5 things I would do differently if I started my business again
There are 5 things I do in business now that I didn't do when I was first starting out.
In this post I share what they are so you can learn from my mistakes and get started with these earlier than I did!
1: Create consistent content (every day!)
In the beginning I would create a blog post now and then and post to Instagram or Facebook when I remembered. I was time poor as I was working full time and had three kids under 5 so I did what I could.
But to grow faster and build your audience you need to create multiple pieces of content EVERY DAY.
If I started over I would
post at least daily (ideally multiple times per day) to Instagram.
post at least 5-8 times on my Instagram stories (including showing my face and chatting to the camera)
try and be on at least one other platform as well (e.g. TikTok or LinkedIn)
create at least one piece of 'pillar' content per week (e.g. on a blog, YouTube show or podcast)
The fastest way to grow is to create as much helpful and valuable content as you possibly can and most designers I meet aren’t creating nearly enough to grow their business.
2: Define my niche
In the beginning I just worked for whoever would hire me. And for most of us this will be how we all get started. In fact many of us can’t believe people are even paying us to do what we love when we first start out in business!
But if I were starting over again I would spend more time defining WHO my perfect client is and WHAT kind of work I wanted to do
This would have then helped me know what sort of content to create each day.
If you want your content to be helpful and engaging for your target audience then you need to know who the audience is!
3: Create multiple streams of income
In the beginning my only source of revenue was from 1:1 design client work
But if I were starting over I would create more than one stream of revenue from the start
For example - sell digital products (e.g. ebooks, courses, mini-trainings) or create a range of different services. This blog post has lots of ideas for you.
Multiple streams of revenue protect you from the ebbs and flows of 1:1 client work and will help you create a more consistent, steady revenue flow.
4: Create better systems and processes
In the beginning I would do every task from scratch without thinking about those tasks that I do often or those tasks that could more easily be automated
I spent many hours repeating tasks rather than spending time thinking about how these could be streamlined and automated (in order to save me time the next time)
What do you do over and over that could be systematised? If you need to build better systems a good place to start is with my business courses and templates for designers.
5: Be brave and put myself out there
In the beginning I would be too scared to go on video, would overthink every Instagram caption and I didn't feel like I was being 'authentic' in the way I was showing up for my audience
If I were starting over I would be myself from the start and put myself out there earlier and in a more authentic way.
If you are your true self and authentic you WILL put some people off (not your crowd!) but you will also attract more of the people who are your crowd.
Business Courses and Resources for Designers and Architects
DO YOU WANT TO….
Improve your professionalism?
Find more clients?
Bring in more revenue?
Create better systems and processes?
Then check out my business courses and templates for designers and architects.
These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy
