How I’ve achieved sustainable growth in my business over the past 5 years

In this online bubble we live in, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the overnight success stories.

But that’s not my thing. I’m more impressed by sustainable growth, year on year.

I want to show the real, raw side of running a business, so I thought I’d pull the curtain back on my cold, hard business results and share what I was actually doing to achieve those different levels of success.

Year 1–2013

This was the year I became pregnant and jobless. I set this business up from scratch when my son was 3 or 4 months old. I was working 2–3 days a week. I had zero list, zero people on Facebook and large (but ignored) Twitter following.

I managed to bring in £70k that first year, which is pretty damn good, but that was purely consultancy work. I wasn’t coaching at that point, I was focussing on digital marketing consultancy for brands and (after going hell for leather) managed to secure myself a couple of nice retainers.

I was seriously hustling and sleep deprived, but we made it.

Year 2–2014

In 2014 I brought in £80k which was amazing. I’d started working three days a week solidly, which made a big difference.

I started putting a bit of thought into building my list. I didn’t prioritise it though as I was more focused on social media. I had 200 people following my Facebook page (with no group at this point) and 9000 (still ignored) people on Twitter.

I was still mostly working on digital marketing consultancy projects for big brands and corporates.

Year 3–2015

This is the year where things really started to take off. I managed to hit six-figures which was both amazing and anti-climactic. I thought that hitting that big milestone would change things somehow, but in reality, I just kept working as I had before.

2015 was when I first started doing business coaching and mentoring alongside the consultancy. The reason I made this shift is because the previous year, I’d started helping more small businesses with digital marketing strategies. When I inevitably asked for their business strategy so we could bring the plan into alignment, they didn’t have one.

I ended up giving a lot of advice on their business models and income streams and really helping them work past their struggles. I fell in love with it.

I was working 4 days a week. My list had grown to about 800 and I put A LOT of focus on Facebook. It really felt like the right fit for my business.

Year 4–2016

I got to £160k in 2016. I was still working 4 days a week and I really felt like I was coming into my own. I got my list to 2000, my Facebook following to 1500 and I really started to see the importance of engagement.

At this point I discovered who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to show up in the world. It all started coming together and my big ‘why’ really took a hold. I wanted to create impact. I wanted to help as many people as possible create the kind of success that I had, and bring their dreams to life. And man, did that ‘why’ make a difference to my drive.

Year 5–2017

Last year I made the jump up to £240k. I started working 5 days a week as my son was in nursery (and then started school).

I got my email list up to 7000 — after a lot of list-building activity. I got my Facebook page and group up to 3000. You can see how that increased connection pays off in the figures.

Year 6–2018 (so far)

At the time of writing this, we’re halfway through 2018 and I’ve already matched what I made last year, which is really exciting given my big goal for this year was to reach half a million.

I’m still working 5 days a week. My son is in school and I have some after school care too, so I’m putting in a lot of hours to get this done.

My list is down to 3000 because I just did a big clear out (thanks, GDPR!). Although I now have a much-reduced list, my conversions are much higher. My interaction rate is hovering around 40–50% which is brilliant. And then I’ve got about 4500 people on Facebook who are incredibly engaged.

So those are the concrete business results and specific tactics that have helped me get where I am today. No overnight success, just a lot of hard work and trial and error. But also proof that it can be done.

Want more? Well, you’re in luck. I’ve put together a case study exploring the income streams and specific marketing tactics I used at every stage. You’ll also get a peek at things I believe made the real difference. Download it here.

Originally published at gemmawent.co.uk on August 14, 2018.