The Top 5 Things I'd Do if Starting My Business Again For the Greatest Impact to My Time and Money
The Top 5 Things I'd Do if Starting My Business Again For the Greatest Impact to My Time and Money
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
My business has changed so much from when I first started in 2016.
It originally started with my husband and I creating a design business to support female entrepreneurs in the design of their brand and website. I had a background in Public Relations and he had a background in design, so it seemed like an excellent place to start.
However, I realized shortly after that's not what I wanted to do. In August 2016, I rebranded Brandmerry as a coaching and consulting business and knew right away that this was it. Had I known what I know now about determining your niche, I would have started Brandmerry differently at the beginning.
But, without it, I wouldn’t be able to support my clients the way I go now when it comes to determining their niche and personal story, so here we are and today, I’m sharing 5 of those tips I wish I’d known when starting my business in 2016.
1. STORY WORK: Look inward to discover what you really want to do and do it
If you know anything about me, you know I always want you to start with your story.
Looking at your story will help you discover what you really do and don't want to do in your business. And I'm not talking about posting on social media, and those things that you can later outsource, that need to be done in your business for marketing purposes.
I'm talking about the way you're working with clients - are you working with them in a way you truly enjoy, or do you not like how you're currently working with clients?
Are you offering a package or service that you actually don't like doing?
Are you doing what you actually want to do and something that’s authentic to you or just something you saw online?
Because it's not easy to run an online business, but if you create one that’s in alignment with your story and mission it’s going to be much more enjoyable and successful.
When you’re thinking about your story, think about the bigger purpose and the big picture, or as I like to refer to it the mission.
Identifying the why doesn't always do it for me, but focusing on your life mission and the impact you want to make does. Maybe coaching is the avenue to get you to where you want to be in the big picture. Just be really clear on the type of business you want to create.
Know that it is possible for you and creating strategies and business models that honor who you are as a person.
2. RESEARCH: Know your freaking audience
I didn't think this was important in the beginning. I would tell my coach that I had done the ideal client worksheets when I hadn't and it definitely showed in my marketing.
There was a big a-ha moment for me when I was at home, sick from my 9-5, and I finally sat down and wrote out who my ideal client was. I mean I went DEEP into who they were, what they believed, what mattered more and more.
A week later I signed a client that had been in my community for months. It took a shift in my messaging and true connection for her to make the leap.
There is a reason companies spend so much money on research because successful marketing comes back to truly understanding your audience so clearly, that you can inspire your audience to take action.
It’s important to study your audience.
Pay attention to what they're saying, what they need and want in their life.
The more you understand your ideal client, the more trust you will build with them.
I encourage you to do everything you can to get in their head (in a non-creepy way) because you need to identify what they're struggling with and what they really want. You also need to know their hopes and dreams. I survey my audience at least 3 times a year and love to use free Facebook Groups and tools like Answer The Public to find data, and it makes a big difference.
3. TIME-MANAGEMENT: Be focused and forgiving of your schedule
I really wish I would have known this in the beginning because there were times I was really hard on myself around what I could accomplish with my schedule.
There's not a one size fits all approach to business. That's why it's important to find a mentor and community that understands that. It's also important to look internally and figure out what works for your life. A great way to do this is to perform time audits to see where your time is going and how you can eliminate, outsource or improve your schedule.
You do have to make choices when building a business in order to find the time, but understand it’s not about hustling 24/7. I have a podcast episode all about time management tips here.
But this doesn't give you an excuse to slack off and not do something because you don't feel like it and then say it was because of time.
Time is not an excuse, it’s about how we use it.
So, once you’ve determined that this is what you want to do, then commit to it. Make modifications to your schedule, create times when your business is a priority and then make choices that honor your current season of life.
If you cant’ do a live video every week, find something you can do.
If you’ve got an hour a week for content, then repurposing an existing blog post.
It’s about working smarter not harder!
4. EMAIL LIST: Grow your list from day 1
If you take away one thing, please make it this!
It’s so important to start growing your email list from day one.
It's important for you to have a database of your own because we do not own social media or our Facebook Groups. Having a way to communicate with your audience is important.
You can learn more about list building strategies in a few of my popular blog posts here:
3 Daily Marketing Actions to Grow Your Business
5 Ninja Skills to Improve Your Email List Building
The first step is creating a lead magnet or gift, creating a form through your email provider and then using marketing strategies to get your free gift in front of the right people.
That first person on your email list could be that first client. My first client came when I had 10 people on my list.
5. 2 P's: Plan and Patience
I’m not going to sugar coat it and tell you how difficult it is to start and scale a business. But, the truth is that it’s a heck of a lot easier when you have a plan in place.
Planning your business for 90-days at a time, as well as for the year as a whole is essential so you can take actionable steps daily.
Without a clear plan and strategic daily steps, you’ll wrap up your year and not know what the heck you even did! For some of my insider secrets on planning, listen to this podcast episode on The Beautiful Climb podcast.
And along with the plan, comes the need to practice patience.
You have to know that this is going to take time. All marketing takes at least 30 days to access the data to see what’s working and what’s not. But, it’s this combination of daily action and patience that is the sweet spot.
If you are putting in the effort and energy and know you are worthy, you will get there. You have to have patience and know that it's your journey. Stay in your lane. Focus on what you're doing. The impact you're having. Patience, patience, patience.
You can watch the whole video for a more in-depth version of this and several bonus tips below!
Head over to my Facebook Page and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.facebook.com/brandmerrycoaching/
P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.
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MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
I'M MICHELLE KNIGHT
I was just a new mom with an ambitious dream to start my own business. That dream turned into a multiple 6-figure business and the ability to travel full time. Now, I teach women how to brand and market their authentic voice online and take bold action to create a life better than their dreams.
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