Do you ever get that “I’m almost there” feeling? You only have a couple of things left to figure out and then you can take that first step toward starting, growing or building your business.
It’s an exciting feeling, but almost isn’t quite good enough, is it? If you wait to figure out exactly how your business is all going to map out, if you’re waiting for that perfect time, if you’re waiting to have everything in place to take that next step – think again! If you’re waiting you may never take that first step. While it’s certainly good to have a rough idea, the chances are your carefully laid plans are going to change. They will be influenced and shaped by a number of things.
Give yourself the confidence to just get started by knowing you’ve addressed the most important aspects crucial to the success of any business.
• Make sure that you’re delivering something that the market really wants. No amount of promotion in the world can compensate for a dud product or idea that the market does not want. Focus on the product, service or program that’s guaranteed to succeed before you even think to start to promote it. If you’re almost ready to take that step, you should have already done this research and exploring to make sure that you’re delivering something that is sought after, wanted, and demanded in the marketplace.
• Spend the budget you have wisely. You should not have to invest £5,000 in a product that’s sitting in your warehouse. You should not have to invest £5,000 in a website or in an ad in a newspaper or in a magazine to get going. The best way to spend your budget wisely is to focus on a group of people who have a problem that you can solve, and then offer to solve that problem at a price. With the right training, mentoring and research you’ll learn to spend your budget with a marketplace that you’ve got an affinity with.
• Knowing your market is another crucial component to your success. Who are your customers? You need to know who will be fueling your business. Are they a group of people that you enjoy helping and enjoy spending time with? You’re going to be spending a lot of time with these people, so it makes sense to pick a group that you enjoy working with and you’ve got an affinity with.
• Think like the unique, one-of-a-kind original you are. The world is crying out for your know-how. Your unique combination of expertise, experience and talents are badly needed and wanted by some group of people somewhere in the world.
• Be what you say you are. Demonstrate credibility. Don’t set out to be a weight loss coach if you’re a stone overweight. Would you entrust your business to a financial adviser who has credit problems or a marketing coach or business growth coach who can’t market their own business? Of course not. So be sure you’ve thoroughly explored your abilities, and even ask opinion from those who know you. Often people can see in you things that you can’t see in yourself.
• Have your entry-level products or services ready to go. These are the things most demanded, most needed and easily recognized by the people that you’re targeting. They will help you to fulfill a promise and give customers a chance to sample you.
• Plan out your premium product, program or service. This is the offering for those who want only the best; where money is no object. Without it, you’re putting a cap on your income. People normally price at what they think other people are willing to pay, and then they figure out what they need to include in their package to justify that price. Think about planning your products as if money was no object. It’s so much more effective and it better serves your clients.
• Promoting your offering involves knowing how much it is going to cost and how can you sell it. Know where the people are who are willing and able to pay for what you’re offering and know how you can reach them.
Take that first step toward building your business with complete confidence. You already have what you need and now is the perfect time for you to take action.
Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. She publishes a free, weekly newsletter for trainers, speakers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com
It’s Time To Step Up!
I was talking to a friend recently and she was describing how busy she was, and all the things she had coming up in her week. She was at capacity. As she rattled off the list of things she had to do, I started to get curious. She had important phone calls to make, errands to attend to, and a significant meeting. But all of the things she described to me amounted to about 4-6 hours worth of activity. And she had a whole week to get these things done.