Charge more.
Increase your rates.
And while there is certainly a place for that, one of the biggest risks in business isn’t charging too little.
It’s becoming known for only one thing.
This Business Wednesday, I want to tell you the story of how I stopped myself from getting trapped in one corner of the events industry.
My Entry Point Was Children’s Parties
When I started my events business, my entry point was children’s parties.
I loved creating magical experiences for children. From themes and decorations to personalised details, I wanted every child to feel special on their big day.
Very quickly, people in the Telford community began to associate me with luxury children’s parties.
If someone wanted a beautiful Paw Patrol party, a princess party, a superhero party, or a celebration that looked and felt expensive, they knew exactly who to call.
“Go to Ayo.”
And while that was wonderful, I knew something they didn’t know.
My vision was bigger.
Much bigger.
I never wanted to be known as “the children’s party lady.”
Children’s parties were part of the plan, but they were never the entire plan.
The goal was never to become the best children’s party planner in Telford.
The goal was to build a business capable of creating unforgettable experiences for anyone.
The Trap Many Business Owners Fall Into
One of the easiest ways to become trapped in business is to become known for only one thing.
The market identifies you with a service.
People recommend you for that service.
More customers come looking for that service.
And before you know it, you’ve built a cage around yourself.
A profitable cage, perhaps.
But still a cage.
I knew that if I wasn’t intentional, that would happen to me.
So I Took Every Opportunity to Expand
The moment I had an opportunity to do an adult event, I took it.
Was it profitable?
Not really.
In fact, looking back, it was almost free.
Some people probably thought I didn’t know what I was doing.
But they completely missed the point.
That event wasn’t about profit.
It was about positioning.
It was my opportunity to show people that I could create experiences beyond children’s parties.
I wanted people to see that I understood sophisticated designs, elegant styling, adult celebrations, entertainment coordination, and event experiences for grown-ups.
I wanted them to know that I knew the right DJ.
The right MC.
The right caterer.
The right small chops supplier.
The right live band.
I wanted them to understand that I could move seamlessly from colourful Paw Patrol themes to elegant black-and-gold celebrations.
And once people saw that, something shifted.
Sometimes the Next Level Requires a Different Teacher
Around that time, I also noticed something important.
The person I had paid to learn from had helped me tremendously.
They gave me a foundation and helped me get started.
But my vision was beginning to move in a direction that required different expertise.
So I did something many people are afraid to do.
I invested in learning again.
I found someone whose business looked closer to where I wanted mine to be and paid to learn from them too.
That’s another lesson for another day.
Never stop learning simply because you’ve already learned something.
Sometimes the next level requires a different teacher.
Fast Forward to Today
This is my third year in the events industry.
And do you know something funny?
Almost every event I’ve done this year has been an adult event.
I’ve only had one children’s party.
Everything else has been adult celebrations.
And that’s exactly what I wanted.
Not because I no longer love children’s parties.
I absolutely do.
But because I wanted options.
I wanted flexibility.
I wanted the market to know that I could serve different audiences and create different experiences.
Now my next focus is corporate events.
Corporate dinners.
Conferences.
Awards nights.
Business functions.
I’m already working towards that expansion because I refuse to stay trapped in one category.
The Same Thing Happened in My Food Business
My small chops business followed exactly the same pattern.
When I started, people knew me for one thing.
Meat pies.
Everyone loved the meat pies.
Then the questions started.
“Do you make spring rolls?”
“Do you make samosas?”
“Do you make puff puff?”
Now, I could have easily said no.
After all, people already liked my meat pies.
But if I had said no, I would have become known as the meat pie lady.
And that wasn’t the vision.
So I said yes.
Read Here.
I learned.
I expanded.
I improved.
And every new product became another door into growth.
Every Opportunity Is an Expansion Opportunity
One thing I have learned in business is that opportunities rarely arrive looking perfect.
Sometimes they arrive disguised as extra work.
Sometimes they arrive disguised as a challenge.
Sometimes they arrive disguised as a customer asking for something you’ve never done before.
Many business owners immediately say:
“We don’t do that.”
“We don’t offer that.”
“Sorry, that’s not our service.”
And just like that, they lose:
* The customer
* The profit
* The learning opportunity
* The future referral
* The business expansion
Now, I’m not saying say yes to everything.
But if the request sits within your wider vision, don’t dismiss it too quickly.
Sometimes that request is showing you where your business needs to grow next.
Business Wednesday Takeaway
If you feel trapped in your business, ask yourself:
“Am I trapped because the market put me here, or because I chose to stay here?”
Many times, growth isn’t about charging more.
It’s about expanding intelligently.
It’s about recognising opportunities.
It’s about learning new skills.
It’s about refusing to let people define the limits of what you can do.
You don’t have to stay in the box that your customers first discovered you in.
You can evolve.
You can expand.
And if you’re willing to keep learning, you’ll be surprised how much bigger your business can become.
With Love,
Ayo
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If this post resonated with you, share it with one person stepping into something new this month. We have a 10k goal. Let’s make it happen.
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