Hot Shop Tip!
If you have a Shopify store, and Etsy shop or a Woocomm shop and live in Canada, you’ve got to checkout Chitchats. Cheap reliable shipping, and they are always expanding their service (dropoff points…). chitchats.com
Link: https://chitchats.com/
In season one of The Business of Freelancing, we had the pleasure of speaking to Adam Davidson’s from NPR’s Plane Money about his new book The Passion Economy.
We explore what it means to start and run a business based on your passion and knowledge, as well as look into the ever-changing landscape of entrepreneurship.
Links:
Episode Link: https://www.businessoffreelancing.com/podcast/episode-3-thriving-in-the-passion-economy-with-adam-davidson/
Book link: https://www.amazon.ca/Passion-Economy-Thriving-Twenty-First-Century/dp/0385353529
Do you want to start a business or even a side project, but struggle to come up with ideas?
There’s 3,300+ waiting for you on a site called ideasgrab.com
If you’re looking to hop on an idea and build out your MVP (minimum viable product – the simplest version of your product you can take to market), I highly recommend searching up Doc Williams on YouTube and watch him build out business MVP’s in real time.
Resources:
Have you ever wanted to write a letter to your past self? How about your future self?
There’s a neat website that allows you to write a note to your future self called https://www.futureme.org/
I’m going to do a few for the 1 year mark to checkup on my goals, but could also be a really nice reminder from yourself why you chose the path you did, because it can be hard to see clearly when you’re in the midst of something challenging and feel like giving up.
Also, DM me https://www.instagram.com/margreffell/ your email and I’ll write you a nice note for the future!
What does planning typically look like for you? I’ve been a die hard paper-planner for most of my life.
There’s something about physically filling in all the blocks with different coloured highlighters that gave me immense satisfaction! I’m trying to move everything into digital this year, and I’ve finally found a program that I can get the hang of doing that in. Notion!
Here’s a glimpse into my dashboard, and how I organize it. I will also be accompanied by a wall calendar where I can see the entire year at a glance (hasn’t arrived yet).
Shoutout to (handle at) @mariepoulin for her guidance in how to best optimize Notion.
I’m planning on moving all my project management over as well, so I’ll definitely share any workspaces I put together for that!
Do you know I have a podcast?
Well… I actually have two. I have one season of a solo podcast that I created, and now I’m entering the 3rd season of a panel podcast I’ve created with a few business pals.
They’re both about freelance and entrepreneurship and you can check them out on your favorite streaming platform.
Solo Show: Freelance Freedom
Panel Show: The Business of Freelancing
Both in link: https://linktr.ee/Margreff
Approach EVERYTHING with a learning mindset.
No one was born knowing everything. We all learn at different rates, so don’t be embarrassed to ask questions at any point.
That’s how I’ve learned everything I have today about building a business for myself, as well as building online businesses for clients.
The clients who have the most success are always the ones who never stop learning and creating. I see it over and over, and it’s always the common denominator among the success I’ve witnessed.
Learn, fail, pivot and learn again!
What’s something new you’ve wanted to learn? I’ve always wanted to build my own PC, so I think that’s up next on my 2021 list!
Are you in Canada, and looking to shop local?
I’ve put together some of my client’s products, as well as a few friends’ favorites, and compiled them into my Canada Gift Guide.
Link here:
https://linktr.ee/Margreff
This is a brand new guide I’ve created that I’ll always be adding to, so send me some of your favorite Canadian brands and I’ll include them!
Note: I don’t receive any compensation from the companies included in this guide, I’m looking to make local shopping more accessible.
Are you emotionally exhausted? Feel like you are just going through the motions……..
When people imagine burnout, it’s often this frazzled image of someone, who is physically exhausted and visibly distressed. It often appears this way, and can also take more insidious forms as well.
Do you find yourself not interested in the stuff that used to make you excited, or withdrawing from loved ones because you just don’t have the energy to fully support them? These can also be a version of burnout.
2020 has taken its toll on everyone, especially small businesses. If you’re an entrepreneur and feeling the effects of burnout, you’re not ALONE! My personal story of burnout manifested into weekly visits to the hospital to get IV iron and blood transfusions for a full year. It took almost two years to recover from, and is still being managed daily. I will fully expand on my story down the line, but in the meantime I was able to chat with some friends on the Business of Freelancing Podcast about what burnout means, how it manifests differently in everyone, and how we manage it daily.
Check out the episode all about burnout to hear about our collective experiences and ways we’ve dealt with it!
Link here https://linktr.ee/Margreff
You have what it takes to run a business!
My friend Michele tweeted the other day that people should hear more often that they ARE capable of running a business, especially from a young age.
Damn, I never knew this sentence was so triggering to me, but here we are. The reason it’s triggering is because growing up, like many, I was surrounded by societal, familial and social relationships that discourage free thought and expression.
Throughout my 20’s I always had ‘crazy’ ideas, and my whole life I was told things like “that’s not a lady’s job” and “that idea is ridiculous” as well as boyfriends straight up telling me “you don’t have what it takes to run a business”. Luckily, that just ended up causing me to question the status quo more and more, and ultimately understand how insecurities, and scarcity are projected. Well… that ends with me. I see way too many grown-ass adults tearing young people down.
So if anyone tells you you’re not capable of doing something, remember two things
So, I am here to tell you… Yes, you DO have what it takes to run a business! Now go for it!
BFCM Hangover
How did you manage navigating the biggest shopping weekend of the year as a merchant and as a customer?
It’s always a busy time in the world of ecommerce. Here’s 3 things my ecom clients have done to improve sales when the competition is high.
1. Focus on the unboxing experience. Packaging is something that’s so often overlooked by vendors, but creating an exciting unboxing experience for your customers will elevate your brand and allow your customers to share that experience on social (FREE ADVERTISING!!!)
2. Good customer support. Holy moly is customer service ever awful these days. A speedy resolution to a customer problem will go a long way. The goal is simple, fix the issue quickly, and elevate their experience so they will always remember you, and turn into a recurring client.
3. Bonus Offerings!! To many peoples surprise, I’m actually not a fan of discounting goods and services. I’ve seen higher profits, and increased sales through client sites when they choose to add more bonuses, as opposed to offer discounts (I am a fan of offering deals through subscription services, but that’s another conversation)
There are so many more strategies when it comes to selling online, but only so much that fits in a single post, so I’ll do a few more of these lists, So be sure to stay tuned!
“Do I need a website?”
This is the most frequently asked question I get from people who are looking to start their business.
The answer is YES!!!
Here are the top 3 reasons why:
You don’t need anything extravagant. If you’re beginning, start with something like Squarespace, and if you want to take things to the NEXT LEVEL! Contact me!
Yes!
Shopify themes are a one time purchase, and many themes can be used on more than one shop. However, be sure to check the terms and conditions of your theme because you don’t want to accidentally violate them, and have your store shut down as a result.
Tips for purchasing a theme:
Finally, make it your own! So many themes are pulled straight from the box and slapped up with the default colours and fonts. Hiring a designer to go over your theme and make some professional adjustments can make a world of difference.
Next, let those sales roll in!
xo,
Marg
There are many ways to build a website. Here we’ll go over some pros and cons about what software can be used. Let’s shed some light on the differences and what’s best for you.
Basically there’s 3 camps
A Website Builder (WIX, Squarespace)
These sites are very easy to use, and I often recommend them to someone who is just starting off, is conserving funds, and wants a place to direct people to that is clean, simple and easy to update. They are also hosted by their servers, and you pay a monthly fee to “rent” a website from them.
Between these two, I would recommend Squarespace as it’s much more flexible and faster than WIX. It also has nicer templates.
A Self-hosted Website (typically WordPress)
WordPress sites have much more flexibility both in terms of style, and functionality. WordPress allows full access to the code, so that everything on the site can be changed. However, in many cases you’ll need a web developer to do so.
WordPress does have a marketplace for pre-made themes so that you don’t need to hire a developer to implement. Beware, as the marketplace is unregulated and some theme creators can take advantage of this and inject malicious code into your site.
When shopping for a premade theme, always go with a referred, trusted theme creator.
An eCommerce Website (Shopify)
Shopify allows you to either purchase one of their themes, or create your own from scratch. Shopify’s theme marketplace is strictly regulated, so you can trust the themes when purchased directly off the Shopify website. They also give you full control to edit the code of the theme and customize the look of it, should you want a more unique look.
Shopify is an excellent ecommerce company, but is not the ideal platform for blogging and selling services. It’s core engine is built for physical goods.
If you are selling physical products, Shopify is the gold standard. It’s easy to use, and has great support and security features.
At the end of the day, for flexibility and growth, I always go with WordPress. There are plenty of people that use Squarespace, and are perfectly happy with it, but just be mindful because you may end up building yourself into a corner.
Ultimate, it depends what you’re trying to accomplish.
When in doubt, start small. Start with a builder.
