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It's been a week of strawberries and cream, I can hear the squeals from Wimbledon coming from the living room, and it's pouring down outside. It feels like a typical British summer. I hope wherever you're reading this, you're managing to unfold, unfurl, and enjoy the slightly slower pace of this season. 

Let's start with a confession: the extremely observant among you might notice that I've shared this quote in an email to subscribers before. It's a quote from a big-shot financier, but don't let that put you off; he talks sense, don't you think? 

Stand alone and ask for help. That's a tricky balance. We're told by ‘experts’ online that to run a successful small business, we need to share, take people along with us, fling the doors of our businesses open wide for all to see and, if possible, do that clicky thing on Reels where you change outfits. Collaborate, join in, buy the course, pay the membership fee.  I've said some of this stuff myself, although I'd like to think I'm a circumspect and cynical old wotsit.

I know from my conversations with you that this approach can, at times, feel exhausting. 

On the other hand, bowing our heads and taking the encouragement to ‘stand alone’ literally might be another uncomfortable extreme. It can lead to loneliness, uncertainty, and a feeling of floundering. I can understand why this happens, though. I've been working with two small independent shop owners in June, and both women shared with me that they're so used to working alone, they find it tricky and vulnerable to ask for help. It took them a long time to reach out. Where are you on this scale?

If you're feeling wobbly in your business, I encourage you to go back to basics. Reflect on the roots of your business and what grounds you. It's those things that will steady you when platforms change, customers come and go and our energy levels fluctuate. Understand what makes your business unique. As the French say, cherchez le créneau. As always, I'm here if you fancy a chat about any of this.

• Will you send your future self a letter? I might!
• This made me laugh (the beans!)
• I've had the pleasure of working with Sarah at Fraser & Willow; hear more about her business pivots in the latest episode of Grow with Soul from Kayte Ferris.
• We lived in Puerto Rico and I became addicted to these - prefect for hot, summer days (if we ever get any!)
• I'm re-reading this and reminding myself that ‘E is for Elimination' and this line: ‘Just a few words on time-management. Forget all about it.’

It's a privilege to work with crafters and creatives, especially those who want to carve their own path and work in a way that aligns with their values.  The coaching/ mentoring I offer clients is an individual as they are, and although I rarely share the ins-and-outs of our calls together, I do like to shout about the people I support. So this week, allow me to introduce…

Many small businesses are in a strange place right now - tired, a bit underwhelmed, but also conscious that the busy autumn/ winter is fast approaching! If I can support you through this time, reply to this email to arrange a discovery call, or pop to Firain.com and message me via the contact form. If you're ready to book a 1-hour Sow call, click here. Read testimonials from previous clients here and follow me on Instagram in the meantime. 

I want my services to be accessible; I never charge you more to pay in installments, and returning clients get 10% off future bookings. 

In this section, I share useful, practical tools to use in our small, creative businesses - and I share them in a jargon-free way. Hoorah! Think of this as a communal shed on an allotment where we skillshare and swap best practices. If you'd like me to feature a particular tool, let me know! 

This week: tools to create videos for social media. You probably noticed the fallout caused by the boss of Instagram (a rather unassuming, earnest man called Adam) who reminded users that Instagram is continuing to shift attention to video content.

I asked my Instagram followers how they felt about making videos, and the majority said they welcome the challenge to be creative, but it's extremely time-consuming to make decent content. I hear you!!! I am also a slow-adopter of most things. So, in the spirit of embracing new challenges, I've gathered together apps we might use to create video - I've used some, and others are trusted by clients and Insta buddies.

• InShot  - when I do get round to making videos, I use this app. It's easy to use, pinky promise. It's trusted by The Instagram Queen Helen Perry, too. (I'm going to Helen's free video workshop on Wednesday, are you?)
• VSCO - If you want to create professional-looking images and videos on a budget, this app is fantastic. Don't be put off by its pretentious design!!
• Canva  - a good place to start if you want to fiddle on a laptop/ desktop and get to grips with video-making lingo. I made this reel in Canva and wowed the world ;-)
• VLLO - Korean app, super-stylish and apparently easy to use. Lou @spark_social on Instagram used this app to make her very-first stop motion video and told me it was heaps of fun. Check out @loveday.social for more stop-motion inspiration.
• BeeCut - this is apparently a go-to app for complete beginners, with extremely useful tutorials.

What do you think about the development of Instagram? Whatever your thoughts (and I would love to hear them as I'm writing a blog post on the subject and can include your comments), I urge you to create at your pace and diversify your marketing efforts. Art is not fast food, after all.

PS - in case you missed it, in the last newsletter, I shared resources for basic bookkeeping. You know, just another thing to tackle when running a small business!

This week's new subscribers are Richard, Astrid, Rachael, Aiman, Hayley, Bithiah, Susy, Natalie, Gabi, Elizabeth, Bec, Victoria, Joy and another lovely Hayley - welcome! Why not send this email to a friend (and if a lovely person sent you this email, join the list here!)

Get in touch if you fancy a natter. I'd love to know your thoughts, comments, feedback, and suggestions as I develop Firain. Thank you for your continued support and for allowing me to greet you in your inbox.

I designed this email in Flodesk , which I find much easier to customise than other email providers. Click here for my discount code if you'd like to try it out.

Firain photos by Tom Wright

Firain branding by Somewhere Off Grid