New Business Chronicles: Follow The Hyperfocus
The Plant Nerds logo is based on my gorgeous little Prince of Orange Philodendron 🧡
I’ve been in business for almost 10 years and I am still not immune to a hyperfocus that sweeps me off my feet.
This time around, I had the perfect justification for taking it further. Around half of my enquiries are from people starting a brand new business, and it’s been a while since I was there. So, to make sure I stay up to date and helpful for my clients I’ve started a side hustle - obviously!
On the 20th of February (after about a week of deliberation) Plant Nerds was born. After becoming increasingly fed up of the misinformation, mixed up common names, and the plant care advice without any clear back up, I went on a rampage. I researched the plants in my care and started typing up information sheets because I truly believe understanding your plants is the key to intuitive plant parenthood*.
*We’ll talk about this in a future post!
What have I done differently this time?
Of course, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve got some lessons learned, and I’ve tried some new approaches this time that I will share as I chronicle all of the Plant Nerds behind the scenes. For starters, here are three things I’ve done differently this time around:
#1 Assigned a Budget in Advance
Not just a financial budget, but also a time and energy budget.
I’ve got contracts and coaching clients that take priority, so Plant Nerds has to sit at the side of my desk. This is where most businesses start, alongside employment or another source of income. Very few of us have unlimited time, money, or energy to throw at something new and it’s super important to build this into our plans.
My first Bromeliad (Puya alpestris) seeds have germinated and I am delighted - there are a lot of metaphors between growing plants and growing businesses!
Why This Helps:
Keeps a lid on spending: I’ve always had service based or digital businesses, so having to buy stock? Grow my inventory? Ooft, I needed to understand what I could invest.
Stops the hyperfocus derailing the rest of your life: I feel this one needs no explanation. By limiting the time and energy I put in, I make sure my life stays on track while I explore the shiny new thing.
It’s actually made it feel less overwhelming! By knowing I’m starting with limits, I don’t feel the need to do everything right now. This has resulted in big difference #2…
#2 Let Myself Take it Slow (New Me, Who Dis?)
I’m over a month in, and I’ve still not launched the website or advertised the business, why?
Because I’m building content slowly and sustainably. I’m working behind the scenes, brainstorming ideas, looking for potential future collaborations. I’m reaching out to others in the industry for their hot takes. All of this is enjoyable and interesting when it’s not from a place of pressure or ‘musts’. Right now, I get to research the things I want within my time budget and it’s made the entire experience more pleasant!
There is a huge rush to launching, growing, scaling, and quitting the day job (which is usually the goal for my clients), but for many of us we will work alongside our business for a while and that doesn’t make your business any less legit! Financial security gives you the creative and mental freedom to build a business you love, and I’m still making awesome progress towards my Plant Nerds goals!
Why This Helps:
Hypoestes sanguinolenta are gorgeous pink flowers once they have matured. These first two leaves are just the beginning, but they get the job done for the plant to grow sustainably - something to consider in your start up perhaps?
Stops me feeling the pressure: We’ve all seen that the pressure to sell makes selling harder, so I’ve taken that pressure off and my Plant Nerds marketing is FLOWING - a side effect I did not see coming!
Let’s me gradually tweak my offers: Sometimes we need time to iterate and evolve our services and products, and the extra time I’ve had is already paying off with my higher quality ideas, better looking products, and bigger plants 🌱🪴
#3 Recorded EVERY SINGLE PENNY
I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t make me want to run away and hide - I get asked ALL THE TIME how much it costs to start a new business, so I’m recording every penny I spend. After Q1 I’ll give you the breakdown, so stay tuned for that blog post 😅
I have every intention of making Plant Nerds profitable and sustainable, but I was under no illusion that it would be an instant process. I’m not expecting to earn a penny for the first quarter as I’m focusing on building the machinery (and literally growing my inventory) to allow that to happen.
It’s really important to me to share a realistic behind the scenes take on the costs of a new business for two reasons:
So much marketing from business coaches is selling a dream - I don’t need to sell you a dream, you already have one. My job is to help you get there in one piece with the skills and information you need.
To stop entrepreneurial money worries BEFORE they happen. I’m all for investing in ideas and businesses, but it needs to be an informed investment not a gamble. If I can share this one example, then that’s adding to the information you have to help you make more sustainable decisions around your new business.
I’ll be sharing more of the New Business Chronicles in time, so make sure you subscribe for updates!
