Nicole Royer Freelance

01/15/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #13

Most businesses need to hire a consultant to solve a problem that they have at one time or another.

Read more on my blog: https://medium.com//6-ways-to-grow-your-business-by-hiring-a-business-consultant-8efe06d0e9bc

01/13/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #12 - Manage your information diet - only let in things that help you meet your goals.

Between books you should read, websites you should bookmark, social media you should follow, and random pieces of advice from well-meaning friends and family, you are constantly inundated with information. Knowing what information is helpful and what isn't is a key skill entrepreneurs need to have. You could spend your career as a student - researching, but never doing. Or, you could be picky and only take in the information that helps you to meet your goals, like building on a strength or skill you have or want to learn.

A lot of the information that exists won't directly impact you or your goals, so only take in that which makes your stronger, savvier, and smarter. Everything else is a literal waste of time.

01/12/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #11 - Connect with the been there, done thats. Engage with the curious and creative. Your network builds who YOU are.

Look at the people you talk to every day. Think about how the push you, inspire you, and help you grow. If the people you surround yourself with aren't helping you reach your goals, you need to add to your circle.

The time in my life where I felt most empowered was when I started seeking out business owners, inventors, creatives, and leaders. I asked them whatever questions came to mind in order to understand how they got where they got. Instead of being annoyed, these people took a personal interest in me and my success and helped to connect me to the resources I needed to grow. That information and encouragement allowed me to create and sell businesses, advise companies of all sizes, get published in top magazines and business publications, and even be called "Wonder Woman" in a book that you can find in almost any bookstore.

With the right network, you can gain access to anything you need.

01/12/2022

Despite being introverted, I enjoy public speaking. There's something incredibly empowering about sharing my perspective about things I've learned with others, whether it be in a webinar, podcast, or keynote presentation.

A couple years ago, I spoke to several organizations about anxiety and leadership - and this was feedback I received after someone signed up! The fact is, I'm not fearless, but I'm not too afraid to talk myself out of hard and scary things. Getting in the habit of doing the hard things in spite of fear is a huge lesson I've learned and it's allowed me to speak at dozens of businesses and organizations on various business and personal development topics.

Starting in February, I'm launching a weekly podcast and a monthly live webinar to help entrepreneurs overcome their own challenges to build and grow their businesses in a BIG way. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter on the website to stay informed about these free events!

Helping entrepreneurs who are ready to level up their lives with the right resources and information to succeed.

01/11/2022

Entrepreneur Tip # 10 - Tell your story. There's nothing worse than a business without a point of view.

Have you ever been to a networking event or met a new person and they described themself with a label? For example, I used to introduce myself as a business consultant. How boring!

When talking about your business and your role in your business, tell a story, don't explain with a generic label. A few years ago, I was working with an amazing organization that provided diapers to those in the community that needed them. The director introduced herself as the "Executive Director of The Diaper Alliance." She wasn't getting any support from those she met at community events and wanted to gain more support for their upcoming milestone.

We worked together to pull the important story out and for the next few events, she introduced herself like this: "I'm the director of an organization that will be giving out our one millionth diaper this month. Imagine the impact of one diaper on a family in need. Now imagine the impact of one million. I'm Debi, the founder of The Diaper Alliance and we need your help to provide our two millionth diaper."

It's a little wordier, but your introduction is the most important 20-30 seconds you get when you meet someone new, so why not add impact? Her introduction pulled you in with a need, a tangible number, an impact statement, and introduction, and an ask. Crafting and sharing your story can be the difference between just collecting a business card and making a true connection.

01/10/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #9 - Building the right team is one of the hardest and most important part of growing your business.

A lot of entrepreneurs wait until they are swamped, stressed, and behind to make their first hire - and that sets their business up for failure from the start. By planning your hiring needs before you need them, you can keep your business running without treating team building as a knee jerk reaction. Your team should be a mix of talent, personality, and agility that grows your business, not a source of stress that stalls it when hires don't work out.

Good hiring and training practices as well as clear procedures and onboarding will help you to find and retain the right talent or make a hire quickly if that talent doesn't pan out. Growing your team should grow your business more efficiently, and with the right strategy, it will!

01/10/2022

I love working with my consulting clients - this quote reflects how I want each and every person I work with to feel. After almost 18 years, I still love hearing positive comments from the companies I serve. Advising businesses - startups and growing - is something I enjoy every single day.

Send me a message if you're interested in having a chat about how I can help you and your business!

01/07/2022

We've been making a ton of changes to the programs and offerings, and soon the website is going live!

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on our BIG news.

01/07/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #6 - You cannot do it all. You're not good at everything - and that's okay as long as you delegate tasks to those who can do them!

Understanding your strengths and the reasons for why you are the right person to start or own your company is important. Anything that falls outside of what you do well and tasks that you do not have to own should be delegated.

You may not be able to do it right away - I've worked with many one-person shows before - but as soon as you can justify it, delegate it. This frees up your time and mental capacity to build on what you do well.

As an entrepreneur, you set the strategy and determine how money is made. Chances are, you drive the revenue. You can't do that if you're doing all of the work - delegating allows you to optimize your time to do those things!

Need help figuring out what you can get off your plate? Working with a consultant can help you focus on the work you need to own while helping you determine ways to delegate the work you don't! Message me for more info.

01/05/2022

When we're kids, we tend to draw colorful, imaginative pictures to show our ambitions. Add a cape and you're a superhero. Sketch long legs and all of a sudden you're 8 feet tall. With crayons and a little imagination, you can have polka dots all over your body, seven legs, a pet crocodile, or just about anything you can imagine. Proudly, we displayed our artwork on the refrigerator or covering our doors and walls to show off our work.

Fast forward to now, as adults. Our ambitions are organized in project boards and spreadsheets, hidden in files and folders on our computers. They're much more subdued and based on whatever data we can pull to support them. We use systems, like setting SMART goals, to get stuff done. Quite frankly, our goals tend to get a lot more boring as we age, especially in a business setting. Neither of these systems seem to work at accomplishing all of our goals, but one is a much better system, and it's probably not what you think.

Read more at the blog:

The following post was originally written for the PMI Michiana January 2022 newsletter. When we’re kids, we tend to draw colorful, imaginative pictures to show our ambitions. Add a cape and you’re a superhero. Sketch long legs and all of a sudden you’re 8 feet tall. With crayons and a little i...

01/04/2022

Entrepreneur Tip #3: Know your energy. Use it wisely.

Early on in my career, I decided to do a challenge for the entire year where I said YES to every single opportunity that came my way. I learned a lot about myself that year, especially that knowing my energy and using it wisely was key to my success. I spent a lot of time "being busy" rather than building my business.

Now, I know what time of day I do my best work - 7am - 10am. I know that Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most productive days of my work week. I know that I should do inspiring, creative, and brainstorming work after lunch to give me a natural boost of energy and that I should do work that I drag my feet on, like financials, first thing in the morning. I know that certain types of clients or project work drain me and I know which work excites me. All of these allow me to delegate my energy where it's actually needed.

Would you rather "be busy" or grow your business? Let's investigate the best times to plug in the work you need to do (and delegate the rest - which will be an upcoming tip in itself!). Comment below if you find yourself procrastinating, doing work that bores you, getting tired while working, or feeling pulled in too many directions -- all issues related to energy that are 100% fixable with the right advice and strategy.

Helping entrepreneurs who are ready to level up their lives with the right resources and information to succeed.

01/04/2022

I've been working with my client, AD, for two and a half years. We have a weekly consulting call to help guide her in growing her business. We've worked through so many different issues and strategies in our time together, including pivoting her entire business throughout COVID, so I really loved it when today she said "I wish I would have talked to you yesterday...I feel so confident in how to handle this problem now!"

Even though she's a professional in her industry, even though she has owned her business for 6 years, and even though she's been working with a business consultant for 2.5 years, she STILL sees the value in working with me every week.

Interested in learning more about my consulting programs? Grab time on my calendar to have a call with me here: www.calendly.com/meetnicoleroyer

Welcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.