After following Kate Toon for many years, I felt incredibly privileged to meet and interview her last year for the networking group I was running. This is the moment when my respect for her as a businesswoman developed into a bit of a non-lesbian girl crush because she genuinely is a top chick!  She’s warm, clever, funny, quick as a fox and happily knocked back a red wine almost as fast as me 😉

Naturally, when I then saw the next round of Kate’s The Recipe for SEO Success course come up, I pounced on the opportunity.  Having completed the course, I’d love to share with you a) my 3 biggest learnings from the course (shared with Kate’s permission, of course) and b) my review of the course. 

NOTE: I will add at this point in time that I am NOT affiliated with this course, nor am I getting any kickbacks!  I simply thought this would be valuable information for anyone keen to learn more about SEO.

Learning #1: Technical Stuff.

This is where it all starts. Basically, there’s a whole bunch of elements of your site that need to be edited in order for Google to find you. I’m talking meta-tags, meta descriptions, image descriptions, understanding site speed and crawlability…the whole shebang.  There’s a lot of it! Obviously, I can’t possibly cover it all in this one little article (and nor would I do it justice!) but all of this is one of the first things that is covered in the course.  Boring?  Not really, I actually found it pretty interesting as it’s explained in a simple way for non- techy people like me.

Learning #2: Producing great Content.

This is HUGE, this is where the rubber really hits the road.  To get your business seen on google, it’s all about using the right keywords in the right ways.   The course covers how to do keyword research to find the write keywords, then how to write “google friendly” copy. 

And Kate’s biggest SEO tip??  Focus on your real audience. Stop laying gifts at the feet of the “Google gods” and shift your focus to producing high quality content to delight your audience.

Learning #3: Backlinks.

Ok you guys, this one is HUGE. Backlinking is like networking for websites. The more connections you create, the more credibility you gain and the more highly respected you are by Google (which in turn helps you rank higher). There is also explanations around citations (where your business is mentioned, but not necessarily a backlink) and why buying backlinks is NOT a good idea for your website. 

This summarises (at a very, very high level) the main areas of content of the course – there are also sections on keyword research, analytics and measurement, local SEO, social media and ecommerce seo.

What did I think of the course?

Kate Toon’s reputation for SEO is completely justified, and her technical knowledge is fantastic! The Recipe for SEO Success is overflowing with information.

Not only is the content great but it’s presented in a very practical and accessible format with weekly exercises designed to implement your learnings as you go. Weekly group calls AND a Facebook group ensure you have ample touch points so you’ll feel well supported through the whole course.

My advice for anyone considering signing up.

• Follow her before you sign up. As I mentioned earlier, I would describe Kate Toon (who is very much front and centre at the helm of Recipe for SEO Success) as funny and warm…but I would also describe her as direct. Kate doesn’t pull any punches and she calls a spade a spade. As an example, she does “Toon Reviews” where you can volunteer for her to review your website.  These are very helpful and full of practical advice, but also quick and to the point and she doesn’t soften her language. If this is something you’re not comfortable with, you may feel a little sensitive. Personally, I like honesty and a direct nature so this didn’t bother me, but  I would suggest that you start following her, join her groups, or listen to her podcasts before investing. Not only will you learn a bunch just by doing this, you’ll get a good idea of her style and whether it will work with yours.
• Make sure you commit time for completing the course. To get the most out of the course, you need to make it a priority and allow ample time for completion. I chose to do this when I had a young baby and my business was keeping me busy with coaching clients. This meant I often had to miss calls for client work (or have to care for one or both of my kids), leaving me to fall behind in the content as early as week 2. Although I have lifetime access which I continue to use, to get the best bang for your buck I highly recommend working through the content with the group. The course is fast-paced and has heaps of content and the live support of Kate and other learners is invaluable. If I had my time again I would block out my calendar for the coaching calls and dedicate a half-day every week for coursework.
• Milk every minute! Be that guy (or gal) who asks those questions; don’t be afraid to clarify until you’re confident. Perhaps as a result of being a little behind on the work, I didn’t ask enough questions and I didn’t do enough exercises and keep up with my accountability buddy. SEO has the potential to really change your business so give this part of it the time and love it deserves.

Overall, I would say the course is fantastic and well worth the money.   Remember, SEO (done properly) has the potential to hugely change the results of your business. I highly recommend it to my clients, and anyone else reading, or willing to listen to me harp on about it, to be honest!

To find out more about SEO and Kate Toon, join her Facebook group here.

The post What I learned in Kate Toon’s The Recipe for SEO Success appeared first on Clare Wood.

If you’re one of my wonderful Instagram followers, for the month of May you were part of The Great Instagram experiment. Don’t be alarmed! It wasn’t anything sinister, just me testing some theories on how to get the best results out of the ‘gram.

See, if I’ve learned anything about the socials, it’s that it takes a bit of trial and error to find what works. With this in mind, read on to hear my theories for Insta success and which ones held the most weight.

Theory 1 – People want to see YOU

I can’t take full credit for this theory but, inspired by the very clever Jenna Kutcher, I decided to only post photos of myself and my family. I mean, Jenna did it and her followers skyrocketed so why wouldn’t it work for me too?

No more inspirational quotes, no more stock images and no more memes. Just lil ol’me and a bit of fam. I found the thought of this one quite confronting and I can hear your shared reluctance from here. I get it, we’re all inclined to hide behind the witty meme- I mean, what if people think I’m too “up myself?!”. But you guys…it worked!

My followers grew by 227! When you compare this with the growth of 140 in April, there was a 62% increase between the two!! Not only this, I also had an 18% increase in engagement and a 25% increase in reach. My overall followers are now over 2,000 and I’m feeling proud as punch.

Theory 2 – People want you to engage

The idea with this theory was, by engaging with people on your post, you’ll get more traction.

At this stage, I was already engaging for 30 minutes each day – 15 mins with existing followers and 15 mins with people outside my following. So, to mix it up, I decided to do a full hour of engaging every second day.

This theory was less conclusive. With so many variables at play – CTAs, hashtags, day/time of posting etc. – I’m not able to say it was definitely the engagement that had any effect. Besides, when I looked at the statistics from an engagement day compared with a non-engagement day, there weren’t any significant differences.

While I’m fairly certain that if I did a whole month of not engaging I would notice an impact, this is not something I’m brave (or crazy!) enough to do. Suffice it to say, engaging should be part of your social media strategy BUT

Theory 3- great content trumps all in the world of Social Media.

Drilling down further on this experiment, I had 5 posts that got HUGE engagement in May. Let me rank them for you in order, with highest engagement first:

1. A cross legged photo of me with a caption talking about a really crappy stage I was going through. This one got a massive 13% engagement.

LESSON: people relate to you most when you’re honest and vulnerable.

2. A family photo accompanied by a caption about a biz coach called Clare. (If you’ve not seen this post, take a look! You’ll quickly discover how well biz coach called Clare can replace The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.)

LESSON: people love to see something different so, get creative and have a little fun with your posts.

3. A photo of me at my desk with a caption sharing my home office essentials.

LESSON: people are interested in people. Even if it’s just the everyday stuff, as long as it’s relevant to your target market, share it!

4. A post sharing photos on a carousel from the Business Chicks event with other accounts tagged.

LESSON: Multiple photos and tagging other accounts enhance engagement. The extra time people spend scrolling through your photos ensures Instagram sees your content is interesting and your audience are taking their time to read it. This also rings true for lengthy captions.

5. The fake pregnancy shot – although it got good engagement, most people were just annoyed to see that I wasn’t REALLY pregnant. I won’t try this one again, SORRY peeps!

LESSON: if you really are pregnant/just got married/just got engaged/had a baby or you’re going through another major life event, people love to hear about it! Don’t be afraid to share your stories.

The key takeaway from all of this? Instagram wants to ensure people are getting the content they love. In order to do this, keep going back to your target audience and think about how you can best provide value, entertain them, surprise them and keep them on their toes! If your audience is happy, Instagram will be happy too.

If that sneaky cynic in your head is thinking, “I’m happy for your Instagram success but, what about sales?” this next bit is for you.

The best part about all this Instagram engagement is that May was my biggest sales month in my business, EVER!! Yes, you heard right, biggest. Month. EVER! And, I’m confident that my Instagram strategy had a lot to do with it.

Those of you that follow me on the socials will know that I didn’t go from doing absolutely nothing to undertaking this experiment. So, my advice for Insta success is: be consistent and be persistent. Keep showing up, even if you think no-one is watching. Keep sharing those stories and most importantly, be yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about how to get great engagement on Instagram, make sure you download my ULTIMATE INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT CHECKLIST because when it comes to Instagram, your engagement metric is FAR more important than your number of followers. This is my no-fail checklist to authentically grow your Instagram engagement and attract your dream clients + BONUS Instagram Story Ideas.

The post The Great Instagram Experiment appeared first on Clare Wood.

Recently I launched my brand new podcast The Clare Wood Podcast and on Day 2 after it’s launch, it shot to position number 2 on the Australian Apple Podcast Charts for Business. 

I believe you can use something similar (of course tailored to YOUR business and target market) to launch something new in your business (including, of course, a podcast)!

Here is the strategy I used:

1.Build relationships in the community of your target market

This did NOT happen overnight for me.  I have been working on my relationships in the business community for YEARS.  However, the sooner you start, the better.  Building a community involves:

• Regularly attending face to face networking events
• Engaging in a meaningful way online- both by commenting on social media posts of others, and adding value into industry Facebook groups
• Being “seen” at industry events
• Promoting others in the industry – for example, if there is someone in a parallel business that I respect, my values are aligned to and I believe in their product/ service, I refer work to them, shout out about them on social media etc. I believe this has been key for me, as others were happy to then “return the favour” (please note: I did not do any of this with any expectations of it being returned, but quite often people are happy to!)

2.Produce a bloody good product

• All the marketing in the world can’t save something that isn’t fundamentally good. Make sure that what you create is perfect for your target market and will hit the mark

3.Create a launch plan

• Full transparency, my “launch plan” was just a two page word document that said “share here” and had a draft of some emails and posts. It doesn’t need to be polished, but having something to work through can make sure it all goes to plan

4.Clear your calendar for launch day and a few days afterwards

• This is one I did NOT do (learn from my mistake). I was juggling client work, social media madness and 2 children. Be. Smart.  Launching takes a lot of time and energy!

5.Celebrate! Whether your launch is a screaming success or a disaster, take some time to celebrate the fact that you actually did it

6.Reflect and work out next steps– what worked, what didn’t? What can you do to leverage your results?  And what will you do next?

So that’s it. It’s as simple… and as difficult as that….

HANG ON CLARE…. WHERE IS THE GOOD STUFF?  WHAT MARKETING ACTIVITIES DID YOU ACTUALLY DO? 

Oh right… I’ve created a downloadable for you that tells to exactly step-by-step what I marketing activities I undertook (including where I posted on social media, what I posted, who I contacted and the exact emails that I sent!).  You can download HERE.

Hope you enjoy, and happy launching!

Pssstt… if you haven’t already, make sure you have a listen to The Clare Wood podcast and if you love it, please make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star review 🙂

The post How my podcast reached position 2 in the business podcast chart appeared first on Clare Wood.

1. Think about 3 big strategic things you want to achieve in your business this week.  This does not include replying to emails or the little day-to-day actions of running your business. I’m talking BIG. And STRATEGIC. Think more along the lines of optimising your website or setting up your FB ads campaign.  Write down those 3 strategic actions and what steps you’ll need to take to achieve them. Let’s face it, if you only get through this list, you’ll have had a pretty incredible week!

2. Meditate. There are so very many benefits to meditation including improved cognition and reduced stress and anxiety. In short, it will help you clear your head and think more calmly and clearly. Once you’ve helped get all that extra noise out of that head of yours, you’ll be able to focus on all the possibilities for your business. There is an amazing guided manifestation meditation which I do almost daily which I highly recommend, give it a go here.

3. Remove distractions.

I know this whole scenario was set up with kids, dog and all the things nicely tucked away so you could focus on your work. However, it’s super important that is always the case. No matter how much you tell yourself you won’t check your phone when it’s sitting right next to you, I know you can’t help sliding your eyes over there every few minutes, just in case. Try putting your phone in another room to remove all temptations.

4. Have some accountability

Whether it’s a business buddy or your partner or a business coach, it’s great to have someone helping to keep you on track. We all know how lenient we can be on ourselves and how easy it can be to leave something until tomorrow. However, with someone like a business coach on your case, you’ll have someone to really answer to. Speaking for myself, I certainly aim to inspire you, fire you up and keep you focused on those goals!

5. Get help!

This is a really big one for me. As women, we tend to just put our head down and keep ploughing through without stopping to acknowledge how we’re really feeling. Taking stock of where you’re at and what things would be better completed by someone else is a game-changer. It could be that you realise your partner is in a better position to pick up the kids and make dinner some days. Or, maybe it’s time to get that social media help you’ve been dreaming of. Whatever it is, focus on where your time is best spent and don’t try to be everything to everyone.

Now you should be good to go. The coffee has kicked in and you’ve managed to drown out the extra noise distracting you from all you can achieve today. By taking the time to go through each of these items at various points you can focus on the activities which will really move your business forward.

If you’d like some help with creating some amazing goals for your business AND staying on track towards them, line up a time so that we can have a chat and see how I can help you!

The post Getting more done in your work day appeared first on Clare Wood.

To work through this, get out your lab coats and spark up your Bunsen burners because today, we’re going to start with some science. Don’t panic, it won’t be too taxing, just a little happy science.

You may or may not have heard of these fun things in our brains called neurochemicals. The best description of them that I’ve found is that they’re “feel good” chemicals triggered by your brain as a reward when you’ve done something it thinks is good for its survival.  We first of all need to get your ability to “cope”, back on track, and then talk about some practical ways to manage your time.

The 4 happy chemicals I’m referring to (from Jim Kwick’s “Kwick Brian” podcast episode 84) are:

Endorphins –  These are the “feel good” natural drugs.  To get yourself a cheeky hit of endorphin, do a workout!  Another way to trigger this guy is to have a good laugh (or, even a cry).  

Oxytocin – this little guy is all about trust and belonging, it’s the bonding chemical. For your oxytocin hit, you need to give and receive trust and physical touch. Have a massage, cuddle your kids, pat your dog or give your partner a cheeky pinch on the bum.

Serotonin – is the “don’t worry, be happy” neurotransmitter. The best way to get a hit is through exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet and getting a small, safe amount of natural sunlight.

Dopamine – is all about your motivation and energy release. Trigger some dopamine by setting yourself small, achievable goals and give yourself a little pat on the back when you achieve them. You could also try working in 20-30 minute blocks and giving yourself a little reward when you stick to it.  Sleep, music, and meditation have been found to help with dopamine levels.

Now that we’ve got your happy chemicals flowing, it’s time to check off some business goals to maintain that lovely high. But, where do you start?

This is quite possibly the #1 thing I hear as a business coach – How do I know what to spend my time on in my service-based business??? There are just so many things I need to do! And in my experience, I would suggest you prioritise your time in this order:

1. Current clients – they simply must be at the top of your pile. They’re the ones that keep coming back to you, the ones who are paying and the ones who will say wonderful things about you to potential clients.
2. Potential clients – if someone has taken the time to reach out with an enquiry, don’t leave them hanging!  This is your chance to show them what a great service you provide so make sure they can see it. Also, stay on top of your leads. The longer you leave your initial contact, the more chance they’ve a) forgotten you OR b) forgotten how much they need your [insert service here].
3. Find new clients – friends, I have one word for you: MARKETING!! You gotta be on the socials, updating your blog, sending out your newsletters, creating paid advertising or whatever it is that drives people to want to buy from your business.
4. Everything else – this is where I file things like admin, accounts and whatever else you need to do to stay organised and compliant in your business.

How does this plan sit with you? Perhaps you’re spending so much time in 1 & 2 that you’re simply not able to get to 3 & 4. Well, that’s when you need to think about outsourcing. If you’re truly subjective about this decision, you’ll realise your time is likely not best spent in at least one of these areas. 

And back to our happy high drugs, allow some time in your day for YOU! Take at least an hour to meditate, exercise, watch some TV, have a bath or whatever it is which fills your cup. Remember, you can prioritise current clients all you want but if you’re not looking after you, your business will not thrive.

So, it is normal to feel overwhelmed at times in your business, but have a think about how you are prioritising your time AND have a think about how you can get your happy, positive juices flowing to keep you cool, calm and focussed on your big dreams!

If you need help with your time management or getting out of the overwhelm, lock in a time with me!  I’d love to help.

The post Managing the overwhelm in business appeared first on Clare Wood.

The downside to all of this is that the buck stops with you. You are responsible for EVERYTHING.

And when you’re lumped with all the responsibility, odds are that you might end up with a busy brain that is working overtime, all the time.  And a busy brain tends to really step it up at night when you finally get the chance to lie still for a minute and close those eyes.

To try to calm your ticking mind and get a decent night’s sleep, I’ve got a few suggestions for you.

1.Device-free bedroom – we’re all pretty aware by now that it’s a good idea not to look at a screen for at least half an hour before you sleep but it’s also really great not to have the temptation there overnight. In the past I’ve been guilty of checking the time when I wake up only to see my group chat has been going off and getting sucked into a 2am catch-up. This is not good! Our new rule in our house is to keep our phones downstairs overnight so there is absolutely no chance for sneaky phone checking (and re-stimulating the mind!) during the night. 

2.Exercise every day – there’s not a whole lot better than that feeling of lying down in bed and feeling properly tired. Not just brain-drained but physically ready to drift off to sleep. I know everyone has their different schedules and you can only squeeze exercise in where it suits you. However, I highly recommend doing a morning session, if possible. From my own experience, the body and brain buzzing with adrenaline after night-time exercise really hinders my ability to properly unwind.

3.Avoid caffeine & alcohol – I know we can all be a little partial to the cheeky wind-down wine at the end of a big day but unfortunately, it can have the complete opposite effect. Wine-ing down can actually lead to a really unsettled sleep (and in turn, a rough day ahead). And that goes double for coffee! If you really must have a night-time toddy, try something decaffeinated and more conducive to shut-eye like a camomile tea or a warm milo.

4.Tech-free bedtime routine – look, I of all people know that it’s really tough to skip your guilty pleasures ALL the time (wasn’t MAFS a cracking season?!?!). So I’m not saying you should skip your shows altogether but do try to allow time for a proper technology-free wind down in your bedroom. Allow time for a couple of pages of a book, or even just check-in with your partner with a cuddle and a chat before sleep. Not only will you get a better night sleep, your relationship will benefit too.

If you’re like me and prone to a busy mind (and wakeful nights!) you might like to try:

• Keeping a notepad next to your bed. When you just can’t get that thought out of your head, jot it down, let it go and ease yourself back to sleep.
• Meditating. Rather than reaching for your phone or catching up on another episode, force yourself to stay in bed and mentally wind back down until you’re able to relax again.
• Keeping it dark. If your bladder is restless too, try to keep lights to a minimum when you get up. Lighting up the house will tell your body it’s time to wake up and that’s the last thing you need.

These new night-time routines may feel a little foreign at first, but with time, you’ll find they easily become your new normal and drifting off to sleep is as relaxing as it’s meant to be. 

If you love these tips, give me a follow on Instagram as I give away daily advice about how to manage your stress (and grow your business!).

The post How to get a good night’s sleep appeared first on Clare Wood.

See, no matter whether your goals are losing weight, hitting a certain income goal, or as shallow as a new coach, amongst all the motivational talk and encouragement to aim higher, be better it’s easy to start to think that once we achieve that goal, everything will suddenly change and all our problems will be solved. 

There seems to be somewhat of a perception that with the 6 figure business everything becomes ok. However, what really happens is the demands increase accordingly and you’re faced with new challenges like needing to take on extra staff and of course, your business expenses go up too.  Now in order to “keep up”, you need to start chasing down that 7 figure target. As the Notorious B.I.G, back in the late 90’s, so eloquently put it “…mo’ money = mo’ problems.”

The thing is, no matter who you are, how much you weigh, who you are sleeping next to at night and how much money you have, you will still have issues to deal with.  So how can you make own happiness all the time, as opposed to waiting for someone or something “make it all better” for you.

• Enjoy where you are now – yes, sure you get fired up thinking about when your business is at the next level. But do you know what?  You are actually SO blessed to be doing what you do already!  Wishing that you were a bit thinner? I bet there are people that would LOVE to look like you already do.  Spend a little time thinking about how awesome life (or parts of  your life) already are 
• Fix your key drivers – this one takes a little self-awareness and honest introspection. Think about what really makes you happy. Like, reeeally makes you happy. Obviously a long boozy lunch with your girlfriends is a wonderful way to spend a weekend afternoon but, how about the next day? It might be time to consider having a few less glasses of wine so that your whole weekend is a happy one. Same goes for missing out on sleep, eating crappy food and spending too much time on social media. Forgo the instant gratification for the long term happiness. I know, trust me, it’s tough for me too but I know when I make smarter choices, I always feel better in the long run.
• Break the negativity loop – we all know the saying “Misery loves company.” and there’s a reason why we know it so well, it’s true! Obviously we all have our down moments and there’s nothing wrong with that but, when you’re surrounded by optimistic people, you begin to think that way yourself. Given the choice, opt to spend your time with the Tiggers rather than the Eeyores, particularly if you’re not feeling so great yourself.  And when you catch that nasty little internal voice picking out all the negative stuff, visualise yourself squashing it like an annoying little mosquito!  Replace your internal language with something super optimistic!  
• Write a list – yeh I know, I always manage to sneak a little list writing in. Let’s face it, I love a list! Take stock of what makes you happy and aim to do more of it! It could be that you like to travel but money is prohibitive right now. That’s ok, be a tourist in your own city or head off on a brief and inexpensive camping trip. If spending time with friends is what fills your cup, book it in! Be present in your life, put down your device and make time for happiness.

I’m all for setting goals and chasing them down but it’s important to remember that achieving them isn’t what defines our happiness. The fact is, I know you, and I know you’re a high achiever so once you get to that goal, you’ll be chasing down the next one! While you keep working at your goals, ensure you’re working on your happiness too. That way, you’re feeling fulfilled whether your business is just starting out, you’ve made it to 6 figures or even 7.

If you want to keep up with daily inspo from me to keep your mindset optimistic, come follow me on instagram.  Don’t worry, be happy now!

The post Achieving your goals- The Happiness Myth appeared first on Clare Wood.

Overall observations of the year

2018 has been a really up and down year for me as an individual, and us as a family.  We had some amazing moments but also some really tough times.  Both my husband and I lost our beloved grandmothers this year.  Our son has continued to have health issues that have meant we spend a fair amount of time in hospital (although thankfully, he should grow out of these issues in time!).  We have also really struggled with cashflow- although our businesses have done well, having 2 x incomes that are not consistent with really high household expenses has been very challenging (we do have a plan for turning this in 2019 which I will share in time!). 

On the positive side, we had an amazing family holidays in Fiji, Forster, Sydney and New Zealand.  Our little one turned 1 and Mr 3 mastered riding his bike with no training wheels!  Our businesses continued to do well and we are continued to be blessed by good health, loving family and friends and an amazing neighbourhood community. 

Breaking the business side down a little more:

Reflection on my goals

I’m sure you’ve all heard the latest buzzword of setting yourself a ‘word’ or intention for the year?  Well, the word I set for my 2018 was FREEDOM.  As in the ability to do whatever you want with your time, and having the resources to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and wherever you want.

On reflection, this was not a realistic plan for the year.  After all, at the time I set this, I had a 2 month old baby!  (what was I thinking??!!)  I have definitely made headway towards this goal, but I have quite a way to go on this front.  So, for the new year, my learning here is definitely set goals that are challenging, but still achievable with consideration of other life factors.

Wins

1) The results of my clients

The biggest, biggest achievement I am proud of is the number of amazing women I have served through coaching in 2018.  I have been blessed with a steady stream of clients who continue to inspire me with their passion in our calls, their commitment to implementing their plans and their results!  I am particularly proud this year of 1 client of mine that has grown her business to $250k from an average of $100k p.a. and another that doubled her target (and then hit it!).   It is so inspirational to support women on their business journey and to be able to share in their success.  I truly have found my purpose in life and cannot wait to help more women in the new year!

2) Clarity around my direction and dream clients

I am now 3 years into my journey as a business coach and I am really clear around who I want to serve.  I have definitely honed in on my niche, and work primarily with women in their 20s and 30s in services businesses.  I also know with absolutely clarity that I LOVE working 1 on 1 with my clients (as I tried leading group coaching, but I have realised that the 1:1 work is what I enjoy the most, and where I can get the best results for my clients).  I am also super excited about the launch of my online courses, and can’t wait to grow this area of my business in the new year.

3) Facing fears and putting myself out there

This was a huge year for Clare Wood… in particular around fronting my fears about public speaking and putting myself “out there” on social media etc.  Funnily enough, prior to this year, I had built my business with a very modest following and mainly through networking, referrals and word of mouth!  But this year saw this all change…  I hired a social media manager to keep me accountable for posting regularly, and I did a photo shoot to get some great new images for my socials and my website.  I appeared on 3 different podcasts (the first one I just about had a panic attack from the nerves, but the more that I did them, the easier it got!).  I also got a lot more confident in front of the camera, regularly filming interviews with some amazing women in business and starting to regularly record videos myself.  I also spoke at a few events which again is MASSIVE for me!  And a big highlight, I was also chosen as a mentor for Pitch@Palace, and I even sat next to His Royal Highness Prince Andrew at the finals!  

4) Up-levelled my content

I really increased the quality of the content I am producing.  I am regularly blogging (several times a month!) and hosting online workshops every month.  I have stopped doing blogs and social posts just for the sake of it and now make sure that every post is written from the heart and is helping my community to learn and  grow their businesses.

5) Upskilled myself

I am a huge believer in investing in yourself and in education.  And I put my money where my mouth is!  As well as the continual informal learning I do through podcasts, videos, books and other content, this year I invested in two FANTASTIC courses.  One being Denise Duffield Thomas’ course around manifesting: Money Bootcamp and the other being Kate Toon’s course: the Recipe for SEO Success.  I plan to write blogs about both of these courses in the new year (watch this space!)

 6) Increasing my prices

Ironically (as a coach who constantly encourages others to back themselves and know their worth!) I had long been undercharging for my services.  I knew it, but had a bunch of excuses around why I wasn’t charging more (for example, I love to help people, so I can’t charge more).  However, I had a lightbulb moment when a friend said if she didn’t know me, she would be really turned off by my pricing, thinking I must be crap (isn’t it funny the psychology around pricing!).  So, I bit the bullet and doubled the prices of my strategy sessions.  It hasn’t really made a difference to demand, and I and am still flat out booking them, in fact, most of January is nearly booked out!

7) Manifesting magic

This year (with the help of manifesting course mentioned above) I really started to believe in the power of manifestation.  In our recruitment business (hubby runs a recruitment firm, and I am his right hand woman and co-director), we achieved a massive sales target for the year that was not an easy feat (in fact, mid year, the target seemed almost impossible, but we just kept on believing and putting in the hard work and we got there right in the last week of the working year!!!). We also had a big plan to get to a family holiday in Fiji in June.  Again, this seemed like a massive goal, but the universe looked after us, and it happened and it was AMAZING!!  Can’t WAIT to bring more manifesting into 2019.

Mistakes (or learnings!)

1) Not taking enough time for self-care

Now, this one might be a little interesting to some people as I do take quite a bit of time for self care, but I honestly believe you just can never do enough.  My anxiety and stress levels have crept up far too many times this year and I know this is that I have not been prioritising my health/ mental health, especially at stressful/ busy times.  Scheduling in this time (rather than having it as a ‘when I have time’ activity) will be a focus for the new year.

2) Losing balance with family and business

I’ve really struggled with this this year… having a new baby, I thought I’d step right back from my business, but opportunities arose and truthfully, I was excited to be working again in small amounts.  Picking up some client work with a young baby, meant that I could outsource housework which actually meant I had MORE time with my bubba (and didn’t have to do chores 😉).  I am a huge advocate of outsourcing where you can.  However, as the year ticked on, there was SO much momentum in my business, I found myself working a lot more than I hoped.  Although still only a few days a week, I found social media creeping into my family time.  A lot.  Instagram sure is addictive, and as much as this is an important area of marketing for my business, it is not as important to me as family, so I need to watch this!

3) My course launch was a flop

Ouch.  This has been my toughest learning of 2018.  I have been lucky to find 1:1 coaching clients relatively easily, so I figured that launching a course would be the same… right?  WRONG!  I very quickly learnt that just because you have great content, it doesn’t mean that people will just land on your page and buy it.  In fact, an online business is a whole different business model to learn.  There have been lots of painful lessons learnt this year, but I am so excited to keep on learning and to really nail this area of my business in the new year.

4) Moving focus away from my ongoing coaching clients

At the start of my business, I worked mostly with regular, ongoing clients.  This meant that I was able to work with them on a weekly basis and get them fantastic results.  But with uplevelling my social media and content, I stepped back from regular clients to give myself time and space to produce some great content.  However, this meant that every month, I was trying to find new strategy session clients and did not have a steady income stream, which coupled with my husband’s erratic income (in recruitment, so infrequent, but large payments) has been really tough cashflow wise.  Next year, I will be looking to pick up some regular clients 1) to help me manage my cashflow, but 2) because it is really rewarding to help clients implement their plans and see the results that flow!

Whew, ok this has been a big wrap, but I’m hoping that my transparency around my year can help you in your business (and also show you the benefit of doing a detailed year in review)!

If you can see the value of going through this process, I’d love for you to join me to as I lead a FREE online training on how to do a year in review!  Please join me HERE

The post 2018- My Year in Review appeared first on Clare Wood.

For those of us who provide a service, it’s not as simple as just putting up an out-of-office (though you certainly shouldn’t forget to do that). We need to be conscious of businesses slowing down for the silly season and ensuring we’re still driving those sales.

Since I’ve recently been reminded there are only days until Christmas (!) and thanks to my seriously lacking, aforementioned google search. For you, I’ve put together – The 12 Days of (service-based business preparation for) Christmas!!

1. Plan your calendar – the lead up to Christmas brings with it the inevitable flurry of invitations and celebrations. You neither want to miss them, nor have your work suffer so take the time to plan it out so that you are not missing out on the fun by double booking with clients. If there’s a lunch-time do, get ahead of it by working a little later the night before or cracking on earlier than usual that day. That way, you’re guaranteed some guilt-free fun.
2. Have an End of Year Offer – like I mentioned earlier, many businesses start to slow down now but this doesn’t help your monthly budget. Capture their interest with an offer too good to refuse. Make sure it has an expiry date and conditions that ensure you’re capable of meeting the increased demand.
3. Update your clients – nothing takes the wind out of your proud business sails than having to turn down a regular client because you’re too busy. Keep your clients up to date on office closures and what your availability is. Give them an idea of how much time they have if they’re hoping to have work completed by Christmas or the New Year.
4. Take bookings for next year – you’ll be able to relax on your time off knowing you have work lined up for you when you come back into the office. You and your clients will love the forward planning of having those projects mapped out and ready to go.
5. Offer gift vouchers – why should department stores have all the fun?! Help your clients get what they really want from Santa this year by putting together some fun and creative vouchers for them to use on your services in the New Year.
6. Arrange gifts or cards for valuable clients – you don’t need to make this an expensive or overwhelming exercise. A simple card or a small token of your appreciation is more than enough but it’s a really lovely idea to acknowledge your clients’ loyalty.
7. Have a New Year Offer – get ahead of 2019 and start pre-promoting your offers for the New Year. You don’t necessarily have to give away all your secrets but generate some interest by giving clients a sneak peek or, at the very least, letting them know that you have something exciting coming.
8. Update your pricing – what better time than the New Year to freshen up your prices? Before you start to doubt yourself and whether or not you can charge more. Put simply, you have a whole extra year of experience under your belt now; it’s time for an update. Make an announcement to your clients and give them a chance to book your services before the increase kicks in.
9. Organise a party – again, it doesn’t have to be over-the-top or lavish, getting together for quiet drink is sufficient. Either way, it’s nice to spend time with your customers, outside of the work environment to celebrate the end of the year and thank them for their support.
10. Schedule ahead – where possible pre-plan your newsletters or social media posting to ensure you maximise your time off. At the very least, update your phone voicemail and email auto-response so that your well-deserved cocktail by the pool is not interrupted.
11. Update your website – if your FAQs and services are abundantly clear on your website and customers have the option to contact you via email or a contact form, you won’t have to worry about missing out on new business. Simply set up your auto-response assuring them you’ll get back to them as soon as you’ve returned to the office.  And if your site has any references to 2018, now is probably a good time to update them!
12. Switch off – you’ve worked hard this year and in the time completing the previous 11 steps, you deserve some time off! Once you turn off your computer, allow yourself to switch off from work too and enjoy the time with your family and friends.

With these 12 Days of Christmas completed, your service business will be ready for a productive December, a relaxing festive season and perfectly set-up for a flourishing 2019! 

If you need any help organising your Christmas strategy for your business (or your planning for 2019!) don’t hesitate to reach out.

The post What can a services business do for Christmas? appeared first on Clare Wood.

Everyone goes through this from time to time, and it’s not even just about business. It’s pretty much a fact of life that, over time, the shine starts to wane from the shiniest of objects!  I bet that your darling husband/ partner/ pet dog who could once do no wrong now has their moments every now and then?! The key to keeping the spark alive in any relationship – and yes, you did correctly read that implication, I am suggesting you have a relationship with your business – is to always, always keep working to improve it. And, as your business coach, it basically makes me your (business) relationship expert so; here are my tips for re-igniting your business passion!

1. Have gratitude for where you are – your business may have morphed a little over time but it’s essentially the same wonderful idea you fell in love with all that time ago. You don’t need to change your model to get excited again, simply change your perspective.
   1. How would you feel if you lost all your clients tomorrow? – this may seem a little dramatic but it’s a pretty good reminder to appreciate how far you’ve come.
   2. Incorporate your clients and work into your gratitude practice – even if things are a little stale, find the good. For example, it could be that you’re grateful for the lessons you’re learning. OR, if it’s really not working, skip ahead to step 2.
   3. Bring the passion back – if the grass looks greener, perhaps it’s time to try watering your own. Brainstorm a bunch of ideas to share with clients, show up to your meetings and take calls with a big smile on your face. It’s true that you get what you give, so if you’re looking for passion and positivity, the best place to start is with you!
2. Release what’s not working – if there’s a client that isn’t quite working for you or there’s a particular piece of work you’re just not connecting with, don’t do it! Like with all aspects of life, it’s ok actually, it’s GREAT to say no. By turning away certain types of work, you’re not only freeing up your time and mental energy to focus on the stuff you love. You’re also making room for those clients which are a better fit for what your business represents.
3. Plan for the future – instead of remaining in the fog of the present and focusing on what’s not working, it’s probably time to take a step back. Allow yourself the time to block out a few hours. Do some meditation and find your vision so you know where you’re heading. You could continue drifting along but without any direction, who knows where you’ll end up! Set your BIG VISION for your business using this goal setting template.

Rather than wasting your precious time and  energy worrying dwelling on your current state of stagnation, try implementing these simple steps. By changing your perspective and working on that “relationship” of yours, coming out of  that funk certainly is possible. And the best bit?! Freeing up your energy will give you the space to take your business to even bigger and better things! 

The post Getting the excitement back in your business appeared first on Clare Wood.