Hello lovely reader,

There are lots of business things I'm "supposed" to do (according to every 'how to grow a business' article) that I actively don't. Not now, anyway.

But the first couple of years of self-employment were a different story.

Insecure about forging my own path and of the (misguided) belief that replicating other people's success was the key to my success, I set about implementing all the advice the gurus were espousing:

• I didn't put prices on my website (prospects had to get on a sales call with me to find that out)
• I decided I needed to do discovery calls (aka those aforementioned sales calls) to convert clients
• I made an online course
• I created a gazillion lead magnets
• I set up an email nurture sequence
• & so on & so forth

Today, 4 years into running my business, almost everything is different.

The biggest change of all is that I'm more confident. Not every day, all the time, but so much more compared to 2020 Bella.

Now I can proudly share 5 things I'm probably supposed to do/have in my business, that I'm not/don't. And I'm more than okay with that.*

My hope with sharing these is that it gives you permission to run a business on your terms. A business that makes you a living, keeps you (mostly) fulfilled, but which doesn't necessarily look like everyone else's version of business with a capital B.

So here they are, in no particular order:

I'm supposed to have a five-year plan

If you've read any of my earlier emails, you know how I feel about goal-setting. In a nutshell: I don't like it. I prefer making habits.

So it may come as no surprise to hear that I don't have a 5-year plan. I don't even really have a 6-month plan (should I be admitting this)?

I have things I would like to do this year. For example, successfully launch and start growing my Google ads management offering. To make that happen, I have time carved out in my diary every week to work on this particular aspect of my business.

But as for where I want to be in 3, 6, 18 months? I'm not exactly sure.

I'm supposed to have a growing social media following

My Instagram account is growing, but slowly. My newsletter subscribers are growing faster and more consistently (still, they're in the hundreds, not thousands).

Now, having tens of thousands of followers/subscribers does not equal fortune. I've worked with enough businesses and am friends with enough influencers (big and small) thanks to my OG Instagram account (@thedoorsofldn) to know that truly, a small and highly engaged audience can be far more profitable (and satisfying) than a 5- or 6-figure following.

But still, I feel that I should probably care more about social media growth than I do.

I'm supposed to have an office or co-working space

I'm hugely fortunate to live in a flat big enough for both my husband and I to work from each day.

And had c*vid not happened and subsequently, a huge shift in the way we all think about remote working, I probably would've worried more about the fact that I WFH every single day than I do.

I know the benefits of changing my (work) scenery and from time to time I go to a cafe to do just that. But most of the time, I make a big hot water bottle and set to work in our spare bedroom and think of the money I'm saving.

I'm supposed to have a client management system

One of my best business buddies, the amazing copywriter Emma Griffin, is a huge proponent of the CMS, Dubsado.

It saves her so much time and sanity. Her and all the other squillions of people who swear by this software. I know I should use it. I know I would wonder how the hell I survived without it for so long and yet... so far, I still haven't bitten the bullet.

For now, I'm still using old-fashioned email/Typeform to qualify and follow up with clients, and so far... so good.

I'm supposed to want to grow a team and make multiple six-figures

All of these things are worthy and wonderful (who doesn't want lots and lots of profit) but right now, I'm really happy being a one-woman band that has a VA and hires ad-hoc support when I need it.

This choice does mean my earning potential is limited (there's only so much one human can do in a day, even with ChatGPT!) but that's okay. I'm fully in control of my business. I don't have anyone else's job satisfaction to worry about except my own. I have close relationships with my clients and the flexibility to balance passion projects with paid work.

If I wanted to take my business to the next level, that would have to change. At least while systems and processes were put in place, SOPs written, new people onboarded, etc. And right now, I don't want that. Maybe one day, but not now.

👋Question for you!

What's something you're "supposed" to be doing in your business or life that you're not?

Hit reply and let me know.

Let's celebrate our gentle rebellion together! 🤗

Until next week,

Bella

👋 Say hi on ​Instagram!​​

🚀 Book a strategy session with me!

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💌 If you missed last week's newsletter about how to make your LinkedIn profile a million times better, check it out here!

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*If you do/have/use any of these 5 things, I am not telling you to stop. Nor am I encouraging anyone to disregard the strategies I implemented before (like email nurture sequences or making an online course). This is just a gentle reminder that you don’t have to do everything that everyone else (specifically your competitors) are doing to be successful. You can do things your way!