As I’ve been finding my business feet, Bread Budgeting Services has been moving along slowly, with subtle changes every now and then. Recently I found two things I didn’t have the skills for – changing website hosts and adding a training video. This snowballed into some big changes and two months later here we are: A new look website, a new logo, new copy writing and loads of new content ready to share with the world. I couldn’t be happier.
Inspired but this blog post, I thought I would take you the process I use with my clients, using the recent changes here at BBS as an example.
B is for Biography
When I started BBS, I had just left a corporate role. I knew I didn’t want my consultancy to appeal to corporates, but I did want to be edgy.
After over two years in business, I now have a deeper connection to my local community in general, and the inner west business community specifically. I still do not want to be corporate, but I am now happier to embrace my empathetic side and be less edgy.
The three values I adhere to have not changed – quality, harmony and simplicity – but I have transitioned to a stronger emphasis on harmony.
R is for Resources
In 2015, I had the help of a wonderful career transitions coach and a redundancy package which I was careful to spend wisely. However I still was a bit indecisive on the direction I wanted the business to take, having started the business focusing on family finances and then changing to business strategy.
Now, however, I have a laser like focus on what I want to achieve in the next two to five years. I have worked closely with my ideal clients and have had the joy in meeting a number of successful businesswomen in my area, who have encouraged me to continue on my current path. Financially, it was time to reinvest some funds to ensure my website reflected my current services and goals.
Bettina Kaiser in website planning mode
E is for Experiential
Way back in 2015 E was for Existential, and I wanted to be a professional offering short, sharp solutions to business budgeting.
Now, however, E is for Experiential, and I shift to focus more on the desired outcomes of my clients. They may want help with budgeting (and finances are still a big part of what I do). But they may also want to understand how to set up financial systems (such as WAVE, MYOB or Xero) to ensure they meet their tax requirements. Or maybe they want to understand if they would be better off hiring a large retail space with staff to make a splash in their market, or to go small until the concept has been proven.
I do hope the experience is the same for my clients in both cases – that they find me empathetic and able to provide practical solutions – but the exact process will be slightly different for each client.
A is for Action Plan
When I first spoke with my new web designer, she gave me some honest feedback about the content. She felt what I offered was not reflected on the BBS site. This led to me having a deep think about next steps for my business. Despite discussions with Mr BBS – who felt investing more in my website would be a waste of money – I followed my own process. Through that, I came to understand that if my website didn’t reflect what I do, and given potential clients check the website before engaging with me in order to trust me, and to trust me they needed to engage with me, then I had no choice but to redesign and re-write my website.
I took the lead of the web and graphic designers (hi Bettina and Imogen) and we determined what needed to change, and how to go about doing that. With list in hand, the three of us went about making changes, with the deadline of school holidays.
Bettina Kaiser
Imogen Rowe
D is for Do It
Surrounded by these women, and with many lists, emails and a few face to face meetings, it all came together.
And then, it was done! I could not comprehend the speed at which it was all done. Even when a curve ball was thrown and we discovered a plugin on my site had been hacked.*
What’s next?
As I tell my clients, next step is to continue to Do It, but also to refine and change as needed.
As for me, last week I was asked to attend a SheBusiness Conference – Fearless 2017 – and encouraged to apply for a membership scholarship. I did this, and won! So next year there will be a LOT of doing and refining. Follow along here, meet me at a workshop, or listen out for what I’m up to on Facebook and Instagram.
* Finding out my website had been hacked was a huge shock for me, and came about a week after I listened to this podcast. I urge everyone with a website to listen to gain an understanding of the problem and how to avoid the issue. I listened, but had not had a chance to follow through with the advice.
Side note: Mr Bread Budgeting is hugely supportive of this venture of mine. However, he could not understand why I should spend time or money on my website. But for me, I really wanted it have the added features of training videos, MailChimp, and definitely to move away from my annoying hosting company. Following the process through to completion has also helped me to refocus on my strategic plan. And now it is complete, I feel more confident to try new things, share more content and develop new resources.
Side note Two: Photos of Bettina and Imogen courtesy of Bettina Kaiser and Imogen Rowe. Thank you for supplying!