How Your Small Business Can Evolve Over Time
When I first started Your AJency, I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted to set out to achieve.
My “Why” has never faltered in the four years since launching.
I am still on a mission to get female business owners the visibility they deserve.
But, the “How” of my business has definitely evolved and how I am helping female entrepreneurs and female business owners connect, show up and grow their businesses has never been more exciting!
So as Your AJency officially celebrates its 4th birthday, I’ve been reflecting on how the business has changed and some of the highlights over the years that have helped shape my own services, and the ways that your small business can evolve too. Whatever point you are at in your business journey, there is always something that you can share or learn - here’s what I’ve learned over the last four years.
How I Got My First Client for Your AJency
Many of you will now know that I made the decision to start a business whilst living abroad. (If you don’t, you can read more about the reasons why here). But when it came to working with my first client, I knew I wanted to add as much value as possible. At the time I was only “officially” offering social media management on my service package, but very quickly my offer changed as I helped Wildwood Photography Studio to build an entirely new revenue stream - events. We held a styled shoot to get Sarah and her studio noticed and this kicked off the start of an exciting new venture for her. Shortly after, we even launched a “Dinner at Wildwood” - no mean feat given we were in the height of the pandemic!
Not long after my first client, I also helped rebrand and relaunch Suvarna - a wellness boutique in Chicago. Here, I got to use my retail background in a way I hadn’t even considered when first launching Your AJency!
What I learned from my first client was that I, as many female business owners, had undervalued myself and the skillsets that I have. I was capable of so much more than my original concept, and through working with a mentor, I was able to grow my services and make a hugely positive impact on the clients I then worked with.
I still know that many of the women that I work with have this same trait - undervaluing themselves - whether they are just starting a business or even if they have been running their women-owned businesses for years! Part of running a business is about betting on yourself and having the confidence to put yourself out there. Have a read of some of my top tips for improving your brand’s visibility here.
How I Helped a Client Go Viral
We’ve all seen the videos or hacks on Instagram - 3 steps to go viral or how to make $$$ in 7 days. Honestly, these videos can be so frustrating and make it seem like easy work whereas in actual fact, there is often months of strategy behind these moments.
My client, Tanja Pleis Photography, is the perfect example of this. Helping her with a mini rebrand, Tanja pivoted her business to focus on female empowerment photography and launched her “She is…” campaign. As part of this, her Reels strategy for Instagram included posting about how to pose for a photo shoot as experience had shown her that a lot of women struggle to know how to stand in front of the camera. One of Tanja’s reels went viral with over 2 million views, and her audience also grew from 800 to 42,000. This huge social media growth meant that Tanja was able to stop using paid ads to fill her campaigns, and just this summer she has launched in the UK, recently photographing Julie Kent MBE alongside some other amazing, strong women.
What I learned about going viral is that whilst it skyrockets your numbers, (and that can be super helpful!) maintaining an engaged audience will always be the best thing if you’re looking to grow your business, not just your follower count.
How I Launched My Business in the UK
Your AJency started in Chicago, but just 18 months later, we realised that we would be moving back to the UK. With the excitement of moving “home” also came the trepidation of how I would be able to transfer my successful business back to the UK as well.
I threw myself into building as many connections as possible, and I also invested in myself by working with Fiona Minnett from Boss Your PR. PR strategy in hand, I landed a couple of amazing speaking events to boost the UK profile of Your AJency. I spoke at Top Drawer in London, and at a Mastercard event in Manchester. This is one the things that led me to an amazing community of female business owners in Manchester! These female founders wanted to get visible too, and with their feedback, I launched the Visibility Challenge which has now helped over 60 women get their businesses noticed!
Naturally, I was worried about what moving countries meant for my business but I can honestly say that it has taken my business in a whole new direction whilst maintaining the same goal and purpose of helping female founders get their brands seen. Sometimes things in life happen outside of our control, and often we have to manage all aspects of our home lives too - with kids, partners, house moves and more! Prioritising and investing in myself was definitely what helped me take Your AJency to the next level!
How I Networked and Created a Community of Experts
In the last year, my most successful year of business, one of the things that made the most difference was the people I surrounded myself with and the amount of networking, online and in-person that I went to. Scheduling regular coworking days and attending things like the Passion and Purpose Club meant that I was able to meet and develop relationships with other incredible female founders and this in turn has helped me grow my business. Here are some of the best networking and coworking events for female business owners in Manchester.
I always talk about how word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to get leads (and why getting testimonials and reviews can be so important!!), but this was never clearer then last year when I got two brand new clients in a brand new market in Nashville - purely thanks to a referral. Along with other experts, I’ve delivered 2 big full-service projects with full rebrands, websites, as well as ongoing retainers in Nashville and I can’t wait to see where these two incredible clients take their businesses!
Working alongside other incredible experts like Abi from Tailor-Made Social, Tash and her team at Culpepper & Co, Danni from Creative Copy Co, as well as other SEO and photography experts has meant that I can now offer a full end-to-end agency service for clients who need and want it. This is something that was on my vision board just three years ago, and now here I am, making it a reality.
I am so excited to see what year 5 has in store for Your AJency! It is going to start with a bang - with a new website, new services, and a whole lot more visibility for female founders and their businesses! I have never been clearer on how I can help female business owners get the results they deserve!
Don’t miss out! If you want to be the first to hear about how Your AJency can help you this year, make sure you’re signed up to our Pep Talk - a weekly espresso-sized dose of business advice, tips and insights, as well as exclusive offers!
