​As a small business owner, you’re probably wondering if investing in email marketing and newsletters is a good strategy to get more customers and ultimately grow your business. New business owners are quick to jump on social media marketing, but often forget or don’t know about email marketing. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t forget about email marketing for business! 

​​Are you struggling to get views, saves, and sales on Etsy? Even if you had initial success on Etsy, it’s pretty common for your Etsy sales to slow down after a time. But you don’t have to let it stay that way. The truth is that although I’ve written before about how Etsy is a great place to get your business started, you can’t rely on Etsy alone to make sales and grow your business. 

The last thing you want to think about is taxes, am I right? But like it or not, taxes are a part of life. If you’re a normal American, you might be able to get by only doing them once a year. But as a small business owner, you’re doing them not once but up to five times a year. And unfortunately that little truth alone will scare many would-be-business owners into not going into business. 

Do NOT let taxes scare you out of doing something great! I’m going to help you take the fear out of taxes. Once you remove the fear, it’ll just be another easy peasy regular task that you do because you’re a responsible business owner. Ready? Let’s do this.

First, the obligatory disclaimer: I’m not a tax professional and taxes vary so much by state, meaning that if you’re even a little unsure about your taxes, please don’t hesitate to hire a tax professional! 

​With nearly a 100 million shoppers on Etsy, you have probably considered it as a potential way to start selling your products online. But you might be wondering if it’s worth it. You might be asking: Is Etsy too saturated? Is Etsy too expensive? Should I do my own website instead of Etsy? I’ll answer your burning Etsy questions in this post, but here’s the root of it: I believe that Etsy is still the best way to get started with selling your products online. Here’s why:

As a self-employed person it can be hard to know where work ends and life begins. Working hard on your business without proper self care can leave you feeling exhausted and hopeless.  Exhaustion and hopelessness if left untreated will lead to burnout. And we don’t want that. Your business is a blessing to the world, don’t let it fade because of your own lack of self care. So what does self-care for the self employed look like? Here’s three key ingredients that must go into your self care routine, and don’t worry, I’m going beyond the basic “take a relaxing bubble bath” advice you’ve gotten elsewhere. 

For the record, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a relaxing bubble bath. 

It’s easy to put ourselves down, but when was the last time we built ourselves up? 

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a business, but you’re quick to put yourself down. Maybe your doubts sound something like this: I’m not young enough, I’m not old enough, I’m not knowledgeable enough, I’m just a nobody, I’ve never even known a business owner - what would make me think I could be any different? If any of that sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.

​Do you have a love and hate relationship with social media? Perhaps you love it when it’s good, hate it when it’s bad. You love using it to connect with friends, but hate “all the fake” you regularly see. Maybe you love consuming it yourself, but the thought of having to actually make your own posts (or show your own face, gasp!) on social media has you paralyzed. “I want to run my business, but I don’t want anything to do with social media.” Does that sound familiar? 

For a myriad of different reasons, social media can be a big hangup for new business owners. So you might even be asking yourself if it’s really even needed. Here’s three reasons why you should plan on incorporating social media into your business. 

​I quit my day job over three years ago!

A lot of people on the internet glamorize quitting your day job, pursuing your passion, and finally working for yourself! I will not be one of those people. Look, starting any business is hard work, but it can be especially hard when suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) this business is your sole source of income. So, let’s talk about it. 

Here are five things that are essential to do before you quit your day job

​Soloprenuer is a trendy new word that means someone who works alone in their business. A lot of people have been using this word as a descriptor, adding it to their Instagram bios and email signatures. Heck, I might have even said (or typed) it at one point. However, now a few years into this building businesses thing, I can firmly say being a soloprenuer isn’t a good thing. And here is why... 

​You’re heard people talk about setting goals, but you have questions. Questions like: “When do I start making goals?” “How do I know if I’m setting the right goals?” “I always fail at my goals, how do I not do that?”. Ideally you’d like someone to just lay it all out for you. If that’s you, read on, friend. I’ve got you. 

First let’s do a pop quiz: Which of the following is a good goal? 
A) Get in shape
B) Be a better friend
C) Make more sales
D) Read 12 books this year

How often do you celebrate? Do you find it hard to celebrate yourself and your wins? You should celebrate often: yourself, your wins, both big and small, and personal and business. About four years ago I started meeting with my accountability partner, a dear friend who also had a small business, for one hour every week. We’re both proud to say that we kept this commitment every week (with a few planned skips) for four really good (and really hard) years. One of the things that she started asking me a few years into our weekly calls was the question “What can we celebrate from the last week?”. And if I can be vulnerable with you for a moment, that question was hard for me to answer (not just that first time, but many many times after that). My thought process went something like: “Celebrate? I haven’t done anything to deserve celebration! I’m just doing what I should do and actually… I’m not doing enough, so I surely don’t deserve to celebrate!”

Does that resonate with you? If so, this article is for you! Let me help you see why it’s oh so important to celebrate often! 

​Many new business owners will announce their idea, open their business, and turn on their website without a plan, without fanfare, without a proper launch because they don’t want the “added stress” of a launch. Sound familiar? 

Unfortunately doing it that way usually falls flat and leaves new business owners feeling despair over the state of their new business. Listen, the sound of crickets doesn’t mean you have a bad business idea, it probably means you didn’t tell anyone about it! 

Launches, whether it’s a new business entirely or a new product or service within an existing business, are a fantastic and strategic way to grow your community, expand brand awareness, and fuel your content marketing strategy. 

Taking a vacation away from work is good for your soul, mind, and body. The change in pace and environment can stir creative thoughts that can push your business forward when you return. The break will allow your mind to rest and reset. And your body will appreciate the additional sleep that vacation can provide. No one was made to work 24/7. Even robots get powered down for maintenance once and awhile. 

Here are 5 reasons why you should plan to take a vacation. ​

​If you’re debating between starting your business now vs. waiting for the “right” time, then this blog post is for you! I’m a fan of action and starting your business over waiting and waiting for the perfect moment. And so I’m going to convince you to start your business right now!