The Freelancer's Teabreak

After years of very gentle bullying, I finally got Jo Shock onto the podcast! Jo has been the magic behind my business for over a decade, and she's the person everyone in the Freelance Business Lounge gets sent to the moment anyone mentions systems and CRMs. In this episode, we're talking all things CRM: what they actually are, when you need one, what to look for, and how to avoid getting dazzled by shiny software. If you've ever lost track of a lead in your inbox or wondered whether a spreadsheet is still cutting it, this one's for you. Timestamps: 0:00 Meet Jo, the magic behind my business 1:00 Jo's journey from editor to VA to systems specialist 2:15 Why everyone in the Lounge says "talk to Jo" 3:00 What is a CRM? 4:55 Taking the mental load off 5:20 When do you actually need a CRM? 6:50 The basics every CRM needs 8:15 The hidden bonus: useful client data 9:00 Starting with free tools 9:40 All-in-one tools vs specialist tools 11:15 Why your software should feel nice to use 12:05 Automations without losing the human touch 13:15 Don't forget the ICO data protection fee 14:00 Ready-made vs build-your-own CRMs 15:30 Bespoke services, packages and bolt-ons 18:20 Why Jo sent me back to LinkedIn 18:50 Jo's free resources 19:55 Building up from a basic system 21:45 Getting your tools to talk to each other 23:10 Where to find Jo 23:55 Jo's top tip: start with your process 24:25 The lure of shiny things Find Jo at Streamlines Virtual Support: streamlinesvirtual.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter and grab her free resources. And connect with Jo Shock on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-shock.  The Speedy Client Management Software Audit: resources.streamlinesvirtual.com/client-management-software-audit   Streamline Your Client Admin & Care checklist: https://resources.streamlinesvirtual.com/your-client-management-checklist   Her newsletter: https://resources.streamlinesvirtual.com/sign-up   My stuff Check out the website: www.freelancelifestyle.co.uk Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmacossey Email: [email protected] Want more support? Check out the Freelance Lifestyle School courses and membership: https://freelancelifestyle.podia.com/ Join the Freelance Lifestyle Discord Community: www.freelancelifestyle.co.uk/Discord Order my book: The Freelance Lifestyle: Your Friendly Guide to Starting a Freelance Business: https://link.amazon/B01qhTzb3

Let's talk about bookending your freelance day! Flown (affiliate link) https://flown.com/register?join=emma-cossey-dfa56  Follow me on Instagram Email: [email protected]  Come join us in the free Freelance Lifestylers Facebook group Want more support? Check out the Freelance Lifestyle School courses and membership. Join the Freelance Lifestyle Discord Community: https://discord.gg/RKYkReS5Cz Order my book: The Freelance Lifestyle: Your Friendly Guide to Starting a Freelance Business  

This week, we dive into the topic of part time freelancing around a job. Pour yourself a cuppa! Follow me on Instagram Email: [email protected]  Come join us in the free Freelance Lifestylers Facebook group Want more support? Check out the Freelance Lifestyle School courses and membership. Join the Freelance Lifestyle Discord Community: https://discord.gg/RKYkReS5Cz Order my book: The Freelance Lifestyle: Your Friendly Guide to Starting a Freelance Business  

Your onboarding forms might be the most underrated bit of marketing research you own. This week's episode is a quick admin prompt: dig out your client questionnaires and look at what people actually say when they explain why they chose you. I share what I discovered when I did this myself (spoiler: I'd been talking about the wrong thing on my sales page), plus some easy ways to spot the patterns, from good old-fashioned highlighters to AI and word clouds. Follow me on Instagram Email: [email protected]  Come join us in the free Freelance Lifestylers Facebook group Want more support? Check out the Freelance Lifestyle School courses and membership. Join the Freelance Lifestyle Discord Community: https://discord.gg/RKYkReS5Cz Order my book: The Freelance Lifestyle: Your Friendly Guide to Starting a Freelance Business  

...I'm going back to having the podcast as audio only. In this episode, I share what I learned during my experiment to offer the podcast as a video format too. Follow me on Instagram Email: [email protected]  Want more support? Check out the Freelance Lifestyle School courses and membership. Join the Freelance Lifestyle Discord Community: https://discord.gg/RKYkReS5Cz Order my book: The Freelance Lifestyle: Your Friendly Guide to Starting a Freelance Business