Episode 162: February 2019 Recap

The shortest month of the year proved to be one of the best ones we’ve ever had here at Small Business Boss. Why? Let’s jump into the February 2019 recap, and I’ll share the highs and lows that were packed into a single 28-day month. Let’s do it.

I typically have low expectations for February. It’s a short month, I’m usually traveling to Florida, and everyone’s waiting for Spring. Going into this month, I had a lot of hopes attached to the momentum we built in January and just knowing I was ready for something different this year.

And different this month was — in the best possible way. So let’s get going on this recap.

For Scoop Studios

So, funny story. As usual, I hit my “February blahs” at the beginning of the month, and I was working a lot with figuring out what my “enough” number was for the agency. I had my bookkeeper work with various scenarios for agency revenue, so I could see exactly how each possibility could play out.

This was kind of a low point but an entirely necessary one. Once I had the number, I sat on it.

I’ve reached a point business-wise where I don’t want to chase the goal just because I can. I want the goals to be rooted in a real purpose and know why we’re working on them.

So, while I’d started the year with ambitious revenue goals, I was willing to really dig into what those would mean. With that exercise came a sense of calm and knowing about where we needed to go.

As of today, this year’s goals for the agency still stand — but with a lot more depth and understanding behind them — especially knowing that in order to hit some of those goals, there likely will be some tradeoffs. Numbers aside, my real goal is to be more profitable and enjoy the work I do, so if at any point the bigger monthly revenue goals don’t support that, I’m at a place where I know what my options are.

As I shared in the January recap, we were off to a good start with new business for the year, and honestly, I think I got a little wigged out by that, so I wanted to look at the plan critically. Fear is funny, but when it shows up, you need to dig into WHY it’s there, and in this case, it was because I still had some questions about the goals I’d set.

Now that I got that resolved, here’s the good news: That critical thinking has resulted in one of the best months I can EVER remember for new leads and new clients.

To put some numbers to that, we had 12 new leads in February. Those were a combination of referrals, existing relationships, and cold outreach. From those, we wrote 10 proposals and won six of those. Five of the new clients were brand new clients and then one was a returning client with a project. We still have a number of clients we’re working towards the proposal stage with and a few proposals pending acceptance. Of the 10 proposals, only one has been a definite no so far.

I’m not sharing those numbers to brag, but rather to wrap what I’m sharing in reality as bringing in this business took up a tremendous amount of my time. Ten proposals meant 10 calls, 10 proposals to write, 10 backs/forths and so on — followed by five new clients to onboard and get ramped up on.

So the lesson here is that if you’re really going to focus on new business, you need to make time and space for it to happen. That’s one of my main roles within the agency, and knowing that, we actively work to ensure I have the time to do it.

In short — mission accomplished — and our goal for the quarter has been met. So you’re likely wondering…are you going to stop? What about your goals and plans?

I’m not kidding when I say I’m ready. A lot of these new clients are projects and will likely convert into ongoing monthly retainers. As such, until those are locked and loaded, I’m going to keep this party going!

This is a definite case of where the energy flowing in the right places helps to really accelerate your results. It’s not a matter of doing more but really taking the right actions, which for us was a combination of tactics to find new clients.

Most of all, it’s about being proactive. I wasn’t sitting around thinking “Oh, I’d like new clients.” I got my ass in gear and was proactive. It’s really easy to be passive and wait for referrals or people to come to us, but if you want new clients, you need an action plan.

I already can’t wait to report back on what happens in March! Only a few days into March, and I’ve already got some insights and some super not sexy systems related things to share!

For Small Business Boss

Bosses, February was a wild ride! We made the decision to move the podcast back to once a week, and I’m so glad we made that call. It meant I have more time to focus on creating other content — including new materials for members of the Small Business Boss Society.

Interestingly, the number of listens per episode increased when we dropped the second episode per week. That tells me that a lot of you didn’t have time to listen to both episodes and found yourself having to choose! Moving to two episodes per week was an experiment — and I’m glad we gave it a shot— but I much prefer creating and promoting one episode.

Speaking of content, I finally figured out a new addition for the Society that I’ve had rolling around in my head for 18 months. I’m working on creating this in March, and it will be available in April as a flagship course for this membership community. And spoiler alert: It’s all about finding clients.

This also plays into finding my “enough” for Small Business Boss and realizing that I need to carve out some specific time outside of content creation and the mastermind to focus on new possibilities. This brand isn’t going anywhere, so I’ve put a day per week on the schedule to focus on it for the foreseeable future.

I had my usual February getaway to Florida, but this time, it was for the first Double It Mastermind retreat of the year. About half the group was able to join us — and it was amazing. Everyone got dedicated time to work on the challenges they’re facing and to make big leaps forward towards their vision. Plus, we had lots of social time and a super fun afternoon by the pool soaking up the rays and talking shop.

Every single time at a mastermind, I’m reminded how there’s no substitute for meeting in real life and taking time away from your business. Plus, on a personal level, getting this face time with people who share my vision for Small Business Boss really helps to show me how impactful it is.