How to Use Focus Words for Goal Setting

The last six months have been a whirlwind…to say the least. Personally, I’ve battled extremely low iron, which I had to get infusions for. And I got diagnosed with Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). It wasn’t surprising, but since both low iron and PsA come with chronic fatigue, I’d pretty much get up every day feeling like I never went to bed.

Now that I’ve started treatment, I’m feeling better slowly but surely. Throughout the struggle, I clung to my business dream like it was going out of style. I knew I didn’t want to do quite the same thing - content writing for clients - but it didn’t become clear to me what to do for a while. After all, writing pays the bills and security is important!

I remember the day everything changed. I was driving home from the library (one of my favorite local workplaces) after a particularly tough content-writing session.

This can’t be it. There has to be something better.

I thought about how I missed teaching and being around real-life people. Wondering how I could impact more people than a few clients at a time, even though I enjoyed the people I worked with.

WORKSHOPS

It was one word that appeared in my mind - around June I think. Nothing has ever been more clear in my life. One of my colleagues hopped on a strategy call with me and the ideas just kept coming and coming. We were both so excited (and still are). I finally got it about business owners saying it was “easy.” And just plain fun to think about.

So I went about my business (literally), changing pretty much everything. Don’t worry - I’ll be sharing more soon. ;)

When the new year rolled around, I didn’t have trouble choosing how I want to spend the year.

Goal Setting with Focus Words

I’m going to guess you’ve heard of the word of the year trend. It’s pretty popular, and it’s always interesting to see what others are focusing on for the year. Last year, I couldn’t narrow it down so I chose 3: Steady, Ease, and Accept.

It was difficult to narrow down because I didn’t have a clear focus. I was on the fence about my services and pricing. I knew I had to pick one or the other direction and stick with it before I could expand, but I just didn’t want to. I also knew I was burned the heck out and needed something to give. I needed to be able to let it evolve on its own and see where it went without worrying about it every single moment of the day (you’ve had those thoughts, right? I know I’m not the only one).

So, because I love lists with a passion, I made a huge list of choices.

Like, a whole page of options.

How the hell does someone pick ONE word out of a whole page to focus on for the year??

Obviously, I missed the “word” of the year mark since I picked 3. But I felt good about it. It felt like something I could look at when everything seemed overwhelming and be comforted: all I had to do was stick to those three things and it would be okay.

2023 came easier for me, and I’m okay with having two focuses that go hand-in-hand. But if you’re in the space where you’re trying to figure out if the word of the year thing is even worth your time, it might help to think about it in a different way.

Here’s what I’ve learned about having a word of the year:

1. The term word of the year freaks me out because it feels too significant for one word

2. Goals are always top of mind and it’s okay to have a way to reign them in when they seem to be taking over your life (making it so you don’t actually achieve any of them)

3. My words of the year help me focus and drown out some of the distractions that come with running a business

4. The term focus is critical because it means something different than goals - it’s a bit less constricting but still productive

5. I can use other people’s examples and ideas and adapt them to what I need

So here’s what I’m going to suggest, if you, like me, find yourself in a place where you want direction, but can’t pick a single word.

1. Think about what you love about your business right now. If you’re looking for a change, what does that look like?

2. Think about what you’d love to do next. (Even if it doesn’t necessarily “match” what you do right now).

3. Think about how you want your business to feel for other people.

4. Think about how you want to feel as you run your business.

5. If you had one opportunity this year that would put a huge smile on your face and some dance in your pants, what would it be? How do you get closer to that?

6. Write down said thoughts on paper with a pen. Or type it out, your choice. ;) Don’t lose the thoughts, though! You never know when they might come in handy.

7. Breathe in, breathe out, and listen to what your heart and instincts are saying about how to move forward. Trust said instinct and run with it.

Is this scientific? Nope. Is it woo-woo? Yep.

The question you’re wondering now, especially if you’re a skeptic of the woo-woo world: Does it work? Absolutely.

My Focus Words for 2023

Sometimes an example is just the thing to make an idea easier to understand. So I thought I’d share my focus words for 2023. They’re “fun” and “easy.”

More specifically, the phrases I’m focusing on are:

Let it be fun.

Let it be easy.

Let it be fun is about how I want to feel in my business. I love writing more than most things and I want to share that passion more widely rather than simply doing it. I also love teaching, but I don’t miss grading. How do I put those two things together in my business? Writing workshops. It’s fun, it’s meaningful, and it gets me into the community where I wanted to be the whole time.

Let it be easy is about how I approach my business. I have a tendency to overthink, overanalyze, and pick things to death. It’s stressful, and I’m sure it’s part of an anxiety reaction; however, it doesn’t have to be a thing at all. Not really. So letting it be easy, for me, is about trusting my instincts, taking opportunities that come along, and letting myself just do it already. Ironically, letting it be easy is often the challenge, not the business part.

Some of the other focus words I’ve heard about from my network this year are: growth, confidence, balance, purpose, intent, and present.

What about you? Did you set focus words? Or do you like having a word of the year? Comment below or find me on socials - let’s talk about it!

TL;DR

Try choosing a couple of focus words rather than restricting yourself to a single word of the year. Let it be fun, let it be easy, and don’t forget that you get to do what you love in your business. No matter what words/phrases you choose, always keep your passion and joy top of mind.

Accepting Change in Business

Change is scary. We, as humans, like to stay where we’re most comfortable. But sometimes, change is necessary, and we need to accept it. Capturing Your Confidence (CYC) is going through a transitional period where I’m really focusing on who I can best serve.

With transition comes new services, strategies, and processes. It’s a scary (but exciting!) time for me and my business, and that’s what inspired this blog. If you’re going through change, these are the strategies working for me, which means they could work for you, too.

Knowing it’s Time for a Change

How do you know it’s time for a change? Sometimes change is forced upon you. Entrepreneurship is a tumultuous career. You might lose clients unexpectedly, the market may impact your services, you don't have a work-life balance, or you aren't booking your ideal clients. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, change is up to you!

Here are a few things that will indicate if it’s time for a change.

You aren’t happy with your work anymore.

You know the feeling when work feels like, well, work? You should enjoy what you’re doing. If it feels like a drag or you aren’t excited about your work (even though you’re your own boss), it’s time for a change. It may involve working with new clients, creating new products or services, or updating strategies and processes to get in a better, more inspired headspace. 

You get irritated over little things.

When little things turn into a big deal, it’s time for a change. Small inconveniences, annoyances, and frustrations that cause big headaches mean you aren’t happy with your current situation. When you’re building a business you love, small irritations are much more avoidable than in a job with other people making decisions on your behalf.

You dream other dreams.

Your goals change as your skills develop and you’re exposed to new things in the world of business - and that’s totally okay! You should go after new goals and dreams as you advance in your career. When your work doesn’t align with your goals, it’s time to move on.

Your work frustrations bleed into your personal life.

Taking your work-related anger out on your family or friends is never okay. If you come home angry, exhausted, irritated, or short-tempered (or you stay that way all the time because you work from home), it should be your number one sign that you need a change in your life. 

When it comes to business, it’s good to listen to what feels right. If your current job doesn’t ignite a fire in you anymore, listen to your mind telling you it’s time to move on.

Change Management Strategy

You want to make the best of the change coming to your business. I’m working on implementing these as I navigate changes coming to CYC soon.

According to Transformation Strategies, here are a few principles to help smooth the jagged edges of change:

• Leverage the existing culture: Use the culture already established in your company to drive behavioral changes.

• Lead from the top: The leadership team (if you’re a solopreneur, that’s you) needs to have a positive influence on employees or contractors by showing commitment, alignment, and agreement to the change they are implementing.

• Evaluate and reconfigure: Assess and adapt processes, structures, or situations to improve strategies.

Take these steps to positively transition with the change. You, as the business owner, need to be 100% on board with everything happening. If something feels wrong, even just a little, trust your gut instinct and ditch the idea. Something better will come along that will align with your values and needs. 

Small Changes Make Big Differences

Here are a few changes you can make in your business that will have a big impact. If it sounds "“too simple” to be true, that’s because it is. We tend to make things much more complicated than they need to be (myself included!) - it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Clients

Serving the wrong clients is draining. Trust me, this comes from a true place of experience. When you nail down your ideal client, you feel much more fulfilled in your work. Take some time to really decide who you want to work with and how your services can help them. It’s SCARY AS HELL to narrow down your ideal client. Seriously. But when you' take the leap, it WILL feel better. There’s nothing saying you can’t expand in the future.

Hiring Help

Hiring a contractor was seriously one of the best things I did for my business. I passed off work I knew was important to growing my business but no longer had the time to do myself. Also, it wasn’t fun anymore! Realizing the need for support is a great first step. Not sure if it’s the “right” time? Check this out, it’ll help.

Setting Boundaries

Oftentimes, workplace frustrations come from people breaking boundaries. This could be partners, clients, or anyone else you interact with regularly. Set clear boundaries with yourself and your clients to ensure expectations are being met on both sides. Once they’re in place, stick to them. No one is being harmed by boundaries you set around your business. If someone says that, you don’t need to be working with them to begin with - set them free and move on.

Change is scary, but it’s a good thing! With change comes personal and professional growth that will benefit you in the long run, even when it feels messy now.

As I’m going through a period of change, I’m learning and making mistakes along the way. It’s all part of the journey. I know what’s coming will help a lot of people, and that’s what matters most to me.

Onboarding A New Contractor

So you’ve hired your first contractor - congratulations! You’ve made it through getting organized before hiring and interviewing. Did you sigh in relief? It can be a ton of work to make it through those steps, so great work. Now it’s time to onboard your new team member. You want it to be super easy on both of you, and there are some simple ways you can make that happen. 

Access to Tools and Platforms

Take the first week to set your team member up on the platforms you use. You can either set up a new profile for them or share your personal password. If you’re sharing passwords, there are two good options you can use. 

You can use a secure password-sharing site such as LastPass where you’re in control of how much access your team member has to your passwords. You can also store secure information such as credit card information, if needed, if your contractor will be spending on your behalf. You can also change your passwords to something secure but nonpersonal to feel less wary of sharing. Remember, you can change passwords at any time, so if there comes a time when you need to limit or remove a contractor’s access, it’s simple to do. 

Here are a few things you may need to share with your contractor:

• Templates (Canva, Google Docs, Word Docs, etc.)

• Storage folders (Google Drive, Dropbox)

• Website (Squarespace, WordPress, Wix)

• Email marketing platform (HubSpot, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Flodesk, ActiveCampaign, etc.)

• Project management platform (Asana, Trello)

• Communication (Email, Slack, phone number)

• Social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest)

Training Videos

Training videos are a great way to help new contractors. By recording demo videos, the individual can go back and rewatch the training as much as they need rather than showing them on a call and then coming back to you because they forgot how to do something. Loom and Zoom are great options to record the videos, then you can store them in a shared Google Drive folder!

In the videos, you can show them how to use a platform, your method for completing a task, how you expect things to be recorded, etc. Plan to cover any tasks you want them to do in a specific way. 

Set Boundaries

Just as you set boundaries with your clients (if you don’t, you should!), you also need to set boundaries with your contractors. Set expectations around working hours, communication, deadlines, and payment terms. A lot of these should have been communicated during the interview process, but take time to clearly explain what you expect and why. While the “why” isn’t necessarily a requirement, it can help set the relationship on a good path and establish trust on a person-to-person basis.  

The onboarding process is also a great time to set up recurring meetings, if needed. You’ll probably need more meeting time at the beginning of the contract to get your team member(s) comfortable with your business and their tasks. If you need to meet weekly then move to monthly, make that clear with your contractor, and get something on the calendar that works for both of you. 

Legal Obligations

If you hire a part-time contractor, you’ll need them to fill out a W-9 and 1099 form. A W-9 asks for personal information from your contractor such as name, business name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number or Social Security Number. 

A 1099 reports how much you’ve paid your contractor in a given year. It’s required if you pay your contractor more than $600 in a calendar year. I recommend chatting with a bookkeeper or accountant if you’re unsure which forms to have your new contractor fill out for you.

Be Patient

Be patient with yourself and your new team member. You’re both going through a change, and that requires time. Some things may not get done perfectly the first time, and there may be some miscommunication. It’s all part of working out the kinks of working together. In a new working relationship, everyone is trying their best, even if they sometimes fall short. As time goes on, you’ll learn each other's communication styles and work habits. It will get easier the longer you work together.

Be flexible with the working style of the contractor and be willing to adapt to the processes and tools they’re comfortable using. And be grateful for the services they’re providing you! Heartfelt notes of thanks go a long way and will make your team member feel appreciated. 

Hiring a new team member is an exciting time! I want to help you make it the best working relationship possible for both you and the contractor. When onboarding, make sure you share all applicable logins, create training videos, set boundaries, and be patient. These things take time to get right. Just remember that this person is here to help you grow your business. Make it as easy as possible for them to do so, and I know your business will flourish.

How to Hire Your First Contractor

If your business is to the point where you can’t grow anymore without hiring help, this is for you! Before you hire, you'll need to get organized. When you have a solid organizational foundation in place, these are  exact steps to take when hiring your first contractor. They include everything you need to know when hiring a 3rd party, including where to find contractors, how to interview them and decide who is best for you, and getting a contract in place.  

Where to Find Contractors

The first step is to figure out where contractors market themselves. For most business services, I’ve had luck finding freelancers in at least one of these three ways.

Facebook Groups

There are hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of Facebook groups out there. They can be broad like “marketing,” or more niche like “female social media managers for small businesses." I suggest joining a few in multiple categories. Make sure to take a look at the group rules to make sure you’re following them before posting your job opportunity. You don’t want to be kicked out before you even start! 

You can go about getting applicants for your job opportunities in several ways. Try asking for applications in:

• Direct message pitches

• An online form

• Posted as a comment

• Sent in an email

On of my favorite ways to collect interest is through an online application form. Doing it this way means all submissions will be organized and formatted, so you can sort through them without needing to respond to everyone (if there's a high enough volume). You’ll also get all the information you need at once. Post the link to the form with a short description of what you’re looking for help with.

You’re bound to get plenty of people to choose from! As a general rule, I recommend reaching out to applicants to let them know one way or another. Getting ghosted by a potential client or employer is almost always worse than a polite email wishing them the best. 

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance site where you can either search for contractors offering a specific service or post your job and wait for freelancers to apply for it. You can find just about any business service you could imagine. You can also indicate if it’s a one-time job or an ongoing opportunity. If you choose to post a job, you can have freelancers answer interview questions and submit their portfolios.

You can either have them pitch you on pricing or post your budget for the job. You will also get a lot of applicants on Fiverr! Upwork works in the same way. Understand that these platforms charge the freelancer money off the top of their earnings, so make sure to pay a fair wage for the work they'll be doing. 

Referrals

A referral is my favorite way to find contractors. I ask my network if they know anyone offering the services I’m looking for. If they do, I ask for a virtual introduction and wait to see what the contractor says.

I love this method of searching for freelancers because they were referred to me by people I trust. They aren’t random people like I might find in Facebook groups. I can ask my business friend about their work and pricing privately before indicating interest in connecting. Hands down, referrals are the best way to find both clients and freelancers for your business. 

Interviewing

Now that you have a few applicants you’re interested in learning more about, you need to interview them. This is the next step to narrowing it down to ultimately finding your new employee. I suggest interviewing via video so you can see their face and body language. That can tell you a lot about a person.

Interview Questions

Make a list of questions that are important to you. Hopefully, by this point, you know they’re qualified for the job. The goal of the interview is to find out more about them and if you would work well together. Here are a few common interview questions to consider:

• How do you prefer to communicate?

• What are your typical working hours?

• Tell me about your current workload and what you feel comfortable taking on.

• Explain a time when you had a disagreement with a client and how you worked through it.

• What makes you excited about this role?

• What do you feel are some of your biggest strengths? What would you love learning more about? 

These questions focus more on who the person is rather than their qualifications. Your online application should cover their qualifications and portfolio so you could make sure right off the bat that they can provide the level of deliverables you're asking for. Of course, you can always ask follow-up questions if there was something you were confused about or felt you needed to know more about. 

Personality

You can tell a good amount about a person when you talk to them. Are they easy to talk to? Do they smile and engage with you? How do they present themselves and talk about themselves and their work? These are all things to look out for when interviewing a potential worker.

Some people are nervous interviewers, but it's usually not too difficult to tell nerves from someone who is disingenuous. You need someone who will fit well with your working style and be comfortable talking to you on a person-to-person basis. After all, we're all people first. 

Contract

Once you find a great match, send them a contract to sign. You should always have a contract in place with contractors. Contracts protect both you and the contractor in the case of disagreements. It lays out specific expectations so everyone is on the same page. Make sure to include these components in your contract:

• Payments

• Term of the contract

• Confidentiality expectations

• Deliverables from the contractor

I suggest hiring a lawyer or purchasing a template from a lawyer to ensure legality. Destination Legal is a great place to find contract templates for small businesses.

Hiring your first contractor is exciting, but it does take thought and effort to make it happen. You probably don't want to hire the first person you find. Take time to find several applicants in Facebook groups, on Fiverr or Upwork, or through referrals. Interview your favorite candidates and learn more about who they are and what they can bring to the table to support your business.

Take time to consider how you could help them grow, too. After all, every relationship is a two way street! They're helping you, but as a leader, you should also be able to figure out ways to help them develop professionally.

When you find your perfect match, send them a contract to sign that outlines the working relationship. You’ll both be covered in case of disagreements. Be patient, and your perfect match will come along soon enough!

Getting Organized Before Hiring Your First Contractor

Are you thinking about hiring your first contractor? First, congratulations - that’s an amazing step in your business and something to celebrate! Before you make your first hire, there are some things you should organize before you bring them onto your team. You want to make the transition to your company as seamless and easy as possible for you and the contractor. That will start your working relationship out on the right foot. 

Deciding the Right Time to Hire

How do you know it’s the right time to hire? These are some of the thoughts and feelings I had before I hired my first contractor - that’s how I knew it was time. 

You Can’t Scale Your Business

There comes a point when you simply can’t do everything yourself. There’s too much on your plate, and you constantly feel overwhelmed and stressed when you look at the never ending to-do list. Your business can’t grow more without someone helping you. That’s a great time to look into hiring help.

You’re Working Overtime

Hey, if you’re into working overtime, then go you. But most people don’t want to be working overtime (or all the time) for the sake of their business. If you…

• Are working too many hours for your liking

• Feel like there aren’t enough minutes in the day to get things done

• Are neglecting people or hobbies that are important to you because of work

• Aren’t taking time off

…it’s time to hire. There’s no shame in admitting you need some help. In fact, it’s a sign of growth! To build a stable business, you’ll need to hire. It’s not sustainable to do everything yourself. 

You’re Doing Tasks You Don’t Want to be Doing

As business owners, it feels like we need to be doing everything. But everyone has weak areas or things they dread doing. Those should be the first things you outsource. The work you do in your business should be something you enjoy. If you’re constantly doing things you hate, it can become draining, and you’ll get burned out very quickly. Prevent that from happening by hiring someone else to do those tasks for you.

Questions to Consider as You’re Getting Ready to Hire

Before you hire someone, consider these questions.

What are you willing and able to pay a contractor?

Consider the going rate for the tasks you’re looking for help with. If you want to hire a social media manager, for example, do some research on what quality social media managers are charging. That way, you can offer a fair rate and find someone who’s great at what they do. I also recommend meeting with your bookkeeper (if you have one) and deciding an appropriate hourly rate. 

What are the Tasks You Need Help With?

You probably have a list of a mile long of things you want to take off your plate (isn’t it fun to make a plan to actually get it off your plate?!). Start by grouping tasks that go together. For instance, if you have posting to social media, keeping up with algorithms, and creating graphics on your list, you could hire a social media manager. 

I recommend hiring someone who specializes in a specific area, such as a social media manager. You wouldn’t want someone who advertises their services simply as “marketing.” That’s extremely broad, maybe too broad. They probably are able to do many things within marketing, but since they don’t specialize in anything, they may not be amazing in the task you need help with.

When you hire a contractor, you want to find the best person with those skills within your budget. Hiring people who specialize or are actively working to specialize in something is the best way to go.

What Are You Willing and Able to Pass Off?

I think this is the scariest part for business owners. You’ve built this business from the ground up, and now you’re giving part of it away to someone else. If you’ve never done it before, it’s terrifying! You want things to go perfectly. Well, it’s a good thing you’re reading this blog. 

Look back at the list of tasks you don’t want to be doing. Are you willing to pass any of those tasks off to someone else? Even more so, are you able to? There are some tasks I wouldn’t hand off to a contractor because it’s either confidential information between myself and my client, or I simply don’t feel comfortable giving something over to a contractor. Think about some things that you’re willing and able to pass off.

Should you hire someone as a 1099 or W2?

A 1099 contractor is what most entrepreneurs hire. 1099 contractors work part-time and are responsible for their own insurance, taxes, etc. They typically work on a project basis and can have quite a few clients depending on their specialty. Many people who work as 1099 contractors consider themselves or are called freelancers in job postings. 

W-2 employees can be part- or full-time, and the business owner is responsible for paying extra employee benefits. They typically work for a designated hourly rate on an ongoing basis. They may or may not sign contracts designating how much work will be provided each month. Part-time W-2 employees are technically employees, but typically don’t report to a “boss” in the same way as full-time workers do. 

As a small company, I’ve always hired contractors/freelancers and have had great experiences by going that route. Either way, it’s a good ideas to talk to a lawyer to get proper contracts in place.

It’s an exciting time when you feel ready to hire.

It means you’ve reached a point in your business where you can’t do everything yourself any longer. Hopefully, you’ve realized this before you're burned out, but it’s never too late to bring on a contractor. 

Before you do so, you need to get organized. Decide what tasks you need help with, set a budget to pay the person or persons, and analyze whether you want to hire a 1099 contractor or W-2 employee. Good luck!

If you just realized you need help with blog and/or social media content creation (um, we totally get that), book a free call with me to chat! My "Make My Life Easy" package is perfect for business owners who are too busy or hate creating content for their business. Let it be easy, you deserve it. 

Free and Low-Cost Business Tools for Entrepreneurs

As business owners, we’re all looking for free or low-cost business tools to help us run our businesses more efficiently. I want to share some of the best free marketing tools I’ve found since starting my business. These tools are great for solopreneurs, small businesses, and online businesses. 

Keep in mind that all of these tools are free, but for some, I recommend upgrading to a paid plan. It’s totally worth it to upgrade, but don’t feel like you have to. The free versions of all of these tools will give you the basics of what you need. Let’s get into the best free and low-cost business tools for entrepreneurs!

10 Free Business Tools to Try

Canva

Canva is the best free graphic design tool out there. You can create unlimited designs, customize pre-made templates, and use free stock photos. Canva even allows you to create videos, presentations, and PDFs.

While the free version is amazing, I recommend you upgrade to the Pro plan. For only $13/month, you can add up to five people to your team, remove backgrounds on images, and have access to thousands of extra stock photos, videos, and audio clips.

My favorite thing about Canva Pro is brand kits. You can save hex codes and fonts to easily access when you’re designing graphics. This is the best when you have multiple clients because they can each have a brand kit, and you don’t have to go searching for hex codes every time you create graphics for them. What a lifesaver!

Unsplash & Pexels

Unsplash and Pexels are both stock photo sites that are free to use for commercial use. You don’t want to be hit with a copyright claim by stealing a photo off Google. (It’s the same thing as plagiarizing someone else’s words, and you know how we writers feel about that…) You can use photos from these two websites with confidence knowing that they’re approved for commercial use.

Tailwind

I use Tailwind to schedule my Pinterest pins. The free version allows you to connect one Pinterest account, Instagram profile, and Facebook page. You get 20 posts per month across all three platforms, and you get one login. It’s great for someone just starting out with Pinterest. You can get a taste of the tool and how Pinterest can benefit your business. (Psst, if you aren’t using Pinterest, you may want to consider it! It’s a super effective way to drive traffic to your content.) I started on the free plan and eventually upgraded.

Now I have the Pro plan, which bumps up the posts per month to 100, and you get more advanced analytics reports. I have the Pro Exclusive plan, which means I get 400 posts per month. I have a ton of content, so I want the ability to pin several times a day. 

MailerLite

MailerLite is an email marketing software that allows you to build and grow your audience. With the free version, you can send emails, create signup forms, and build landing pages.. 

MailerLite requires you to upgrade when you hit 1,000 contacts. MailerLite is best for small businesses that are just starting to create an email marketing strategy and don’t have a large audience yet. It starts to get expensive the more subscribers you get.

Trello or Asana

Trello and Asana are both project management tools. They’re pretty similar, so I recommend trying them out and choosing one. The best news is that both of their free versions are perfect for solopreneurs or small teams. 

With the free Asana plan, you get three project views: list, board, and calendar. You also get 15 users, basic workflows, and unlimited projects, tasks, storage, and comments. It’s a highly capable tool, and I use it to manage client tasks.

Trello is very similar. With the free Trello plan, you get unlimited cards and storage space, ten boards per workspace, and the ability to assign tasks to team members and set due dates. I don’t see a need for a paid Trello plan unless you have a larger team, need more boards, or require custom fields. 

Slack

I love using Slack for client communication. It keeps everything organized and in one place, rather than searching through email for a conversation. We all know how messy that can get!

Several clients have added me to their existing Slack channels, which is normal when you join a team. You would need to create your own Slack account if you have a team of your own or if a client doesn’t currently have Slack. The free version of Slack allows up to ten integrations with other apps, 1:1 voice memos, and access to the most recent 10,000 messages. 

Google Drive

Google Drive is my saving grace for file storage and organization. I love that you can easily share files and collaborate on documents. It’s a great, free replacement for Microsoft Office Suite. As long as you have a Gmail account, you can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and forms for free. 

I often organize my Google Drive by client, then share the folder with them. That way, they can see everything I’m working on and easily collaborate or leave comments with feedback. 

Google Meet

Another part of the Gmail family is Google Meet. Google Meet is a free meeting software that allows you to meet with up to 100 people for one hour per meeting. There isn’t a limit to the number of meetings you can schedule. It’s a great alternative to Zoom if you want a more integrated set of tools. Anyone can join regardless of if they have a Gmail account. Only the host needs to have a Gmail account to create the meeting.

Google Meet does have a paid plan with advanced features, but this would really only be applicable to large businesses or schools that regularly have over 100 participants in a meeting or need to live stream. 

Linktr.ee

Linktr.ee gives you a landing page with as many links as you want. It’s commonly used as a link in Instagram bios, so people only need to navigate there and find various links related to your business. You can also add QR codes, music links, music embeds, and social icons. The free version is perfect for small businesses and offers several kinds of customizations!

Toggl

Toggl is a great time tracking tool. If you’re working with hourly clients, you need to use Toggl! With the free version, you can add up to five people to your team, track time unlimitedly, create unlimited projects, clients, and tags, and export reports of your tracked time. The free version is highly capable for almost anything you might need. 

Even if you don’t have hourly clients, it’s helpful to track your time and see where it goes throughout the week. If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, track your time and evaluate to see if you need to readjust your time allocations. You might be surprised how many tasks you’re doing and how long they’re taking. 

These ten free business tools are perfect for solopreneurs and small business owners. They’ll help you run your business more efficiently and give you excellent resources for you and your clients. I hope you take advantage of these. Leave a comment below with other free or low-cost business tools you utilize in your business!

What are Writing Sprints and How to Do Them

Being a writer comes with many challenges, one of which is the dreaded writer’s block. There are some lucky writers out there who never experience writer’s block, but for most of us, they’re simply part of the experience. 

If you’re struggling with writer’s block, or just want to get some writing done (but can’t seem to find time), a writing sprint may be the perfect solution.

What is a Writing Sprint? 

A writing sprint is a form of timed writing. You set a timer for however long you want to write and go. Some common time limits for a writing sprint are 20 minutes, 40 minutes, or an hour. You can do more or less depending on what you want to get accomplished and how long you’ll stay focused. 

If you’re doing a longer sprint, it can be helpful to break it up into smaller portions with a short break in between. The Pomodoro Technique can be incredibly helpful for writing, too.

Once you choose the length of time and set your timer,  all you have to do is write. The most important thing to remember for sprints is that anything goes. Don’t worry about making sense, correcting or using great grammar, or whether what you’ve written is “good.” The main goal is to get words onto the page. Sometimes you’ll find you’ve written a masterpiece in this time. Other times, you want to delete the whole block when you’re done. What matters is that you wrote. 

Why Use Writing Sprints?

Writing sprints can help you to make progress on your writing project and defeat writer’s block. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or an article, sometimes we need help to get back into the swing of writing. 

Writing sprints help you get into writing faster. It forces you to think fast and dump your thoughts onto the page without a filter. This is a great way to test out new ideas and storylines. If you don’t like what you wrote in the end, you’ve spent less than an hour instead of days. 

By breaking writing into smaller chunks of timed writing, it makes the whole task less overwhelming. Writing anything can be a daunting task, which is how writer’s block can set in. The feeling of not knowing where or how to start is something writers have been navigating for hundreds of years. 

With writing sprints, you don’t have to worry about it. You’re just putting words on the page during the time on your timer. You don’t have to try to write the next American epic. All you have to do is put some thoughts onto paper (digital or otherwise). If it’s not a good fit for your work in progress, you can always edit it later.

When you’re writing with a timer, it gives you less time to dwell on the minute details. Knowing you’re on a time frame pushes you to keep writing rather than look back over what you wrote. You can lose so much writing time by worrying about what you’ve already written. When you get obsessive with editing as you write (it’s happened to us all), you won’t get very much done. 

There’s less pressure to be perfect when you do writing sprints. If you make a mistake, you have it in the back of your mind that you can or will have to fix it later. If you realize what you wrote is a tangent and has nothing to do with the overall story, you can take it out later. You never know when you may write a few great sentences that will take your story to the next level. You might also write garbage you’d never share with anyone. Anything can happen.

Even if you realize you need to delete the whole block you just wrote, at least you know that’s not the direction you want to go and you can try something else. There’s always a benefit when you’re writing - whether it’s progress in your project, or experience to learn from. 

5 Easy Steps to Do Effective Writing Sprints

1. Choose an amount of time - we recommend starting with 20 minutes first to see how that goes. If it works well, then try more.

2. Set a timer - You can use an app that makes it more fun, like the Forest app (which grows trees while you stay off your phone!), or a regular timer.

3. Do the sprint - Write words and have fun!

4. Take a break - If you’re doing a longer sprint, try to take a break mid-way through. If you want to keep writing, go for it, but breaks can help rejuvenate your brain and body and increase creativity.

5. Do another sprint if you feel like it - Sometimes we reach the end of our sprint and want to keep writing. If this happens to you, that’s awesome and you should definitely keep going. If it’s not, that’s okay, too. Schedule your next sprint session and congratulate yourself for making some progress. 

BONUS: Find an accountability partner & sprint with them. This can be a friend, someone you met on social media, or just someone else who likes to write. If you can’t find a partner, you can also text someone you trust and let them know you need an accountability friend. Let them know when you are sprinting and when you’re done. Make sure to choose someone supportive and who will cheer you on. 

Happy sprinting!

How to Stick With Your Business Goals

It’s the month to make goals. And in another few weeks, to fall off of them. We know ‘em, we love ‘em: New Year's Resolutions. 

I’m all for people trying to improve themselves personally and professionally. I just think we need to be better about how we set goals and make sure we stick with them. 

It’s easy to say you’re going to do something…but life gets in the way and you forget about it or continue to push it off. 

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you in 2022!

Why Business Goals are Important

According to Positive Psychology, “Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. In the end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that and more.” 

You might have an idea of where you want to be in five or ten years, but how are you going to get there? Goals are meant to help you achieve your dream life. They’re small wins that add up to big wins. Goals motivate us and remind us what we’re working towards. Goal setting is important because it gives you the confidence you need to achieve success, whatever that looks like for you.

How to Stick with Your Business Goals/Accountability

So how do you stick with your goals once you set them? Here are a few of our favorite ways to help keep you moving forward. 

SMART Goals

We’ve all heard of SMART goals, right? If not, it means your goals are:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Realistic

• Time-bound

SMART goals are the perfect way to stick to your business goals. The purpose is to get really specific about what you want to achieve. For example, you wouldn’t say, “I want to increase my revenue.” A SMART goal would be, “I’m going to increase my revenue by 10% by the end of Q1 by bringing on three new clients at $1,000/month.” 

You know your timeline (end of Q1), how to measure it, it’s super specific, and it’s attainable and realistic. Start making SMART goals, and you’ll reach your goals faster. 

SMART goals also work particularly well for writers, in case you’re a creative professional looking to get your writing on track this year, too.

Accountability Partner

Another way to stick to your business goals is to find an accountability partner. Someone to give you a kick in the ass when you need it (kindly, of course). This could be a business partner, friend, family member, significant other, or anyone else who you trust to keep you accountable. 

If you’d rather work with someone you don’t know as well, you can find accountability partners in Facebook groups. Find and join a few that relate to your business, and look for someone (or a few people!) who you can build a relationship with. Then you can be an accountability partner for them, too. We love a good, supportive community!

Write it Down

Writing down your goals makes them feel more real. They aren’t just a thought; you have them right in front of you. Better yet, put your goals in several areas of your office or workspace so you have a constant reminder of what you’re working towards. On mirrors, behind your computer, on your desk, and anywhere else where you’ll see them every day.

Have a Mix of Goals

It’s really helped me to have short-term goals and long-term goals. If you only have long-term goals, they don’t feel as attainable. Like, they’re so far away that you have time to procrastinate. On the other hand, if you only have short-term goals, you don’t have a clear vision for what you want to achieve in the long term. Have a mix of both. I like to scaffold my goals, which means that my short-term goals work toward the long-term goals.

Celebrate wins

Goal setting doesn’t have to be boring. Celebrate when you reach a goal! If you plan to reward yourself for hitting certain goals, you can post that next to the goals to keep you motivated, especially on days where it seems really hard to keep moving forward. Celebrate all wins - big and small. Everything you did to achieve your goal is worthy of celebrating. 

Business Goal Ideas

Sometimes it’s hard to think of goals - I struggle with it sometimes myself. Maybe you have a goal in mind (or too many), but you’re not sure how to get there. 

Here are a few templates you can customize to your goals: 

• I’m going to increase my revenue by % in [timeframe]

• I’m going to grow my [social media platform] following by # in [timeframe]

• I’m going to book # new clients at $X/month in [timeframe]

• I’m going to create # lead magnets per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]

• I’m going to post on [social media platform] X times per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]

• I’m going to send # emails per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]

Which goal are you going to set and achieve first? 

I’ll share a few of my goals for 2022.

• I’m going to post on Instagram at least once a week by the end of Q1. 

• I’m going to increase my revenue by at least $30K by the end of the year. 

• I’m going to hire a VA to help with admin tasks by the end of the year.

I hope this blog has inspired you to create a few smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals (see what I did there?) I want to support you along your journey! Make a post sharing your 2022 business goals on LinkedIn and tag me!

4 Creative & Productive Ways to Use Post It Notes

Do you use post it notes? In school we used them for taking notes in lieu of highlighting in books, or as bookmarks. As an adult, I’ve found many more uses that help to keep me productive as a writer. Not only do they help me stay organized, but I use them to keep me on track and keep me motivated. 

There are many ways to help yourself be more productive. If you haven’t tried to use post its in these creative ways, you should. 

4 Creative Ways to Use Post-Its

As a writer, all the thoughts and ideas that swirl around in your mind can be overwhelming. Sometimes you need new techniques or tools to help you organize them and keep you moving forward towards your goals. 

Here are four of the best ways I’ve found to use post its for my productivity.

Making Notes when You’re Reading 

Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, taking notes as you read can help when you find something you want to take with you into your own writing. What better to make a quick note than a post it? 

Anytime I come across a certain technique, trope, or tip I like in a book, I stick a post it on the page, noting what I want to remember. This allows me to move on without too much distraction. It’s also helpful when I’m working on my own writing and want to try out some of the same techniques. I can go back to my post it notes instead of wasting precious writing time skimming that part of the book.

There are so many ways you can use post its as you read. It might mean noting the way a certain author uses dialogue, or the way they describe a character. It can even be as simple as liking a word and not wanting to forget it. Writing is a process and you can use sticky notes to fit your style. Have fun with it! 

You can color code, like using yellow for dialogue and orange for descriptions. Whatever helps you remember the best, try it out! No harm in testing new strategies, right? 

Organize Writing Notebook 

If you have a writing notebook, you can use post its to organize it. Writing notebooks are a great resource for anyone working on creative projects, especially long ones. Curious about what goes in one? Read this.

Post its can differentiate the sections of your writing notebook. If you already have tabs, you’re ahead of the game! Post its can still be useful to flag information you’ll reference a lot or that you know will be important later in the writing process. 

Sticky notes can also keep your scenes in order. You can mark each section within your notebook with a different colored post it, or label them if you don’t like to use color coding. 

Everyday Reminders & To Do Lists

Whether you’re a full time writer, or simply write for the love of it, most of us are busy. Planners are useful, but sometimes you may need a little extra reminder. When there’s something pressing that I have to get done in a day, I use post its to remind myself. 

I’ll make a to-do list and stick it on my computer or put the most pressing task on my bedroom door so that when I inevitably exit, I’m reminded of that task. We can’t remember everything, and we don’t need to with helpful reminders like this around! 

Motivation

Just as you can stick to-do lists around the house where you’ll be sure to see them, you can (and should!) stick motivational quotes or sayings around the house, too. Even if you aren’t someone who believes in manifestation or the power of positive thinking, having words you love around you will put you in a good mood.

For example, try writing “You can do this!” on a post-it. Stick it to your mirror and every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you’ll get a little happy reminder. Being your own cheerleader is a great way to keep yourself motivated. It’s nice to have others cheering us on too, but we spend the most time with ourselves. We need to be able to boost ourselves up when we need it. 

When you’re feeling down, look at your quotes and let them remind you why you’re doing this. You are strong. You are brave. You can do this. Don’t let negative thoughts or imposter syndrome get the best of you. Use your post it notes as an easy way to surround yourself with positivity. 

Keeping inspirational quotes handy can also help when you encounter writer's block. You never know when you’ll need a little extra spark of inspiration to get the writing juices flowing again. Have a few of your favorite inspirational quotes written on post it notes in your writing area and look at them whenever you get stuck. 

Find your favorite post its, try out some new strategies, and see what works best for you. Incorporate that into your daily life! Sometimes we forget that there are ways to make our lives easier, and need a reminder that we don’t have to do this (or figure it all out) on our own. If there’s something else you use that helps you stay productive, let us know so we can share it with our writing community!

Hope for the New Year

Friends, 

It’s the last day of 2021, and I’m both shocked and thankful that it’s finally here. 

This year has been HARD. The kind of hard that feels impossible.  

Usually this time of year I find myself reflecting on all the things from the year. Good things typically outweigh the challenges, and I almost always feel like there are some redeeming qualities that make the year a “good” one instead of the notorious so-called “bad” year. 

This year, though, I don’t feel like rehashing the events of the year is a productive exercise. Sure, I will reflect. Sure, there have undoubtedly been amazing things that have happened! And I’m entirely grateful for them. 

But for the first time, it doesn’t feel like a good year as a whole, and I’ve come to terms with that. As my good friend told me earlier this week, it’s best to ride with our emotions, whatever they may be, rather than fight against them. We can’t always control the things we’d like. Most times they’re things we shouldn’t be controlling anyway. 

So as we finish this year, I wanted to share a message of hope. 

I’m entirely joyful about the new year. I know there will be more challenges, because there always are. But after this year, I’m sure I can face anything that might dare to come my way. I hope that for you, too.

I wanted to share my hope with you today because I think it’s what we all need. The whole world has had a rough year, and we all could stand to use a little tiny slice of hope, and the warmth that brings to our heart. 

So here it is:

I hope you have amazing things to look forward to next year, even if this year has felt like a big dumpster fire (same). 

I hope you’ll continue working to be who you want to be, and not who anyone else wants - because you deserve to. 

I hope you have a dream as big as the stars and that even when you’re afraid of how big it is (as all huge dreams tend to be), you’ll keep stepping forward one step at a time. One day at a time. 

I hope that no matter how you’re feeling today, or have felt this month, or the rest of this year, that you’ll wake up tomorrow and see it as a chance to start fresh. 

Cheers to a new year, a new us, and new beginnings. 

May we be open, willing, and ready to accept new challenges and be brave enough to face each new day no matter what it holds. 

We’ve got this, together.