Seven years ago, my husband and I sold most of what we owned to move to the UK.
We arrived with three over-stuffed suitcases,
(one grumpy toddler) – who wouldn’t be grumpy after such a long flight
And a whole lot of unknowns
This journey taught me valuable lessons about going back to basics in business and life.
Most people have an overly romantic idea of moving to a foreign country (I certainly did). Still, the first year(s) of living in a new country is tough.
But even though it was one of the most challenging times of my whole life, it was also the most transformational.
How transformation happens when everything changes
It stretched me so far outside of my comfort zone that I felt completely broken, stretched out into different pieces of myself that I had to rebuild from scratch.
Everything I had ever known to be true was… GONE!
We spent about eight weeks living out of our suitcases (with clothes that were not made for the unpredictable British weather—an art I am still trying to perfect seven years later).
We spent a lot of time feeling completely baffled by everyday things (like what the heck a radiator was), why dinner was called tea and how to navigate public transport??
(while trying to pronounce areas like Altrincham – which is actually “Al-tring-am” 🤣🤣🤣)?
And people were also completely confused by us…
Like why we wanted to move from sunny South Africa, to England?
Our Airbnb host did not really understand me when I told him we would be at the apartment “now now” – which is somewhere between “now” and “just now.” IYKYK 🤣🤣🤣
Or me asking someone at the Tesco if they had Rooibos Tea only for him to look at me as if I had just said “ET Phone home” and shake his head.
Oh, it turns out you can get Rooibos everywhere – but it’s called Redbush (I still blush every time I pull the box out to make myself tea ☺️☺️).
While many tears were shed in that first year, we also learned so much about ourselves through the process, which honestly made us stronger as a family.
What made that time so transformative was the fact that we had to go right back to basics, and everything was new.
Why going back to basics in business matters in 2025
It feels very similar to how I feel about my business this year – things are shifting and changing, and at times, I feel very much outside of my comfort zone.
I mean, I think it’s how most of us are feeling with the rise of AI. Social media is pretty much crumbling, and if you’re into Astrology or human design, we are said to be entering a “new paradigm.”
None of the “old rules” seem to apply.
Which is both exciting and daunting all at the same time.
All this energy and tension has left me having a few wobbly moments every now and then.
When these little wobbles come, I remind myself to return to basics.
For me, going back to basics helps you stay rooted in a storm or uncertain times. It helps you keep things simple, not get distracted or panic, and find your own path forward.
I think this is going to be one of our biggest advantages as solo/micro business owners—our ability to stay rooted in our values while allowing our businesses to adapt and let go of our old ways of doing things.
And trust me, as someone who has a routine for almost everything (down to the order in which I have my coffee to my parking space at the grocery store), I know change isn’t easy, but it does offer the opportunity for a complete transformation.
This is why going back to basics in your business can be a really good thing, and I always encourage this when working with new clients.
Four benefits of going back to basics in your business
1. Space to question the “rules” you’ve been following
There’s something powerful about giving yourself permission to pause and question the “rules” you’ve been following in your business.
You may have been stuck thinking there is only one way to do things.
Like thinking creating courses or digital products are the only way to create a “stress-free and successful” business. But maybe, you actually find deep joy and fulfilment in your one-to-one work?
The other day, a client mentioned that she thought she “should” be booking more destination weddings (she’s a photographer). But, when we dug a little deeper, she realised she hates travelling and would much rather be closer to home.
We all have those things we think we “should” be doing.
Last year, I stepped away from VIP days and into longer retainers. Even though these VIP days were good in theory and were quite popular in my niche, my nervous system was always on edge, and it would take me days to recover. It might work for lots of people, but it doesn’t work for me!!
There is no right or wrong way to do business, only YOUR WAY!!
2. Permission to trust your own intuition again
I say this all the time, but I was much more “creative” in my early years as a business owner (before Instagram was even a thing).
There were no blueprints or “proven methods” of doing things back then, which made it easier to trust my instincts, experiment, and see what happened.
Think back to when you first started – before you learned all the “right” ways to run a business. Remember how strongly your intuition guided you when you started your business?
Somewhere along the way, we’re taught that following other people’s strategies is safer than trusting our own inner knowing.
When you ignore those gentle nudges or pings of inspiration, you risk losing the essence and unique brand of magic that makes your work different and stand out in your industry.
Your instincts about your business and clients are valuable – now more than ever, they’re worth listening to.
3. Room to remember why you started your business in the first place
Let’s be honest – when you first dreamed of starting your business, it probably wasn’t about half the things you are currently obsessing about.
Maybe you find yourself fixated on a certain income goal that you feel you “have to reach”, feeling like you have to have a fancy studio or hitting a certain follower count.
Most likely, those are just things you have absorbed from being online – and what you see others in your industry celebrating.
But can you take some time to think about the real reason and what’s worth celebrating for you?
I think it’s really helpful to reconnect with your business repeatedly, recalibrating as you go along. Otherwise, before you know it, you’ve wandered down someone else’s path.
By revisiting your business’s vision and values, you can realign with why you started this journey in the first place.
It’s about shifting focus from “winning” at business to creating something that feels deeply aligned with who you are and what you want to share with the world.
4. And the joy of realising you already have what you need
Perhaps the most beautiful discovery in returning to basics is realising that you don’t need half the things you thought you did (like those overly complicated sales funnels or courses and subscriptions collecting digital dust).
Stripping things back gives you the rare gift of a pause—a moment to take stock and truly appreciate all the tools, skills, and resources you’ve gathered along the way.
You might be pleasantly surprised by what you uncover.
Often, we overlook the many skills we’ve nurtured—things like creativity, collaboration, intuition, and the ability to connect with others—because they’ve become such a natural part of who we are. What forgotten skills or resources are waiting to be noticed in your business?
Going back to basics helps you rediscover them, especially in uncertain times.
I love guiding my clients to see the magic they already carry within.
It’s such an empowering process, reminding you to trust your inner wisdom and lean on the strengths you’ve always had.
Because when you take a moment to reconnect with what’s already there, you realise you’re more prepared and capable than you ever imagined.
Journal prompts to help you when going back to basics in business
✨ What parts of your business are calling for this kind of return to basics?
✨ What would it feel like to trust your own way of doing things again?
✨ What hidden skills or resources are you ready to reconnect with?
Let’s transform how you navigate this change in your business behind-the-scenes
P.S. If we don’t know each other, I’m Stacey. An (anti) productivity guide & business manager, helping deeply feeling photographers & solopreneurs reshape their businesses so you can go from feeling stuck and drained to knowing how to manage your business and energy in a way that supports you! If you want to learn more about my 1:1 work, click here.
P.P.S. Thanks so much for reading – If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with a friend who will love it too!
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