Running your own business can feel completely overwhelming sometimes. It feels like there's so much to learn, so much to do and you don't even know where to start a lot of the time! If that's how you're feeling right now, I promise you, that's totally normal - and I can help!
I'm going to share the 5 business basics that you need to get sorted first and I'm going to break each one down for you. I'm nice like that...
Grab yourself a cuppa and a pen and paper and let's get your business rolling... (and don't miss your free gift at the end!)
1) Your Message or Mission Statement
Not sure what a Mission Statement is? I've actually written a post that might help you out with that...
In a nutshell, you need to figure out your WHO, your WHAT and your WHY.
WHO is your ideal client - the person your service is designed to help?
WHAT core result does your service deliver?
WHY do your ideal clients want this result? And WHY should they choose you?
So for example, here's mine... I use my Freedom Framework to help mum service providers to shift from feast and famine months to consistently fully booking their signature service without selling their soul or giving up their precious family time.
It's really important to get clear on these 3 elements right from the start of your business. You need to know the purpose of your business, you need to know who your target audience (or ideal clients) are and you need to know what tangible results you are promising people. Those facts are going to be what drives a lot of your decisions - they'll impact the services you offer, your content, your branding and your marketing strategy.
If you're still a bit hazy on the details then spend some time getting as clear as you can. There's nothing to say that things won't change as your business grows, but the clearer you can be from the start, the easier you will find every other part of your business set-up and subsequent growth.
2) Your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
So many of the business owners I speak to spend waaaay too long keeping their core signature service in their heads, rather than getting it out to the people who need it.
In fact, the best way develop your service is to start with your minimum viable product. Get the basics sorted and then get it out there!
Some things to consider might be:
What do you need to include in order for your clients to achieve their desired result?
How long should it be?
What will the investment be?
Don't get bogged down in this stage. DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. This is your Minimum Viable Product - it's not the Perfect, Polished Product! Get it out there and then you can tweak and perfect as you go and as you get feedback.
This is also a great time to do a bit of audience research. If you've completed step 1, then you know who your ideal clients are - so find some and ask for feedback on your idea. Is it something they want? Would they be prepared to pay for it? Don't make the mistake of assuming your audience wants something just because you think they need it...
Have you joined my Facebook group?
3) A Website
If you're creating a business and you intend to market it online, then you need a 'home' for that business. You need a website.
Now that can feel a bit scary - especially for the non-techies among us. But I promise you, getting your first website set up is actually pretty simple! I'm a big WordPress fan and I've written a post about the things you should consider when you're first getting started.
You'll want to decide on your business name and to check that you can purchase the appropriate domain name for your site.
You'll need to decide where to get your site hosted (don't go for the WordPress.com hosting if you're setting up a business - it will be too restrictive for you.)
You'll also want to create your key pages:
Your About page which tells customers about you and your business.
Your Products/Services Page - giving potential customers more info on your offers and how they can work with you!
Contact Page - Allowing people to get in contact with you
Check out this post for more info on the basics you'll need for your website. 🙂
4) Email Marketing
Did you know that the average return on investment for email marketing is $44 for every $1 spent? Not bad eh? Email is where the magic happens. You get to reach people directly in their inbox, to speak to them on a more personal level and to build a relationship that is more likely to end in a sale.
Building an email list tends to be one of those things that people put off - either they feel they're 'not ready' yet or they just have other priorities and don't see the value that an email list brings.
DON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE!
Your email list will be one of your most valuable business assets and the sooner you start growing it, the sooner you can start reaping the benefits.
There a several email services that you can choose from. Mailchimp is a popular beginner service because it's free and simple to set up. My personal fave is Convertkit. It has a bit more functionality than Mailchimp so it grows with you and your business.
Once you've chosen your service and got your first list set up, you'll want to create a lead magnet. That's a free gift that you can use to entice people to subscribe. A simple lead magnet to get started with might be something like a checklist or template that will offer your ideal clients some kind of quick and easy solution to a problem they're facing. Check out this post for some more examples and inspiration when it comes to creating a great lead magnet.
5) Social Media Accounts
There's no ignoring it. You need to be on social media - and the sooner the better. Social Media is one of your key tools when it comes to promoting your business and increasing your visibility. It's also where you'll start to build relationships, create community and get your voice heard.
TOP Priority is your Facebook business page. I don't actually recommend trying to be active on all social media channels when you first start out. Quite the opposite in fact - doing so will spread you too thin and there's no faster way to hit overwhelm than to try to gain momentum on half a dozen channels and see nothing happen...
Facebook can't be ignored though and whatever your other social preferences, you need a page for your biz. Get this set up, add a nice cover image and don't forget to link it to your personal profile. That's one of the main ways that people will find you!
Other than that, I would just focus on one other channel for now. Think about where you feel most comfortable, where you're most likely to find your ideal clients and perhaps where you already have a following...
Want my guide to hitting 5k months with an audience under 500?
Inside this guide, I share my Freedom Framework where I show you:
- The best kind of offer to sell your small audience
- The simple way to grow your audience and generate consistent lead flow and clients.
- The one thing to focus on to convert more of your ideal clients into actual clients
