What Worked & What Didn't in our Small Business in 2019
Hey friends, Alex here!
I was chatting with Elizabeth a couple of weeks ago during our 2020 planning and we were reflecting on 2019. We were thinking about all the things in our business that served us and the things that did not. It was a huge year of growth, HeiPro more than doubled in revenue, but that didn’t come with its challenges, its ups, and downs.
I wanted to lay out some things that worked and didn’t for our business and personal workflows and you can take it for what it’s worth. Some of this may be relatable, some you may disagree with, and some insights you may just learn something. Overall, it’s important to know that these were the results of 2019 and I may try the same things again at a future time and they may work differently then.
So without further ado…
what worked and what didn’t work in 2019
Here’s what didn’t work in 2019:
Taking only a week for my “maternity leave”.
In February last year, sweet Ella was born. I took one week completely off of work. At the time, I thought, “I don’t need to take that much time, she’s a newborn and all she does is sleep. Either I go back to work and actually take care of clients, or I sit on the couch and watch Netflix.” Well, this is true, and looking back I did have my highest revenue month in March. However, now that she is one, there is a little bit of regret. I wish I would have spent the time to savor those little moments with her, and let my mind and body rest.
Implementing systems that didn’t fit my life.
At the beginning of last year, I spent a good chunk of money on hiring someone to help me with some systems and project management processes. One of the recommendations was time blocking my calendar. Where I literally chunked out the times on my calendar each day of the week for certain activities in my business. While this works for so many people and can be so effective, it just wasn’t effective for me. The season of life I was in it just wasn’t a good fit. Having a newborn at home with me while I worked gave me no orderly routine. Every day was different and to expect that each week would be the same just didn’t work for me.
Complicated project management tools.
Speaking of systems and processes, there is something to be said about overdoing a workflow and process. One thing I learned in 2019 is that sometimes the more simple, the better. We went through 3 different project management tools (Asana, Notion, and ClickUp) and guess what! They all worked great, but they didn’t work for us! We’re back to using a simple Google Spreadsheet to not overcomplicate the work. We found that the project management tools themselves were taking too much time to keep up with and ultimately determined that we couldn’t expect our contractors to use a separate tool for us when they have their own working systems.
Not taking a vacation.
I mean, we all deserve a vacation, right? I got a little burnt out and could have used a true vacation to recharge.
Scheduling whole days off of work.
At the beginning of 2019, I blocked one day off per month and called it a “Self Care Day Off”. While in theory, this sounds amazing, it didn’t work. I ignored every. single. one. of my days off scheduled and worked anyway. Again, it is just the season of life that I’m in and the reality of having a full day off once per month just didn’t work for me. Instead, I found that I was better off to give myself more grace throughout the week when Ella wasn’t napping or when Chase was home from daycare because he was sick.
What did work in 2019:
Over 80 Coffee dates and consultations.
Being intentional with reach outs and building connections and relationships in my community really helped HeiPro double in revenue. I did some quick counts on my calendar and some math to estimate that I had over 80 meetings with people and potential clients, and these connections either became clients or referred me to someone who did. Ultimately it’s networking, but I hate calling these types of meetings networking. I want to build actual friendships and relationships with these people and be more of a resource to them than just for their digital marketing needs.
Making introductions.
One of my “secret” weapons is being intentional to make introductions to people who I think would mutually benefit from each other. I think it’s a way for someone to become more appreciative of their relationship with you. It is fun to watch relationships blossom from the introductions I’ve made, and watch each individual benefit in their life and business from making those connections. One introduction I made in 2019 was life changing for both parties, as Deb was able to take the next leap of faith in her business by offering Andrea a job!
Using a scheduling tool - Acuity!
I use Acuity Scheduling for booking all of my meetings and it has been a GAME CHANGER. In Acuity, I’ve been able to set up my ideal schedule by blocking my calendar for dedicated meeting days. When I send someone a link to book on my calendar, they’re only able to see and schedule times that I’ve intentionally earmarked for meeting days and it allows me to keep the other days free for working on the business!
Hiring a dedicated virtual assistant.
In 2019 I hired a dedicated virtual assistant for HeiPro and she specifically helps with project management. She’s been more than great, she has helped us streamline, stay on track, and elevate our client experience. Gone are the days where I feel like I have to be managing every little thing in my business, my VA has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. If you haven’t taken the leap to hire someone to help you, this is my invitation to take that step so that you can not only do more of the things you love but also scale your business.
Bringing on Elizabeth as a Partner of HeiPro Digital.
The best for last! As solo entrepreneurs we often think that we have to do everything alone. I found that when I started outsourcing, hiring help, and collaborating my business scaled. In my other business, The Nest Cowork + Club (small plug 😉) my partner and I made the decision to bring on two other partners to help move us forward. It was the best decision and it got me thinking, “Why not bring on Elizabeth to HeiPro’s leadership?”. I had the initial thought before she even considered it, and I think shuttered at the thought at first. After a few more months of discussion, it was a no-brainer. Why were we trying to build our (very similar) businesses separately when we could combine forces and scale exponentially. Letting go of all control freed me mentally, and allowed me to relax knowing I have her by my side. Perhaps I will write a blog post in a few months just about this topic, because there is a lot I could say about making this decision, but it’s definitely been the best “what worked” thing in 2019 by a landslide.
I want to know, what are your thoughts? Am I crazy? What things worked and didn’t work for you in 2019? Share in the comments below!