Saying "no" means saying "yes" to yourself
Saying "no" has never been easy for me. As someone who likes people around me to be happy, saying "no," risking disappointment or inconvenience for others, is something I avoided in my younger years. I'm finally starting to get the hang of it though.
Reading an article about saying no gracefully, I realized how far I've come in making choices that are right for me. Having found a way of life and work that I enjoy has been a catalyst for change. I now consider whether saying "yes" will allow me to hang on to the contented feeling I cherish most days and if the answer is "no," then that's my answer when I'm presented with a choice.
Running my own business, I can say "no" in ways I couldn't when I worked for someone else. I've said "no" to potential clients whose projects didn't suit what I have to offer with my skill set. I've said "no" to extending a contract that didn't work well for my time or my bottom line. And most difficult of all, I've said "no" to unpaid website design work for friends because I realized the time I spend working needs to contribute to my family's financial support right now.
So I'm getting better at setting boundaries that are right for me and saying "no" politely and firmly. If you're working on this important life skill, especially as the pressure of holiday obligations begins to grow, I'd recommend reading the tips in the article I mentioned above.
I hope you’ll find your “no” too when you need it as a busy solopreneur.
I recommend starting your business with a Google Workspace Business account so your business email address includes your domain name. But a personal Google account can be useful for many everyday tasks. In this blog post, I cover how the two types of accounts differ.
After reading an article about self-employment time management, I started keeping a log of how I was spending my time on marketing and educational activities related to my website design business. Now I am much more deliberate about how I spend my time online and I've narrowed down my business-related social media focus to a few platforms.
If you have never had a website or have only created a website on your own without help, this blog post will explain the steps my clients and I take to go from our first talk to a finished website that helps their businesses shine online.
Saying "no" has never been easy for me. As someone who likes people around me to be happy, saying "no," risking disappointment or inconvenience for others, is something I avoided in my younger years. I'm finally starting to get the hang of it though. Here’s to you finding your “no” too!
People have been asking me recently what they need to put on a new website. What pages do they need? What information do they need to include? It occurred to me that a website is like an old-fashioned bakery, like those I've seen in the North End section of Boston or in small European villages.
As I sit here this morning, no longer a motorhome owner, I feel a familiar feeling of being in an in-between time. I can tell you from experience though that when you let go of something that no longer serves you and use the in-between time to relax, dream, and follow your heart, the freedom and spaciousness of that time will allow something better to come into your life.
I read an article about a writer who resorted to renting a cabin in the woods for two days without internet service or a cell phone to reach his goal of writing 40,000 words for his upcoming book. I won't be renting a cabin in the woods anytime soon, but I think I'll take some inspiration from this article to think about unplugging at regular intervals to give myself some quiet time to allow creativity and new ideas room to grow.
A coat rack is a central location in your house where all the coats, hats, and scarves are kept. It's a meeting place for all of that outdoor apparel. A website is like a coat rack that organizes all the marketing apparel for your business: your About Me information, your Services descriptions, testimonials, photo galleries, product pages, blog posts, a contact form, and links to social media accounts. So what are you waiting for? Get that long-postponed website designed and launched. After all, your home (page) is where you hang your hat.
I use social media for my website design business to establish my expertise and promote my business, to get ideas from others in my field or related fields, and to inspire or share information with my potential or current small-business clients. I do my best to post on a few social media channels several times a week. I create original posts and I also share helpful posts from others in my industry. I researched where my potential customers are spending time online and now focus on posting in those locations.
As a confirmed introvert, I've tended to favor online networking strategies rather than in-person networking events. That's why it was a stretch to go to a local Women's Business Networking event last night. Reflecting this morning on the evening, I'm really glad I donned my courage cape and took the chance at trying something new. I'm glad to be back in my den this morning, but if I hadn't popped my head out to check the weather "out there," I would have missed out on learning and networking opportunities that I couldn't have had any other way.
I came across an article about developing a "brand" for your healing business that echoes much of what I think about as I'm helping small businesses plan the design of a new website. Your business "brand" is who you are and what you have to offer as a healer. The colors, images, and text you add reflect what you have to share with clients as you help them on a healing journey.
I've been wanting to start my own business for over 25 years. I am very happy and grateful to be in a new phase of my life to be able to start a website design business: kerryathompson.com.
Kerry A. Thompson
You don’t need a big agency to get your website done. You just need the one right person. I offer Squarespace website design and content development services for creatives, coaches, and healers. Learn more in a free 30-minute consultation.