Social Madness

Summer has arrived much earlier than expected and here I am, sweating like a pig in Hong Kong, trying to get my name out for my small business as a Personal Stylist. I was a social butterfly 2 decades back but I become more withdrawn and introverted as I get older. I only possess my first android phone (it's actually a tab as I need a bigger screen to see clearly) in Nov last year and social media is definitely not my thing before then. I do agree that technological advancement has its perks and they are air out of water for many, I personally don't rely on it much unless it is work related.

For the past few months, I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone trying my hands on using different social media platforms for marketing my business www.style-proud.com, a consultancy business where I offer colour analysis, style consultation, wardrobe management and personal shopping to women who wish to be beautiful everyday. Having a very limited budget and without a network of friends, I must resort to using Facebook and Twitter (minimum) to gain exposure in the virtual world. I have also used about.me, vertical response for email marketing, and considering other ways of selling both my products and services. Gosh, that is a lot of work involved in front of my screen and to make the process even more off-putting, there is an incessant amount of email coming into my inbox raving about the new / latest applications which they are convincing me to have, and that is overwhelming for someone like me who prefers a better use of time than installing apps and gadgets.

Meanwhile, I have been contacting potential businesses to work in collaboration, going to a lot of bazaars and fairs to network, and contemplating about joining some organizations for an annual fee to widen my social circle. I also have a few appointments in the coming weeks lined up for a tour of work spaces at a reasonable monthly fee. Who says it's easy to start-up? Hence, before I get to the stage of burning out, I must take a long hard look at the way I work on my business, participating in events of priorities, cut out the social situations which require me to spend money and unworthy of my effort of travelling in the scorching heat.

I know deep in my heart that partnering up with people of similar interests and values is paramount to my success. My target clients are those who sincerely want to build up their confidence through the way they dress everyday, who are willing to pay to get themselves organised, and to feel good in their own skin by acknowledging themselves as beautiful. I am constantly upgrading myself with knowledge in my field from 'experts' on a daily basis as there is so much that I don't know the more I delve in the subject of fashion / style which is my passion for the time being. Hence I am taking e-courses and reading power blogs to becoming better at what I do everyday. Yes, it takes a lot of curiosity, self-motivation and self-discipline but when you are working on something you love, it is not even an issue to worry about. Do I miss teaching? No and it is actually one of the reasons I decided to pursue my new career path of an Image Consultant. My 12 years of teaching has taken a toll on me and changing life direction seems to be right thing to do if I follow my heart.