Meet the member: Stephanie Chivers, ichange21

Enterprise Nation member Stephanie Chivers helps people change their habits and improve their lives in 21 days. She explains the story and inspiration behind her business, ichange21, the programme that helps users reduce, gain control of, or even stop unwanted behaviour.

What was your motivation to start your own business?

I am passionate about helping people fulfil their potential. I have many years of experience within the addictions and behaviour change field and wanted to share what I have learnt with as many people as possible. I realised that I had a range of techniques that I was using over and over and gaining success with a lot of people helping them to change their lives for the better. So I created ichange21, an online self help tool to help anyone change their bad habits and learn good ones.

Whilst you were starting up how did you balance home life with work?

I initially gave up my full time management job within drug and alcohol treatment services and spent three months doing as much as I could to get the business up and running. I then was offered an easier management role which I took. I really struggled to balance the business and work. Eventually in September of this year I went part time which has been a lot better. It's still difficult as there is so much to do with my business to promote it and I only have so much time.

What's your top tip for effective sales and marketing?

What is working at the moment is to be authentic which is the only way to be for me. I have had some great input from a couple of people who are very successful at sales and marketing. Keep going until you find the thing that works for you and your business and use the mediums that you are good at rather than trying to be something you are not. For instance I can do video and audio so I use that as much as I can, but I'm not so good at writing.

Which tools could you not live without in your business?

Canva and Mailchimp.

What has been your biggest business success to date?

Meeting two great contacts who have really helped me with my business, continually getting great feedback from my clients, doing some radio interviews and doing them well.

If you had to live on a desert island with one entrepreneur who would it be and why?

Shaa Wasmund because she is very real, honest and action orientated.

What are your ambitions for the next five years?

To develop my sales approach into a tiered model with three different pricing options. I also want to sell at least 500 of my programmes, to be seen as the top self help tool for behaviour change and bad habits, to be seen as the main expert by the media, get some good articles in women's and health magazines and to write a book.

How does being a member of Enterprise Nation help your business grow?

I get access to a lot of information. There are some great webinars although I struggle to watch them as I also still have a part time day job. I would love to be able to get up to the Meet the Journalist evenings. I will one day!

For more information visit the ichange21 website and follow on Twitter and Facebook.

If you'd like to join Stephanie and become an Enterprise Nation member to access exclusive benefits, sign up now and we'd be happy to profile your business.

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