• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • View Cart
  • About
  • Get Started
    • Done-For-You Installation
  • Shop
    • WordPress Themes
    • Flourish Bundle
    • Social Media Templates

Coded Creative

WordPress Themes + Design Templates for Creative Business Owners

  • Showcase
  • Blog
  • Support
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
    • Done-For-You Installation
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Showcase

TOPIC: business

5 Good Habits for Your Business in 2020

I’m sharing with you 5 habits that you can start working on in your business to not only feel good about the work you’re doing but also grow your business so you can hit your goals.

Ah, a new year and a fresh start. There’s always something magic about a new year, but this year just feels particularly special. Although I know there’s nothing really magic about January 1st, it feels exciting to start the new year on the right foot. New goals, new routines, new habits.

I’m adding new routines to my behind the scenes that I’m excited about, but I know that sometimes even when you’re excited for change it can still feel confusing on how to get the ball rolling.

So I’m sharing with you 5 habits that you can start working on in your business to not only feel good about the work you’re doing but also grow your business so you can hit your goals. 

1 | Show up consistently on social media

As long as social media has been used by business owners to generate followers, leads, and income there’s been the advice to show up and post consistently. And yet, there are so many people who regularly “post and ghost”. 

I’ll admit that over the past year I’ve made it more of a goal to show up regularly on Instagram, and life has still hit the fan from time to time and a week or two will go by with no fresh content from my account. 

Here’s the thing, though – showing up consistently on social media does so many things for your business. First and foremost, it shows people that your business is still active. If you want to make money, then you have to tell people that you’re accepting clients or that your products are still available. 

Posting consistently also teaches people that they can trust you. If you say you’re working on this goal and then you can’t follow through, what does that say about what it’s like to work with you? Do you ghost your clients, too? Think about the message you’re unintentionally sending to potential clients.

Something else I realized recently is that showing up on social media doesn’t necessarily mean that you post consistently. If you dive deeper and think about why you want to post on social media, why it’s important for your business, what it means if you post and don’t post, you may realize that by not posting you’re telling your subconscious that you’re not good at following through, which has a snowball effect.

If this habit feels overwhelming to you, try to focus on less posts per week that are high quality instead of posting every single day. 

2 | Respond to leads quickly

One of my biggest pet peeves when I’m reaching out to work with someone on a project or simply trying to collaborate with another business owner is when it literally takes forever to get a response. I’m talking multiple days or weeks. 

I get it – not everyone checks their inbox or responds to emails every day, but this is a fast way to lose potential clients. Think about it… when someone reaches out to work with you they’re likely the most excited about the project. If you take days to get back to them, you’ve given them time to get busy with other tasks, forget about you and why their project is important, or move on to someone else. 

I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve heard from that say they’ve actually gone so long without responding to an email that sometimes they never do. If this is you and you’re wondering why your business isn’t growing, then this is a big wakeup call. 

Try to make it a priority to respond to leads within 24-48 business hours. If you’re struggling to do this, start by making a canned response that you can send over quickly with the most important details, questions, or action steps. Do you need to schedule a call? Include a link. Do most people ask about your prices? Attach an Info PDF with all of the details. 

If you still can’t get back to people within that time frame it may be time to consider working on your time management or simply outsourcing some things on your to do list (like inbox management) so someone else can help make sure that your potential clients are getting the information they need to turn into booked projects.

3 | Make connections

The end of the year (and decade) brought on a lot of memories on people I’ve known and projects I’ve worked on over the past nearly 10 years of running my business. It was nothing short of amazing to think of all of the people I’ve collaborated with outside of client work to bring various projects to life. Some of those projects have been retired, but none of them would have happened without my taking the time to make connections with other business owners. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always the best role model for making connections with other people online, but I strongly value the connections and friendships that I’ve been able to build over the years. After all, I wouldn’t have this business without going out on a limb to connect with other people.

Making connections and just friends, in general, can seem daunting and downright scary at times. Remove the pressure on yourself to meet your new biz bestie right away. Instead, make it easy on yourself. Respond to someone’s Instagram post or email in your inbox. Answer a comment in a Facebook group. Find an accountability partner in the programs or courses you join.

Something else I want to encourage you to remember here is that the person who could have the biggest impact on you is not necessarily the person you follow with the biggest business, greatest income, or most Instagram followers. When I met my (now) best friend, I’d been in business longer than she had. All these years later I truly feel I’ve learned more from her than I ever could have imagined. It’s something I’m truly so grateful for.

4 | Ask for help

I’ve been incredibly fortunate over the past year to grow and expand my business in ways that have required me to ask for help to get work done. Whether it was learning how to do something, asking for advice, or outsourcing work, I’ve asked or reached out for help more times in 6 months than I have in 6 years.

Most people are quick to buy courses, purchase products, or hire coaches, but I know there are a lot of us who will roll up our sleeves, work through the muck, and get it done regardless of the late nights or long weekends that could be better spent not working.

The problem with that is that after a while you realize a few things: 

  1. You’re incredibly burnt out because you’re doing #allthethings
  2. You’ve missed goals or milestones because you’re juggling too much
  3. You literally cannot grow your business more because there aren’t enough hours in the day

At some point in my businesses I’ve realized all of these things, and most recently I realized the last one. Not only is there nothing wrong with asking for help, but it can actually be a huge blessing to finally take some things off of your plate. I got even more excited about my plans for this year when I realized how much more I could do as soon as I started outsourcing to a virtual assistant.

Even if you can’t or don’t need to bring someone on for 10 hours a month, consider how you can get help with a few tasks or a few hours each month to help you free up some time.

5 | Practice gratitude

Last, but certainly not least, is one thing I’m most excited to make a daily habit this year: gratitude. There’s something to be said about being grateful for where you are, everything you’re accomplishing, and the goals you’re working on this year.

Last summer I made it part of my nightly routine to write in my Dream Life Design Planner every single night before I went to sleep. One of the most rewarding things about this was not just that I was showing gratitude but I was also reframing the day in my mind. If I’d had a long, rough day, taking the time to write down a few things that I was grateful for really helped me go to bed thinking of the positive that had happened that day instead of feeling defeated. 

If you’re into the whole ‘woo’ thing, there’s also a belief that you can manifest your dream life and reach your goals by being grateful for things you want to accomplish ahead of time. For example, maybe you want to book 2 new clients this month, then you could write or say, “I’m so happy and grateful that I’ve booked 2 brand new clients in the past couple of weeks.” Some people also do this by journaling a date in the future. 

I did this a lot in my Dream Life Design Planner, and I recently flipped back toward the beginning and realized that I actually hit the monthly income goal that I’d been wanting last year. 

What new habits will you create for your business in 2020?

Beyond just goal setting or things you’re planning on doing for your business this year, I’d love to hear from you – shoot me a DM on Instagram and let me know what’s ONE new habit you’d like to work on for your business?

Share this post:

You might also like:

Primary Sidebar



I'm Kory, the color and design loving gal behind Coded Creative. I'm ready and excited to help you create a beautiful and strategic design for your blog and business.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
It’s time to FINALLY create your irresistible lead magnet

Let me help you get noticed, build an audience of potential customers, and grow your business faster with an irresistible lead magnet!

I want the guide!

Categories

  • blog
  • business
  • design
  • email list
  • guest post
  • launch
  • passive income
  • social media
  • tutorial
  • WordPress

Search

Instagram Feed

Did you know that Black Friday is coming up next w Did you know that Black Friday is coming up next week? 😝 Okay, I know - we ALL know that it's coming up. Some businesses are already doing their Black Friday sales, and those who aren't are letting you know that their offers are coming soon.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Since we're in the middle of this digital product sale season, I thought it would be good to talk about investments you can make right now to help grow your brand in 2021. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Stock photos⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Beautiful, high-quality images go a looong way in making your brand look professional and getting attention on your content. Two of my favorite stock photo memberships (@hautestockco + @socialsquares) have special offers this week if you need some photos!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ A new website design⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you haven't changed your site design in a while or you're ready for a more professional look, this is a great time to grab a new premade theme! (Pssst.. my themes will be on sale next week)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Social templates⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The BEST way to grow your business is by showing up and getting your content in front of people. Instead of starting from scratch, grab some social graphic templates to make graphics a breeze. (My templates will be on sale next week, too!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Topic-specific courses / trainings⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you're struggling with outsourcing, copywriting, or something else now is a great time to invest in a course on that topic since most course creators discount their products for Black Friday.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What offers are you looking for this Black Friday?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#shesacreative #workfromhome #goaldigger #shediditherway #womenwithambition #empoweringwomen #entrepreneurwoman #creativeentrepreneurs #creativeentrepeneur #creativewomen #creativepreneur #mycreativebiz #entrepreneurlifestyle #communityovercompetition #femaleentrepreneurassociation #staybossyladies #herbusiness #sayyestosuccess #thisgirlmeansbusiness #womenwithaplan #femaleceo
Today, on my oldest daughter’s 3rd birthday the Today, on my oldest daughter’s 3rd birthday the first woman officially became the first Vice President Elect of our country. For the first time in 4 years I feel hope for my daughters’ future.

There is still so much work to be done. So. Much. I hope that we, as a nation, will continue to do that work.

To protect Black lives.
To listen to Black women.
To care for our neighbors (and keep wearing a damn mask).
To protect our planet.
To move our nation forward.

I pray, and fight, and speak up, and donate to make sure my girls get to grow up and live in a country that makes them proud to call home and a country they feel safe in. Because that’s what our kids and our neighbors deserve.

So let’s celebrate today. But keep the fight going tomorrow.

📷 by @zoeghertner
Now, more than ever, I’m grateful for my right t Now, more than ever, I’m grateful for my right to vote, and you can bet your 🍑 I voted for #bidenharris2020!

I’m going to be quiet on the feed for the rest of the week to make space for rest and self-care. Next week I’ll be back here to share my normal content.

Until then, go vote!

graphic by @madebyeli 

#rockthevote #votesaveamerica
Stop 🛑 waiting until the perfect moment to show Stop 🛑 waiting until the perfect moment to show up and start working toward your goals.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As a perfectionist and a painfully indecisive person, I've spent so much time waiting. Waiting for the perfect idea, for the perfect time to post, for the perfect design, for the perfect collaboration, for the perfect offer, for the perfect audience.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Does that sound like you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Are you stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for everything to be just ✨ right ✨ or perfect before you take action?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Be honest... how's that working out for you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Let me give you some tough love, friend. If you want to grow your business, get those dreamy clients, make consistent sales, and hit your goals... you can't sit around waiting for perfect. 🙅🏻‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Listen, I've been there. But if you want your business or your blog to look like hers then you have to do SOMETHING. You have to start right now... show up today for your audience. And then again tomorrow. And then the next day. Share your new piece of content, show off your latest offer.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏽 Stop hiding and waiting for perfect before believing in yourself enough to make things happen for you. 👈🏽⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You're worthy of everything you dream of and so much more, so let's start doing what it takes to get there!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#wearethecreativeeconomy #createyourpurpose #creativecultivate #fempreneur #womenwithaplan #businessownerlife #herestothecreatives #sayyestosuccess #hustleandheart #findyourflock #thegramgang #hersuccess #dreamersanddoers #createalifeyoulove #calledtocreate #creativeentrepeneur #creativebiz #creativepreneurs #createlounge #thecreativegrid #savvybusinesswomen #intentionalbusiness
THE SECRET TO GROWING YOUR BRAND IS…. 🤫 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏽 PAUSE! Save this post for later so you can come back to it!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you want to keep growing your brand, the secret is that you have to keep showing up for your people. How? Well…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Show up as the expert you are⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Make sure you’re mixing in content related to your products and services with the personal content in stories + on your feed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Create more Pinterest graphics⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The queen of Pinterest @meaganawilliamson has shared the fresh pins are proven to work the best on the platform, so create new graphics for your posts and get them on Pinterest!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Grab attention on Instagram⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The algorithm rewards you when your people engage with your content (saves are the best right now) and stay on the app. Grab attention, and get your audience engaged. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Highlight your freebies⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Want to know why your lead magnet isn’t working for you? Because you’re not promoting it. Make it a habit to share your freebie at least 4x per month on Instagram, and create pins for the landing page.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Improve your SEO⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Search Engine Optimization is a long game, but it can pay off for years if you take the time to work on improving it for your content now. Check out @mariahmagazinestudio for all the SEO tips.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ Launch your offers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I won’t lie - this year has felt totally weird when it comes to launches. I’ve launched 2 products this year, and they went better than I could have imagined. So it’s time to launch 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 dang 👏🏼 thing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What do you need to work on now to grow your brand? Share in the comments! ⬇️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#wearethecreativeeconomy #createyourpurpose #creativecultivate #fempreneur #herestothecreatives #sayyestosuccess #hustleandheart #findyourflock #therisingtidesociety #bloomyellow #intentionalbusiness #creativeatheart
When I set out to create the June theme, I started When I set out to create the June theme, I started thinking about what bloggers, specifically want to accomplish with their site and what they'd need to accomplish that.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I know most bloggers are trying to earn an income through sponsored posts and ads, and to do that you need a certain audience size and page views.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Let's talk about page views specifically. One way to increase views is to work on keeping your audience on your site longer by making relevant content easy to find.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can make relevant content easy to find by:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1️⃣ Showing related posts at the bottom of your individual blog posts. Most of my themes automatically have this feature built in, but I also like the Related Posts for WP plugin for this!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2️⃣ Linking to related content within your blog posts. If you're working on seasonal content right now, think about how you can link back to some of your Fall or Winter posts from last year in your new blog posts.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3️⃣ Add a link to your categories to your menu or your sidebar. This will make it super easy for your readers to click through to a category they want to see more about - like chicken dinners or cool weather outfits.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4️⃣ Swap out your featured content. Another thing you can do is show off your seasonal content in featured areas on your site. If you're a craft blogger, maybe over the next month and a half you link to Halloween-themed crafts with kids.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Which one of these things do you want to improve or implement on your site? Tell me in the comments ⬇️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#bloggersgonnablog #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial  #bloggerstribe #bloggerdiaries #theblogissue #blogginggals #blogandbeyond #thecaptionclub #shinyhappybloggers  #theuncoolclub #creativegalgang #microblogger #bloggergram #personalbranding #gritandvirtue #createcultivate #colorjoystock
GIVEAWAY CLOSED: The winner is @ramblingrose.farmh GIVEAWAY CLOSED: The winner is @ramblingrose.farmhouse! It’s here, it’s here! No, I’m not just talking about October or Fall (two of my favorite things). Today I’m celebrating the launch of a brand new theme: June 🎉🎉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Even better? Because this is the first new theme to hit the shop in over a year, I’m giving away a FREE copy of this design bundle (the theme, Pinterest, and Instagram templates).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To enter, first make sure you’re following me @codedcreative, then…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Like this post, comment, and tag a friend that you think would love the June theme. Each comment and tag is an additional entry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. Share this post on your stories and tag me! This is worth TEN extra entries!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The giveaway closes on Sunday night at midnight EST.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you’re itching to get the theme right now, head to the link in my profile (or go to codedcreative.co/june) to learn more, check out the demo, and purchase June for your site today!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#theeverygirl #theeverydaygirl #bloomyellow #creativityfound #pursuepretty #smallbiz #mycreativebiz #fromwhereiwork #creativelifehappylife #handsandhustle #creativeentrepeneur #womeninbusiness #communityovercompetition #risingtidesociety #savvybusinessowner #thatsdarling #flashesofdelight #goaldigger #shediditherway #womenwithambition #empoweringwomen #entrepreneurwoman #creativeentrepreneurs #creativeentrepeneur #creativewomen #creativepreneur #mycreativebiz
So you want to take your blog from hobby to money So you want to take your blog from hobby to money maker.... raise your hand if that's you right now... 🙋🏽‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At some point every blogger faces the decision to keep blogging for fun or to turn your blog into a money making brand (not that doing that isn't fun though).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Making that transition from hobby to brand can be a bit confusing. Here are a few quick ways you can start working on that transition:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1️⃣ Decide how you want to monetize. There are so many ways you can do it - from ads to digital products and more. Think about what makes you excited and what you feel comfortable doing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2️⃣ Create a content strategy. What do you want to be known for? Don't forget to include your audience - what do they want to see more of? If you don't know, ask them!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3️⃣ Consider your brand + blog design. If you've been using a free design, it's time to consider working with a designer or getting a premade look for your site!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Taking your blog more serious and turning it into a money making brand can be overwhelming, but start slow and with intention and you'll be more successful along the way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#alifeofintention #authenticliving #wholeheartedliving #pursuewhatislovely #createyourhappy #theeverygirl #theeverydaygirl #bloomyellow #seizetheday #darlingwomen #bloggingforbusiness #9tothrive #seizetheday #darlingwomen #sayyesstosuccess #makeithappen #dowhatyoulove #gritandvirtue #womenwithambition #createcultivate #makersmovement #handsandhustle #calledtobecreative #creativepreneur
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Footer

It’s time to finally create your lead magnet.

Let me help you get noticed, build an audience of potential customers, and grow your business faster with an irresistible lead magnet! Click the button below to grab this free guide plus get weekly emails to help you grow your business + hit your goals this year!

I want the guide!
  • Affiliates
  • Changelog
  • Support
  • Resources
  • FAQ
  • Contact
© 2016 - 2020 | Coded Creative | Terms + Privacy Policy





This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More.