Entrepreneurial by Raylene Symons
Starting a business I could run from a boat is somethin g that I began working towards in 2015.
ENTREPRENEURIAL (adjective) - willing to work hard and take risks in order to build up a business
By the time we moved onboard full time in February 2017, I had quit my full time corporate job, and had started what was initially a small writing business.
I took on writing projects for clients who already knew me, and wrote articles for print and online magazines about the things I was passionate about.
I was published in industry journals on topics related to my former corporate career in change management and business, and even wrote a personal story for Cruising Helmsman about my first Blue Water passage for which I was paid.
But I was shy about marketing my services, I wasn’t really sure how to talk about what I did - or how to reach the people who needed my services.
I didn’t have a degree in writing or lots of experience as a writer (although I studied Journalism & Psychology at University and I knew I had the skills to do what I was doing!).
“You must take yourself seriously before anyone else will.”
I managed to scrape together a small annual income in 2017 and 2018, never quite managing to deliver on the plan for my partner to quit his job so we could actually take off full time.
However, as I worked to build my little business and tried to grow an income that would sustain me to travel the world, I invested in my knowledge and understanding of digital marketing, SEO and web design.
In the process, I rediscovered my passion for marketing and the confidence to promote my business.
Early in my career, before the corporate job, I had worked in marketing roles for sporting clubs and event management.
Marketing was a different world then and digital marketing was yet to come into it’s own - but I remember loving it at the time.
As my digital marketing knowledge grew, I found myself excitedly talking to friends with businesses, as well as my massage therapist; my hairdresser; the local fruit & vege shop owner; literally anyone who would spend 5 minutes with me, about what they could be doing, and how they could use digital marketing to grow their own businesses.
It took a good friend to pull me up one day and point out that when I spoke about digital marketing and helping people to grow and develop their businesses, it was obvious how passionate I was about it.
She told me, “Your eyes light up and you just glow whenever you start talking about it, that doesn’t happen when you talk about your writing. I know you are good at writing, but why aren’t you doing this marketing stuff as your business?”
It took me another few months to take her advice onboard, as I wondered if I was good enough to be able to help other people with their digital marketing.
“Stop letting your potential go to waste because you don’t feel confident or ready enough.”
I started small, developing my web design skills and taking on some web design projects including the Sistership Magazine website redesign. Adding some social media marketing for Cycle Sunshine Gran Fondo to the mix of writing projects I had.
Encouraged by the success of those initial digital marketing projects, I decided to stop hesitating and just go for it.
In May and June this year, I undertook a full business re-design and rebrand and launched Saltwater Digital Australia providing super affordable website design (because unlike the big agencies I have minimal overheads on a boat!), business marketing consulting, search engine optimisation, keyword-driven content creation and social media marketing for businesses just like my own - small, personal, passionate.
In October this year, I will launch a second business Websites for Tradies that focuses exclusively on Trade business websites in partnership with my brother who is a carpenter by trade.
Both these businesses are fully remote and can be run from anywhere in the world (which will be great if we ever get to travel beyond Queensland waters again!).
The best thing is, if I can maintain the growth I’ve had since launching in July this year, my partner being able to quit his job and us being able to travel full time is finally, truly within our grasp.
Starting and building a business is hard work. Starting and building a business that supports you to live aboard a boat, while travelling the oceans is, in my opinion, a dream that is worth the work.
“Ask yourself if what you are doing today, is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.”
2020 has been a crazy year. While there has been many difficult aspects to this year for so many people. But one thing that I am personally grateful for is the fact that now more than ever in history, running a business as a live-aboard, on a boat, while living on the ocean is more within people’s reach than ever before.
This year, the majority of the population learnt that meetings don’t need to be done in person, that working remotely is perfectly acceptable, and both in Australia and globally the number of people who were looking for and happily purchasing goods and services online increased dramatically.
87% of Australian consumers search for products and services online and 9 out of 10 Australian consumers purchase goods and services online every single month. That means that if you either run an online business, or are thinking about starting an online business there is literally no better time in history for you to do this.
If you have a business, but you are shy about telling people what you do, or you want to start a business that can give you the kind of freedom I was craving, I have a couple of pieces of advice that helped me move beyond where I was.
5 Things That Can Help You Build a Successful Online Business
- Write down your dream for your "boatlyfe" business - with a pen, on paper - not just in your head. Then go further and write down what you would need to do to achieve that dream. If the steps seem too big to achieve, break those steps down into smaller steps until they are things you can do today. Then start taking action.
“A dream written down becomes a goal, a goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action becomes reality.”
2. Get in the habit of asking yourself, “Does this support the life I’m trying to create?”
If it doesn’t, change it!
3. Aim for progress, not perfection as you tick off your actions and steps towards the dream.
4. Stop waiting for the right moment, to do what you need to do, the moment is now.
Success is achieved when you stop waiting for it, when you stop worrying about failing and make the most of the opportunities you have in front of you right now.
You will never always be motivated so you must learn to be disciplined and take action, even when you are not sure if you can do it.
5. Never forget how wildly capable you are. You are already 1000x braver than most people in business.
You are a woman who has already chosen a different path to most.
Learn to let the space between where you are, and where you want to be inspire you, not terrify you.
I would love to help you turn your "boatlyfe" business idea into reality!
If you have a business, are an author or run an online eCommerce venture and want a website that works better, or a refresh of your brand I would love to help you. If you are looking for someone who understands where you are coming from to support you to promote and grow your lifestyle business, get in touch.
Raylene Symons
Digital Creator, Website Designer, Sailor
Saltwater Digital Australia
SV Another Angel
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