That’s the question that stopped me dead in my tracks. What you mean, is my business a hobby? I questioned my business coach.
Get a (Wedding) Business Coach
I think that if you want to get someplace new, sometimes you need a guide. You know, a friendly sherpa that can guide you to your highest peak. Just like I’m here to assist you to have more profitable, more satisfying wedding business, I have a coach who helps me achieve my goals too. And I was less than thrilled when he asked me that question.
It’s about two months away from PositivelyWed.com‘s very first birthday. I launched last August, full of excitement, enthusiasm and with lofty goals. And now it’s time to look back and see just how close I came to hitting the mark. I don’t agree that New Year’s is the only time for taking stock. I think it’s more productive to reflect a few months before the end of the year when you can re-evaluate with enough time to make plans or adjustments to get back on track or to expand your vision for the next year.
Theme for the Week
Appropriately, the theme for this week’s blog posts is: New Beginnings. The wedding season is just kicking into high gear and it’ll be good if you could be thinking, ‘what needs to change?’. Today, I’m taking you on my personal journey with Positively Wed about realizing ‘whose business is it anyway’. Wednesday, we’ll chat about the second most requested communication skill on the survey- setting expectations. (Please take the survey…31+ responses and I can reveal more interesting findings like this one). Friday, I’ll show you how to get a new flood of traffic to your wedding website and raise your exposure and revenues!
Wedding business or hobby?
I’m taking this opportunity to reconfirm for myself and for you that I’m running a wedding business. How can I tell the difference? Honestly, I was confused until my coach poked me about it. I talk like I have a business but I act like I want a hobby. Maybe you’ve done the same.
I based my decisions on what I wanted in the business first. After running a more structured consulting firm for the past 18 years, I really wanted to have a business that reflected my interests, my values, and my needs. Not that I didn’t love my corporate clients like Coca Cola or Bank of Boston, but they liked things their way. I wanted to spend my time doing my passion- teaching people to connect with words and be fearless- my way. Hence, Positively Wed.
Turns out that kind of ‘me centric’ thinking is NOT the best approach to building a profitable, satisfying business. It’s more like the train to unhappy town. I struggled with why wedding planners loved my talks, presentations and teleclasses, but didn’t buy any products. WHHHHHYYYYY??? Didn’t anyone want this vital business guidance? Ah, because it was about me, not you. Imparting my expertise my way only made the business my hobby, not something that met your interests or needs. Or, if I did it was not in the ways you wanted. My bad, I’m so sorry. Are you doing the same to your brides?
The Me Centric Wedding Planner
A good example of this for you, for instance, is a wedding planner who says ‘I wish brides would stop being so DIY and realize that they need help to plan a perfect wedding’. I’ve heard people say that plenty, and I know you must have heard colleagues and other vendors say it, too. Maybe you even said it yourself. Okay let’s take look at that.
If you’re saying that there’s a shared goal- both you and your bride want her to have a perfect wedding- but a disconnect on how to do that. You know an experienced planner is the way to go. But what she’s asking for is help understanding how she can do it herself and cut costs. If you’re running a business, and your have an entrepreneurial mindset (and we’ll talk more about that in a minute), then you realize you have to offer products and services that help the DIY bride initially meet her interests. Then, you can show her she does need professional help.
For instance, you could offer an e-book with valuable information on how to do one particular aspect of the wedding as a DIY,( i.e. placecards) as a small information product. (Why don’t planners offer more info products? They are a great way for brides to ‘sample’ you and a nifty boost to your bottom line.) That way, you meet her needs (give to get), increase your cash flow, and earn the right to talk to her about the parts of her wedding that will be better organized, less expensive with your guidance.
One the other hand, if you’re a hobbyist, you’re stymied and frustrated by the DIY bride. Because she’s not meeting your needs for recognition. It’s kind of like being a kid on the playground and deciding to take your ball and go home when the kids don’t want to play the game you want. Not the best way to run a business. Take a minute to ask yourself these questions to decide whether you have a wedding business or wedding hobby.
- Is your primary purpose to serve your client or make a profit? (hint: it’s profit, otherwise you can’t serve anyone)
- Is your business built to please you or your clients?
- When you come to an obstacle, do you think I can make this work or I wish someone would tell me how to make this work? (making things happen is the entrepreneurial mindset)
Kind of deep, soul-searching stuff, huh? Well, business is emotional. Get used to it. Especially if you want to build a business that lets you deeply connect with your clients and be deeply satisfied with yourself. I’m pretty curious so don’t forget to leave your thoughts about this whole thing in the comments below. Is your business a hobby?
New Beginnings for PW!
The more pondered, the more I realized that Positively Wed, my heart-based practice, was in danger of becoming a hobby. Of course, that makes a dilemma for me because I still deeply believe in ‘Your Business, Your Way Means Happy Everyday! And I certainly want to have as much fun as I can. But ultimately this is my business and it’s for you . So more than ever, I’ll be doing things like BK – have it your way. Asking you what you want to know. What I can help you with. What will make you feel more like an empowered wedding business leader who loves her brides and her business. And, hopefully, you’ll talk back! LOL
Wanna help out? Yippee!! Be my sous chef!
Happy Holiday!
