What I wish I knew before starting a Marketing business

In the realm of work, you get three types of people according to my brain. 🤪

1️⃣ You get the employees. The people that want job security who want to rather work for a company. 2️⃣ You the entrepreneur who wants to have the freedom to choose their hours. 3️⃣ You get the "employeneur". These are special kind of people who do it the right way. They keep their jobs while working on their side hustle after hours. I started Mantel Media because I have always had a deep desire, call it a dream, to grow my own business. I want to create jobs and opportunities for others, while truly making a difference in people's lives and businesses. I wanted to be able to have a say over my daily routine and most of all, I wanted to be available for my kids. So, maybe you're at a cross road and you're thinking about taking the leap of faith to start your own thing. Well, here's what I wish I knew (good and bad) before taking my leap of faith - oh and in South Africa specifically. We always read Pinterest blogs and watch YouTube vids, but I found it hard to find content from actual South African entrepreneurs who made it work and who also took a leap of faith in our economy. I am by no means a pro at this, and am still finding my way, so just a little disclaimer. 👉 If you're insecure, it will show up in your business.

Yoh, this one hit me hard. The first year for me, is about getting your name out there. This never stops being a mission, but still, you just started and have to get your first few customers. The second year, however, was really hard in terms of pricing. You have been doing this for a while so you know: "Okay I'm not amateur anymore...", but you can't price too high, otherwise you won't get clients (well that's the way you think and feel).

So what happens is, you fall into the trap of tying your selfworth to your price (and you WILL go through this...trust me). So if you question yourself, you will question your prices and the customers you obtain will match that. Also, because you are desperate for work, you will lower your prices to just get work. This is needed sometimes - yes I said it. But it's very important to not lower your view of yourself and your work just because of pricing. Get back up quickly and keep aiming for your ideal price and customer until you get it. Make a point to understand why your services/product costs what it costs, as this will help you feel more secure in vulnerable/slower seasons. This brings me to my second point... 👉 Watch out for the pricing trap.

This is honestly still a battle for me. You have to try to as soon as possible establish the correct pricing. It really is true unfortunately: if you price too low, you usually get clients who keep you busy way more than they pay fore. If you price too high, it IS harder to get clients in certain seasons or locations of South Africa. My best tip with this: you have to advertise where your market is. I cannot advertise my services in a lower income area if I want to get paid similar to other people in my industry who get paid higher income area rates. Also, this is where it helps to have one solid income in the household, so you can lean on that income in slower times, while you patiently wait for the better clients to sign on as you work. Or being an "employener" helps here as well, so that you at least still have some sort of income.

I am honest, this is where I am so thankful that I was blessed with the husband that I have, because if it wasn't for him pointing out that I was pricing too low, I would probably still struggle financially with clients who pay too low, taking up all your time.

👉 It really is true: your mindset will determine your success

If you believe you can do it, and keep believing it, you WILL be successful. If you're negative the whole time, stressed and fearful, you won't survive and neither will your business. I cannot stress enough how important it is to speak "right" about your business. You have to remember, as South Africans we are constantly reminded about how tough our economy is and how people cannot pay their bills. It's very easy to be influenced by this thinking pattern especially if you cannot pay your own bills, or if you've had a slow month. The ONLY WAY I get myself out of a hole of worry and stress is when I go sit, put my worship music on and declare with my mouth and words out loud: "Thank you Lord that my business doesn't conform or operate according to the standards of this world, but to Your Kingdom and it's values. I declare in the name of Jesus that You make a way for me where there is no way. When people struggle to get work, I get so much work that I have to hand out in the name of Jesus. I declare that people come to me and ask "How did you get these clients and these projects?!" and I will say "There is one God and his name is Jesus. The Lord is my provider". Want to be successful? Declare it everyday, believe it with all your heart and stand in faith believing that God is your provider. God sends and provides the work. Not your clients.

👉 You constantly have to fight for your attention span and not doom scroll

I love being outside. I love nature, watching the birds, feeling the sun on my skin. I'm also a big extrovert. And working in marketing and content creation, you will probably be behind your computer 80% of the time, depending on your role. That being said, you will be online or on your phone sooo much. I have to constantly remind myself to just switch off. Otherwise you are constantly scrolling, getting a kick out of the likes for your post. You costantly fall into this weird trap where you "just keep an eye" on your pages/content/engagement. And it has caused me to just be online too much. So this is something you just always have to watch for and make an intentional effort to keep it in balance.

👉 It really is important to have pieces of high quality gear and technology

I KNOW this is always difficult and not always possible. But I've found that in order to stand out, you really have to try and make your product look pristine. When I resigned from my full time job where I worked for over little more than a year, I bought my first Apple Mac computer. Not because I wanted to, but because I knew I needed at least one solid piece of equipment I could rely on as it's the hen that lays the eggs. 🥚

👉 Lastly, it really is WORTH IT!!

The income tends to be sporadic in the beginning and you have many moments of stress, but I still wouldn't change it for the world. Here's why: - I am free to determine my own schedule, obviously when you shoot videos and photos, you have to schedule your life around that project for that time period. But for the most of it, you really can decide your schedule. As a mom and wife, this has helped me tremendously as my husband has crazy hours. - South Africa actually has much more opportunity than people think and realise in my opinion. The divide between the average, normal business owner who just wants to sell his services and products, and the whole digital realm of AI circusness - is getting wider and wider. This is creating opportunity for people to be the bridge between these two industries. Whether we believe it or not, there is still a very real, raw, beautiful world outside, with amazing people who are working hard, trying to get by. And if you're willing to start small, there is a lot of opportunity. - Once you've actually helped a business and get to know how that feels, you can never go back. People really struggle to find trustworthy suppliers out there, let me tell you. And if you can work hard, show up consistently and reply inquiries even when you feel vulnerable (and like a little of a failure sometimes haha), people will build trust quietly and over a period of time. Just be patient. Take the leap of faith. Keep an open mind and never, ever give up. Remember, we will give account to the Lord one day about how we multiplied and worked at with what we had. And we have a choice: stay in one place because we are fearful and comfortable...or we can step out, be brave and work at our skills and talents in service of others where we are closer to hearing the words: "Well done my good and faithful servant..." 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. - Colossians 3:23-24

Life and light,

Elmarie