We’re halfway through November and I’ve already spotted three houses on my street with Christmas lights up. THREE. It’s not even December yet.
(This is the 18/11/2025 issue of my newsletter – subscribe here)
I’m trying to maintain some dignity and wait until at least the first weekend of December, but I can feel my resolve weakening.
One house I drive past regularly has gone full on Grinch Christmas – I’m not posting their house to however many people read this, but it’s not far off the pic below – their electricity bill is going to be terrifying, but I have to admit it looks brilliant at 5pm when it’s already dark and depressing outside.
Where are you on the “when shall we put the tree up?” debate?
What you’ll find inside
1 | Why I think some small businesses and freelancers are struggling right now
2 | For copywriters: a programme you’d be bonkers not to take a look at
3 | Your free SEO tip
4 | What I’m working on this week
Let’s dig in, shall we?
Thoughts this week: Stop panicking and look at what else you could offer
Every business owner I’ve spoken to in the last few months sounds absolutely knackered.
AI is changing how clients buy services. The Budget is looming and nobody knows what fresh hell Rachel Reeves has planned for small businesses. Clients are tightening budgets. Everyone’s questioning whether they can justify hiring professionals or whether they should just muddle through themselves.
It’s rough out there. I’m not going to pretend it isn’t.
The businesses I speak to who still seem to be doing OK are mainly the ones who looked at what they offer and thought “What else could I add that would make this more valuable?“
When times are tight, the knee-jerk reaction is to drop your prices. Undercut the competition and hope volume makes up for lower margins.
Sadly, it often doesn’t work. You just end up exhausted and skint.
What does work is offering something that solves a bigger problem. Because clients would rather pay one person properly to handle the whole thing than juggle three different suppliers who are all fighting for their piece of the budget cake
For years, I kept my copywriting and SEO completely separate. Someone hired me to write their website? I’d write it, hand it over, and never mention I could optimise it for search too. Someone hired me for SEO? I wouldn’t mention I could write the content for them too.
No idea why I did this to be honest. Some weird thing about not wanting to seem pushy, probably.
Then I started offering both together. “I’ll write your website copy AND make sure it’s optimised so people can find it.” One service. One invoice. One person solving the complete problem.
I got bigger jobs. Better clients. Higher fees
When you solve both problems at once, you’re not competing on price anymore, you’re competing on value
Ask yourself – what’s a natural add-on to your business that you probably already know how to do, or could get better at with a little help?
You don’t need to learn a completely new skill. Look at what you already do and think about what naturally extends from it.
Web designers – are you offering post-launch support? Basic SEO setup? Content management training? Website Care Plans? Or do you just hand over the site, issue the final invoice, and move on to the next shiny new project
Marketing consultants – do you just create strategies, or do you help implement them? Because a brilliant strategy that sits in a Google Doc is like paying for a company brochure then stickling it in your desk drawer.
Accountants – are you offering business advice alongside tax returns? Small business owners are desperate for financial guidance, not just compliance. I pay my accountant because she helps me in more ways than making sure my VAT is paid.
The skill that naturally pairs with yours is probably easier to learn than you think. And it makes your core work hugely more valuable.
When budgets are tight and everyone’s nervous about what’s coming, clients get pickier about who they hire.
They don’t want to pay three different people to handle three different parts of the same problem. They want someone who can sort the whole thing properly.
AI tools and budget uncertainty aren’t making professional services less valuable – they’re making comprehensive solutions more valuable.
Clients will always pay for judgment, experience, and someone who can see the bigger picture. That’s what AI can’t do, and that’s what bundling your expertise gives them.
For copywriters reading this
If you’re thinking “I should offer SEO but don’t know how to start” – I’ve just launched Ascend.
It’s a 6-month programme. Weekly calls – both group and 1:1. My complete template library, and hand-holding through landing your first paid SEO client.
It starts 12th January. 10 spots – some have already gone. Applications close 12th December
Your free SEO tip
Most businesses optimise their website for searches like “web designer Sheffield” or “copywriter for tech companies” – basically variations of what they do.
But your potential clients aren’t always searching for you that way. Often they’re searching for the problem they’re trying to solve.
Go to Google and type in the main problem your service solves. Don’t hit enter – look at what Google suggests as you type. Those are real searches people are making.
For example:
- A web designer might find people search “website looks unprofessional” or “website not getting enquiries”
- A copywriter might find “website copy sounds corporate” or “about page doesn’t sound like me”
- A business coach might find “can’t get clients consistently” or “pricing feels random”
If you’ve got a blog or resources section, write content that talks about these problems, and addresses how you can help solve them. If you don’t have a blog, add a paragraph to your homepage or service pages addressing these exact problems.
You’ll show up when people are actively looking for help – not just when they’ve finally worked out the name of the service they need.
What am I working on this week?
The usual SEO retainers are keeping me busy, plus I’m working on:
- Technical SEO for a SaaS company with a new app to launch
- Still finding issues on a website migration where they hired me AFTER the migration was done (always hire the SEO BEFORE you migrate, people)
- Landing pages for a B2B company with a niche service in a specific geographic area
- Recording more podcast episodes – the latest one is I’m SEO f**king tired – listen where you get your podcasts
Need help with any of the above? You know where I am.
That’s it for this week,
Always non-wanky,
Nx
P.S. Don’t panic. Don’t slash your prices. Look at what you already do well and think about what naturally goes with it. That’s where the opportunity is.
