All That Glitters ...
I don't doubt that I'll get some backlash for this, but I'll take the chance. You see, I'm so tired of seeing adverts for 'business coaches' who all say the same thing.
They've had a hard life, overcome adversity, and they're suddenly qualified to steer businesses in the right direction .. as long as you can part with literally hundreds of pounds for the next big program they're releasing.
See, that's what gets me. If they understood adversity, if they actually 'got' that the owners of tiny businesses need help, then why hike the prices up.
Stories sell, and there's a whole raft of people out there who have been advised to bare their souls to make them relatable to people. They show up all over social media, barefoot on beaches showing how they've turned their lives around, suited up in a modern office, breezing through life and parenting without so much as a chipped nail.
They are pedalling hope and answers that aren't guaranteed, so that when these amazing programs don't work, then the blame falls back to the business owner, left feeling even more knocked and less confident than ever. Drowning in imposter syndrome and wondering what next.
Am I being hypocritical?
No. I give far more value than I should most of the time, I charge less than most competitors, and I haven't put my fees up since I started out, and won't be doing any time soon.
Many would say - and have said - that I'm the fool, that I'm underselling myself. That I give away too much, that I should charge more. That 'bigger' businesses won't take me seriously because I charge so little.
That's fine with me, they're not the ones I choose to work with.
I'm in this business to actually help people.
I am results driven and everything I do is tested out on my own business before I give the advice to others - so I KNOW these things work.
I have found the best, easiest and most economic ways of doing things, and if I can share that then I will.
If I can connect business owners with others that can help them, then I do.
My business is centered around helping small businesses to grow and succeed, to help startups and those struggling, to fill the gaps in knowledge and skills and make business owners more self sufficient in practical ways.
I have a history, I have been through some horrific situations too, but I don't need to bring those things out each time I'm on social media to endear me to people or help me connect.
The results speak for themselves, and the connection comes from understanding the clients I deal with.