The long road to Adelaide
Work hard, stay focused, and good things will happen.
Is this true?
I am still not sure, but this month has been an exhilarating, manic and fun attempt to find out. And it is making me believe that maybe the hard work and focus will pay off.
As I wrote last month, the adjustment I’m making from large corporate to small business has been filled with discoveries of how challenging this road is. But, I’ve been fortunate to have taken two long road trips during the past four weeks, giving me 24 hours in the car to reflect and think about the long game for Oola. I have also brought on some additional support from specialists in areas that are not my strength. And I can say that it has been worth every penny, especially when I find myself measuring things in my own energy levels.
After a month of being very inwardly focused, Oola has had a month of being very outwardly focused. My husband asked me one day whether I was doing something to connect with customers every day. And while most days that was yes, I gave myself a little personal challenge. Engage with the outside world and specifically our target audience once each day. It’s a little thing, but it makes so much difference. It has meant relationships built in real life, on Twitter, and on Facebook. It has included finding guest blogging opportunities in my target segment.
I have to believe that this will all start to pay off in greater awareness of Oola and therefore greater sales. In the meantime, I’ll remember to focus on my marketing campaigns, product selection, and website usability. My biggest challenge in the next month is create a mobile version of Oola. It’s one of those little things that could make a big difference, and something that’s lingered on my to do list for the past 6 months. Fortunately, Shopify makes it really easy … or so they say.
So amidst the juggle of school runs, sports, music, and life, hopefully next month I’ll be sharing with you news of a mobile site up and running.
And for each and every one of you, have a Happy Mother’s Day. Celebrate you and the love between mothers and children.
Kelly Brough is the owner of Oola.com.au, an online boutique selling stylish and fun toys that teach for kids ages 3-13. LikeOola on Facebook for new product announcements, special offers and giveaways or follow OolaAustralia on Twitter.
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This post originally appeared on Diary of a Mumpreneur on 10 May 2012.
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