What will change in 2023?

Einstein never actually said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” No one’s quite sure who said it.

Whoever did say it may be genius. It’s true in life, and it is certainly true in business.

If a business of any size becomes successful, they might attribute it to staying with “tried and true” methods, or “sticking with what works.” That can be a great way to remain consistent in business.

Except it doesn’t work as well if you’re looking to grow. If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, you’re probably going to have to do a few things differently. They don’t need to be major overhauls, but they’re often small changes in habits and processes that will help get you to the next level.

So what are you going to do differently in your business to help it grow in 2023?

Will you produce more content, either for your website or for social media, or even for other publications if given the opportunity?

Will you appear on more podcasts? Will you start your own?

Are you planning on hiring, or growing your team at all?

Will you be committing to attending more networking events, in order to improve your network?

Do you have new plans to promote your business within the community? Are you looking at a new online marketing campaign?

There are any number of ways that you can look to change your business for the next year, and truth be told not all of them may be successful! Sometimes a new effort can fail spectacularly, and it’s those times that usually present the best teachable moments.

Here’s what will be changing with The Write Stuff Agency in 2023:

This blog will look a little different

While this blog has been a great outlet to talk about the issues involved in running a small business, there’s been far too much Shaun in the mix.

I’m all about being open and authentic in branding, and will continue to do so, but I can strike that balance without making the corporate blog an extension of my personal brand.

So in 2023, expect to see more helpful content about content writing and entrepreneurship in general, and a few less interjections from the author himself.

I can’t promise that there won’t be the odd one that slips in occasionally… 🙂

Meanwhile, if you’ve enjoyed my personal branded content, add or follow me on LinkedIn. I’ve been building my LinkedIn brand by being 100% unabashedly myself, and it seems to have struck a few right notes, so that’s where most of my personal content will find its home.

Hiring a business coach

While the Agency has grown steadily year after year, I am also aware of the challenges that clients are facing, and know that I myself will need to do a few things differently in order to continue growing.

Come January, I will be working with my first-ever business coach! I am very much looking forward to the exercise.

As I’ve told him, I’m not out to quadruple my income overnight, and I’m not expecting crazy or off-the-wall results.

Instead, I’m looking for ways to make subtle changes to how I’m doing what I’m doing, reach a few new markets, fine-tune my service offerings, and figure out other ways that will help this incremental growth continue.

Despite wanting to grow, I refuse to compromise on the quality of service that I have been proud to offer my clients, and I am committed to maintaining or even exceeding that quality with every single client moving forward.

Giving back

In the past I’ve spoken about the importance of becoming involved in a community, whether local or needs-based or faith-based or interest-based, etc. Even for online entrepreneurs like myself, none of us can go it alone, and establishing a sense of community ultimately makes us better business owners.

Since moving to my local community in 2018 (and subsequently changing careers), I’ve tried to become involved in local causes and organizations, from a local charitable giving group to sitting on the board of the regional legal clinic to volunteering my time to facilitate workshops with the chamber of commerce.

Every single one of these experiences brings such an added light to my life, personally and professionally. Even professionally, the privilege to work with non-profit clients or charitable fundraising campaigns is one that I do not take for granted.

The goal is to find new opportunities to give back in 2023, both personally and professionally. These include running for another board of directors, an exciting teaching opportunity (more on that to come on LinkedIn), and other community involvement projects.

No matter how tall your business grows, stay connected to your roots. They’re what feed you, and let you grow that big and strong in the first place.

Final Thoughts

Thank you all for making 2022 so phenomenal. It was a year that exceeded my wildest expectations with the business, which is no small feat considering the two years that came before.

Thank you all for your support, for your encouragement, for your wisdom, and for helping me strive to do better for myself and for my clients every single day.

Happy holidays, safe travels, and a very happy new year!