Have you heard the news? Well if you’ve been following your friendly neighborhood marketer you would know that I have given birth to a healthy and happy baby boy.

This little man had a strong desire to be here, a full eighteen years after his older sister

Yep, you read right…….EIGHTEEN FULL YEARS LATER!!!!

Don’t ask how or why, just accept that he was meant to be here and, in homage to my dad I named him Malcolm.

This pregnancy, however, did take a toll on me……who knew that being pregnant in your thirties was considered ‘old’. I was frequently in and out of the hospital with a plethora of problems. The doctor actually said to me that it’s very rare for one person to have so many issues and I had to be monitored regularly…….that’s what I get for taking so long in between pregnancies I guess; but with even with all that was going on in my personal life, my business did not miss a beat.

So many persons said, “OMG Carla!! You worked right up until the end!!!” but honestly all I did was plan ahead. Here’s how I did it:

 

I AUTOMATED MY LIFE

Mail Chimp became my best friend. As a strategic marketing guru, I had my Q2 of 2018 planned out so I already knew what my focus was going to be. Every piece of copy and promotional email was mapped out and scheduled weeks in advance. With most of my time being in the hospital, I knew I had to keep my list engaged so I ensured that everything was crafted to not only give value but to ensure my people that I’m just an email away. While I live on Mail Chimp, there are other management systems that you can use such as Ontraport, Constant Contact and Aweber to name a few. Just choose the one that’s right for you and make your life that much easier.

 

I SCHEDULED ALL MY MEDIA

I knew that my little guy was going to make his grand appearance soon, so I planned way ahead. Social Media was scheduled with Hootsuite, Facebook & Instagram advertising was mapped out and even radio commercials were running. Every piece of content, every image and promotional material in place weeks ahead.  My time was limited and, to be honest, I really did not know how I would feel once the baby came. There were times I was so exhausted from all the tests, but knowing all these things were in place made me feel a lot better. You too can use Hootsuite or even schedule directly on Facebook. There are other social media management tools such as Buffer, Meet Edgar or Tailwind, but they all do the same thing so choose one and make sure you have a clear strategy in place to ensure your content is on point.

 

I MADE SURE THERE WAS A WAY TO GET PAID

Oh yes, I needed to make sure that there was a way customers could pay for what they needed. What’s the sense scheduling all these promotional posts and emails if there was no way to collect? I used Wave accounting to send out my invoices on time and installed PayPal to receive payment. So while I was laid up on a hospital bed, my bank account was not suffering. It is crucial you find a way to ensure that you can collect payment from customers who want what you have. Locally may businesses use WiPay or Paywise while some international payment collection systems include 2checkout or Stripe.

 

I LEANED ON MY TEAM

Trust me, with all the help technology can offer, nothing beats having a team of persons who can get your stuff done. My Virtual Assistant was dream come true attending to any phone calls, emails and responding to any queries that came in. My IT specialist ensured that technology worked and my branding specialist made sure the business still maintained a professional look. Granted there may be a few business owners who are unable to invest in a team, but do invest in someone you may need right now to help.  may not be ready to invest in a team, but what I can say is look for who you need right Maybe a VA with experience in graphic design and social media experience? Just a thought….but you will know the type of support you need.  You cannot do it all yourself so invest in who you need and get going.

 

So that’s how I survived my months of Malcolm and trust me, if I could do it (belly and all) you can do it to. Life happens or sometimes we just need a break, your business does not have to suffer. So go on that vacation, take that time off, or, in my case, have that baby………there’s really nothing stopping you from making the money you know you deserve.

 

While I spoke a lot about planning what you really need comprehensive strategy beforehand. That will dictate your content and even how you interact with your team. If preparing a marketing strategy that’s exclusive to you is something that fills you with dread, I want to help you by offering  Strategic Marketing Coaching with Carli where, we focus exclusively on marketing your business.  Over 90days I will show you the marketing tactics that you need to implement in your business right now to grow your business. Click the link for more information.

As always, if you’re interested in Keep up with Carli to get free marketing training and advice feel free to like my Facebook business page at Carli Communications. (Don’t forget to click the follow button and set your notifications so you don’t miss a thing)