This year we are celebrating Sorted Communications’ tenth birthday! As part of our reflections on how far we’ve come and how much we’ve learnt along the way, we challenged ourselves to come up with 10 topics we’ve learnt 10 things about in 10 years.
As part of this, we simply had to ask our founder Ali to fill us in on everything she’s picked up as a business owner over the past decade. Here’s what she had to say:
10 years ago, I was living in Nottingham and had been working as a freelance communications manager since 2006. One of my motivations for going freelance in the first place was to be able to travel more, and I was enjoying being self-employed but almost all my work was being done in person at clients’ premises. I knew that a lot of the time I didn’t really need to be on-site to deliver the work and thought I should be able to combine work and travel.
I’d started outsourcing a little and the next step for me as I began to move from freelancing to running a business was to test whether it worked remotely – not only from home but also on the other side of the world. So, I made a few small practical changes and spent a month in Cape Town to test this location independent thing that I’d read about. Since that first exploratory trip, I’ve learnt that combining work and travel can be challenging at times – but I’ve also learnt lots of tricks to deal with those challenges. I’ve learnt a lot about myself too and about running a business, so here are my top ten pieces of advice:
1. Be clear on your offering
Don’t try and do everything; identify your core strengths and focus on offering the best service you possibly can. It’s difficult to turn down work – especially when you’re just starting out – but taking on work that you’re not really outstanding at usually leads to frustration and problems; focusing only on the work you know you do really well will help everything run smoothly and ensure you have happy customers.
2. Know your target market
Whatever your offering is, I can guarantee your target clients are not ‘everyone’. Get very clear on who you work best with and who you want to work with. A useful exercise is to write out your ideal client avatar – really think through who they are, where they are and what their problems, pain points and priorities are. This then helps you get super-clear in your comms and marketing – and so attract the right clients.
3. Manage your time
Running a business requires a lot of time and effort; it’s hard work! It’s important to manage your time effectively to ensure you’re using your resources efficiently and make sure you build in time to look after yourself and take proper breaks and even holidays.
4. Delegate
At first, it’s probably going to be just you, but you can’t do everything yourself, especially if you want to grow the business. It’s important to recognise areas where you can bring in support. That doesn’t need to be someone full-time or directly employed; a part-time freelance assistant is often a good first step – and much less scary than committing to paying a fixed monthly salary. And once you’ve found someone to help, learn how to give a clear brief and stop thinking you’re the only person who can do this, that or the other.
5. Hire the right people
As you grow, your team will become more and more valuable. A good team is essential for the success of any business. It’s important to hire the right people, provide them with the support and resources they need, and foster a positive work culture. When I’m recruiting now, I remind myself to trust my gut. I’ve made a couple of bad hires in the past and both times I knew in my heart they weren’t really the right person, but I didn’t listen to myself and went with the person who ticked the most boxes on paper. I’ve also taken a complete leap of faith and hired someone who on paper ticked almost no boxes – and she turned out to be fantastic! These days, our recruitment process includes reminders to me ‘listen to your gut.’
Could you use an extra pair of hands?
Contact us now to discuss how our reliable, efficient, no-nonsense communications support can help you and your team.
6. Do your research – but avoid overwhelm
I’ve read plenty of business books and resources, but my advice is don’t read everything. It’s important to get inspiration and information but you’ll never have time to follow through on all the ideas you get that way. Be selective around what you consume to help keep your focus; make sure you’re not using research as an excuse to procrastinate.
7. Value good customer service
Providing excellent customer service helps build loyalty and can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth advertising, which can be crucial in the early stages of growing a new business.
8. Adapt and innovate
The business landscape is constantly changing and it’s important to be flexible and adaptable to stay competitive. This includes being open to new ideas and experimenting with new products or services.
9. Seek out support and resources
There are many resources available to help businesses succeed, including business coaches, mentors and networking groups. It’s important to seek out and take advantage of these resources to help your business grow and thrive. I’ve worked with three different mentors over the years, and all were great for where I was at the time. I find I make much better progress when I’m working with a coach than when I’m left to my own devices. It’s also really good to have people outside the business who you can talk to when things feel like they’re getting too much or you just need an objective, informed second opinion.
10. Focus on winning clients
One of the best pieces of advice I was given very early on in my business journey was that when you’re starting out, you don’t need a website, or business cards, or printed stationery or pull-up banners or anything else like that; all you really need is clients. Some people think they need these things before they can get started but, while they can certainly be helpful, they’re not what you actually need first.
After 10 years in business, I still feel like there is so much more to learn but I hope these tips are helpful to anyone who’s just starting out in business or thinking about making the leap.
To find out more about our team and how we work, contact us today.
10 things I’ve learnt about running a business
This year we are celebrating Sorted Communications’ tenth birthday! As part of our reflections on how far we’ve come and how much we’ve learnt along the way, we challenged ourselves to come up with 10 topics we’ve learnt 10 things about in 10 years.
10 years ago, I was living in Nottingham and had been working as a freelance communications manager since 2006. One of my motivations for going freelance in the first place was to be able to travel more, and I was enjoying being self-employed but almost all my work was being done in person at clients’ premises. I knew that a lot of the time I didn’t really need to be on-site to deliver the work and thought I should be able to combine work and travel.
I’d started outsourcing a little and the next step for me as I began to move from freelancing to running a business was to test whether it worked remotely – not only from home but also on the other side of the world. So, I made a few small practical changes and spent a month in Cape Town to test this location independent thing that I’d read about. Since that first exploratory trip, I’ve learnt that combining work and travel can be challenging at times – but I’ve also learnt lots of tricks to deal with those challenges. I’ve learnt a lot about myself too and about running a business, so here are my top ten pieces of advice:
1. Be clear on your offering
Don’t try and do everything; identify your core strengths and focus on offering the best service you possibly can. It’s difficult to turn down work – especially when you’re just starting out – but taking on work that you’re not really outstanding at usually leads to frustration and problems; focusing only on the work you know you do really well will help everything run smoothly and ensure you have happy customers.
2. Know your target market
Whatever your offering is, I can guarantee your target clients are not ‘everyone’. Get very clear on who you work best with and who you want to work with. A useful exercise is to write out your ideal client avatar – really think through who they are, where they are and what their problems, pain points and priorities are. This then helps you get super-clear in your comms and marketing – and so attract the right clients.
3. Manage your time
Running a business requires a lot of time and effort; it’s hard work! It’s important to manage your time effectively to ensure you’re using your resources efficiently and make sure you build in time to look after yourself and take proper breaks and even holidays.
4. Delegate
At first, it’s probably going to be just you, but you can’t do everything yourself, especially if you want to grow the business. It’s important to recognise areas where you can bring in support. That doesn’t need to be someone full-time or directly employed; a part-time freelance assistant is often a good first step – and much less scary than committing to paying a fixed monthly salary. And once you’ve found someone to help, learn how to give a clear brief and stop thinking you’re the only person who can do this, that or the other.
5. Hire the right people
As you grow, your team will become more and more valuable. A good team is essential for the success of any business. It’s important to hire the right people, provide them with the support and resources they need, and foster a positive work culture. When I’m recruiting now, I remind myself to trust my gut. I’ve made a couple of bad hires in the past and both times I knew in my heart they weren’t really the right person, but I didn’t listen to myself and went with the person who ticked the most boxes on paper. I’ve also taken a complete leap of faith and hired someone who on paper ticked almost no boxes – and she turned out to be fantastic! These days, our recruitment process includes reminders to me ‘listen to your gut.’
Could you use an extra pair of hands?
Contact us now to discuss how our reliable, efficient, no-nonsense communications support can help you and your team.
6. Do your research – but avoid overwhelm
I’ve read plenty of business books and resources, but my advice is don’t read everything. It’s important to get inspiration and information but you’ll never have time to follow through on all the ideas you get that way. Be selective around what you consume to help keep your focus; make sure you’re not using research as an excuse to procrastinate.
7. Value good customer service
Providing excellent customer service helps build loyalty and can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth advertising, which can be crucial in the early stages of growing a new business.
8. Adapt and innovate
The business landscape is constantly changing and it’s important to be flexible and adaptable to stay competitive. This includes being open to new ideas and experimenting with new products or services.
9. Seek out support and resources
There are many resources available to help businesses succeed, including business coaches, mentors and networking groups. It’s important to seek out and take advantage of these resources to help your business grow and thrive. I’ve worked with three different mentors over the years, and all were great for where I was at the time. I find I make much better progress when I’m working with a coach than when I’m left to my own devices. It’s also really good to have people outside the business who you can talk to when things feel like they’re getting too much or you just need an objective, informed second opinion.
10. Focus on winning clients
One of the best pieces of advice I was given very early on in my business journey was that when you’re starting out, you don’t need a website, or business cards, or printed stationery or pull-up banners or anything else like that; all you really need is clients. Some people think they need these things before they can get started but, while they can certainly be helpful, they’re not what you actually need first.
After 10 years in business, I still feel like there is so much more to learn but I hope these tips are helpful to anyone who’s just starting out in business or thinking about making the leap.
To find out more about our team and how we work, contact us today.