Building Momentum and Facing Challenges

Wow, month four has certainly been an interesting ride! I seem to be gaining a solid reputation—thankfully, a good one—with startups. I’m now working with three different companies, all of which came to me through word of mouth, which feels really rewarding. The variety keeps me on my toes, making every day exciting and fresh.

I’ve been attending networking events weekly, and it’s been fantastic to meet so many new people. Over time, I’ve built my own little community and even started forming real friendships along the way. Hearing other people’s stories is always inspiring.

I’m also thinking about becoming a business mentor with the University of Bradford, which would be a great opportunity to give back and help shape future entrepreneurs. On the podcast front, Strings To Your Bow is going strong. After putting out a call for guests for series two, I was blown away by the response! I’ve filled all the slots for both series two and series three. I can’t wait to get those episodes out there.

Another big step this month was doing a brand photoshoot. Initially, it felt like a huge extravagance, especially with the business still in its early days, but I’m already seeing the benefits. The photos are beautiful and really help in presenting a professional image.

But I won’t pretend it’s all been easy. The business isn’t paying the bills yet, although I predict we’ll be in profit by Christmas. I also continue to wrestle with imposter syndrome and the feeling that I need to be constantly at my desk. On top of that, I’ve been surprised at how hesitant self-employed people—who I initially thought would be my key demographic—are when it comes to buying help. The lead time for them to make a decision is much longer than with startups. This has given me something to think about as I move forward.

I’m planning to use the Christmas break to really develop my strategy. I want to figure out the best way to support the self-employed and also work out what’s attracting startups so that I can build on this initial success.

Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself—before we hit Christmas, there’s month five to contend with!