domain.
You ask the browser to show you a website, the browser goes to the domain name and asks where the files are. The domain points the browser to the correct file address and the browser ‘serves’ the correct pages back to you.
This is a very quick explanation to give you an idea how domains & hosting work together.
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You’ve all read Networking (part one) haven’t you? No? Then go ahead and read it … I’ll wait.
People network for different reasons. People network differently in different groups.
Try and think why you want to join a network, what you hope to get out of it and even what you hope to put into it. Do this before you join and you’ll get a better return for your money.
I’m a member of Pink Link Ladies for the social interaction, the help and advice and the giggles. I am also a member of my local ESTA group, however, I joined that to make local connections with companies who feel and work like I do and to create a better community for my local area.
When you join a network please don’t think that you will immediately get referrals and customers, often it doesn’t work like that. In today’s business world it is a lot about making connections and building relationships and it doesn’t happen overnight. Increasingly I feel that people buy from people they know and (more importantly) trust.
So don’t be all ‘sell, sell, sell’ take the time to get to know the other members, start conversations, find mutual points of interest. It may be slow and steady but those connections you make will stand the test of time.
Did you know that whenever I find an interesting article I not only pass it around social media (especially Google+ – read why) but I also bookmark it to Delicious.
So, if you’re looking for something maybe you could try looking at what I’ve already bookmarked in Delicious.
