So as we’ve just got past the end of the last financial tax year, I took some time to take down my whiteboard and add up my turnover and profit and was really surprised to see that I had actually doubled my profit from the year before!
Whoop! But then that led me to do some soul searching about what it was that actually made this seismic change. One, so I could learn from what I’ve obviously been doing well, and also so I could share that learning with you!
So here are the 4 things I did last year that doubled my income:
1 - I met the right people
Now here’s the thing with meeting the right people. You don’t necessarily know they are the right people at the time! But, what I do know is there are two particular people last year that helped increase my income and my brand awareness.
I had no idea at the time that these people would help me in this way. I was just interested in them and what they did, without any Machiavellian desire to get anything out of them.
It helped when I met these people, that they knew other people who could vouch for me. Visibility is important, as is always striving to be the best you can be. Being a positive powerhouse and asking, ‘how can I help you?’ goes a long way.
I was open to possibilities, went to events I wasn’t even that sure about, but I had space in my diary, so I thought, what the heck. I got over my insecurities and spoke to people.
So if there is an event coming up, you have space in your diary and you’re on the fence about going, my advice would be to go. You literally never know who you are going to meet, and where that chance meeting will lead.
2 - I put my prices up and I put them on my website
Now, this may seem like an obvious answer to the question of how do I make more money. But so many people resist putting their prices up, including me. I’ve often put my prices up, and then a day later had a panic attack and thought, I can’t charge that and put them down again.
So here’s my advice to you for putting your prices up.
Our money mindset is like a muscle. You can’t go and pick up massive weights unless you’ve started with the smaller weights and worked your way up. Bump your prices up to a point where you feel uncomfortable and everyone will see you are uncomfortable and find it difficult to trust that you are worth what you say you are!
So here’s a way to life those smaller weights, to get to the big weights. Start with a price you feel comfortable with. And then every time you sell your services at that price 5 or 10 times, put your prices up 10%.
You’ll slowly raise your prices, you’ll feel confident about what you’re charging and it won’t feel like a massive leap.
I also put my prices on my website. Now, this is a question I get asked in coaching sessions a lot, ‘should I put my prices on my website?’ (if you’re selling physical products, then it’s a no-brainer, we’re talking about services here, generally where you are selling yourself!)
The resounding answer is yes. Tell the world what you are worth. Don’t hide from the money. It’s so much more trustworthy and honest to put your prices on your website.
And your customers will love it. I have had periods if testing with this. And honestly, I make more sales when I am upfront with money.
Customers love it and from a manifesting money point of view, the universe loves it.
And that takes me onto point number 3
3 - I got really good at manifesting
I am now a great believer in manifesting the shizzle out of everything.
You might have read previous blog posts where I manifested diamonds rings and all sorts of things (bad as well, getting cancer wasn’t my strongest moment!).
I set an intention to earn a certain amount every month. And I wrote that figure in a little book in my bedside table every night. I earn X every month. And you know what? I earned that every month plus an additional £500!
I also wrote down how many clients I wanted each month – and guess what they appeared too!
I also manifested my house. There is a picture on my vision board that looks very like the house I brought, and my house is filled with light (and sunlight on a sunny day) just like I wrote down, and I got the office shed I wanted.
When I felt miserable and felt small in comparison to my contemporaries I closed down social media and got the hell out. I said no to feeling bad and yes to feeling good.
I decided how I wanted to feel about things.
But I didn’t just wish for all this amazingness I also created actions to get me there, which leads me onto my fourth point.
4 - I took concrete actions
Manifesting on its own is not enough. You need to do things to take your business in the direction you want it to go. You need action.
I got really clear on what I wanted to achieve in the year, broke these tasks down and acted on them.
That is not to say there aren’t things on that list I didn’t end up doing (but you know what, I’ve just added them to do this year!)
I worked with a coach who challenged me and made me take jumps and risks I’d been hovering on the edge of making for years.
I got intentional with my marketing and the places I wanted to be seen in.
And, yes I did work hard! Which meant there were some things I had to say no to, to get me in the direction I wanted to go in. I also made sure I had every weekend off to relax (baring a couple, everyone has to be a little flexible!).
So, as you’re looking back over the past year and into the rest of 2019 and the start of 2020, where do you want to be in a years time? How can you get intentional about what you want, and also work out what actions you need to take to get there?
Do you need to learn a new skill, get better at time management or work with a coach? To grow your business there generally needs to be some investment from you, either in time or money or both. Get intentional, want to double your income, what do you need to do?
Big questions! But now is the perfect time to tackle them. You control your business and where it is going, no-one else!
Much love to you,
Here's to those dreams coming true!
p.s.
Here’s a little bit of my whiteboard magic!
Now if you’ve not heard of my magic whiteboard before, then please read on and then rush out and go and buy yourself one from The Range, or somewhere else equally salubrious!
So I split my whiteboard into 12 spaces, one for each month. And in each month’s square, I quickly tally up using my business bank account what has come into my business each month, what has come out and what is left. I then write these 3 figures in the blank square.
This gives you an overview of how you’re doing with your business. It stops you hiding from your money, and you get to see how healthy (or not healthy) your business is every day. If your business isn’t so healthy, you don’t want to hide from that. And if it’s working well, then it’s going to help you manifest more as you start to feel more abundant.
Either way, as a business owner and entrepreneur you need to know your figures!
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