Hi lovelies,
Just a quick post for you today while my anti-spew medication lasts.
Since I wrote last, my festival of puke has gotten worse. Yesterday I ended up in hospital on a rehydration and anti-nausea drip, and now I’m taking higher grade medication to try and keep water and food down in my you know, belly, instead of fertilising my garden. (For those not in the low-down, I’m pregnant again, and have hyperemesis gravidarum again. I’m pretty much exactly Princess Kate but the baby is like foreeeever away from popping out my vag.)
Anyways, we’re not here to talk about puke or vaginas (for once!).
We’re here to talk about how on diggity earth my business has still managed to make over $50 000 (and we’re still about a week out from the month actually ending!)
I’ve set up my business very specifically to be able to cope (and continue to bloom) even when I’m not available. It’s bloody important that we talk about this – because you never know when something comes up (or shit goes down). Whether it’s illness, grief, caring for a partner or child, mental health or new babies (and the weird stuff that can crop up during pregnancy), we need to build the kind of capacity in our business for it to carry on without us, still able to serve clients and provide you with a much needed income source.
I’ll tell you the list of things you need to do to crappy-times-proof your business, and I’ll also be letting you know how you can get more information about each of those things too.
And Leonie’s usual totes honest-caveats: I (luckily) haven’t been completely incapacitated from working at this point. I’m probably doing about 20% of the hours I usually do – up to five hours on a good week. I’m super grateful to be well enough to do any work because I freaking LOVE what I do, and feel like a happy, sane soul when I get to write and create. Had I not been able to work at all, the business still would have been able to keep going, just with less savings happening. And $51 762 is turnover, not profit – from this, I pay my staff and business expenses (including philanthropic donations). I still am left with enough to live comfortably, pay living expenses and put money into savings which is amazing.
I feel very supported by my business right at the time when I need it most. And I’d like for that to be the same for you. SO.
Here’s how to make your business more crappy-times-proof:
1.) If the only thing you offer requires your time, you need to develop more passive forms of income.
Listen up service based peeps – whether you are a coach or an acupuncturist. You need to start creating physical products or information products that you’re able to sell without you be able to function. Think about all the major problems you solve now – and work out a way to fix that problem without you doing it 1-on-1 every time.
If you need help on working out how to do this, recommended resource is Business Goddess program.
2.) You need a team to back you up
Whether you own a retail bricks-and-mortar or are an online entrepreneur, you need peeps who can fill your space for you. People you can trust and who don’t need micro managing and who are brilliant at what you do.
3.) You need a damn good Standard Operating Procedures
Your business should have a living document that details everything you do (and every person in your team does) and how it is done (with detailed instructions). So if someone gets hit by a rampant unicorn tomorrow, your business isn’t impacted or brought to its knees – every other person in the team knows what needs to be done and how it can be done.
Yes, they are a total pain in the ass to start creating. It takes a major mindset shift. But guess what? It needs to be done. And it will get easier to do as it becomes practice. Start today with recording your procedures – your SOPs will be created within a couple of months max.
If you still haven’t worked out the whole team thing or Standard Operating Procedures thing out yet, recommended resource is Shining Six Figure Team System.
4.) Have marketing calendars
Don’t let this thing live only in your head – actually tell your team what’s going to be promoted, how and when. And then let it be executed, by hook or by crook, even if you’re not the one driving the thing.
5.) Have savings
Peeps, I need to get real here. I’m kind of shocked at the amount of entrepreneurs who don’t have any kind of savings built up for personal or business emergencies. I’m not totally perfect at it, but I’d say I’m better at it than 80% of entrepeneurs, and I’m getting better at it daily. I haven’t needed to use my savings this time around because I’ve got the above working smoothly – but it’s nice to know it is there for backup. You NEED cash savings to back yourself and your business up. Make sure you’re putting it away, and not getting completely fangirled about the amount of moolah you’re making and what you can buy yourself next. Time to put big girl panties on, peeps.
6.) Prioritise self care
I have daily acupuncture because it helps. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be able to even do the little hours I’m doing right now. If I didn’t have it, I’d be feeling pretty screwed right about now. I prioritise it because I know it is helping me feel slightly more sane and less alone in this (totally gross and awful) illness. I prioritise investing in my health right now because anything that can help me feel even a little bit better is a worthy investment in me and my business.
Alright my darlings, hope this has helped.
Sending you all love and gentleness,
