Hi First name / friend Recently, I had a catch-up Zoom session with the (incredible) alumni from my beta email marketing course, and we talked about the impact of our work on others—the ripples we make. When sales are slow, or we don't have clients waiting in the wings, we might question the viability of what we do. Clients have, with bowed heads, shared that they feel uncomfortable promoting their 'frivolous' work when the global stage is so chaotic, so sad. But thinking about the effect we can have on others can motivate us to continue when times are tough. One of my clients told me that a customer recently emailed images of her sketchbook. It was a spontaneous sharing of creativity with no particular motive. My client's ripple effect on others is that she encourages and 'holds space for' creative conversations. It might seem utterly frivolous, but it isn't. Textile artist Jayne Emerson describes the process of creating a container for others to develop creatively in her beautiful video, Fabric Recipes. I joined Helen Perry's online co-working session two weeks ago, and Helen unexpectedly shared Firain Mail with the group. The ripple effect was that I had many new subscribers and brilliant, thought-provoking conversations with new online pals. Hi to you guys! It can feel uncomfortable to pause and acknowledge that we do - in fact - impact others when we throw pebbles out into the universe. If you can, take a moment to think about your work and its effect on others. It might even help you to keep going, head to the wind. Tell me about the ripple effects you have on others if you get the chance. |
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I take the DIY approach with my website* and for me and my simple business, Squarespace is my preferred platform. I decided (in a moment of uncharacteristic ambition) to create a new site using Squarespace 7.1. It's about 75% ‘done,’ I reckon (with lots of blog posts still to add). Let me know what you think if you get the chance to browse it, and scroll below to see some highlights. |
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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. In the spirit of spring cleaning and getting organised, let's focus on online project management tools. Ditch the scraps of paper and chewed biros and take control of your tasks! Of course, you can use these tools as a solo business owner, but they are handy if you work alongside other people (or outsource any tasks). There are so many tools available, each with different USPs, and it's helpful to ask if using them saves you time and creates efficiency! Here are my favourites: - Asana - free for solo users; create tasks and sprint campaigns for yourself and your team. The design is fresh, clean, and clutter-free.
- Evernote - I organise my notes with this app. It's brilliant for storing ideas and images for blog posts, newsletters, and social media posts. It's a place for online brain dumping.
- Notion - I find this an easy-to-use collaboration tool. It looks classy, and I like the draft pages like blog posts to test ideas before publishing.
- Trello - If you prefer colour and customisation over simplicity, you'll love Trello. Create boards, tasks, and deadlines and share them easily with others.
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Welcome to this week's new subscribers - Angela, Makenzie, two Jo's, Angharad, Pam, Xeni, Roberta, Suzy, Hilda, Ruth, Scarlet, Katya, Terry, Mrs V, Alice, Sara, two Steph's, Natasha, Heather, Janine, Penny, Rachael and Rachel, Julie, Chris, Lucie, Becs, Manfreda, Dawn, Laura, Charlotte, Siobhan, Olivia, Bex and Rhiannon . A big hearty, huggy hello to you. I'd love to know your thoughts, comments, feedback, and suggestions as I develop Firain - a place where I support creatives to plan, open and grow online shops. Get in touch if you fancy a natter and to work together one-to-one. I have limited space in April for new clients. Thank you for your continued support and for allowing me to greet you in your inbox. |
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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. If you'd like to support my micro business by treating me to a virtual coffee, click here (and thank you!) |
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