Happy weekend! I hope your June is unfolding as it should - sticky from lollies and sun lotion, and sniffly from hayfever, perhaps.
Our local area, Criccieth, is glorious at this time of year; it's a time for ramblin' and barbequin' and paddles in the sea. There is an old but sweet guide to the best beaches in North Wales on the Firain Journal that you might like to read if you are visiting these parts.
Much of our time these days is spent faffing at our allotment. You might know that I love gardening metaphors, and I love in italics and bold Monty Don.
Last week, Monty said it's an excellent time to 'pot on' our more advanced plants into slightly bigger pots. We don't want them to be 'pot-bound,' you see. The roots need a little more space to spread out, the right nutritious conditions to thrive. And of course, I as I listened at Monty, I started thinking about how to pot on in our creative businesses.
If you know me even a little, you'll see that I promote working at your pace, your rhythm. Be inspired by and learn from others, sure, but enjoy the process of nurturing your own business in a sustainable-to-you way. At times, and to develop our businesses, that will mean shaking off the soil, pulling off the dead bits, and looking for a bigger pot.
You might want to pot on to work more effectively, to increase your income, or to feel more established. Potting on might look like this in your business:
- You describe your business as ‘little’, a 'hobby' or ‘side-hustle’ and you want to talk about it differently.
- You use marketing channels like Instagram and email marketing, and you're now ready to add more into the mix. (I'll be working on this over the summer months!)
- You do all your design work yourself, but your brand assets need an upgrade/ refresh with a professional touch or you want to improve your photography.
- You want to learn from a wider range of people in business (Realwork and Counsel Meeting are two communities I enjoy).
- You're a bottleneck in your business. Outsourcing (or taking on an employee) is the next step to growth. You like the idea of having a colleague and a broader perspective in the business. (This podcast from Steph at Innovate & Thrive will help you think about scaling in a sustainable way).
- You sell on Etsy or another marketplace, but it might be the right time to set up a website of you own, too.
If you're not sure what the next steps might be, or if now is even the right time to pot on, think about how it might feel to carry on precisely as you are in your business, doing what you're doing now. Focus on the reasons for potting on. Think in terms of impact.
Remember that the next size pot is only slightly bigger; moving too quickly to a pot that's too big will possibly damage the roots of your business.
Let me know if you're planning to pot on any time soon. I'd love to learn more about what that looks like for you.
