“It’s been brilliant!” Find out how Double Your Profits helped fashion stylist Sally Smy
Not getting the results you want from your business but don’t know what to do? Here’s how Double Your Profits helped fashion stylist Sally Smy.
Sally Smy is a personal stylist and founder of Queen Bee Styling. Before setting up her business 10 years ago, Sally had a successful 18 year career in fashion buying working for leading high street retailers.
Sally’s aim is to show people simple and effective ways to create a stylish wardrobe that plays to their strengths. She is passionate about helping people feel fabulous and confident in the clothes they wear and be the best version of themselves.
Sally is recommended on The Parenting and Professional panel of experts, is a partner of Capability Jane and contributed to the book ‘A New Way for Mothers’ by Louise Webster from Beyond The School Run.
Covid-19 permitting, she runs workshops and talks at many women’s networks and has recently created a successful online course Halve your wardrobe and double your outfits.
Sally started our 12-week business transformation programme Double Your Profits in September 2019. We asked her how she found the experience.
What made you decide you needed help with your business?
I had been running my business for 10 years. When I’d started it my children were young, but I was at the stage where my youngest child was off to secondary school and I was ready to step up a gear.
I knew I needed help. I was working quite hard, but I just felt like I was treading water and not really getting very far considering the amount of hours I was putting in.
I wasn’t really making the money that I wanted to make, either. Previously I had a really good salary, and even though I wasn’t expecting to match that, I felt that I should be earning more from my business considering my experience.
So I wanted help to concentrate on the financial side of the business.
If you had left things as they were, what do you think would have happened?
I wouldn’t have had the focus and knowhow to actually drive the business forward from a financial point of view.
When you work on your own it’s hard because you don’t have anyone to feed off, so I think that’s been really important. Just having accountability and also someone there to listen to your ideas and help you bounce off.
If I hadn’t got help, I think I would have just carried on working too many hours and beating myself up for not making more money.
How do you approach looking for help?
I had been toying with investing in myself and my business for about a year, and I knew that some form of coaching would be useful. But I wasn’t specifically sure what, so I had been exploring.
I’d signed up for a couple of business strategy programmes, I had a call with a coach and I had attended a few events. I even looked into getting a social media manager, but nothing felt quite right so I didn’t go through any of those.
How did you first hear about Double Your Profits?
I had been following the Talented Ladies Club for a while, because I’m a mother in business and ambitious.
So I’ve always read the articles and emails, and when the email came through about the webinar I was very interested because it was specifically about the financial side of business, and I felt like I’d done a lot of work on the other side of the business and now needed to concentrate on the money.
Did you have any worries about starting the course?
Just making it pay for itself. Many business owners, especially women, struggle to invest in themselves. But from watching the webinar and following Hannah for several years, I had complete confidence it would be value for money.
And what I liked about the programme was that it was well structured and serious, and profit-based. It’s not just about making a bit of money on the side.
How did you find the course?
I thought it was brilliant. I loved the learning platform and the fact you can do it at your own pace. It had well-structured modules and came from a really solid business background.
It contained plenty of grounded business knowledge, and not just someone saying you can make a seven-figure sum and telling you how fantastic you are, and being there lots of empty superlatives.
Double Your Profits was solid and knowledgeable and properly structured, and you knew that if you did the work you’d get results. I found it really straightforward and easy to follow.
How is your business and life different now?
I know how to sell! Before I’d be like, “Oh, I’m quite busy, it’s fine”. Now I have a monthly target and I push myself to reach it. So the course has definitely focused my mind on different ways to increase my profit; it’s really helped me to focus on the money.
The Coronavirus put a bit of a spanner in the works, but it made me more resilient, and more focused on adapting and changing my business. And with Talented Ladies Club’s help I created and sold an online course in lockdown, which helped.
What results have you achieved?
From a practical point of view, it’s making sure I’ve got plans for the month. It has definitely focused me on making plans and ensuring I’m in the driving seat in my business. And I know how to grow my profits.
Not every plan works out, but I know that I’m doing my best and I’m proactive rather than reactive. When things go quiet I know what to do now.
When I first started Double Your Profits I sent out some emails using the exercise in week two, and I got new business and increased my turnover. I secured a £900 booking just from one email I sent in week two.
The emails that I was sending out really worked in terms of getting more business in, and I had the best November I’ve ever had. That was just purely by focusing on my targets and making them happen.
How do you feel about your decision to join?
It’s completely changed the way I look at my business. So it’s been it’s been brilliant.
Who would you recommend the course to?
I would recommend it to a small business owner who is working too hard and not making enough money. Maybe someone who started a sideline business and now wants to earn more.
For me, running a sideline business was definitely the right thing to do when my children were little and I wanted to work part time around them. But now my circumstances have changed and this is the job I want to do, so it needs to pay.
So if anyone is hoping to make their business really earn the money they need, they should definitely join.
And who would you recommend doesn’t join?
Anyone that’s not really serious about their business. Anyone that’s doing it is a bit of a sideline and is not prepared to put the hours in.
The course really works, but you have to do the work and follow the process. Each module builds on the other modules so you start to see real progress. And you get systems to help you work smarter, not harder.
So I think if anyone’s not prepared to commit the time, or is not really sure what they’re doing with their business, I probably wouldn’t do it.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about joining?
Do it. You won’t regret it if you put the hours in, and you’re confident in your business and know that’s what you want to do. The course even has a money back guarantee, which I think shows how confident Hannah is that it works.
It’s money well spent and you won’t regret it.
Love to find out what Double Your Profits can do for YOUR business? Find out more here.
