We were lucky to catch up with Amber McCulloch recently and have shared our conversation below.
Amber, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I am never going back to a regular job. In fact, the memories of working a regular job motivate me to work harder to build my business. Every once in a while – at 3 am when I’m hopped up on my 7th coffee and racing to finish a client’s writing project by the deadline, I’ll think back to my days as a marketing director. Not with fondness – no – but with absolute certainty that no matter how hard things are right at this moment, I wouldn’t trade places with my former self for anything. Yes, I had a steady paycheck, a beautiful office, and lower health insurance premiums. But those perks came along with office politics, micromanaging bosses, an inflexible schedule, and the knowledge that I wasn’t being paid what I was worth. I am so much happier as a business owner and my only regret is staying in my “regular” job far longer than I should have!
Amber, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a marketing consultant and social media strategist for small businesses. There are so many marketing channels and strategies out there, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones to employ to connect with your core customers. I tailor my recommendations and services to a business owner’s needs, resources, budget, and personality. I have a full suite of services that I offer so that I can help you at every stage of your business. From monthly strategy sessions for those who just want ideas or guidance (or reminders!) for what to focus on in their marketing to full-service social media management and marketing–my packages are designed to meet the needs of the individual business owner. My clients appreciate my realistic recommendations and straightforward marketing approach.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
When I first started my marketing agency, I relied on my old professional contacts in the corporate world to pass along opportunities. That got my business off the ground, but the thing that kicked it into high gear was joining a weekly networking group for female professionals. This allowed me to develop deep, long-term relationships with other business owners and learn what their challenges were with marketing and social media. This was so helpful for determining the services I would offer. And the referrals generated by this group have been a game changer!
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
I think it’s imperative that small business owners and creatives have more than one revenue stream. There are always dry seasons and monsoons in business – especially as a solopreneur or freelancer. Having multiple parts of your business allows you to weather those ups and downs. I divide my business into monthly retainer clients, large writing or editing projects, and digital products or workshops. Larger one-Off projects are hard to predict, so the retainer clients are critical for stability. When I’m budgeting and business planning, I try to make sure that all of my expenses can be covered by my monthly retainer clients. That way, I’m not worried when a big project hasn’t come my way in a while. Similarly, those larger projects cover the gaps when a retainer client moves on and a new one is yet to be onboarded.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mccullochcommunications.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mccullochcomms/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/admcculloch/