Sometimes it's just about turning the wheels in business

I sit here as I write this, on a Friday afternoon after a spot of lunch and a good few cups of tea to keep me warm. I say this not to romanticise my job, but to reflect on the need for days that run at a much slower pace.

My entire week doesn’t look like this; in fact, quite the opposite, but as a mom, juggling the work/home life balance, a growing business and a purpose to bring creativity to the community, I know that some days are a case of structuring and planning and having to be organised.

Which leads me onto the pockets of time that allow my creativity to flourish, connections to be made and for ideas to flow.

Whilst I don’t schedule these in, I make sure I make time for them.

There are a few ways I do this, and I understand that it has taken me a fair few years to figure it out (I’ve been self-employed since 2012!), but with all of that said, here are my best practices for my business that I integrate into my life:

I know I probably go on about this a lot, but SEO really does help run the business whilst I am not actually working and posting it.

A method I successfully used to grow my product-based business has similar principles when it comes to content being found in search. Create searchable titles/tags that align with what people are looking for.

Even if you don’t run a product-based business, it means your services can pop up in search while you go about life.

Another one that’s slightly difficult when your commitments are morning school runs 5 days a week, but you want to be under a duvet nice and warm but with that being said, if you’ve read my previous blog post Starting the New Year in Business at my own pace you’ll have read that I basically didn’t set any New Year’s intentions and that I know I will start to plan the work for my studio in the coming spring.

One reason is the sun and lack of light right now (I write this as it’s grey and dark outside with not a hint of sunshine to be seen). It means that not only do I feel like I’m like from that Vitamin D goodness that fills our spirit, but my studio is incredibly dark, cold and uninviting.

I’ve been working to come to terms with this, and whilst I add cosy lighting and pop the heaters on ahead of time, there is no denying a change in the energy of the space.

When my studio was used for producing products, there was a different feel. We wore more layers, we popped some music on and kept the doors shut for the majority of the time to keep the heat in. But now that my business leans into the services I provide and not the actual products I make, I rely heavily on the lightning and energy of the space.

So whilst I still work from the studio, it tends to be for shorter periods of time. I usually use this time to organise work, answer emails and create content for upcoming workshops and projects.

I’m very much looking forward to the first signs of spring, the slightly warm weather and longer days ahead, but for now it’s about turning the wheels in the business and putting things into motion, ready for when it’s time to hit the ground running.

Whilst a lot of my business has been online, there’s no doubt that I owe a lot of what I do to face-to-face interactions. Something that I’ve made more time for in the last year or so.

I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of connecting over a similar project, a conversation, or a connection through personal interest, and ultimately, the work produced online has allowed me to strengthen and position myself as not just myself but my business.

There really is no magic formula to this one; it’s just about actively listening, being human and being kind.

There’s a beautiful saying by Maya Angelou that rings true for my philosophy when representing yourself in business and what is branded in the business world as ‘networking’.

And it’s true. I held a workshop in November, and whilst things didn’t quite go to plan and I needed to oversee a few hurdles, what was ultimately the most important part was how I made the people feel.

They shared their stories, we engaged in arts and crafts, we drank tea and tidied up. But the small gesture of actively listening to someone with care was about seeing them and acknowledging how they feel.

So whilst I’ve navigated a business through grief, childbirth, more grief, uncertainty, house moves, career uncertainty and industry changes, I’ve come to realise how much I have always used my art to understand my own feelings, to escape for a little while, or to simply express emotion.

I’m pleased I’ve always kept the wheels turning, no matter how small the motion in turn was, because each small turn led me closer to understanding my purpose in life and this little creative business of mine.

With love,

Hannah x