No doubt, many business owners will look back on 2021 with relief. The year was one of slowdowns, lockdowns, interspersed with periods of catching up on lost income, and somehow, you survived! Being self-employed is like managing a small boat in unknown waters, rough one day, smooth the next. Success is a series of small wins, and 2021 will be a series of small victories, just like the years before. Did you notice yours?

Either your year was a well-mapped plan of action that contributes to achieving those much bigger goal[s], OR your year was let’s crack on and see where this goes. Either way, those small wins would have contributed one way or another.

We may not have had the time or even thought it necessary to take stock of those small wins. We would have all had them but maybe not noticed them. Some success moments may have stood out, and you momentarily thought, “oh yeh, cool”, and just moved on. It’s easy to focus on what hasn’t gone well – and that’s natural, as human beings tend to tune into negativity more than positivity, so those small wins get overlooked. And it’s those small wins that add up to something bigger!

Those small wins, when we acknowledge them, keep us motivated. And boy, when you are self-employed, motivation is an essential ingredient. We need to produce it ourselves as well as seek external motivational support. When we tune into the little accomplishments, something powerful starts to form, momentum. Small wins improve our confidence, and when our confidence grows, it propels us to do more. Those small wins also make us happy!

Savour those small wins in 2022

• Could you make a note of them as often as you can?
• Keep a success file or journal
• Create a successful small wins trophy for yourself and say out – Whooh! That was a win!
• Create a celebratory playlist
• Celebrate them!

Do whatever it takes that keeps your motivation and momentum levels high.

Take some time out to look back on 2021 and take stock of those small wins, and you might surprise yourself. Could you do more to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate more small successes throughout 2022 and not just at the year-end? Let’s hope so.

Further reading: https://blog.ed.ted.com/2020/10/26/how-to-make-your-small-wins-work-for-you/

Should fake reviews be challenged? I am a firm believer that if you have a problem with a product or service, you should speak directly to the business owner first and foremost to resolve the issue. Not head to the internet while under the influence of lack of discipline or not managing your inner rage. Allow the business to put the situation right. If the company is not forthcoming in solving your issue, leaving a review which is a balanced account rather than a blatant dissing because you are angry about what has happened maybe more helpful when others wish to use that business.

We live in a time where people are keyboard warriors avidly flying the flag for the freedom of speech and are only too happy to leave a negative or fake review to slate competition, for fun, for personal reasons, or naming and shaming.

Negative and fake reviews are likely to create more of an impact in a purchasers mind than positive reviews. They generate discriminative informativeness and can potentially drive away business.

As was the case when one of my clients recently received a fake review. We knew it was fake because the content of the review had plenty of anomalies that didn't stack up. Fortunately, the business has plenty of positive reviews across several portals for potential customers to make an informed decision. The author profile showed plenty of telltale signs, as the local competition had received more positive reviews, so it was p[r]etty obvious to see what the game plan was.

The digital platform is a vast space to police and protect, and the small business owner leaves themselves open to negatively and positively abuse. The review process works both ways. It is not unheard of for business owners to invest in creating fake reviews for their competitors. Some businesses will entice/bribe employees or their inner circle of loyal fans to leave a positive review for their business as much as they would be only too happy to have them leave poor reviews for their competitors. And the hospitality industry is no exception.

As someone working within the marketing arena for ten years, leaving a bad review for my client's competition would never cross my mind. And as a consumer, I have been disappointed by their competition, but I chose to talk directly to them about it when it happened. The business decided to do nothing, and that is fine. The nature of my issue blighted my experience, but that may not be an issue for someone else. That business was not bothered at losing my custom because they have customers who are happy with what they offer. Likewise, my client has clients who are satisfied with what they offer.

Had the fake review that they received had any validity to it, they would have responded accordingly. But why should a fake review be allowed to remain? And on this occasion, it did not. The client challenged the author, and the author removed the review.

It is advisable to note that here in France, one has to be very careful of the kind of comments they place in the public domain as it could land the reviewer in a spot of bother, more so than the business in question.

I had always remembered a phrase from way back when, before we had access to digital playgrounds. "If you are unhappy with something, tell me [the boss, the big cheese, the business owner] if you are happy with something, tell your friends."

In the meantime, take a look at this collection of funny comebacks to fake reviews:
https://www.boredpanda.com/negative-feedback-restaurant-comebacks/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Yours socially
Micala

A call to action or CTA is an urgent, immediate instruction encouraging activity to do something specific. When used in marketing, CTAs inform your audience what to do next if they are interested in what you are offering. For example, you might see sign up for our newsletter on a website or e-commerce sites purchase now and get 20% discount.

Every day, we are exposed to CTAs from the television, direct mail in our letterboxes and online. Each avenue has its approach as to how you encourage an audience to take action to do something.

Why you might need to use it

• You might have stock to get rid of and need to encourage sales
• You may have a new service that you want your customers to learn more about
• You may have a new product and wish to promote a brief introductory discount
• You may want to grow your newsletter subscriber list
• You may have a website that does not encourage readers to do anything
• You may have a new blog article that you want your readers to share
• You may have holiday accommodation/restaurant and want people to book now
• You may have a trade / service and want more enquiries
• You may have an event or webinar that you want people to sign up to
• You have customers that exit your online shop and abandon their baskets
• Your social media activity lacks encouragement to do anything
• Your flyers or adverts lack strong calls to action

A good call to action will direct your audience to the right place and explain wh you want them to do and state the result for the recipient. 

Look at TV adverts for inspiration. Sift through the publicity that lands in your letterbox, look at websites and their CTAs. Get creative. Understand your audience. What would motivate them to take action? Your CTA needs to stand out and offer concise instruction, using strong, actionable words and include what you want people to do and what will happen when they do. Make sure it is evident as to what the recipient is getting. How long is the offer to last? Is there a sense of urgency? Is there a specific time frame?

What are you doing in your business that potentially has room for a CTA? After reading through why you might need to use it, you might identify areas of your marketing and include calls to action where relevant. We cannot control what audiences do, but we can help close some gaps with the right message at the right time to encourage our audience to take action. Take some time to identify where/how potential customers are not connecting with you and address those gaps.
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A call to action is a chance to motivate and encourage your audience to take actionable steps to become your business's customer or client.

Yours socially
Micala 

Business owners can quite often feel burn out because of a lack of boundaries. While you think it’s all under control, work overload and all that entails can lead to burnout and overwhelm. Now that we are settled into la rentrée perhaps now is the perfect opportunity to refine or even introduce business boundaries to be more empowered to do your best work within your business boundaries without sacrificing personal priorities.

No matter how small, businesses benefit from boundaries and will be different for all types of business, whether you work from home or work away. Many of us are all things in our business from doing our day job to admin, marketing, dealing with enquiries and clients. More often than not, many of these tasks get done after our ‘day’ job extending our work day considerably. Think about the areas where you feel you need to create some structure. If you are doing your admin on a Saturday morning, factor them in for Friday morning or afternoon. If you need time to work on your business, perhaps factor in a day each month to focus instead of hurried moments here and there.

• What are your priorities other than work to bring in an income?
• What is important to you outside of work life, spending time with your family, keeping those meal times uninterrupted?
• Are you honouring your hobbies and leisure time, for something as simple as having an hour for TV time or self care?

Professional relationships within your business benefit from boundaries too and are dependent on what your business type is. With the technology available 24/7 it is easy for a [potential] client to ping an email or message while it is fresh in their minds. What are your hours of operation? What will happen with calls/enquiries/messages outside of your work hours? Have you got messaging responses, email responses ready? Perhaps on your website, social spaces, contracts, email signature. The same applies to the scope of work. Does your agreement set out what you will do and when? How will those ‘extras’ be treated? And not forgetting agreements when working with other businesses.

“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated.” ~ Brené Brown.

​Once you have clear boundaries, you have a framework from which to operate weekly. When your work, business related activities, client expectations are factored in, you avoid burnout creeping in, and your priorities suffer less. Of course, as with all things in business, your boundaries may need to change as your business or personal life changes.

Yours socially
Micala 

Running and managing a business is challenging at the best of times. And the last 12 months or so, have added to those challenges. Lock-downs, working from home, working with the public under strict guidelines, restricted social interactions have become monotonous and draining, especially when you take away cultural and leisurely activity from our day to day living.  

We are now in a place where the easing of confinement has opened up across France. Some business owners have had to wait a lot longer than others to re-open, while other industry sectors have not impacted so severely. And yet here we are, halfway through the year, and it’s feeling like an uphill struggle and tiring with motivation totally out of the window. Having our lives upturned both personally and professionally can zap our joy, but we know we have to carry on, which can be emotionally draining. Having chatted with clients, partners and other small business owners recently, there seems to be a 'malaise' among  my peers, myself included. Hardly surprising! 

If you feel robbed of motivation, perhaps now is an excellent time to take stock; look within to see how you can rejuvenate your motivation to carry you through the second half of the year.

*  Remember why you are doing this. You started your business for a reason. Remind yourself of your why and how you got yourself going. Be inspired by your past successes.

*   Re-evaluate your goals. What were your intentions at the start of the year? Are they relevant now?

*   Shake things up if you have to or want to. Having a routine keeps us on track, but sometimes the same pattern can be as dull as hell. What could you do differently? Can your daily routine be revamped?

*   The mental and emotional well being of a small business owner is paramount. Running a business can, at times, be quite consuming, and every business owner must switch off. Just spending 15 minutes on the simplest of things that bring you joy, and have nothing to do with your work, can enhance motivation levels.

*   Keep focused. It’s easy to get distracted from what is essential. Know what your distractions are and seek to eliminate them or reduce them.

*   Connect with other business owners. At some point on the self-employed journey, we are going to lose our motivation. And there are times when you cannot fire yourself up. Get support from others. Just by sharing your thoughts/concerns can feel like a weight has been lifted. Hearing ‘we’ve all been there’ means you are not alone, especially in these current times.
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Finally, resist the urge to just carry on. Give you and your business what it needs to rejuvenate motivation. You will thank yourself at the end of the year.

Yours socially
Micala 
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It is time for businesses to re-emerge from the pandemic. It has been a year of uncertainty for many, experiencing a dramatic slowing down of business or zero. With confinement easing across France, small businesses will be seeking to overcome challenges of how they meet consumer needs.

The pandemic has undoubtedly shifted the way consumers behave, with the considerable increase of digital tools to navigate personal and professional needs. Digital has become a safe space for the consumer while carefully navigating essential offline activities. As the world opens up, vaccination programs ramped up; businesses need to provide communication and engagement that allows consumers to feel valued and safe. Consumers will be cautious. The world is now different and how businesses interact at a more personal, human level is crucial.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” - Socrates

During the pandemic, consumer spending habits changed for a number of reasons, and they will be more mindful of where they spend their money. With confinement easing, competition will increase. Consumers will want more bang for their buck. How can your business provide a more memorable experience?

If you as a business owner have invested in new ways of promoting your business during the pandemic, get your messaging and campaigns prepared and planned. You will be looking to operate from a stronger position with more efficiency.

Ensure your website reflects any updates relating to your business and how it will be operating, and how it will keep consumers safe.

Consider investing in pull marketing in the form of Google or Facebook ad campaigns to drive consumers to your website.

Keep those social media spaces active. Social media is often the very first place a consumer will head to search for your business. These are ideal spaces to get to know consumers better. Ask questions and get involved in the responses.

Create a campaign for mail marketing and newsletters. Let subscribers know what is happening in your business, what can they expect as confinement eases. What new products and services will be on offer.

How a consumer did business with you pre-2020 is going to be different today. Seek to understand your consumer's needs to feel more secure when venturing in and out of their local community. The last year or so has not been easy for both consumers and businesses. It's about surviving and thriving in a new way and at the same time connecting not just through digital but safe face to face human interaction supporting the needs and confidence of your consumers that helps pave the way for a healthy and prosperous path forward.

Yours socially
Micala 

​Small business owners if you are looking to spice up your content for your social spaces and your email content then take a look at creating and sharing infographics.

An infographic is an ideal way of presenting information visually, particularly if the subject is heavy and complex. An infographic that contains a good mix of design, text and research, can bring the driest of topics to life. They say a picture paints 1000 words, and an infographic is a perfect solution, especially when words alone can be difficult to process.

What are they helpful for?

• Presenting survey data
• Explain how something works
• Comparisons
• How to
• Simplifying information
• CVs
• Media/Press kits
• Illustrated lists

Where can you create infographics?
I am a great fan of Canva, and as an experienced user, I have found Canva to be the perfect place to create them. There are plenty of infographic templates, or you can create your own. There are other platforms such as Venngage, Infogram, Visme.

To demonstrate simplistic use of use of them. I wrote an article for a local magazine about social media platforms here in France https://www.etceteraonline.org/april-2021/. The content was quite wordy, but the content lent itself perfectly to an infographic.

​How to get eyeballs on your infographic?
Once you have created your infographic, you want to get it out as far and wide as possible. If you have created one that includes data, you will need to cite where that data has come from [this is an excellent way of linking back]. Have you created it for download purposes, in which case your website will be the ideal place to put it? [especially if it helps expand your email list]. As well as your website, it needs to be shared across your socials, included in your email marketing.

Each business has its own story and data that can convert to an infographic.
Business owners have a story for sure. You know your customers, and you know their needs, habits and desires and patterns. You know what goes on in your business better than anyone. An infographic is ideal for sharing that knowledge and bringing data to life with a bit of fun and creativity.

Example: You are a mover of goods.
How many customers have you helped move? What are the destinations? What are the loads?

Example: You are a wedding planner.
How many weddings have you planned? What is the favourite wedding destination? What have been popular themes? What’s the fav honeymoon destination?

Example: You make delicious cakes.
What are your customers favourite? How many have you baked? Include a quick recipe. 

Example: You are an independent estate agent.
How many people have you helped move? What type of property is popular? What are key drivers? Pics of dream homes.

When topped and tailed with your information and how to get in touch with you, they make for great content to garner sales – think landing page – download this info – get in touch.

Yours socially
Micala

There’s nothing better than having a thriving business in your local community. And communities change over time, people come, and they go. With online searches at an all-time high is your business showing up locally? As well as community landscapes changing, how your business gets seen has also changed.

Whether you are a start-up or a seasoned business owner, your business needs to be seen. The methods used ten years ago may not function at their best now, or as we have seen in recent times, some more traditional face to face methods are non-existent. The worldwide web is a hectic space. A digital market full of all sorts of businesses, some like yours, all jostling to be seen. So how do you strive to stake your pitch on your local patch digitally?

Google My Business An ideal way to appear in local search is to create a free listing with Google My Business. Having a business profile helps attract customers when they are searching on google. Regular postings to your GMB profile lets Google know you are still active and contributes to you showing up in map searches and local search results. To create an account and maintain an account is FREE.

If you are active on social media, then some of your posts should include appealing local content and where possible have relevant hashtags and locations on your posts. The more active you are, the better, as Google searches for social media activity. Consider a more targetted approach through ads where you can be specific about the demographics.

If you have a website, this too should be optimised for local keywords. Add in some educational and informational blog content with relevant local keywords. Blog content is ideal when the majority of your website is static. It keeps it fresh and lets relevant search engines place you. If this kind of activity phases you or depletes valuable time, get someone in who knows what they are doing.

Connect with other local businesses. Can you collaborate with complementary but non-competitive businesses through email marketing, joint digital campaigns?

While most people will actively search online, we must always be mindful of those who do not use technology but are quite happy flipping through the local rag or magazine. Consider a listing or a regular advert in a magazine that covers your demographic.

“People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction.” - HubSpot

It's easy to stick to what you know when it comes to marketing. However, it pays to invest in adapting and innovating to be where your customers can be found. 

Yours socially
​Micala