Celebrating Enterprise Week

Local Enterprise week March 7-11th

This Month all the 31 Local Enterprise Office’s in Ireland celebrate Local Enterprise Week From 7th-11th March.

I am proud of my small business, I run it from my kitchen.

#makingithappen

Check out what is happening at the Clare Local Enterprise office here.

Check out the National events here.

Wherever you live in Ireland, find out what is available from your Local Enterprise Office.

Did you know they offer:

1. Free or subsidised training courses

2. Grant funding to get your business set up online.

3. Free Mentoring service

If you are thinking to yourself why bother? My experience of joining in has helped me …………..

Meet some wonderful likeminded people, it can be lonely when you set up a small business, meeting other people who are doing it too can really help.

Develop my knowledge, you have to develop many new skills to run a business, the LEO offer a wide range of courses.

Grow your confidence, it can take a while to establish your confidence when you start up as a small business, finding a mentor can really help you to talk through your plans and have another perspective as well as benefit from your mentors’ experience.

If you are not taking full advantage of the often free or heavily subsidised supports, I cannot recommend you highly enough to start now.

WHY YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS?

When you set up or run a small business, you are so busy getting through each day that you seldom stop to think why your small business matters.

It can take a while for your confidence to develop and to feel that you should be taken seriously as an entrepreneur.

There is a very good reason the government offer support via the Local Enterprise Offices in Ireland.

“Micro businesses play an important role in the Irish economy in terms of stimulating innovation, employment & growth. In Ireland, micro-businesses, with 1-9 employees, comprise over 90 per cent of all businesses.”

Every small business matters, remember to BE PROUD OF YOURS.

8 SIMPLE DIGITAL TRENDS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS 2022

#thenonscarytechylady’s Guide to digital trends for small business owners 2022.

Practical trends that will help you to understand how to develop your digital media as a small business owner in 2022.

Having rebranded as YOUR SIMPLE DIGITAL last year and recognising the increasing confusion felt by my clients around the constant changes in the digital world, I am delighted to see the emphasis in digital communication on authenticity, reality and above all SIMPLICITY!

THE NON-SCARY TRENDS

1.Simplicity:

At last!!!! The message has finally dropped, in a busy busy overcrowded space there is finally a need for clarity and simplicity when you create content to go online. The digital creators have remembered that it’s the general public they are communicating with, not other digital creators! Keep your posts and content exactly the same as you would in the real world and remember your content will be more effective if you stay consistent and keep it simple.

2.Natural unfiltered life:

Another refreshing breakthrough, put simply you can show up just as you would normally, no fancy filters required. It appears the super slick and glossy Instagram world is fading in favour of reality. How you normally present yourself is fine. Obviously you need to pick the spinach out of your teeth, brush your hair and put your best self forward, but keep it real.

3.Influencers:

If you are struggling with the idea that an influencer is not a proper job, think again. Influencers are here to stay and should be taken seriously. Try to become aware of who the “influencers” are in your industry. Look at what they do online and connect with them.

For business community watch out for linkedinfuensers.

4.Mental health: Diversity: Inclusion: Sustainability: Equality: Gender neutrality: Accessibility:

The online world although largely unregulated is turning far more PC. If any of these topics are important to your small business, don’t forget to illustrate your ethics. Make sure you include story’s, posts , blogs or video that explain your values as a small business. If you run a coffee shop near a beach and you organise regular beach cleans don’t forget to say so.

THE SLIGHTLY SCARY TRENDS

5.Tik Tok:

No longer just a bit of fun for showing off your dance moves. All the big brands are using it and we are beginning to see it used in very creative ways by business owners. If you are not ready to try Tik Tok have a look at the Discover section to see how it is being used and maybe set up a page for your business in the future….It’s not going away!

6. Linkedin:

This is a great opportunity for small business owners because it is comparatively easier to be seen or found on Linkedin. Set up as a business community and used for recruitment or developing your business connections, it has developed a much wider approach now. Whatever business you are in, no matter how big or small Linkedin is another way you can illustrate your knowledge experience product or service.

THE VERY SCARY TRENDS

7.Video and Voice:

Don’t panick! You will have to include video and you will have to learn how to speak online at some point. There is no question this is how the digital world is developing. Just when you are getting confident writing and taking pictures the goal posts shift. It is perfectly natural for most people to freeze in front of a video camera, and to feel uncomfortable talking when you are not used to it.

8.The Metaverse

Facebook has rebranded as “META” and the big boys in Silcone Valley are taking over, the digital revolution is accelerating at speed. The “Metaverse” is a new name to describe the way digital will impact our lives in the future. Simply put the way we interact, and work has changed forever. The technological advances enabled by the digital age will affect everyone. For most small businesses this is futuristic and its not time to worry about yet, just be aware the changes will be coming.

If this list was helpful please share it , and if you are concerned about what do do next online, you can contact #thenonscarytechylady here.

Contact Me

10 Reasons we ALL avoid Digital Marketing. ( me included!)

1. It’s complicated!

2. It keeps changing.

3. We feel self-conscious putting ourselves “out there”

4. Thinking everyone else is doing it better than you are.

5. There is always something more pressing (and that we are more comfortable doing!)

6. It is easy to get stuck, simply because you miss one tiny little step.

7. You sit in front of your laptop or with your phone and your mind goes completely blank.

8. You have no prior experience of copywriting, design, content creation, photography, video making or broadcasting and are suddenly expected to master each of these skills!

9. You are too embarrassed to ask for help.

10. Techy people can be scary!

If any or all these ring true for you and all you really want is someone who will look at exactly what stage you are at, explain what you can do next and show you how to do it on your own preferred equipment, then give me a call.

I specialise in working with clients who have little or no digital skills and find it very confusing to get started and then keep going. I enjoy working with small business owners who are great at what they do but are intimidated by the digital world.

For €50 I offer individual 2hour sessions to help you develop your skills, your confidence, and your business presence online. Book your session here.

BOOK NOW

#thenonscarytechylady. 0852509546.