The Crawshaw Group

11/29/2025

Its been a long, long time since I've posted here and I wanted to fill in some blanks that have recently been posited to me.

When I started my business, I noted three things that I wanted to achieve as markers of success. The first was to hit several industry benchmarks that indicated excellence in my work. The second was to earn one of two industry awards. And the third was to earn a certain dollar amount that was personally significant.

Last year, while trying to figure out how I could continue in my business and become a full time care partner for my parents, I realized I had achieve these goals. As I was looking at how I could possibly create more than 24 hours in a day, I realized that whether *I* was ready or not, retirement was the best option. I drew my client work to a close and stepped into a new phase.

Dad passed away just about exactly a year ago after a long stretch on hospice, just in time for my mum to experience a ridiculously difficult series of health dominoes that just kept coming. This last step, a brain tumor removal, seems to be - finger crossed and said in a very hushed voice lest the fates hear - the conclusion to this difficult period. Although you would never know it from meeting her, Mum is almost 90 and even though she has successfully - quite atypically well, according to her providers - supporting her now through the rest of her recovery feels like a true blessing.

A couple of years ago, we moved to our "retirement" house - a lovely place near the ocean with an extremely handy in-law condo. While Mum and Dad jazzed the condo up beautifully with a new kitchen and bathroom that rivals any luxury spa, we have done nothing in the main house and it is time! I am starting to dip my toes in designing my dream kitchen - can anyone say double dishwashers, warming drawers and a built in salamander? - and figuring out whether I want to go all dark hardwood or lighter with border details and a compass rose in the front entry. Focusing on domestic joys is a foreign concept, thanks to the tightrope unicycle riding greased glass ball juggling act that was building and running my business solo for so many years. I loved every minute of it, especially watching clients make bank using legal hacks, but this is a new paradigm indeed.

I have no advice to offer about picking the right time to retire. I suspect for many people, it will be their lives telling THEM it's the right time. I am still an avid consumer of information, news and announcements about how small businesses can and do thrive and grow. I am always happy to share insights, thoughts and endorsements on ideas, programs and concepts that work to a small business owner's advantage. And I will be a very active lurker here and elsewhere on the web.

Be well, do all things with joy and be sure to connect with the ones you love often.

Send a message to learn more

04/25/2024

Wouldn't you love to be able to make sure you've hit all the "SEOrogenous" spots the bots love to see every time you publish content on your website?

My super handy "Ultimate Before You Publish a Post" checklist has everything you need to do to ensure the very best chance that your content will get served up before you competition. I even include a handy User Guide so you know exactly how to get the most SEO packed into each piece of content.

A bonus? Each week (roughly) you will get SEO News You Can Use, an easily digestible, useful piece of information that can help you DIY your SEO.

Go to https://thecrawshawgroup.com/makemyinboxsizzle and grab this killer checklist!

02/04/2024

Here is your annual PSA from the daughter of a florist. Long, but worth the info (IMO, LOL),

Every year, I worked the crazy days in Mum's shop - Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter..... And every year, I was the gatekeeper for the "service" orders - orders placed through the "800" number flower clearinghouses.

I can tell you that if you place a $60 order through a florist you are going to get roughly MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH product in your delivered item than if you place an order of the same amount through one of the clearinghouses. I know because I've done the math. And the more you spend, the bigger the gap between what you will get from the local florist than with the clearinghouse order. So a $100 order you will get almost 150% MORE PRODUCT when you order direct.

ALL the clearinghouses take tons of fees - a "wire" fee, padded delivery charges (one place charges customers $25 no matter what where a local deliver at the flower shop was $8 - that's a $16 profit THEY made for NOTHING.), a "locator" fee (them looking up the shop), their commission on top of all the other fees, etc. It's disgusting.

So, what should you do? Simply search "Florist {TOWN NAME}, skip any and all "sponsored" links and scroll down to the "Places" block. Check out their ratings, their websites and choose from there.

And if you are in the Attleboro, MA/Cumberland, RI area, there is no one better than Flowers by the Station. Mum owned it for ~40 years and now it's run by Jennifer Guerin who has kept all of the best things about it - the awesome designers, the quality, the legendary service, the artistry - and is making it even better every day.

Call ahead to be sure you can get what you want (or order on their website - it's SO easy to use!).

Remember, GO LOCAL!!!

01/11/2024

I have to put a near-tears of gratitude shout out to the Nikola Family at Smart Sips Coffee. My dad loves one particular flavor of their very popular coffee and even in his fog looks forward to and relishes his daily coffee break. I was trying to order his coffee and then MY favorite and was having troubles due to there being quantity issues.

I reached out with a question and Frank Nikola immediately made what I wanted available from what I am pretty sure was his personal stash and got my order through almost instantly. This was NOT a big order!

THIS is the way {this is the way} (IYKYK) - And here's the thing. Even if they could NOT have fulfilled my order, I would still be mouth-open gobsmacked at the level of care and empathy Frank had as to my "gap".

Delivering good service doesn't have to be hard. It just has to be kind. And the folks at Smart Sips Coffee have clearly made that part of how they do business. I will be a customer for life.

01/01/2024

Have you chosen your Words of 2024?

This year my Words of 2024 are "CHOOSE Your Struggle". (It was "CHOOSE Your Hard but some people thought I was being fresh. Me. Can you imagine?)

Getting exercise in every day is a struggle. So is being stiff, achy and overweight. Choose.

Being up front and honest about something difficult can be a struggle. So can the consequences of letting it build up. Choose.

Dragging your ass to the store because you are out of everything can be a struggle. So can having to pay for and eat takeout - AGAIN. Choose.

This year, with all the "struggles" I am managing - if you know me, you know - I am choosing to CHOOSE which "hard" I want to experience rather than letting IT choose me.

What about you? What's your go forward phrase for the new year?

11/26/2023

On the blog - optimized for your enjoyment (see if you can spot the SEORogenous zones!) is a post all about what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Come get some different ideas for what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers that isn't soup or a sandwich - empty that fridge!

09/12/2023

https://thecrawshawgroup.com/freeSEOstarterkit

02/22/2023

If you get my newsletter, you know I've been banging the gong about warning people of AI generated copy. Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest, summed things up BEAUTIFULLY this morning. Worth the watch!

Bill Ready joins “GMA” to talk about the danger of AI as it gets more powerful and the impact it could have on social media.

01/20/2023

Are you a member of Pepperlane? Did you receive the sad news today that they are closing up shop? Do you have an active profile?

Today I sent a very important message to my subscribers for what you need to do RIGHT NOW to make sure you don't lose all the connections and web heat you've garnered on your Pepperlane profile.

This is NOT a drill - don't lose out!

If you are a Pepperlane member and you are on top of your email, you know that today Sharon Kan announced that she is closing Pepperlane as of the end of this month. And if you ...

06/13/2022

What a GREAT way to start the week! Awesome brain share with the folks in Balanced Networking For Entrepreneurs