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Hi <<First Name>>,
As you might expect, my focus this week has been on promoting my book following the launch last week. You can read more about this below.
Ticket sales for my new workshop Get going on Canva are also going well. If you’d like to learn or refresh the basics of using Canva to create images, social media posts, flyers, banners and much more, come and join us on 4 February.
In my newsletter this week:
- My weekly progress report on publishing my book
- On shaky ground?
- Business book club update
- Shining a light on small business
Please do read on...
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My Weekly Progress Report
The last week has been both exciting and a little emotional as I’ve watched my Amazon dashboard show sales of my book develop.
I admit to being a little bit obsessed, and checking the dashboard several times a day!
It’s also a bit frustrating, as there’s a 3-4 day time lag between people placing orders, and them showing up.
That’s because my book is “Print on Demand” so Amazon doesn't credit me with the sale until they’ve printed and despatched the book.
So far I’ve mainly been using social media to promote the book and I’ve learned one very useful lesson.
Putting my face on social media works!
Most of my LinkedIn posts get around 300 views.
This 5-day old post showing my face alongside my book has so far had 3000 views!
My next step is to use video.
I used to do this quite a lot, and even have a YouTube channel, but I’m a bit rusty.
I’m currently searching everywhere for the lead that connects my video camera to my laptop!
If you’d like a copy of my book you can buy it here.
Or, if you prefer, you can order direct from me - I still have a few copies left.
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On shaky ground?
The other day I was working with a client who was feeling pulled in two directions.
Fortuitously his business is ideally placed to take advantage of the Covid challenges, and it’s doing really well.
And now he can’t decide what to focus on.
On the one hand, he knows he needs to deal with ‘boring stuff’ like accounting, managing client relationships and data protection.
On the other, he’s itching to move forward, and start developing the next new idea.
It’s an issue I’ve encountered before, and your business doesn’t have to be super successful to have this dilemma.
My approach is this: think of your house like a building.
You can certainly draw up plans for that extension.
But before you start building, you need to ensure the foundations are solid.
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Business Book Club update
Last week our Book Club met to discuss 'Rebel Ideas' by Mathew Syed.
Overall this was our most popular book so far, with an average score of 8/10.
Some people felt we were the wrong people reading it - and that it would be more relevant for those working in corporates rather than running our own businesses.
The rest of us said we thought it was relevant to anybody in any situation.
The book's subtitle is ‘The Power of Diverse Thinking’
The overarching message is that cognitive diversity trumps other, perhaps more typical definitions of diversity around gender, ethnicity, etc.
Personally I found it a fantastic read, and would recommend it to anyone.
Our next book is Technology vs Humanity, by Gerd Leonhard.
The author describes his goal as” to amplify and accelerate the debate about how to ensure that we guide, harness and control science and technology developments so that they fulfil their primary purpose, which should be serving humanity and furthering human flourishing.”
Sounds intriguing...
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Shining a light on small business
Every now and then I like to use my newsletter to promote a small business I’ve encountered recently.
Last week I met Caroline, who runs Caroline Gosden Art.
When Lockdown 1 started, she was made redundant from her job in the events industry.
And like many, her thoughts turned to starting her own business.
Using her fabulous artistic skills, she started creating, among other things, these charming rainbow elephant pictures.
They can be personalised, and are ideal for commissioning for loved ones who have been locked down with you.
Caroline is clinically vulnerable, and donates part of her profits to the hospital that supports her.
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My workshop portfolio
Get going on Canva is on Thursday 4 February at 2pm. Come and learn the basics of using Canva, create your own design and get feedback.
Also available on demand are:
Look Smart on LinkedIn - building a credible presence on LinkedIn
Business focus and goals - reconnect to your business purpose and get clear on your business goals
Know your worth – manage your finances, understanding what to charge and learning how to negotiate your price with customers
Developing your Business Strategy - plotting your route to business success
Networking skills - why, where and how to network effectively
Business Blogging with Intent - what blogging is, why and how to do it, and where to place it
Finding your Ideal Client - how to identify your 'ideal client', and then track them down
Managing your business risks - understand what can go wrong, and what to do about it
Managing your Clients - master the art of fabulous customer service and minimise payment issues
Be Desk Smart – gain a more robust business set up, cut your stress and have a healthier workspace
Be Time Smart – use your time better, achieve more and feel more in control
Details of all my regular workshops can always be found on the workshops page of my website.
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“Amanda’s support and coaching has provided me with so much confidence and enabled me to refocus on my business.
Having someone to sound out ideas and plans, and help flesh out pain points and, at the same time, give a rationale alternative explanation has been incredible.
I couldn’t recommend her services more highly! Thank you, Amanda!”
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