Overcoming Business Failure

For the better part of the last two years, small business owners have been suffering. It's not just the hair salons, auto shops, local restaurants, small boutiques, bakeries...it's everyone!

I have felt it too. 

In 2016, I created my company, Creative Content Systems, LLC. After several viral recipe videos on my website (that I sold to help finance my divorce) I was thriving by providing recipe development, doing the photography and videography for my clients. This small business of mine, made 6 figures for years. 

Then, two years ago, things started to slowly dwindle. I had to let my video editor and my writer go. I couldn't keep up with my own personal bills yet alone pay them for their services. I promised myself, when I am able, they will be the first I run to and get them back!

Over these last two years, I've taken a long hard look at where it went wrong. 

1. Google - if you know anything about SEO, my clients have taken HUGE hits from the google algorithm changes. We've been told for years how to write for SEO, so google shows the content to those who are in need of it. With several updates, the pageviews go down. When the pageviews go down, the ad revenue goes down.

2. AI - that's all I need to say. If you are in the recipe realm, it's literally killing recipe bloggers from social media to their website. You can try and educate your readers on how to spot the fake recipes, but it doesn't matter. They have severely taken over the internet, making hundreds of thousands of dollars a month and there's not much that can be done about it.

3. Social Media - with Google, the algorithm has changed across ALL platforms. My Marci Renee FB page use to do so fqn good! I'd make a couple hundred dollars on it every month, without hardly trying. Now, it's crickets. I'm lucky to get 15 likes on a post with nearly 30K followers. That's just one platform!

So then I run sales, lower my rates, offer services I've never offered just to make a penny. I started working with small business owners launching websites, creating products, dropshipping because my bread and butter, the recipes, weren't paying. In fact, the last 6 months, has been incredibly slow. 

At the end of the day, I am the one to blame. I slowly started seeing the changes, but I didn't change with it. Could I have stayed afloat a little while longer? Maybe. Could I have offered to build websites sooner? Probably. But none of that matters in the NOW. 

I created this Business Failure to Change List for myself and I am sharing it with you today! For free. Out of the goodness of my heart. Why? Because we all need to look at the bigger picture for the sake of our business. To be better. To see the hard realities and to make the change. 

We can all make the excuses, we can all crumble and go get a 9-5. However, for most entrepreneurs, that's not as easy as it seems. Trust me! I've applied to HUNDREDS of jobs over the last two years and haven't gotten a single call or email back! Am I overly qualified? Probably! But, I'd do whatever I can to contribute to my family and to be able to provide. 

Today, I challenge you to print out the Business Failure to Change List. Find some quiet time to really sit and think about these answers. If you don't have the immediate answer to some of the questions, great! Take some time to think about them. Then jot them down. 

This is the first step to overcoming business failure my friends. It takes hard work. Dedication. Consistency. 

I'm right there with you! I promise! But, I know my strengths and they outweigh the impact that we have encountered these last few years.

Let's fucking go!

Need help? Feel free to Contact Marci! I'm here to help, listen and give advice where I can because I believe in you. I believe in US!