TLSE'S HEIDI ALBERTIRI ON REASSESSING IN BUSINESS

Winter is coming, and everyone knows what those cooler months are about. But no, we're not talking about red wine, warm fireplaces, roast dinners, snuggling under blankets or binge watching Netflix, we're talking about cocooning and turning inward - but in a different sense. The theme of retreats and buckling down during winter is one that carries over to business.

And believe us, TLSE is no exception! We caught Heidi for just a minute between crazy emailing and phone calls to grill her about the importance of reassessing in business, where to look for improvement, common mistakes, frequently asked questions, and a sneaky hint at what's in the works here at TLSE.

Winter is the season for cocooning and buckling down - how should businesses be looking to do the same?

I guess COVID was like an enforced winter where we had to take stock of what was working and what wasn't, so hopefully by now we are putting in to place our discoveries and turning them into a refreshed, more organised, strategy focused business. With all the ducks in a row, I think it's time to hustle, it's the calm before the storm as the lead up to warmer months and then Christmas will be bigger than we have known for some time. The ripple effect will be felt across the board and it's time to prepare for the best case scenario.

Why is it so important to reassess regularly?

Everything changes so fast and there are so many factors that we aren't even aware of that have an impact on our businesses. It's important to reassess to see if everything is still lining up. It's no different for TLSE, 5.5 years on and we are still defining who we are and our messaging. Trends change, people see different things, words can even take on a whole new meaning. Look at how the word 'pivot' was thrown around in the last year! We need to constantly tweak and continue to be relevant.

Quote I am living by right now...

“If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got”

... it's just a little reminder to step outside of our norm occasionally.

What are some of the areas to look to for improvement?

Sounds strange, but I always look to myself first to see what I need to be working or focusing on. I find that if I am always pushing myself, looking inwards and working on that then my game is strong working on the business. I can be clearer and more focused on what needs to be done.

What’s the most frequently asked question you’re seeing right now?

"How do I fit everything into my day?"

We hear it all too often, and as solo business owners it can be hard to keep up to date with everything you need to do to tick all the boxes. Sometimes it feels like just when you start to get on top of things, it's Friday and the week is done again.

Outsource where you can and if you are not posting daily on your socials for your business because you just don't have enough time, then it's time to pass it over to someone to take care of it for you to free yourself up to do what you do best.

What’s a mistake all businesses should avoid (and how can they do so)?

No guessing... business is about the facts. The numbers. If you don't know what is coming and what is going out, you are just flying in the dark. Do the numbers, have a forecast, have goals and a strategy and work towards each step with clarity on how you are going to get there and what you do when you do get there. All brands need a forecast and a strategy.

Can you give us some insight into how TLSE will be reassessing this season?

Well I can't give too much away, but we will be making a notable visual change soon, we love our look but after a few years we have noticed there are so many similar looking brands now so we want to shake things up a bit.

Reassessing is good to do constantly, as a business owner I am always looking at the areas of the business that need some love and care or a different perspective and evolving that. It's important though not to change things drastically too often as you have to be careful not to send mixed messages to your audience.

Do a little audit of your business, socials, website, messaging, ads etc. and make sure they are talking the same language.

Need help reassessing? Check out our list of services here.