5 Business Strategies I’m Prioritizing for Online Growth this Season
Just like life, businesses go through different seasons. Some months are jam-packed. Some have a slower pace. Some are exciting. Some are a little less interesting.
But it’s often overlooked that we actually have so much control over this.
I’ve switched some things up inside my business over the last several months to keep it fresh and to help serve me and my clients better. Plus, these changes play into my long-term goals even more.
I thought it would be fun to share this inside look on the blog, so today I’m diving into 5 strategic areas I’m prioritizing in my business this season.
I hope these ideas offer you inspiration if you’re looking to give your small business a backstage spruce too.
A few key changes can really amp up your productivity and build more strategy into how you run things as an entrepreneur. Let me show you around…
1 | Creating New Digital Products and Resources
I’m working on the finishing touches to my new Creative Business Goal Planner. I’ve been fine-tuning it all year while using it for myself, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you all!
Since starting an online business, I’ve mostly relied on my own planner designs to plan my goals and map out big dreams. My mind works a bit differently than the framework of other planners out there, so I never found one that worked for my needs or with my thought process.
After 7 years of working from home and designing planning pages that cultivate strategy, I’m bringing it all to life in the form of an official planner specifically for creatives and small business owners.
I designed it to give you a more dynamic approach to planning. It’s a guide, workbook, and planner all-in-one, and it just might be the most thorough planning companion you’ve ever seen.
In addition to the new Ponder Trail Goal Planner launch, I’m creating several new resources for small business growth. I’m taking several of my free resources and updating them into pdf guidebooks so you can enjoy more tips on the go.
It’s always fun when you have time to work on new projects and products, so I’m excited to have this as a priority this season.
2 | Taking on More Client Work for Brand and Website Design and Business Coaching
Another area that’s at the top of my to-do list this season is client work. I’ve had a blast so far this year with my branding and website design projects, and I’m looking forward to getting started on the next few we have on the calendar.
We always start each new design project with a strategy call, and I look forward to these chats with my clients so much. Maybe as much as the actual design work haha. There’s just something about connecting over a video call and landing on those “aha” moments as we brainstorm and map out the design vision for a brand and website.
I want to dedicate some space on my blog in the coming weeks to share more about my design work, so stay tuned for posts that walk through the entire process from initial strategy to final results. I hope you enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes process. I always love a good backstage peek to see how everything is made, don’t you?
In addition to design work, I’ve also prioritized my schedule to take on more clients for my business coaching service, which has been a blast. My favorite thing about my job is helping other creatives work through their ideas and dreams to figure out the best way to reach those goals with a smart and strategic step-by-step plan.
It’s one of the reasons I started Ponder Trail in the first place, so working with strategy clients one-on-one brings me so much joy. (And I’m pretty sure my clients enjoy it too!)
3 | Creating Daily Blog Content
I’ve been a bit more quiet on the blog recently, and that is about to change, which I’m excited about. One of my priorities for this season is to get back to blogging regularly.
I have all of my content planned out for the month of May and part of June, so get ready for a flood of creative business tips, starting today.
Over the years, I’ve poured more time into blogging than any other facet of Ponder Trail. And I’ve definitely benefited from that hard work since my blog posts bring in most of my website visitors, clients, and sales. In fact, I can pretty much attribute every bit of growth to blogging.
I knew this was key from the start of my business, so it has always been a priority. But I’m amping my posting schedule back up for the coming future.
Blogging gives me a huge sense of accomplishment: when I write a blog post in good speed, I feel super-duper productive. And that gives me an even bigger boost of motivation to get more tasks done.
But blogging is also one of those tasks that can quickly slip out of your routine since it can feel overwhelming at times. But I’m always surprised at how painless it actually is to get back to it. Creating blog posts can seem more difficult when the writing process is going slow or feeling strained or choppy.
My goal is to spend time writing blog content six days a week. I’m in the process of determining what part of the day to dedicate to it. So I’m using my next several posts to figure out when writing works best within my schedule. I’d like to have a set time so it turns into a habit and fits into my work rhythm. (More on that in just a bit!)
4 | Making Weekly Video Content
In addition to blog posts, maybe the most exciting thing I’m prioritizing this season in my business is creating video content. The need for making and sharing engaging videos for your creative business has only grown over the last several years.
Even Instagram no longer considers themselves just a photo sharing app, which is a pretty big hint about what we need to do to grow our social media accounts these days.
Video is a huge time investment though, so it’s easy to hesitate on creating them. It can also be intimidating—especially when it comes time to face the camera and stare into the lens as you hit “record” and try to remember your lines. Talk about a tough battle for freezing up and feeling like the cat has really got your tongue this time.
But just like any other skill, practice is key.
I’ve created some video content over the years including livestreams, lessons, and design process walk-throughs, but I want to take a new approach in this season.
My goal is to create weekly video content that is edited to make it a little more dynamic and fun to watch while also being educational for creative entrepreneurs. The plan is to make high-quality videos to share small business insights and also grow the Ponder Trail audience (like I’ve done through blogging). Content marketing is a win-win for brands and audiences alike, which is why it’s a priority.
Creating videos has been at the top of my to-do list for long while now, but at the same time, it was sitting on the back-burner until I could realistically fit it on my plate. I am looking forward to hearing what you think once I publish my first few videos. I’m hoping to document the behind-the-scenes of this journey to share with you too, so stay tuned!
5 | Creating Rhythms for Work-Life Balance
Saving the best for last.
Overall, my goal for this season of business is to generate growth while also maintaining a solid work-life balance. It’s way more beneficial to stay on a steady path when running a business though it’s often difficult to achieve.
Without making an effort to keep an even rhythm, it’s easy to fall into a more chaotic ebb and flow (or maybe even rapids). From hustling to meet a looming deadline, to feeling burnt-out and taking a longer-than-anticipated break. This approach leads to yet another cycle inside a less-than-ideal busy lifestyle that feels like a hamster wheel.
To thrive inside your role as an entrepreneur, strive to ditch the hustle mentality, and instead, create a rhythm that allows you to maintain your tasks and work towards your next big goal.
Stepping into this new mindset requires a bird’s eye view and a deep-dive into your brand. It relies on critical thinking, prioritizing, and an overall strategy to put each task into an intentional plan for success.
Each quarter, I have a thorough planning session and a refresh each month to get even more specific with my to-do’s and projects. I recently zoomed out and took a big-picture look at how I want my work-life balance to work in this season and beyond.
By making several key changes to my routines and schedule, I’m less busy and more on top of things. I also have a boost in my productivity, which helps me get even more done, and gives me more free time to enjoy life and creative things outside of Ponder Trail. And I’ve been more ground and balanced by building these rhythms and by fine-tuning this new approach into my daily life.
Since creating rhythms has been so beneficial this season in my business (and life!), I’ll talk about this strategy in more detail in upcoming blog posts.
So there’s my backstage tour on a few key changes I’m making inside Ponder Trail.
Have you recently shifted your priorities for your business? If so, what have been the most beneficial?
Or if you think you need to move some things around, what do you think you’ll focus on as you move forward?
I would love to know your thoughts below in the comments!
