My 6 months in business check in
If you’ve been following me or reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m big into the idea of reflection. I believe that when we pause and review what’s been happening in our lives and how it’s felt, we can set better, more meaningful goals for the future.
So when I made the leap to take my business full time I knew reflection would be important to keep me on track and aligned to my vision. As well as monthly check ins, I wanted to make sure I was scheduling some “big picture thinking days” (a bit like the strategic away days I used to go on in my old corporate life), and a couple of weeks ago, 6 months after diving head first into being a full time business owner, I had my first one.
I cleared my diary of any other jobs or calls and focused entirely on reviewing my business, reflecting on what has and hasn’t been working and setting some goals for the future. I spent hours brainstorming ideas and scribbling on post it notes and reconnecting with what I’m trying to achieve, and today I thought I’d share my process and some of the outcomes and realisations with you all.
What have I done in the last 6 months?
I started by reflecting on what I’ve done in my business during the last 6 months, and the answer was: A LOT! It was only by stepping back and reflecting that I realised quite how much I’ve achieved in this time. I’ve worked with over 25 1:1 clients, delivered 3 group coaching programmes, led 2 100 day projects, hosted 2 all day events and delivered countless workshops, both in person and online. On top of that, I’ve also continued to create content (blog posts, podcast episodes, newsletters and the like), undertaken more training and development and been featured in national press multiple times. Phew - no wonder I’m tired!
I think a key part of starting a business is throwing yourself in at the deep end and experimenting with what works, and I’ve definitely done that over the last 6 months. And while it’s been busy (and tiring!) I don’t regret approaching it in this way, as I now have some really valuable information about what I’m good at, what I enjoy, and how I can build on and adapt my offerings for the future.
What have I learned?
The next step in my reflection process was to ask myself what I’d learned over the last 6 months, and again, it was a lot! However, there were a few key points that came out that I’ve summarised below:
I’m happiest (and most effective!) when doing the work of connecting with and coaching people - whether that’s working together 1:1, delivering group programmes or hosting online and in person workshops.
Events are fun, but organising them is not my bag - I really thought that events would be a big part of my business model, but it turns out that all of the logistical stress outweighs any of the fun for me.
Continuing to invest in myself and my skill set is key for building the type of business I want to build, and I want an ongoing commitment to learning to be a key pillar of my strategy moving forwards.
I’m in this for the long haul. I think when starting any new business there’s a certain amount of apprehension about whether it’ll be a good fit or not, but after 6 months of focusing on this work I can honestly say I’m in for life!
What’s next?
The final stage of my 6 month business check in was to figure out what comes next. What did I want to prioritise over the next 6 months? What did I want to let go of? What did I want to focus on? This was the part I was most excited about as I had tonnes of ideas buzzing around, and getting them all down on paper has made me feel a lot more organised!
Here are some of the key things I’ll be focusing on for the rest of the year:
1:1 Coaching
Of course, 1:1 coaching will remain as the core element of my business. It’s the work I’m most passionate about and the work I know is most effective in achieving my goal of living their most joyful life. I’ll be raising my prices in Q3 as I’ve been investing significantly in my development as a coach over the last 6 months, and rather excitingly, I’ll be bringing in a new option to work together over a 3 month period as well as my current 6 month package. Hopefully I’ll have more to share on this soon!
Group Coaching Programmes
Some of my favourite work I’ve done so far this year has been delivering my group coaching programmes Find Your Thing and The Joyful Business. I’ll be re-running each of these programmes in September and October respectively (there are email sign up links on the pages for each programme if you’d like to be the first to hear when they’re open), and I’m really excited about that.
I’ll also be launching a brand new group programme, Master Your Mindset, at the end of this month, so if you want to build your confidence, let go of imposter syndrome and start living a life that feels really good to you, watch this space…
Online Workshops
Before lockdown began I was delivering regular in person workshops at a co-working space in Leeds. I absolutely loved putting some accessible, bite size sessions together, and so while in person workshops are a no go, I’ll be running them online instead. I’ve got pretty much a workshop a month scheduled for between now and the end of the year, including one next week all about conducting a mid-year check in and getting 2020 back on track - I’d love to see you there!
Content
And of course, on top of all of that I’ll be continuing to share regular free content with you all - I’ve got tonnes of ideas for podcast episodes, newsletters, blog posts and Instagram content that I can’t wait to share!
So there you have it - my 6 months in business check in. I can’t wait to see what things are looking like when I’m hitting my business anniversary in November - if the next 6 months are anything like the last, I’ll be very happy indeed!
