4 Brilliant Small Business Concepts From The Artful Business Conference

It’s now a fortnight since I attended the Artful Business Conference in Melbourne.

Wowee time goes fast when you’re having fun!

Let me say the conference was fabulous. I learned a lot, was reminded of amazing ideas, met super inspiring people, met online friends ‘for real’, picked up new clients and truly had a ball. Was it a great investment of time and money? Absolutely. I’ve reserved my ticket for next year already!

For anyone who wasn’t able to attend or those who did and want a refresh, I thought I’d share some of my takeaways from #ArtfulBizCon. Hope they inspire some ‘aha’ moments for you too.

If you’d love access to all the conference sessions it’s not too late. Invest in yourself and your business here.

Things that make me weird also make me shine. Remember you are someone’s 10/10. – Karen Gunton

Ever feel a little ‘wrong’ like you just don’t belong? Are you comparing yourself to other people in your field thinking ‘I’ll never be like them’? Wishing you could be the same?

STOP. Stop right now.

Who wants to be the cookie cutter copy of someone else? Sure, you might like the results they are getting but exactly the same as them? Hell no. That’s just your niggling inner critic knocking your confidence.

Karen’s words reminded me why being my weird self is exactly who I need to be.

Yes, I might be a client attracting and list building pro that loves rearing calves and getting out on the farm. Yes, that might seem an odd combo. But farming is also where I started developing selling skills. Farming is where I get the fresh air that enables my brain to come up with creative ideas for my clients.

Client attraction, list building and farming are passions for life. They might make me weird but the outcomes also make me someone’s 10/10. In fact, it makes me 10/10 for everyone on my mailing and client lists.

Who loves your weird self? What makes you 10/10? Embrace it.

Write a list of 100 marketing strategies you would try if money were no object. – Julia Bickerstaff

Does this sound a little crazy? A little too much like darn hard work?

It should. If you’ve ever wanted to succeed in business you’ll know it requires thinking outside the box. It requires being different and prepared to lose face. The purpose of this exercise is to drag your thinking well out of the realms of your usual ideas and force you to get creative.

Write your list. Don’t edit anything as you brainstorm. Nothing is too nuts.

Step away and take a break.

Once you’re ready come back to the list and consider each idea. How could you make each workable for your business?

Don’t rule anything out based on cost or lack of resources. Work out how you could apply the idea to your business using what you already have. It might end up smaller scale but at least you’ll try something new. It could be just the breakthrough your business needs.

Set 100 day goals. – Julia Bickerstaff

Jerry Seinfeld developed the concept of ‘don’t break the chain’; getting a calendar and putting a cross through each day you complete a set goal. The idea being that once you’ve started committing to and developing a habit, you’ll have a visual reminder to keep going.

Julia has taking this idea further with her #100daygoal concept. Basically you start by identifying:

• A minimum goal
• A great goal
• A mind-blowingly amazing goal (yes we are calling it that)

Get a new notebook and write your mind-blowingly amazing goal on the front. Now every day for the 100 journal what action you took to move yourself towards your goal.

Julia says she has never missed a goal since implementing this practice and that sounds pretty good to me. What is your 100 day goal?

Build the business you want, not the business you think you should. – Jess Van Den

Perhaps the hardest thing when building a business is knowing and sticking to exactly what you want to create; not what you ‘should’ do.

Building a business truly can feel like an adventure into the great unknown. As a result, we often look to other people for guidance on what ‘should’ be and what we ‘should’ do. There is nothing wrong with seeking help, especially from people who have already achieved what you would like to

BUT…

only you can build the business YOU want and sometimes that means doing things your way. Sometimes that means breaking the ‘should’ rules and that’s ok. If you aren’t prepared to fight for the business you want whether that be:

• Only working 10 hours a week
• Sitting on a beach with the majority of your business automated
• All work done in house or completely outsourced

you are going to get to the point of resenting your business and how it is controlling your life. Translated, you’ll create a job you hate.

Stick to your guns and create your dream business (by your definition).

Clarity And Action

Each of these takeaways demonstrates the importance of clarity and action. If you’re seeking to grow your business and income you should definitely work out how they apply to you (after all the women sharing all have six-figure and multiple six-figure businesses i.e. they know their stuff!)

Want more inspiration from the Artful Business Conference? Pick up the recording for every session before they disappear.