Successfully Simple

This simple Friday email is one of the easiest things you can implement in your creative service-based business to improve your client experience and keep everything running smoothly. Read the post and get the template! https://outofofficeentrepreneur.com/the-friday-email-you-need-to-be-sending/   Get your free systems map to take you step-by-step through the service process allowing you to cut your work hours and impress the pants off of your clients: https://outofoffice.ck.page/service-systems  

Did you know that how you onboard your clients can be just as important as the project you deliver? Seriously! Why? Because if you don't onboard your clients correctly, you'll start the project off on the wrong foot, and may never be able to recover from it! This can lead to creating nightmare clients, out of great people. So here's what you need to do to onboard your clients correctly. https://outofofficeentrepreneur.com/three-things-client-onboarding-process/

If you've been here for a while, you know that I just rebranded from my name (Erin Flynn) to Successfully Simple two years ago. So you might be wondering WHY another change in name? What the heck is going on? Let's dive into the why and how of my rebrand to Out of Office Entrepreneur! https://outofofficeentrepreneur.com/rebrand/

When you're running your own creative business, taking time off can feel impossible. After all, you've got a business to run! You've got clients to help! You have money to make! But taking time off IS possible. Today we're giving you our best tips to plan for time off in your creative business. Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com/?p=17881

Sometimes, life gets busy. And as creative business owners, we end up having to cut our work hours drastically in order to fit all of life in. While it may seem impossible, it's actually not! In today's episode we're breaking down how our experts would spend their time in their business with just ONE hour a day to dedicate to work. Let's dive in! Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com/?p=17875

Investing in your creative business can seem unnecessary, or even scary. After all, as a creative business owner you're used to doing things on your own, and what if end up wasting money? In today's episode we're diving into why it's important to sometimes put aside the DIY attitude in order to level up your business. Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com

Making tough decisions is part of running a business. That doesn't make them any easier! Find out the hardest business decisions our experts have ever made by tuning in to today's episode! Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com

Today I wanted to cut through all of the bad business advice that we see out there on the internet and get straight to the good stuff. So I asked our guest experts what their best advice is for someone running a business, right now. So if you are running a business, thinking about running a business or have been running a business for a while, you definitely want to be tuning in to today's episode. Show notes at successfullysimple.com

Are you ready to be let in on a little secret? How about five of them? All related to running an online business?! Heck yes, I know you’re here for it! In today’s episode, our experts are spilling the secrets about running a creative business, and you do NOT want to miss this! Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com/?p=17687

When we see successful entrepreneurs online, it often seems like they have everything together and that everything they touch turns into gold, right? But I promise you, that is not the case. In fact, for most successful entrepreneurs, there are a lot of quote, unquote, “failures” that lead up to the success that you see. Today I asked our experts, how have the failures in your business helped you learn and grow? I’m really excited about this. Let’s hear what they have to say. Show notes at https://successfullysimple.com/?p=17551

You see a lot of business owners, creative ones especially, tend to offer too much in the hopes that they'll make more money because they're giving customers more options to choose from. And it doesn't always work out like that. So today I asked our experts, how have you discovered what your most profitable or enjoyable offering is? And how did your business change when you knew what was bringing in the most money and bringing you the most joy? Let's see what they have to say. Show notes at successfullysimple.com

Systems make everything better! As a solopreneur or entrepreneur with a small team, having systems in your business will help keep everything running smoothly, make your customers and clients happy, and save you tons of time! Tune in to learn how our expert use systems in their businesses! Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com/?p=17490

One of the biggest mistakes creative entrepreneurs make is trying to do everything in their business alone. Or, leaning on friends and family for support, but their friends and family just don’t get it. Even if you’re a solopreneur, that doesn’t mean that you have to rely only on yourself for support. You NEED others in your corner who understand what it’s like to run a business. Tune in to find out how our experts have found the support they need to be successful. Show notes at: https://successfullysimple.com

Ever feel like you’re working too much–or not enough in your business? Ever wonder what successful entrepreneurs are doing, and how many hours they’re putting in? That’s exactly what we’re diving into in today’s episode! Tune in to find out what a typical workweek looks like for this season’s experts! Show notes at https://successfullysimple.com/

What goals do you have for your business? How will you reach them? In today’s episode of the Successfully Simple Show, we’re asking the experts how THEY set and track goals in their businesses. This episode is a great one, so tune in now to learn how you can set and achieve your goals this year! Show notes: https://successfullysimple.com/

How many times have you made an ideal client avatar? If you’re like me, FAR too many. We’re told, over and over again that ideal client avatars are a necessary part of our business, and we have to have them to use in our marketing. The big flaw? Well, you’ll have to tune into today’s episode with Natalie McGuire to find out! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16825

Do you feel like you’re doing anything and everything to market your creative business, but still struggling to get consistent clients? The truth is: we often are just throwing spaghetti at the wall, and hoping that clients come to us. We’re not taking the time to actually track what’s working and what’s not in our marketing. In today’s interview with Kyla Roma, we break down some ideas on how you can determine where you should be spending your marketing efforts, so you waste less time and make better connections with your audience. Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16813

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar! Attracting clients is difficult. Managing clients is difficult. Charging premium prices is difficult. Great news: none of those things has to be true! Join me in today’s episode with the incredible Tiffany Tolliver who has attracting consistent clients, managing them, and charging premium prices on lock-down. You don’t want to miss this! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16834

Marketing your service-based business is probably NOT your favorite part about running a creative business. At least it isn’t for most creative business owners I know. That’s generally because we make marketing far more complicated than it needs to be, and feel icky doing it. In this interview with Cami Farey, we dive into collaborative marketing which simplifies our strategy, and takes away all of the ick-factor when it comes to building our audience. Tune in now to find out how! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16804

One of the supposed “perks” of working for yourself is the ability to work at any time. You no longer have to show up at an office and sit from 8 to 5 every day. Instead, you can roll out of bed whenever you want, take some time to catch up on whatever series you’re watching on Netflix, and eventually settle down to work. It sounds nice, but in reality, it’s a terrible habit to get in. Having set “office” or work hours can seem like a drag, but in reality they make running your business much easier. Tune in now to find out why! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/office-hours

Is your business working for you? Or are you getting bogged down with offerings you don’t really love, clients who are… less than ideal, and feeling like your business is taking over your life? If you answered yes to any of that, you’re going to LOVE what Alisha Robertson has to say in this episode. Alisha’s whole business (and what she helps others achieve) is based on living over existing, and this episode will help you take your first steps into creating or pivoting your business to support the life you desire. Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16780

Have you every taken on a project that you thought was a good fit, but ended up being a bad one? It happens to all of us. Sometimes we get a gut feeling (trust it!) but not always. Sometimes bad fits blindside us and we have to dig our way out of the mess. Here are a few ways to pinpoint whether a project is a good fit or not. Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/project-a-good-fit/ Quiz: https://www.erinflynn.com/client-screening-quiz/

Getting lost is frustrating. When you don’t know which way to go or what happens next, you get anxious and angry. That’s how your clients feel if your onboarding process is rough or confusing. Learn how to map your client onboarding process and set your projects up for success! https://www.erinflynn.com/client-onboarding-process

In the early days of my business, I was plagued by bad clients. I figured there HAD to be a better way to screen out clients who wouldn't respect my boundaries, while also letting clients know WHAT to expect during a project, so that there would be no surprises or hold ups. Learn how to create your own Intro Packet at https://erinflynn.com/intro-packet So I, to the best of my knowledge, created the first Intro Packet in 2014. I sat down and outlined everything I thought my potential clients would need to know, wrote it all out, popped it into a PDF I could email, and started sending it to every potential client who came my way. The results were immediate. Potential clients who were a bad fit stopped wasting my time and went to someone else, and potential clients who were a great fit LOVED the intro packet and how organized I was. They were excited to work with me, and knew exactly what to expect during the project which reduced scope creep and helped keep everything on schedule. Learn how to create your own Intro Packet at https://erinflynn.com/intro-packet

So often in this online entrepreneur world, we feel like we have to do things on our own. After all, we’re solopreneurs, right? But trying to do everything on our own is a recipe for either very SLOW business growth, or failure. In today’s episode, Quinn and I dive into getting the support we need, as well as connecting with others and why it’s so crucial to success. Tune in now, or hit up the transcript to find out how support and community can improve your business! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/creating-community

You know how some people seem to sell out their services easily, every single time they open their mouths? There’s a reason for that. It’s because they’ve laid the groundwork and have an audience that is ready and waiting to buy so every time a spot opens up, it’s claimed quickly. How do they do this? Well, I sat down with Savannah Hamilton of Wild Savannah to find out exactly how SHE creates an audience of raving fans who can’t wait to buy. Show notes and transcript at: https://www.erinflynn.com/ready-to-buy-audience Visit Savannah: https://www.wild-savannah.com/

Have you ever thought about having a signature service? Something that you become known for, and clients start lining up to book with you? If you haven’t thought about it before, you sure will be after listening to this episode with the incredible Melissa Burkheimer! Show notes and transcript at: https://www.erinflynn.com/signature-service-success Visit Melissa: MelissaBurkheimer.com

What do you when a potential client thinks you’re too expensive? If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ve likely heard potential clients tell you that you’re too expensive. So what do you do? Tune in to find out! Show notes and transcript at https://www.erinflynn.com/too-expensive/ Get your email templates at https://erinflynn.com/saywhat

Wondering how to be more productive while trying to run a business and having little kids to take care of? Learn all about tethered time in this episode! Show notes and transcript at:  https://erinflynn.com/tethered-time Visit Kimberly at: https://www.thefocusdrivenbiz.com/ and https://www.thefocusdrivenbiz.com/guide/

Join me as I chat with Sarah Masci of Bracken House Branding and learn all about using day rates as a service model to charge premium prices, with limited time investment! Show notes and transcript at https://www.erinflynn.com/day-rate/ Visit Sarah at https://brackenhousebranding.com/3steps/

What are the best business investments I've made in the past year? Tune in to find out! Links at https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16117  

Batching? Morning routines? Are those really the answer to being more productive? Probably not. Unless you can align them with your energy. No, this isn't woo woo, it's science. Join me as I chat with Brittany Berger about energy management for more productivity in today's episode! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=16004

Marketing doesn't have to be complicated, but we make it a lot harder than it needs to be. In today's episode, I'm chatting with marketing genius, Kyla Roma, all about how to uncomplicate your marketing! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=15995

Do you know Krista Miller? She's INCREDIBLE. Not only does she run TWO successful businesses, she's got an adorable toddler. How does she manage to juggle it all? Find out in today's episode! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/?p=15889

When most people say that they don’t have time and that they feel overwhelmed, what they’re really saying is that they don’t have priorities. And most likely, their freelance business is really complicated and they’re drowning in tons and tons of work. Everything feels super important and there’s just not enough hours in the day to get it all done. Sounds familiar? Well, I’m here to tell you that it does not have to be that way. Listen in to find out why!

Saying NOPE is an important part of running a business–you simply can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything that people will ask of you. You’ll spread yourself way too thin. Learn how to create your own NOPE list in this episode! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/nope-list/

Six figures. If you’re not making at LEAST six figures, you’re a failure as a freelancer and entrepreneur. And once you hit that six-figure milestone? Baby, you better be ready to scale to seven figures, or why are you even doing this?! Get a job in a cubicle if you’re not going to go all in. Or that’s what we’re told. We’re told, by strangers on the internet, that if we’re not Scrooge-McDucking a bank vault of cold, hard, cash, we’re doing it wrong.   But this isn't true at all! Tune in to learn why. Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/arbitrary-income-goals/

“If I can do it, you can too!” We hear this, again and again, especially on webinars trying to sell us into some sort of miracle program. But that doesn’t mean that everyone else can do it too. Tune in to hear what successful freelancers have in common! Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/not-everyone-can-be-successful/

In today’s online entrepreneur world, you’re told to HUSTLE. If you’re not hustling, you’re doing it wrong. Working until 2am is a badge of honor, because it brings you closer and closer to that elusive and arbitrary 6-figure income. In this world there’s a constant need to keep adding more and more to your plate. Facebook ads, Instagram stories, funnels, more services, because if you’re not hustling, you’re NOT doing it right and you’ll NEVER reach 6-figures, making you the biggest failure that ever failed. Except this is all BS. Listen to the episode to learn why! Show notes:  https://www.erinflynn.com/simple-sustainable-business/

Learn why I started the Successfully Simple Show and what's in store for you!   Show notes: https://www.erinflynn.com/successfully-simple-show/