Monday Mumpreneur with Tanya Smith

Every Monday we feature a mumpreneur who’s ready and willing to open up their lives to us.  They share with us their motivation, challenges and proudest moments in business and they also tell us how they take time to nurture themselves. It’s lovely to have them here at Mums Got A Business and we hope you enjoy connecting with them too.

I've great pleasure to introduce you to this week's mumpreneur.  She's a girl after my own heart - living on a farm surrounded by beautiful countryside, creating the business she wants around her family.  Bliss! And hard work lol.

We met via Bernadette Doyle (one of my Business Mentors) and have watched each other stretch and grow ever since.

Name: Tanya Smith

Website:  www.InnerGameProfits.com

Brief description

I give lots of actionable tips, and strategies to help solo business professionals attract more of their ideal clients, more easily, and master the marketing ‘stuff’ in their business, so that it’s fun instead of a chore. I specialise particularly in working with coaches, therapists, consultants and other service-based business owners – to show them how they can create more profits in their business through their marketing and sales, and also through becoming known as the expert in their niche.

How many children do you have?

Libby and Hannah – both 10 – yes twins!!

Where do you live?

Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, UK

PC or Mac?

PC, with occasional Mac aspirations!

Tell us about your business

From my Marketing background I worked for a decade for one of the largest food retailers in the UK, travelling the world managing  suppliers, which was a great learning ground. Following having my twins I retrained as a Master Practitioner of NLP and Hypnosis and set up a therapy business. I quickly realised that marketing in the digital age, and as a solopreneur was a whole different ball-game, so I went right back to basics and taught myself again, from the ground up! My passion became helping other solopreneurs with service based businesses to master these same back-to-basics marketing and sales strategies, and showing them how they can attract more ideal clients, and create a more leveraged profitable business rather than just trading their time for money.

What motivated you to become a mumpreneur?

Initially when I moved to the rural area where I now live, it was out of a desire to design my own business which was not reliant on only local face to face clients, simply because I knew that would always limit my business growth, so I wanted a way of being able to move beyond that business model.  Latterly though, I’ve realised that even if the perfect employee JOB was offered to me, I’d still want to be my own boss. It’s bloomin’ hard work at times, but the freedom of being able to design my own future, and build a business around my family commitments is something I wouldn’t want to give up.

What’s been your biggest challenge in business?

Definitely the techie stuff. Showing my age here, but I was of the age where computer lessons at school were just a half dozen, in the sixth form. Some of it has been genuine ignorance on my part, but some also has been a limiting belief of not being very good at it. Also there have been practical challenges with broadband speeds living in the back of beyond!

How have you overcome it?

Lots of strict talkings to myself – after all, if the kids at school can do it, I sure as heck can too! Also lots of trial and error, and just making myself get in and have a go. If you’d told me a few years ago I’d be delivering virtual training to clients all over the world via video and web-based tools I would have laughed, yet here I am doing it! (I still chuckle when my friends tell me I’m the techie one lol!) On a more serious note, I also invested in a Virtual Assistant very early on in my business – and she’s a techie genius, so gives me the much needed backup of doing all the bits I choose to hand over to her, so I can focus on the parts of the business which I know I’m best at.

What’s been your proudest business moment?

Every time one of my clients, or followers tells me that my advice has helped them in their business is a hugely proud moment. I never tire of the thrill of being able to give people strategies which actually make a positive difference to how their business develops, and how they can impact in a bigger way with their own clients as a result.

What’s your catchphrase or favourite quote?

Hmm – my catchphrase is ‘Get focused, make your plan, have fun, and take massive action for your business success’

What do you do to relax or nurture yourself?

Walk the dogs (they tell me MOST regularly that it’s in my best interest!), spend time chilling with the family, gardening which I love,  and reading a good crime thriller now and again

What was the last treat you bought for yourself?

Some geraniums to go in my office. The smell of the leaves transports me straight back to childhood days in my Granny’s garden

Favourite colour:  I can’t pick just one, so it has to be blue and pink

Favourite flowers

All the wildflowers we are lucky enough to have here on the farm – foxgloves, red campion, primroses, bluebells, honeysuckle, fuschia, dog roses – beats the bought ones hands down!

What one piece of advice would you like to give to a new mumpreneur?

Good enough is good enough. Take imperfect action because if you wait for perfection you’ll never get going. Focus on getting the next step done, and then the next. Get a great support team in place (even if it’s informal such as through social media). Get a good mentor – they will stretch you in a way you never can yourself. Give equal weight to your marketing and clients attraction as to your service delivery – it’s what will build your awesome business. And – be kind to yourself! (That was more than one piece, but I’ve just got too much to share to keep it to one )

Fancy featuring as one of our amazing mums? Drop me an email over on the contact page and I’ll be in touch.   And remember to drop by every Monday to welcome our latest profiled mum.