If you have a Facebook page, you may be getting increasingly frustrated by the low engagement or eyeballs you're getting on your posts. A recent change to Facebook's algorithm means that the posts from family, friends and groups will be given priority. 

That doesn't mean you should get rid of your Facebook business page. But you do need to ensure that the content you share on your page is going to generate conversations between users, and not in a spammy way. Ways to boost the visibility of your page posts include using live videos, not sharing links that send people off Facebook, paying for advertising and creating content that gets people talking. 

But what about groups. Should you create a Facebook group for your business? After all, the new algorithm specifically says that groups will be given priority. But is running a Facebook group just another job to add to your to do list? Will it actually do anything for your business?

I run two Facebook groups. One supports my business, the other is the business. Here's my experience of running groups and tips on how to do it.

The Campfire Club
This is a free Facebook group I set up as an extension of my Campfire brand. I set it up because I know how hard it can be running a business. It can feel lonely, overwhelming and demoralising when everyone else seems to be nailing it, yet you're battling to make any money. Sometimes you just want to ask a quick question or get advice, without having to pay a fortune for an expert's help. So I set the group up as a way to have a virtual campfire with a warm, supportive and friendly vibe. It's my way of giving to people who may not be able to afford my services.

How I run it:
I have three set days to drive discussion:

• #CampfireConnections on Mondays to help people find other people to partner with, get an accountability buddy or hire someone to help
• #CampfireConfessions on Wednesdays lets people share some of the challenges they're facing, to get advice or just friendly support. It's a chance to be honest and share instead of having to 'fake it till you make it' that is so prevalent in the online world
• #CampfireCelebrations on Fridays in which people can celebrate anything they've achieved that week or share details of their business
• I also have #CampfireQuestions that can be asked anytime by anyone 

What does it do for my business?

• It allows me to engage directly with potential customers, building their confidence in me and hopefully keeping me top of mind should they need my services.
• It gives me insight into the challenges my potential customers are facing. This means I can create products or services they need based on their specific requirements. It also gives me insight into the language they use, which I can then use in my marketing and will instinctively resonate with them because it's their words.
• It gives me somewhere to steer website visitors or people who've opted into one of my freebies if they're not going to buy any of my services right now. This keeps them connected instead of losing them.
• It allows me to showcase my expertise by answering questions. 
• It lets me build goodwill as I connect people with other people, or support them when they need help.
• It helps me find potential business partners and people to work with.
• It makes me feel good knowing that there are small business owners who are getting help and support even if they can't afford anything right now.
• It brings in new business.

The downsides?

• It takes time. Managing the comments and questions is a commitment. If you're invisible, the group will die a death. But you can schedule time to respond so that you're not at everyone's beck and call. You can also use scheduling tools to help maintain a consistent flow of posts.
• It can feel like you're giving away a lot for free. But it's a slow process and the ongoing credibility building is worth it. People share your group with others and your network grows.
• There will always be someone who breaks the rules. Managing them diplomatically can be a challenge but ensure you have a good set of rules in the first place and stick to them. 
• Don't expect immediate sales off the back of it. Think of it as a slow burn.

Glamoraks
I set this group up a year ago. At the time I didn't have a Facebook page and I had a basic website. I didn't have a business. All I had was an idea - to get more women out walking and to help them connect. I set the group up as a way of doing that. It has grown to over 900 members and is largely the business. For now (I am working on other ideas behind the scenes).  It acts as a way for women to find other women to walk with, share ideas, pictures and walks. 

How I run it?

• I don't currently have set days of the week posts. As this is a consumer-facing group, set days can feel a bit contrived. I do try to encourage people to invite people to go walking and prompt people to share where they've been walking that week
• I use major days, seasonal events and awareness days to kick start conversations (PS - you can get my free calendar that lists all these days here.)
• I use the events section of the group to schedule paid and unpaid walks, making it easier for people to find walks.
• I let everyone post their images, blog links and useful articles that are relevant to the group.
• It has a relaxed, friendly feel that suits the vibe of the group. 

What does it do for my business?

• It has been 'the business'. Glamoraks received terrific publicity in Top Sante, Healthy and Good Housekeeping magazines, as well as on BBC Radio York and recently in the Saturday Telegraph. All of that traffic meant I needed to have something to offer people while I figured out what I wanted Glamoraks to be. The group became that something. 
• It has allowed me to do market research into what women really want when it comes to walking
• It helped me set up and run my first organised and paid for women's walking weekends - the first two selling out in 24 hours, simply using the group as a promotional vehicle.
• It continues to allow me to shape my vision based on what people in the group are asking for.
• It has let me meet other people in real life through walks and has helped other women find people to walk with - which makes me immensely happy.
• It has allowed me to grow my mailing list as I suggest that people in the group sign up to it.

The downsides?

• It takes a lot of time, to maintain energy levels in the group, moderate and respond to people.
• There will always be some negative people who like to complain or try to poke holes in what you're doing. You have to learn to remove them or manage them or ignore them. The bigger the group gets, the more likely you are to be exposed to this. Get a tough skin. 
• The number of notifications you receive may just drive you nuts!

Facebook groups have given me a completely new way of connecting and communicating with my ideal target audience. Yes it has added to my workload, but the insights the groups have given me have been invaluable. So would I recommend having one? Yes - if you have a community that you want to learn from and a business you want to grow. Be sure you know who your audience is before setting it up. Keep it targeted and you're more likely to be successful.

How to set up a group

• You can either create a group and link it to an existing Facebook page, or you can create the group first and then set up a page. You don't have to have both but most businesses typically already have a Facebook page. Be sure to link the two.
• To create a group, click on the little down arrow in the top bar of Facebook and you'll see 'Create Group' as one of the options. 
• You can choose between an open, closed or secret group. Open groups mean that anyone can see the information that is shared within the group and anyone can join it. Closed means that the members have to ask permission to join and only people in the group can see the content shared in the group. Anyone will be able to see the group itself, just not the content in it. This is useful if you want the people in your group to fit a certain profile e.g. my women-only walking group or the fact that I want the Campfire Club to be for small business owners, not anyone. It's also useful if you want to create a safe, more private space for people to share. Secret groups are secret - you won't find them unless you're given a specific link.
• Come up with a name that lends itself to your business and will also be something people will be happy to join. For example, if your group is called, 'The Adulterer's Club' there may not be many people wanting to join as it will show up in their timeline! It needs to be something that they'd be happy to show to their friends that they belong to.
• If you have a closed group, you can set up questions that you want people to answer when they request to join. This is a really useful way of getting market research. For example, in the Campfire Club, I ask people where they're based and what their biggest marketing challenge is. In Glamoraks, I ask them where they heard about the group and what motivated them to join it. Be sure to write down or screen shot their responses because once you've accepted them into the group, you have no way of retrieving that info.
• To ensure a consistent flow of conversation, consider setting up set topics on set days so that people know what to expect. Use the schedule tool to automate those posts going out to save you time and to ensure consistency.
• Create group rules - you can pin these as a file for people to read. You can use the rules to outline what's acceptable, what's not plus the type of vibe you want the group to have. Don't be draconian but equally, have set boundaries and stick to them. 
• Create a pinned post to welcome new members and include a link to the rules. Invite them to introduce themselves. Be sure to personally welcome them if you can.
• Use Facebook Live to show your members who you really are and to generate conversation. It will create a stronger sense of community if they know who is running it. 
• Don't oversell your business in the group - you need to stick to the rules too. But do use it to showcase your expertise. Work from a place of trying to be genuinely helpful and people will appreciate your efforts.
• If it's getting too much to manage, appoint an admin to help moderate it and post things on your behalf. This could be a virtual assistant or a friend within the group.
• Have fun with it. This is your community. Nurture it

Got any tips on how to manage a Facebook group? Share them in the comments. And if you want to join either of my groups, feel free. 
Click here for the Campfire Club 
Click here for Glamoraks (women only)

I often hear small business owners say: 'I spend so much time marketing my business but it doesn't seem to do anything. I still don't have enough business.'

That could be because they're marketing in the wrong place, to the wrong people, or using the wrong messages and attention grabbing stories. Or they could be too tactical. They see an opportunity and think,' Heck I need to do something for that!' and they cobble something half-heartedly together at the last minute. Funnily enough, it doesn't work. I speak from experience here. I have often seen last minute opportunities (which I could have planned for) and pulled something together at the last minute and lo and behold, tumbleweeds.

For other small business owners, they know that they need to put out regular content but they are stumped as to what they should say. They are all out of creative ideas. 

What they need is a strategic plan. And that's not as scary as it sounds. It simply means thinking more carefully about where you want your business to go, who you're trying to reach and how you can help them - and then making sure that whatever marketing you are doing, supports that. 

Which is why I will be running an hour-long workshop on Wednesday 17 January at 10am to help you get strategic and focused in your marketing to help your business grow.  It will cover:

• Your vision - to keep you focused
• Your goals - business and communications goals. And yes, they are different
• Your audience - if you're not clear on this, your marketing efforts will be wasted
• Your messages - and the difference between what you want to say and what your clients want to hear
• Your media & tools - all the different tools, channels & outlets you could use - and which ones you shouldn't
• Your calendar - I'll explain how to link the external events with your internal events and stories
• Plugging the gaps with creative ideas - how to think laterally and what to do when you have nothing to say

You will also get (if you haven't already got it) my free content calendar that plots out all the major events, initiatives, awareness days, anniversaries and more throughout 2018. It comes in a pretty to look at version and an easy to print one. PLUS you get my free plan template, which we will use as the workbook for this workshop.

You will leave with a clear sense of where you should be heading. More than that, you will be able to confidently cut out a bunch of stuff you're currently doing if it isn't moving your business forward. Less work with better results. And did I mention that you'll be buzzing with ideas that you hadn't thought of before? 

I'd love to have you join me. The cost is just $35 (£25 approximately) which is nothing for an hour of training, advice and super useful documents that go along with it. ​

Over on the Campfire Club, someone asked how you manage when you simply have too much to do. I shared some tips on making a list of what has to happen and then outsourcing. But it got me thinking. There are just 5 weeks until Christmas and only 6 until 2018. It's like someone put the clocks on fast forward. And for many people, there is too much to do and not enough time to do it in.

Often the worry of what we need to do is actually bigger than the thing itself. Once you've written a list, it's easier to see what you have to do and can start to tick it off. But sometimes it will still be easier to hand some of the tasks over to someone else.

But that in itself can seem like a job: Find someone to do XYZ, brief them, manage them. What if they don't do it well enough? And so you don't do anything and your to do list gets longer. 

I wanted to share three examples from the last week of how I helped people by taking something off their plate effortlessly. They didn't need to spoon feed me or wait on lengthy proposals or micro manage the process. They simply got in touch, explained what they needed and I did it. Job done.

Peter got in touch on Sunday and asked me to write an award submission for him as the deadline was fast approaching but he couldn't find the right words. I chatted to him at 3pm yesterday. He had his completed award submission by 6pm. Job done. He said:
'Thanks Melissa, That looks good.'

Jane got in touch last week, saying she needed words for a flyer for an event, but didn't seem to be getting to it because of everything else she had to do. I took a brief in the morning and she had her copy that afternoon. It's now with her designer and printer. She can hit her event with marketing materials sorted. Job done. She said: 
'Yep - this fits the bill very nicely!! Thanks, Melissa - I knew you’d crack to for me!'

I went to see Helen and team on Wednesday last week. She had some blog posts that needed to be written, one of which I felt could make a good press story. By yesterday afternoon I had written a communications plan; four blog posts; three emails going to staff, customers and colleges; researched an industry issue; discovered that it was going to be covered in the Autumn budget speech tomorrow; wrote up a press release; found the email for the CEO of a company we wanted a quote from; reached out to her and got her quote approved via her press team; wrote tailored pitches for trade, regional, national and broadcast press; found the right press contacts; sent the news out; put the news on a wire service; sourced a videographer for them; identified three award opportunities for the company and am now working on those. Job in progress but mostly done. They said:
'Thank you Melissa. All fantastic!' and 'You are a machine!'
​
My point? You don't have to do this all yourself. If you have little thing that needs to be written or a major project that you need help with, I - or someone like me - can take it off your plate. I work fast and efficiently. If I see marketing opportunities that may benefit you or have ideas that might work, I'll suggest them free of charge.

I charge an hourly rate or if it's a big project, can give you a project-based quote in advance. It doesn't matter if you are a sole trader or a big company, I am the extra pair of hands you need to help you get through your to do list. Get in touch and give yourself the gift of time this crazy season. You will be so glad you did. 
​

I spent most of last year creating an online PR course. It literally took me from January through to September to create it and September to December to launch it.

I sold it to 12 people. 12. Those 12 sales just about covered my costs to create the course but they certainly didn't pay for the hours and hours of time I'd invested in creating it.

Of the 12 who bought it, I'm not sure anyone completed it, even when I ran a bonus Publicity Challenge, guiding and motivating them step by step. 

Was it a crap course?

No it wasn't. If they had followed the course they would have learnt a huge amount about how to get in the press. They would have generated publicity for their businesses and had an ongoing content plan to keep rolling out stories to the press, in social media and via blogs and newsletters. Some of the course participants did manage to achieve press coverage regardless by diving on the opportunities I sent their way. I wanted to give them real value and I believe I did.

But here's what I learned. People - even with the best of intentions - don't have time to stick to a course unless it is for an immediate and pressing need. (I'm bolding that just in case you are thinking about creating a course yourself - remember this!).

When I wanted to learn how to create an online course, I bought a course that taught me how to do it. I followed it and completed it because I had set myself a clear goal to get it done. But had I just liked the idea of creating a course but not been committed to doing it, I wouldn't have completed it. Because it took a lot of work! In fact I've recently wasted money on a Facebook advertising course because it all got too complicated and time consuming to the detriment of the rest of my work. Lack of time, lack of a real need and a big financial investment are going to stop people buying your stuff.

What I realised is that while my course was teaching people how to do PR, what they really wanted to know was how to do a specific thing that they needed at a specific time. For example, if they are about to launch a new product and need a press release, they want to learn how to write a press release. Or they might have spotted a press opportunity relevant to them but they don't know how to respond to it. Or they might even have got in the papers but now aren't sure how to make the most of it.

Each of these are specific problems they are facing at a very specific time. They don't have the time to go through a whole course just to get the answer they need right now.

So I've been ignoring my course all of this year, feeling disheartened and unsure what to do with all that hard work that I did last year. Do I keep pouring money into it, advertising it and hoping that people will buy it? Frankly, I didn't have the heart (or money) to keep doing that. Here's what I've done instead:

I've created Campfire Coaching.
I took the modules in that course and reworked them. I made each module answer the specific questions I was hearing from people about how to do a particular thing. And I turned them into short 30 minute videos with downloadable cheat sheets or workbooks to help them do the thing they need help with. I have also priced them so that they are £30 or less except for the first video - How to get publicity effortlessly.

(That particular video is £45 because anyone who watches it and implements the very simple steps I tell them, will get in the press with almost zero effort. I show exactly how I got into Top Sante, Healthy, Good Housekeeping, Psychologies, Telegraph and BBC in this video. I believe it is hugely valuable and people I have delivered this training too have said the same. If you do no other training on how to get publicity, do this one.)

Here are the direct links to the various coaching modules:

• How to get publicity effortlessly
• How to create newsworthy stories
• How to find press contacts and create a press list that works for your business
• How to write a press release and other press materials
• Working with the press - practical tips on how to send them stuff
• How to give great press interviews
• How to maximise your publicity

On top of these coaching modules, everyone is also welcome to join The Campfire Club - my Facebook group - for free. So you can get even more advice and support there.

I intend to add to the Campfire Coaching section of my site with other short training modules on a variety of topics - e.g. how to write great web copy, how to create a USP, how to write blogs people want to read and share, how to create and run a Facebook group, how to write newsletters people want to read and respond to, or how to create a content calendar. I'd love to know what you need the answer to. If I can answer it, I will make a training video for it. Leave me a note in the comments about what training you'd love. 
​
Please do go and check out the brand new Campfire Coaching section of my website. If you order any of the coaching modules between today and 30 November and use the code: CampfireCoupon at checkout, you will get 10% off.

I was at a networking event recently and was asked 'what do you do?'

Now the short answer is: marketing, copy and communications. But the bit that I do most and love best is the clarity bit. My challenge is that it's so hard to explain.

I found myself sharing examples of work I'd done for clients to make what I do more real. I could see the expressions on people's faces change from one of blankness to one of 'oh yeah, that would be really useful.' So what was it that made people go from politely glazed to animatedly interested? 

Story telling. That's what.

If I said that I 'help small businesses get clear on what they want their business to be', it doesn't mean anything. But when I told them a story about how I actually helped a client change, they got it.

Story telling is what I do for my clients. And it's what you can do too to bring your business to life for your ideal clients.

Let me make up a story to explain.

You're an accountant. You've left the corporate world and decided to set up on your own. You think you've got your target market sorted: small businesses who can't afford the big accounting firms.

In your head you know that you hate corporate bullshit and you're a lovely, warm, funny person - despite being an accountant (sorry accountants). But you've got this hangover from the corporate days that tells you that you need to come across as serious and professional because, you know, you're an accountant and money is a serious business. So you create a website that shows WHAT you do for these small businesses e.g. tax returns. You may even go to great lengths telling them HOW you do it for them ....with your wonderful step-by-step, bite sized packages.

But you don't tell them WHY YOU. And you don't show them how you are different. You don't show them that funny, warm, lovely side of your personality (which incidentally is what makes you different from all the competitors. No-one is you).

You choose a name like: Whizzy Accounts. You think you're being different and showing off your fun personality. But you're still just another accounting firm with a more brightly coloured logo perhaps.

What if you flipped it over and made your lovely, warm funny personality front and centre of your brand? They're going to be working with YOU right? So make your brand and the experience they have working with you match.

What if instead of dreading doing tax returns, they wanted to come and see you? Because when they see you, they have a laugh and a lovely cup of tea and it just feels relaxed. So why not call it Tax over Tea (or something that you spend longer than the 10 seconds I just spent coming up with) that demonstrates not only what you do but your entire vibe and how it helps them?

Paint the picture of what that feels like. Show photos of you having a laugh with a client while you drink cups of tea. Sure you do tax returns. But really what you do, is take a truly shitty part of running a business and turn it into something fun. Isn't that awesome?!

Your approach should be front and centre of your brand story. And I don't just mean having a cup of tea as part of your logo (in this particular case). Remember, a brand is so much more than a logo. It's the entire story you tell people in every single interaction they have with you.

One thing to remember as you tell your story: You need to tell it in a way that shows how you help your ideal client. This isn't about you and how wonderful you are so much as it's about how your wonderfulness helps them. There's a subtle but important difference. 

So ask yourself: what is your story? What sets you apart? Are you telling that to your clients?
No? Then change it.

A final thought: doing this can be hard as it's difficult to see ourselves clearly. We're too self-critical or close to what we do. Sometimes we need someone to hold a mirror up to us and say: hey, you are THIS. If you need someone to hold that mirror for you, drop me a note. That's what I do. Find our more here. 

Self-employed parents up and down the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief as the kids return to school and they can finally focus on their business again. For others, September marks the first time their babies are off to big school, while those at the opposite end of the spectrum are facing an empty nest for the first time.

Whichever you may be, September is the new January when it comes to fresh starts and the opportunity to try something new. Now if you still have kids at home, flexibility is paramount, which is what makes working for yourself so appealing. Flexibility and doing something you're passionate about is just as important for people who've either been stay at home parents for years or who have been on a stressful career path and now want to live life on their terms.

Even those already in business can feel the need to change things that have gone stale or just aren't quite what they want their business to be. 

But how to do it?
It can seem overwhelming if you've never worked for yourself to know where to start or what to do first. And it can be easy to get carried away with the excitement of it all that you don't stop and check whether it will work.

So I have created an easy to follow FREE e-book that outlines 15 steps you can follow that will help you set up your very own business without spending more than about £100 (and even that is variable depending on the type of web hosting and domain name you go for!)

I have included all the tools and super low cost or free ways you can get your idea out of your head and into a start up. 

Here's what it covers:

1. Your idea: how to come up with it and how to clarify what you're actually going to be offering and the problem you're going to be solving for people. 
2. Your ideal customer: it's super important to know who is likely to need your products and services so getting clear on this is fundamental
3. Market research: how to do this without the help of a big research company and without paying for it
4. Products, pricing, packaging and route to market: the meat of your business. You need to figure out what exactly it is you're going to sell, what you'll charge and if it's a physical product how that will be packaged up. You also need to work out your route to market, in other words, where or how you will sell. If it's a service business, this could be face to face appointments, online training or a downloadable app. If it's a physical product, will you sell it online, at craft markets, via retailers? 
5. Choosing a name: Lots of people dive in here first. But unless you've done the first four steps, you're putting the cart before the horse. I give plenty of tips on how to go about choosing a name
6. Buying a domain name: This goes hand in hand with choosing a name. 
7. Creating a logo: Yes a professionally designed logo looks better but it's possible to create your own if you're on a budget. Once your concept is working and you're making money, you can always have a rebrand. 
8. Web copy: Plot out what you want your website to say and have a go writing up your copy, including what pages you need to have. 
9. Photography: whether you're getting pictures taken or you plan on using stock photography, it's important to tell a story with the images you use. 
10. Create a Facebook page: This is a worthwhile step (assuming your customers are on Facebook) as it can act as a holding page while you create your website. And it's a really good way to drive engagement and build customer interest.
11. Build a website: Unless you are flush with cash, you can build your own website. Yes really. You don't need to be technical to do it. Your business is likely to change and evolve and if you've spent a lot of money on a flashy website, you could be spending a lot again to change it once your business changes. Even if you're completely not techy, you can do this yourself using simple, free or low cost tools. 
12. Set up a mailing list: it's really important to start growing a mailing list from day 1 so that you can send potential customers news about your products or services once you're ready to roll. There are simple to use, low cost tools available for this. And you need to offer them something enticing to sign up to your list. 
13. Business cards and other printed materials: In a virtual world, business cards aren't always even needed. But when you're new - particularly if you're offering a local service - you may want to head out to some networking to make contacts and you'll need business cards for that.
14. Legalities and accounts: This is the bit that strikes fear into the heart of many newbie small business owners. You need to think about things like insurance, tax registration, running your accounts, keeping data etc. There are some simple tools and services out there to help you.
15. Get marketing: You're ready to tell the world about your business. Even if you don't feel ready, the best way to learn is to just start. And the best way to start is to get those first customers in. There are some super simple things you can do to get them in. I share what I did to get my first customers. 

I won't pretend that this mini guide covers all you need to know about starting up or pivoting a business. But it will give you some quick and easy pointers to get you started without you spending heaps of cash. They are all tools and services that I have used in starting up and running my business. None of the links in the guide are affiliate links. They are simply useful things that may help you.

If you want the guide, click here to get it. If you want extra advice or support, head over to The Campfire Club on Facebook where you will find plenty of likeminded small business owners who aren't going to claim that they've made 6-figures over night. They are simply trying to follow their dreams and do something they love. So why not take the #30daystostartup challenge and see if you can have a business live in just 30 days.

Ever since I set up Campfire Communications (almost exactly three years ago) I have wanted to run a virtual campfire for small business owners and start ups. But I wasn't sure what it would do or be or if it should be free or a paid membership club. 

I've done plenty of research and asked my regular tribe of campers. A few things kept coming out time and again. They just want to feel less alone, more motivated and less intimidated by all the apparently successful people out there. They want to chat and discuss things, rather than have to consume heaps of information. They're overloaded with information already. 

What they want is a friendly, non-judgemental group who they can ask questions of, get advice from or simply be supported by, without feeling as though they have to fake it or pretend to be something bigger than what they are. They want to find business besties, accountability partners, butt kickers or actual business partners. 

These are the people who have ambition and dreams but equally value honesty and integrity. They may lack self-confidence or self-belief. And they may feel very small in contrast to what everyone else is achieving. Or they may have felt like that in the past and have now got to a place where they feel so much stronger, more confident and happier about where they are in their business journey. 

Based on all of that, I have created The Campfire Club. This is a free group run on Facebook. It is open to anyone thinking about starting up a business, new start ups, people who have been running their small businesses for a while, people who want to pivot their business, career changers, sole traders, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. It's open to men and women and you can be based anywhere in the world. 

The aim? To make you feel less alone as you head out on this adventure of running a business.

This group is NOT for people who like to tout how they have made six-figures in a matter of weeks or how if you buy their unique formula you can transform your life. In fact, this is a zero bullshit club. It's also not for people who join simply to plug their wares before leaving again. It's for real people who value honesty.

The vibe: Imagine a crackling campfire. The air around you is crisp and cool, but the fire is keeping you toasty. You have a mug of hot chocolate or perhaps a glass of your favourite red wine. The sun is setting and the stars are coming out. You hear the breeze in the trees and can savour the epic view of mountains, lake or sea.  You're sitting with a bunch of people just like you. You chat, ask questions, share some of your challenges, get friendly suggestions, a much needed pep talk or a comforting hug of understanding. This isn't corporate. It's not competitive. It's not fancy. It's down to earth and real. You leave feeling revived, cheered up, motivated, ready to tackle that thing you've been afraid of, knowing you've got a friendly place you can return to anytime you need help again.

What can you do in the Club:

Make Connections
Every Monday it's #CampfireConnections time - your chance to find a business partner, business bestie, an accountability partner, someone who can help you with a specific issue or project or job you need doing, or just someone to kick your butt. Start off your week by asking someone to hold you accountable and make sure you eat that frog by the time the week is over.

Get it off your chest
Every Wednesday it's #CampfireConfessions time - your chance to share whatever it is that is bothering you. Perhaps you feel deflated or flat. Perhaps the thing you launched has failed. Perhaps you feel like a fraud. Perhaps you have no clients but don't know how to get them. Whatever it is, this is your safe space to open up and get some advice, motivation or simply some sympathy. It's not meant to be a pity party or a place to simply moan about how hard it is. It's your chance to get whatever is bothering you off your chest and for others to help you move forward. You will be AMAZED at how often others are in the exact same boat. All it takes is for one person to open up and you'll quickly discover that you're not alone. Together you can help each other to move forward and believe you can do it.

Share your celebrations and successes
Every Friday it's #CampfireCelebrations time - your chance to let us know what amazing things (no matter how small) you have achieved. Perhaps you found a business friend or finally ticked that thing off your to do list or secured your first client or made your first sale. Whatever it is, it's time to celebrate it. Feel free to stuff your face full of marshmallows as a reward.

Ask questions
You can ask questions any day of the week. Just use #CampfireQuestions and ask away. As a member of the club, if there's someone you can help, answer them and try to be supportive. That way, they get the info they need and you get to showcase that you're an expert. It's the best way to win new business. Being genuinely helpful is what people remember and they're far more likely to do business with you as a result. 

That's it! It'll probably evolve over time but for now, this is enough to kick us off.

JOIN HERE - it costs you nothing. And please share it with any fellow business pals you may have who might benefit from it too. 

Chat to you round the Campfire!

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Right. Listen up. If you have returned from your summer break and are finding it very hard to relight your business fire, I am going to try to help. Now admittedly, if you are feeling super low, you probably won't be reading this because it will fall into the 'can't be arsed' category. And it will be YET ANOTHER person telling you what you should be doing, when really, all you want to do is lie in bed and binge watch Netflix or lie in the sun and attempt to recreate your holiday. Except, it's England and it's wet and cold.

I have been you. In fact, until yesterday, this was me. Like all self-employed people, I have been on this particular mojo rollercoaster before. Except this time, I couldn't even be bothered to get onto the sodding rollercoaster. It was like I had business mojo flatlined. 

And the worst thing about losing your mojo, is that the longer you don't have it, the harder it is to find. Apathy breeds apathy. Then you feel bad about doing nothing, so you do even less. All around you, peppy people are raving about how awesome everything is and what they're achieving and trying to rev you up so that you can join in their energetic success ball. But frankly you just want to pull the blanket over your head and eat chocolate.

Then I watched a video by Mel Robbins on the micro-decisions that make our lives what they are. I'd seen it before but somehow it popped into my Facebook feed (while I was wasting time pretending to work but not). And it's like the universe was trying to give me a bitch slap. Obviously, my life isn't a movie where I suddenly transformed into an energiser bunny and changed the world five minutes after watching that clip. Nope. I stayed lying in bed binge watching Suits, wondering how come all the women in that show are so incredibly well put together and how many times they say 'Godammit!' in any episode.

But Mel's message stuck with me. This morning I woke up and decided that I wouldn't lie in bed reading angry tweets about Trump. And I wouldn't eat a big breakfast that would delay me from doing my workout. Before I gave my brain time to think, I got out of bed, got in gym kit and headed outside for a run. I decided that I would use the run to decide what I'd achieve that day.

I tried to do that. But every time I thought I had a game plan, little voices of doubt would creep in telling me that it was unrealistic or the wrong thing to focus on or not big enough. By the end of the run I still had no game plan for the day. And I knew that without a game plan, I would waste another day going around in circles achieving nothing. And my mojo would plummet further.

So here's what I did.

I asked myself, what is the ONE thing you really NEED to do? And what I really NEED to do is make money so that I can buy my husband a brilliant 50th birthday present. I had a clear goal. Make money.

I immediately thought of the billion different things I could do to attempt to market to clients to make money. My mind leapt to fanciful ideas and projects that would take time to get off the ground and I could feel that mojo slipping away. It was all too big and complicated. So I said to myself: If I had zero money and I HAD to make some by the end of the week, what would I do? 

The answer was blindingly obvious. Ask people directly for business. I decided to do just that. 

• I thought about the type of companies I could help, that may need my services, who may have budget and who may be willing to talk.
• I googled them.
• I went through the first two pages of google and clicked on the sites that came up. Those that looked like they were missing my services, I emailed. Some I spoke to directly via live chat on their websites, others I contacted via LinkedIn. 
• I set myself a spurious target to contact 10 companies.
• So far two have said thanks for getting in touch, that they'll hang onto my details and let me know if they need my help in the future. One said the person I needed to speak to was away and to email him next week. And one asked me to come in and see him next week. We have a meeting in the diary.

No big win. But a possible new prospect for next week. More importantly, doing that one task gave me the energy to do more. What's more, I didn't let myself hesitate once when emailing those companies. I didn't think: 'What if they say no?' 'Will I look like an idiot doing this?' 'Is this just a waste of my time?' - I just did it.

Buoyed by getting that done, I noticed two emails that came in about events taking place in the next few months featuring keynote speakers. I decided that I would email them and ask if they needed any other speakers. I didn't hesitate and ask 'Will I be good enough?', 'What if it's a waste of time?', 'Will they think I'm insane asking at this late stage?', 'Will be scary?' I just did it.

I didn't hear back from one. The other replied saying yes. There was a small cost involved. I weighed it up and thought, sod it. No hesitation. Just do it. I am now booked to be a speaker at an event with 100 women next month!

My learnings on how to kickstart your mojo:

1. Choose one thing you need to do - keep it simple and tangible
2. Choose one thing that will enable you do achieve this - make sure you can do it immediately. Don't make it a HUGE thing, rather something you can implement now. You need this to build up mojo impetus
3. Do that thing. Don't overthink it. Don't hesitate. Don't doubt. Just do it
4. Don't expect instant results. Just acknowledge that you did the thing you said you would. That in itself will make you feel good.
5. Then choose something else and repeat. 
6. Be warned: When you think of doing something, you will immediately pause and hesitate as your brain tries to find a way to prevent you from doing something scary. DO NOT WAIT. Ignore that pause and just do it. 

Off the back of doing those things, I wrote this blog post. That's another thing that I have achieved today. Another notch on the mojo belt. And a client just called me and raved about the copy I'd written for her and she's given me more work as a result. That right there, served as a reminder that I am good at what I do and to stop doing what I'm good at is just plain stupid. 

If you my lovely reader are feeling mojo-less, take heart. Do not give up. Do not beat yourself up. Just start with one little thing. And then keep going. It will return. 

xx

If you'd like my help (now that I have my mojo back) please check out my services. I would absolutely love to help you develop your brand story.

I wrote these words this morning after waking at 5am and remembering what day it was. 26 July. A day forever etched into my memory after an unimaginable family tragedy changed all of our lives forever 30 years ago.

I don't normally write about personal issues on this blog but I wanted to share these words here because I think they are so important to remember, regardless of whether you have suffered a loss or not.

Often when I work with clients we look at their values and beliefs. These often shape where they want to take their business. But I wonder how many of them know why they hold those values and beliefs. I've not really examined why I believe so strongly in freedom, honesty and adventure, for example. But on reading my own words back today, I realised that there is a part of me that wants to live fully to honour two people who can't. I want to be free to experience whatever comes my way, to say yes to new challenges and to live openly and honestly because I can.

It's the same reason I am self-critical and lack self-belief.  Why I feel that I have never achieved enough. Because no matter how much I might try to do - even if I am unknowingly trying to do it to prove that I'm living a good life in their honour - nothing will ever be enough. Because I cannot make up for two missing lives. All I can do is live my own. And live it well. 

Being successful or achieving great things so that you have a rich and fulfilling life is brilliant. But a more brilliant life is to be happy with the one you have. To accept every day, no matter what it brings, and be grateful for it. 

The point of this post?
Simply to say that your life has made you who you are. You can't unmake it. You can simply continue the story. You have the ability to change the storyline anytime you like. You can make it as exciting or as mundane as you feel comfortable with. But whether you are writing an edge-of-your-seat blockbuster, or a repetitive, predictable plot, own it. It's your story. You are the author of your life. 

If you're a parent, summer holidays have either started or will be soon. Even if you're not, summer is typically a quieter time for businesses as everyone heads off to the beach or drinks their bodyweight in Pimms while burning sausages on a bbq.

This quieter period is a brilliant time to catch up on the big projects you've been planning on doing but haven't had the chance to get to yet. Things like giving your website a makeover, or changing your business direction, plotting out new products or services, creating new marketing campaigns or comms plans for the rest of the year.

While others are sunbathing, you can be plotting out the rest of the year so that come September you are ready to roll!

Some ideas to use the quieter weeks well:

• Revamp your website with fresh copy or images. Have a photoshoot done
• Take another look at your services - are they still what your customers are asking for? Are they still services you want to offer? Could you bundle the same services in a different way to make them sound new and exciting?
• Look at your pricing. Are you over or undercharging? What tweaks could you make to bring in more sales or revenue.
• Could you create a new opt in to grow your email list?
• Can you write up newsletters or blog posts for the next few months so that they're ready to go?
• Have you got a marketing plan in place? Use the time to research marketing opportunities and plot them out in a calendar. Create a full blown marcoms plan to ensure you're regularly talking to your clients
• Batch create social media content and automate postings using a tool like Social Jukebox
• Consider creating a series of videos - editing takes time, but if your client workload has slowed, now is a good time to do it
• Learn a new skill. Whether it's how to get in the press or how to use Instagram better, take some time out to train yourself
• Put the pieces in place for a full blown September launch or a Christmas-focused campaign.

Here's how I can help you over this period:

Clarity - if you want to change your business in any way, whether that's new packages, new clients, an entirely new direction, new messages, I can help you get the clarity you need. I recently helped Juliet, a coach, restructure her packages. This is what she had to say:

"I just wanted to say that I've had time to go through the summary doc in detail and love all the ideas, the ones we discussed and the new ones. And the angles you've suggested for the copy. I'm now in the process of restructuring my services and creating new material. Argh so much to do, but it's fun too and am feeling a lot more positive about the future of the business."

Copy - if you need fresh copy for your website or any of your marketing materials - perhaps a job lot of blog posts or newsletter content for the next few months, I can write this for you. You can lie on the beach while I take care of the words you just can't seem to find. Return to a heap of new content all done for you. Here's how I helped a nutritionist, a new product and a life coach find the words they needed.

Communication - if you are finding it hard to come up with regular marketing updates, I can help you either with one-on-one coaching, or by spending an intensive day with you planning, brainstorming and training, or by writing you a communications plan that you can roll out. Here's what a producer of babywear said after I had a one-on-one strategy day and wrote her comms plan:

"I found the session very useful and feel like you managed to put into words what the brand stands for. I also think we nailed who the target consumer is. Thanks so much for the comms plan and for all your work – looks very comprehensive! I will start reading this evening – excited to get started with it!"

Publicity - a quiet period is also a good time to learn a new skill. So whether you want to spend just £49 and 75 minutes listening to my PR Masterclass on how to get in the press fast, or you want to get an in depth understanding of how to get in the media on an ongoing basis with my Publicity for Solopreneurs course, use the time wisely! I also have a PR Firestarter Kit that gives you the tools to get your story out to the press with minimal effort. Summer is quiet for media too and they are always on the hunt for good stories. Use the lull to get fabulous publicity.
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I also have kids on holidays so will have less time available to me so get in touch ASAP if you want my help with any of this before I get booked up. Email me.