Several of you have been complaining to me that I'm not blogging as often as I used to. Frankly I didn't know that you cared - and since the departure of Stephen, C & Mr A Dragon, and we lost our acerbic comment strings, I thought why bother if no one is interested.
That's a feeling I think most entrepreneurs share at some point isn't it?
You're there plugging away at your business, believing you're doing great stuff, and some days - typically those days when nothing's cooking, or you're let down, or people don't bother to reply to your calls, or you get no sales in, or the phone doesn't ring a single time, or only 7 people register for a webinar where you called in a big favour to get someone you thought might be really interesting for your network - you do just sit there and think 'Why do I bother?'.
But then there are the days when the invitations flow and the opportunities arise or you gain some great inspiration or energy or a big deal breaks or that money you've been owed for 8 weeks now lands in your bank account - and you're back in flow again.
I guess it's just a case of when the 'Why Bother?' days overtake the 'Back in flow' days you need to consider giving up and doing something else...
So let me know what type of day you're having.
And if I don't get any comments I will know not to bother!
About Rachel
- Rachel Elnaugh
- Bakewell, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
- ...is one of Britain’s highest profile female entrepreneurs. Having started her working life as an office junior, at the age of 24 she created the market leading experiences brand Red Letter Days on a shoestring budget from the front room of her home. Red Letter Days went on to generate over £100million in turnover in the 16 years that she ran it, and in doing so pioneered the UK's £250 million experiences sector. This earned her an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002, as well as being short listed for the 2001 Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award. In early 2005, Rachel shot to fame as one of the original Dragons in BBCTV's BAFTA nominated cult business show Dragons’ Den. After the well-publicised crash of Red Letter Days in 2005, Rachel became heavily involved in the Small Business Sector and recently won the IAB 'UK Champion of Entrepreneurship' award for 2008. Her unique Entrepreneurial Profiling Test was launched in 2007 and you can take the test free by visiting www.rachelelnaugh.com. Rachel's first book 'Business Nightmares' was published by Crimson in May 2008.
36 comments:
I know how you feel Rachel - a sign of the times when we seem to be working twice as hard to get half as much, when it seems like you are singlehandedly rolling a boulder up hill and most of your mates are telling you it's time to quit but real friends and the still small voice within you tells you to hang in there, have faith, believe that all will be well. where in the face of current changes we learn to change the current as well; work smarter, more efficiently, stay positive and all will be well. We are learning great lessons for the future.
And when we have those down days - go with the flow (you have told me that enough times).
I know I say those words a dozen times each day 'why bother' and then when I speak with my customers and they say 'thank you - you are the best' - I find it's all worth it. Underneath all this gloom, a fire is burning.
So thank you Rachel for being you and for pushing me along that little bit further.
Anne
Hey Guys & Girls,
Where are all of you? come on, Rachel needs our support now, has she not given us enough inspiration, help, support and guidance, to warrant the return in kind.
So come on gang, get off your arses and come give a bit of support to Rachel.
So sorry to hear you are down Rachel.
Keep blogging!
A rose is still a rose, even when it is in the shade.
I guess you bother because you care.
Love & Light
Stephen
could not have put it better myself Stephen,
dlog
Hey Rachel!
I didnt know that YOU cared!
It's nice to get a mention, and for that, I will give you one of my special hugs (hug given). There, how was that for you?
Look guys and gals, as I have said many a time on this Blog, its a jungle out there and to mix my metaphors and habitats - theres less fruit on the trees, more predators and vultures and more monkeys all after the same nuts!
However, the most agile and smartest (not just strongest or biggest) will survive.
My business isnt growing as quickly as I would like, but other opportunities have arisen that will really help the old profit/cashflow, so its all good.
Remember, we are in a recession - cut wastage, maximise profit, be creative and seek out those other opportunities and you will survive!
Also, Rachel, you mentioned your webinar, so I thought I would comment on this as no one else has given you any feedback.
I had a look, but to be honest, I didnt think the one I saw details of represented good value - was it £50 to see it? I could be wrong about the cost, but I do remember thinking is that it looked expensive.
I hope that helps.
Love
Bob
PS I never really went away.
Looks like people are still here to support you Rachel - hope you are feeling much more positive.
I constantly check your blog page, as I suspect many others do, to see if there has been any further posts to read, but do not post anything if there are no new posts, so you would not know that myself and others have actually been 'looking in' on you but do not fret, we are still here watching and reading and as it does not get said enough - thanks.
Hi Rachel
I've been reading your blog for some time now and always appreciate it.
You asked what sort of day I'm having - similar to the last few weeks - I'm having a great time - not profitable, but lots of research for a client (which will turn into payment) and in the last 3 weeks 4 potential new clients suddenly appearing from nowhere, and I really do mean nowhere - no prep, just networking and having my name out there
looking forward to more words of wisdom (or rants of rage :-) )
Gosh...
How wonderful to see all your comments!
Well, things turned out quite well today after all... Decided to go sit in St George's Church in Hanover Square for a while and got a call for a lunch engagement in Mayfair...
So, nothing that a nice al fresco lunch with a few glasses of wine plus great company couldn't fix.
Plus I think I picked up a major new client today.
I guess the learning is, keep the faith - as sunshine is often only just around the corner.
Happy St George's Day!
Rachel
PS Mr A Dragon the webinar was I think £9 for the entire month for which you get a signed copy of my book FREE - that's got to be worth more than £9 on eBay - you cheapskate !!!!
Rachel, I was very tempted with the webinar (esp as it came with a free copy of your book) but I did not want to sign up for something like that and then find I have other engagements and miss it.
Is there a chance you could package all these webinars into a CD ? How about £14.99 for a collection of webinars and a signed copy of your book. People could then listen to the webinars at their leisure (and it would also give you another revenue stream lol)
"PS Mr A Dragon the webinar was I think £9 for the entire month for which you get a signed copy of my book FREE - that's got to be worth more than £9 on eBay - you cheapskate !!!!"
Oh, I must have been doing my usual skim reading..I tell you what, I will have another look, can't say fairer that that..
Bob
Rachel, we all care about you. thank you for everything that you do. Unlike Stephen, dlog, Mr C and Mr Dragon (Bob), I am still shy about putting my views out there. At the moment 'little me' is wrestling with 'bigger me' now that I have made, what for me, is a big decision. 'Little me' is telling me I am an idiot, and 'bigger me' is saying thank God, about time too!' In the meantime you put one foot in front of the other and keep looking ahead. Good luck with ALL your projects Rachel, same goes for everyone else too. Good Luck!
Hey rachel ,From ireland ,enjoy ur blog & wanna let u no ur appreciated ,no how ur feelin wit the why bother bit ,closed my business about a yr ago and 240 applications ltr still havent managed to find a job,Keep ur head up :)
Why bother indeed.
To know that you changed a life. Altered someone's course. Inspired someone. Made someone happy. Brought a smile to someones face. Gave something back, when you thought you had nothing to give. Rallied yourself, when you were down. Fought the battles you thought you could not win. Persisted when all sane people thought you were crazy. And lived a life worthy of your potential. Keep going my son, for the future is your's, embrace it.
Things will improve. ;-)
Hi Rachel,
Would you like to share how your MBS event turned out?
Divine light to all,
Karma like my cat's name :)
By MBS event do you mean the Mind Body Spirit Festival?
That doesn't happen until the end of May... So it will be interesting to see how that one 'flows'.
R
PS Re: past webinars they are all available in 'The Vault' area of www.rachelelnaugh.me
I go away for a few weeks and look what happens; you have a crisis of confidence. It's an effect I have on most people but usually the crisis occurs when I arrive not leave...
Sorry I have been silent but I've been busy making money (DLOG's printing skills have come in handy).
As for your post about the death of the high street, are you really surprised? It always amazes me when people bemoan the shops closing in their towns and villages. When you ask them whether they ever shopped there there is usually an embarrassed silence.
C
Welcome back Mr C!
Re: the local shops, the reason I was going to the shops was to spend some money !!! And then I got there and they were all closed down...
In Bakewell it's more about appealing to the 2million visitors though, than the 8,000 people who live here.
No doubt they'll all re-open as Bakewell Pudding shops...
Although I am tempted to open a sex shop called 'The Bakewell Tart' selling novelty tat...
A Peak District version of Ann Summers if you like.
Do you think that would work Mr C? And if so, would you come and be our official guest for the opening?
R
Hmm Mr C,
"(DLOG's printing skills have come in handy).".
I am curious, please explian the above, as it seems I've been stitched up a bit!!
Hey Rachel, I'll come and open the TART shop, it'll be a pleasure.
dlog
DLOG
He said he was busy 'making money'...
Actually you're less likely to get caught via minting coins - or so I read in the paper this week - much easier to counterfeit than paper money so I understand...
R
Rachel, yeah, busy making money using my skills, I thought he was honest and genuine, just goes to show you can't really trust anyone.
Had I known I could have charged for my skills, but then he probably would not have come to me.
Oh well, I'll take it as another lesson learn't again...
JUST STOP TRUSTING PEOPLE, period!!
dlog
Food for thought, easiest paper money to counterfeit is;
the US DOLLAR.
Most difficult;
the JAPANESE YEN.
dlog
DLOG
Time to elope to America ;-)
R
Or better still, counterfeit loads of US Dollars and Gold Coins, and elope to Dubai or UAE!!!!!!!!!
dlog
Not a good move, they frown on alcohol there - and white wine is £16 a glass...
:-)
"A Peak District version of Ann Summers if you like."
Knitted sex-aids and elicit videos of 'One man and his dog' no doubt.
The sex industry has its merits. The margins are fabulous and the liberal trend makes the market less illicit. An upmarket type of Ann Summers I think might work. The key, like Ann Summers, is to aim it squarely at women.
I think if I started something I would of course feel the need to work at the front line in this business, helping advise my upmarket female clients about sex...
C
Sort of agree C, but i wouldn't be advisng, I would be a demonstrator..........heehee!!
I like being a practical man!!
Sex industry is one of the, if not the most lucrative industries in the world. I mean when you think about it, it is the only pastime that is FREE, so in a recession what is more desirable.
Rachel
Have you read "Flow - the psychology of optimal experience"? You talk about flow a lot and you might find this interesting. I'm only half way through but Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounce that one - I thought mine was tricky!) is regarded as the uber guru of flow as I understand it.
Regards
Carlo
Rachel
Have you read "Flow - the psychology of optimal experience"? You talk about flow a lot and you might find this interesting. I'm only half way through but Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounce that one - I thought mine was tricky!) is regarded as the uber guru of flow as I understand it.
Regards
Carlo
Rachel
Have you read "Flow - the psychology of optimal experience"? You talk about flow a lot and you might find this interesting. I'm only half way through but Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounce that one - I thought mine was tricky!) is regarded as the uber guru of flow as I understand it.
Regards
Carlo
Rachel
Have you read "Flow - the psychology of optimal experience"? You talk about flow a lot and you might find this interesting. I'm only half way through but Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounce that one - I thought mine was tricky!) is regarded as the uber guru of flow as I understand it.
Regards
Carlo
Oops sorry for the tripartite post - its all new to me!
Carlo
Yes I've heard of that book but not read it... So I will - and I will let you know how I get on!
Rachel
I care!
I have just been busy moving house and as a result now problems with our current ISP letting me down so can't even get onto webinars at the moment (until Tuesday hopefully).
However I value your posts and have been looking forward to catching up on them for the last month.
Sorry Rachel. I got too tied up watching the American economy collapse and wondering why I'm not losing money like everyone else. No, seriously, I got all tied up in home renovations and working on my own sites and just let you slide. I promise I will get back to stalking you from Cleveland, Ohio as soon as is practical.
Best wishes.
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