Read The Magic of Tiny Business, a wonderful book by a Canadian woman who runs an eco-friendly bag company. Staying small in a sea of big businesses is a great way to focus on doing what you love well, and keeping your costs down, which in turn leads to higher profits. You also get to run a business where you can factor in self-care, never miss the school run and get weekends off!
Whether you run a tiny business or niche business, these days it’s pretty important to stand out from the crowd and lets people know exactly what you do and what you stand for. There is enough evidence now to know that most people are prepared to pay a little more for ethically-made products or services, so don’t be shy about shouting out your business ethics from your marketing literature, as it will stand you in good stead for the future. Also find out how to set up an (ethical) simple business account.
Another good book is The $100 Startup. Like the title suggests, the author interviews 50 people who have built successful businesses from the ground-up, by keeping costs low and expectations realistic. Here’s a quote we love by author Chris Guillebeau:
When you were a kid and wanted to do something your parents or teachers didn’t like, you may have heard the question: ‘If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?’ The idea is that it’s not good to do something stupid, even if everyone else does it. It’s not bad advice. Then you grow up and suddenly the tables are turned. People start expecting you to behave exactly as they do. If you don’t conform to their expectations, some of them get confused or even irritated. It’s almost as if they are asking ‘Hey, everyone else is jumping off the bridge. Why aren’t you?’
Simple living blogger Courtney Carver downsized her life when diagnosed with MS, and has earned a good living online for years writing books and courses, while keeping her business purposely simple and small. She has a great post on how to ‘curb busyness’ that you may find helpful. In a nutshell, she writes that ‘busy work’ is very different from ‘good work’.
Good work is when you are doing something useful to help others. Busy work is when you are simply ‘going through the motions’ by constantly checking emails, attending meetings for things you don’t are about and attending meetings and luncheons, because you think it makes you look good, even though you don’t enjoy it (nor often like the people you’re sharing dinner with). Take a life laundry, and swap busy work for good work! And it will free up more time, to do ‘no work!’
a book of helpful tips for digital nomads
Around 35 million people today around the world make their living online. And being a ‘digital nomad’ is a great way to earn a living, as you can just ‘set up shop’ wherever you are, whether it’s a remote island or even somewhere remote in an English county! How to Be a Digital Nomad is a great little read by an American who took a one-way ticket a few years back and now earns a living doing just that.
Packed with super advice, this is an easy-read to help you know how to ‘roam while you work’, whether that’s from village to village or country to country! The book includes interviews with remote workers who collectively have been making a living remotely for 50 years. Ideal for anyone who wishes to try out an online business or create an entirely new lifestyle, learn how to take control of your career, wherever you are.
