Help friend! I can't remember how to have fun.

Hi First name / friend

Recently, I was driving around the English countryside, enjoying the bucolic sights, with florist Rebecca at Ivy, Pip & Rose. As my best friend, neighbour, self-employed business buddy, and mum to my dog nephew Ted, she sees me up close. And, dear reader, she said something that made me spit out my lunch: she said I need to 'just breathe a bit more.'

Me, breathe more? But I'm obsessed with slow marketing, slow business, taking my time to do less but better… I've been on podcasts telling others how to do this!!! I wear wafty linen and burn candles while I work. So how can I 'breathe' a bit more?

Whether she wanted to discuss it or not, I pressed Rebecca to try to understand what she saw in me and my work that I didn't. It was a wake-up call. Well, she said, she sees lots of weekend working. She sees my long days bashing away at my computer. She sees me being hard on myself when I don't meet my expectations and compare myself to others. Although she also sees me at the beach and chilling in the evening, lately, I'm indeed so tired and frazzled that I've been rushing to finish things and cram yet more in.

Frankly, I have become a little bit of a bore. My words, I hasten to add. Rebecca is far too kind to describe like that to my face.

So, what to do? Well, plans for 2022 include FUN STUFF. The pandemic wiped so many options for exploration and new adventures off the table. I plan to bring some of those back when I can. Do you, too?

There's so much heaviness in the world, but can we make a daily practice of doing our work with a little more lightness, frivolity, joy, and laughter? Let me know if you have any ideas. We can do this together!

On The Radar

It's a bumper list this week! Hopefully you'll find some of these interesting as you relax with a cuppa.

12 Things You Don’t Have To Do To Succeed As A Creator. Which ones do you agree with?
How to set up an online shop - a beginner's guide. For some reason my blog layout looks off with this post, but I hope the download is useful.
My nails love this.
On this weeks McCarthy menu: Roasted Autumn Squash Panzenella. We think we might have a few squashes left at the allotment…must check!
I often quote Tara McMullin. I loved this podcast episode: Debunking The Myth Of Scarce Attention during which she articulates a challenge I feel on Instagram: “When we make work designed to satisfy the demands of the algorithm, we’re rarely making work that satisfies the interests of the people we want to connect with. Just because something gets likes or reach doesn’t mean people are really paying attention.”
A hug in a mug.
Brilliant moss wreath rings from Harriet's Plants - peat-free plants and more and a gorgeous Firain client.
It's better to have people's backs than to give them constant reassurance.

OOO is almost on!

I'll be out of office and away from one-to-one client calls from December 10 until January 16 or so. If you read my whines above, you'll know I'm a little frazzled, and need time to work on the behind-the-scenes of Firain. I will be on Instagram, and actually, I won't have my ooo on at all, so I'll be available by email to chat.

If you'd like to work together before December 10, please consider what I offer by reading more on my website. Feel free to email me to get the ball rollin'. It's an enormous privilege to work with passionate creatives, and I want to say a massive thank you for being here and allowing me to do the work I do!

Shall we work together in January?

Can you believe we are weeks away from the new year? In the spirit of always having something to look forward to, the next ‘Click with your Customers' workshop will be on Tuesday, January 25 at 10am BST. Click here to read more an book your place! I can't wait to see you there.

The Garden Shed

In this section, I share helpful, practical ideas and tools to use in our small, creative businesses - and I share them in a jargon-free way. Hoorah! Please think of this as a communal shed on an allotment where we skillshare and swap best practices for online shopkeepers.

This week: QR codes.

Do you add a QR code to your packaging? It's a growing trend, probably because scanning a code is less faff than typing an email address, its a no-touch option during pandemic times, and an easy, cheap idea for small businesses to try. Add the code wherever you add your website. Here are some ideas:

Create a QR code using a free generator.
Create artwork that includes your company logo and a QR code.
Use this artwork for branded packing tape, stickers and postage labels that you stick on your packages. Your postman might become your top customer!
Add QR codes to your inserts (the stuff you send with your orders). Create a special landing page for returning customers with a special message, a loyalty discount code, a free downloadable or something that fits with your business.
Use them at in-person events to encourage visits to your website, email sign-ups or to click to your social media.
If you have a physcial space, can your QR code link from your advertising to a map so people can find you? Add a decal to your windows to encourage website visits when your shop is closed or window-shoppers want to buy later.
Don't have more that one code displayed at a time! This wil confuse people.

Do you think you might add QR codes to your marketing materials? Let me know!

In case you missed them, previous Firain Mails covered topics including creating brand loyalty, creating video content on your phone, easy bookkeeping tools, and a guide to email marketing for small businesses. If you'd like me to feature a particular tool, let me know!

Welcome to this week's new subscribers - Evie, Liisa, Sara, Sarah, Sophia, Nina, Jennifer, Nessa, Fiona, Bee, Maria, Cathy. Alyson, Valerie and Richard. A big hearty, huggy hello to you.

Why not forward this email to a friend (and if a lovely person sent you this email, join the list here!)

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

Jo at Firain

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Firain photos by Tom Wright

Firain branding by Somewhere Off Grid