We are so excited to introduce Episode 018 of With Grace and Gold: The Podcast – a business education podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. With Grace and Gold: The Podcast features 5-minute episodes with clear, actionable steps to guide you toward successful small business ownership. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify, or elsewhere!

Have you ever stopped to think about how you make your business decisions — or even your personal decisions? 

Years ago, I made decisions from a place of fear — or from a place of worry. Even though I consider myself an optimistic person, I found myself making decisions from a place of “worst case scenarios” and a place of “what ifs” — and rather than from a place of peace and purpose.

The truth is, when you make decisions from a place of fear, your decisions tend to be frantic. You might create temporary solutions for long-term problems. You might create quick-fixes rather than long-term strategies. You might find yourself working harder than necessary, or even spinning your wheels and staying exactly where you are.

On the other hand, when you make decisions from a place of peace and purpose, your decisions tend to be rooted in both your short-term and long-term success. You’re able to create a plan — and to think rationally and critically about where you are today, where you want to be, and the steps you need to take in order to get there.

As small business owners, there is so much we can do today that will benefit our businesses in the days, weeks, months, and years from now. In a time in which it’s hard not to be filled with fear — holding onto peace and purpose, both personally and professionally, will help us to become stronger people and stronger business owners.

Today, we want to share 3 seeds to plant in your business today — 3 ways you can grow your business with purpose and strategy — and prepare your business for long-term success, if you just start today.

3 Seeds to Plant for Your Business Today

Welcome to Episode 018: 3 Seeds to Plant for Your Business Today! Something you may not know about With Grace and Gold is: Andra is always working in our business, and I am always working on our business.

With our unique roles in mind, we’ve been able to run and grow our business with purpose, little by little, day after day, year after year. So, what we did 6 years ago (the seeds we’ll talk about today) have laid the foundation for where our business is, and how our business runs, today. We’ve seen first-hand how important it is to — proactively rather than reactively — work on our business. When storms arrive, our foundation feels more secure, and we believe it’s because of the seeds we planted years ago.

That’s why, we recommend for you to — each and every day, little by little — plant a seed for your business and allow it to grow.  Because what you do today will help your business to be more successful tomorrow and in the years ahead. So, what are some seeds you can plant for your business today?

1. First, consider starting a blog series or to create a blog calendar you can stick to. In Episode 003, we talk about how blogging is not only a helpful way to connect with your audience in a more personal way, or to showcase your work in a more engaging way — but it’s also extremely helpful for search engine optimization. (As a reminder, search engine optimization relates to the likelihood that your website will be discovered via search engines, like Google.) We think of your foundational website pages (Home, About, Services, Portfolio, and Contact) as the body of your website — and your blog posts as the “arms” of your website. The more blog posts you write, the more “arms” your websites has and the more visible your website may be to search engines — which can help to increase the likelihood of a prospective client coming upon your website in an organic way.Blogging is something small, and relatively easy, you can do every day, every other day, or once per week — to help expand your reach, communicate your message, and connect with your audience.
2. Grow your newsletter subscriber list. In Episode 016, we discussed 3 lead magnet ideas — or 3 ways you can attract and encourage people to sign up for your newsletter list, as well as 3 ways to market your lead magnet to exponentially grow your newsletter subscriber list. Your newsletter subscribers are dedicated followers — people who have signed up to learn more about you, your business, and your offerings. By growing your newsletter subscriber list, you can more personally serve people who are most dedicated to your business. In a world of ever-changing social media algorithms, or confusion about how to market your business successfully – having a healthy, growing newsletter subscriber list can make all the difference. So, be sure to tune into Episode 016 to learn more about a strategy for doing exactly that!
3. Network. We can go far alone — but we can go even further when we work together. Who can you network with, build a partnership with, or ask to mentor you? Who can you learn and grow alongside? Who could your accountability buddy be? When we find or create community as small business owners, we can accomplish so much more than we could by ourselves. Further, we can bounce our ideas off of one another, which as we explored in Episode 017, can make all the difference.  

We are so hopeful you’ll consider planting 1 or more of these seeds for your business. Because when you do, you can better equip your business to withstand future challenges — and you can rest assured that the actions you’re taking today are bringing value to your future business.

If you found value in today’s episode, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Once reviewer is chosen every week to receive a gift from our team to yours!

Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.