Being a small business owner can be tough… don’t we all know it?! So when I heard about In Progress, I did a metaphorical hop, skip and a jump. Not only is In Progress an AMAZING online community, but also a resource packed to the brim with talented ladies who can help in day-to-day business life. Looking for a fab copywriter? Ugh, that social media isn’t going to schedule itself – if ONLY I had a great VA. Those business cards need jazzing up, who ya gonna call (*ahem* me obviously….)?! Kye has lovingly curated the best of the best in her little black book – all lined up, tried and tested so you KNOW you’re connecting with amazing people.
Read on to find a little about the gal behind the amazing online community, why Kye thinks Kris Jenner is momager of the year, and three very important things to consider before you part ways with your hard-earned cash to outsource and streamline parts of your business.
Tell us a little about yourself:
Hey I’m Kye! I’m a nurse turned marketing fanatic who has one big dream – to help the masses! I love coffee (although I’m on the decaf train now), the beach and a good old Netflix binge. I dislike Pizza (don’t hate me) but could eat Pad Thai on the daily. I was born in South Africa but have a Swedish name.
I am (so) multi-passionate (it makes me crazy) but have finally found something that allows me to combine both my main passions.
Cue, In Progress!
Tell us a little about your business:
In Progress is an online brand directory where you can find different industries that help with all things small business – think accountants, social strategists, designers, VA’s, PR, FB Advertisers and so many more. There is a resource hub, as well as tips and tricks from the different brands so it is all in the one place.
What inspired you to start your business?
Oh my. As lame as it sounds, what motivates me in life is to help people. I noticed so many people asking on Facebook groups who they recommend in the creative spaces, and where to find different resources and topics. I know how hard it is to run a small business.. You have to wear so may different hats, and when it is finally time to outsource it can be so scary. I wanted to help ease some of their stress. On the brand side of things, I know how hard it can be to get your brand and content out there for people to see. So I thought this would be the perfect way to help both sides, and hopefully build a kickass community around it!
I also disliked hopping on social media and seeing that ‘Instagram life’ that everyone is selling. Being a small business is *hard* and I wanted to bring that to light. I want In Progress to be a place where it is real and we talk about real issues that we face in business, and life.
What’s the dream? What’s the end game?
The dream would be to build an amazing community around In Progress. To be able to support small businesses in making their business venture that little bit easier and be the go to platform for them. The end game is to be able to build In Progress up so that it can fully support me and help me build the life I want to live – not just monetary.
Who inspires you and why?
Emilia Clarke – I love how after all that has happened to her, she rose from adversity and fought back! I also admire that through all that, she still was able to film GOT and all her other movies. That’s really inspiring to me.
As lame as it is to say, Kris Jenner – She has built SUCH an empire. She has (a lot of) money yet is still always starting new ventures whilst doing the TV show, managing her kids, going through life drama, medical issues, and having a social life. That women works hard and I really admire that.
What’s your best piece of advice?
Just go for it! Trust me on this. Having anxiety and being a perfectionist, I am/was my BIGGEST road block. When I wanted to start a business I would have been thinking about it for months before I even put any of that idea into motion. In my head I just kept going through what ifs and talking myself out of it. Once I started it was such a relief but I still had to deal with so much self doubt.
It doesn’t just apply to starting a business. Publish that blog post, start that website, reach out to that potential client.
It doesn’t get easier, but it does get easier to manage. You can always learn once you have started, but make that first step.
Three reasons why/when a small biz owner should consider outsourcing:
When you outsource it can come from 3 different places:
1. You are aiming for growth
You know the quotes that say if you don’t believe in you, then who will? I guess a good time to outsource is if you need to build a killer website to get that web presence, you need to update that old logo from the one you did in ClipArt, you want to get more traffic and more sales but you don’t know how to do it. This is one reason to outsource.
2. It is all too much
If you can no longer wear all the hats (and you can afford it), outsource! If you are noticing that you aren’t getting back to your customers fast enough, or aren’t dong your marketing to the best it can be, or you haven’t done your tax sums in what seems like forever.. It’s time to outsource, so you can have more time for some Netflix and wine.
3. You can’t do it
Some hats you just can’t wear. If you got me to do my own taxes or finances, I would have no clue how to do that. If you don’t know how to do a website or create a marketing strategy for you brand, it can be scary but sometimes you can’t do it all!
Three things small biz owners should consider when choosing who to outsource for their business:
So you’ve made the decision to outsource (YAY) but now you have to try find the perfect person to help you and your brand. It can be *super* daunting. You wan’t them to be able to get you, to really understand what you are all about. Hopping on Google can leave you in a 4 hour rabbit hole that you don’t know if you are going to come out of. Picking the ladies for In Progress, it was like picking a name for my first born – hard. I had to make sure they were creditable, authentic and were all about helping small businesses. These are the three things I went off when searching:
- Their community
Community doesn’t lie. Unless you are a reaaallllyyy good con-artist, it is hard to get a lot of people to support you unless you are actually good at what you do. I stalked their socials to see what people were commenting and if they were engaging. I looked to see what sort of content they were posting, if it was all for sales or if they added value. I would rather want someone who is all about adding value to their community than someone who is just trying to make a sale. - Testimonials/referrals
This may sound crazy.. but I stalked hard on Facebook groups to see what people were saying about them, if other people were recommending them. But you don’t have to go that far! Look on their website or socials at testimonials from other clients. Have a look at the work they did and see if it seems like a good fit for your brand. Keep an eye out for the comment sections on their posts as well, see if people are tagging their friends or buying their products/services. - Gut feeling
You know how your mother always said, ‘trust your gut’? Well she was right. The best decisions can be made if you listen to what your gut is saying. If you love what they are doing, posting and their work – go for it! Have a conversation with them, see if you both think you can work together. But if they are posting great stuff but there is just something about their work, or website, or you just have a feeling.. keep looking. Even if you think someone is great and then you start talking to them and you just get this odd feeling, trust yourself 100%.
Quick Questions:
Podcast you’re currently listening to:
I am currently listening to Sam Laura Brown’s ‘Perfectionism’ podcast. It is so good if you have self doubt, self sabotage and need some motivation!
Last book your read?
The last book I read (still reading) is Denise Duffield-Thomas – Chillpreneur. It really takes away that ‘hustle’ mentality that everyone glorifies and has some really good journaling questions throughout! I haven’t finished it yet, but so far I am loving it!
Last movie you watched?
Oo, I watched ‘The Hustle’ with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. It was good, actually had an unexpected twist at the end!
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