The 5 things I've stopped doing, so my small business can grow without me burning out.

13 Feb

Well, hello. It's been a good 6 weeks since I wrote my last edition of the long game. January and February have been filled with new clients and setting the foundations for the year ahead. Last year was my year of trying new things; this year is my year of calm and solidifying what works for both my clients and me.

As you'll know, when building a business its a constant stream of daily decisions, big and small, and you can get decision fatigue pretty easily. The key is to know your strategy (where you are going and how you'll get there), which will not eliminate those decisions, but it will make them much easier to make.

These are things I'm clear about for 2026:

my target market (who I can help the most and enjoy working with)
the services I'll be delivering, and when
the sales and marketing that work best for my business
knowing my operations are set up to scale, without creating more work for me
I know my capacity and can manage my calendar well to ensure I have space every week to work ON the business, business development and have time for myself

As a single Mum, running a business, I have to be very discerning with my time and energy as I grow. My biggest goal is to grow my business without losing myself or burning out, which means compromises and being very targeted in how I work.

So, here are some of the things I've stopped doing to better focus my time and enable more growth with less work (and I help my clients do the same thing)...

Stopping going to networking events that haven't worked for my business

In-person networking accounts for a third of my clients, so it's a very important part of my business growth. And as we all know, there are so many different events to choose from, and they can eat up time. I'm happy to invest my time and energy into networking because I know it gives me a return, but the key is going to the right event.

I invested a lot of time over the last 18 months going to new events, and on analysis, they have not given me a return. They were lovely people, and they have given me a new community and friendships, but business-wise, I've not had the return on investment. So I'm not going to them anymore. And instead, I'll test out some new ones.

Closed down my online subscription for small business owners - The Strategy Space

In November 2025, I launched a new subscription to help small business owners, freelancers and consultants carve out the space for planning and working ON their business every month. It had been on my mind to try for years, so I went for it. We had some fabulous leaders in there, and it worked well, but...I'm an in-person girl. And as convenient as online is, it just didn't feel quite right, so I didn't really try to sell it, which wasn't fair for the people in there, and wasn't then a good use of my time. So, I decided to close the group this month.

It's OK to try things and pivot if it's not right. It's given me time back in my calendar to divert into other services that are tested, and I know work well.

Stopped offering a single strategy day as my default main service

I'm known for delivering transformational Strategy Days for small business owners and consultants. And they are my absolutely favourite service to deliver, you know, when you feel in flow, that's what strategy days are for me. But offering a single strategy day was a problem... my clients get better results when working with me longer term, and I was having to work hard to continually get new clients, plus my recurring income was limited.

So over the last year, I have made the switch to working with clients longer term. We still always start with a strategy day, but now 80% of people work with me long term, rather than a one-off strategy day. It is better for my clients and has meant I need to spend less time generating new leads, and my recurring income has given me great financial stability.

Stopped using AI for writing content

Now I know you are probably thinking, but using AI will save you time, so why stop using it for content? It's because using AI means I lost my voice, it made me vanilla, and I started sounding like everyone else. It was saving me time, but it reduced the impact of my content, which actually reduced the ROI of using it.

I read so many emails and posts that have the same cadence and structure, and words, and I immediately know it's AI and stop reading it. I don't want that for my own content. So, the payoff is that I am writing less, but it's all my words (apart from checking for spelling and grammar!), and the content is having a bigger positive impact. I've noticed an uplift in replies to my weekly emails to subscribers, and my content feels better, more unique, more me and more directed at my target market.

Stopped trying to work with 'bigger' small businesses, which was all ego

My sweet spot for clients is service-based, £60k through to £1million. From no team to a small team. I work with people outside of these, but 80% of my clients fall here. Last year, I tried to target small businesses up to £5 million without really thinking why. Because I LOVE the smaller business or consultant, and they are who I can help the most. It was all ego and shoulds, so over Christmas I reset, remembered who I can help the most and have refocused for this year.

It means I am clear about what networking to go to, the content to create, the events to speak at, and the services to keep or let go. And boy, does it feel easier and like a weight has lifted. I was pulling myself in too many directions. This single decision will save me the most time and energy this year over everything else.

Building a business is always about the long game, constant adjustments, decisions and changes. And all of this is made easier when you know your strategy, and you know yourself. I know this year will be my year of calm and control, because despite a very busy start to the year, I'm not stressed, I'm having fun, and I'm looking forward to what 2026 will bring.

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