How to Pivot Your Business Without Losing Momentum

How to Pivot Your Business
Without Losing Momentum

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

If you prefer to watch a video version of this post, which is highly recommended, you can do so below.

Last week on the blog, I did a special post on Branding and Messaging Your Business During a Crisis, you can check it out here.

And so many community members asked about a very specific part of that post and video, which was all about pivoting your business.

It makes so much sense that this would be a concern right now as we navigate this Global Pandemic (also known as Coronavirus). It’s got so many businesses thinking, “How do we make money during this time?”

But, to be honest, this isn’t something we should just be prepared for as it applies to a pandemic like this, many business owners might need to pivot their offer, messaging or business due to life changes.

Maybe you’re wondering…
...if now is the right time to sell anything.
...how you should be supporting people.
...what to offer since what you typically do is not possible.
...if your offers or services need to change.
...what you should be charging.

And, that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg with questions running through your head.

I highly suggest writing these prompts and questions down to dive into on your own. Carve out 15 minutes a day to answering these questions to gain clarity on your next steps. 

PHASE ONE: DETERMINE WHAT STAGE YOU ARE IN

The first step is to figure out what stage you are in because every single business is going to be at a different stage, which is going to mean that your pivot is going to look different. 

Nobody's pivot is going to look the same.

Because of this, it can be really easy to get overwhelmed when pivoting because we’ll see other business owners doing something in our niche or similar and we think to ourselves, “I should be doing that! Or should I be doing something different?”

But, we don’t know their story - we might think we know where they are at in their business, but the reality is we probably have no clue.

It’s times like these we need to go inward, worry about our own business, our own progress and our own current stage.

STAGE ONE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS TAKEN A MAJOR HIT

If you’re in this stage, you’re most likely struggling a lot. If you’re a photographer during this particular season of the Coronavirus you’ve had to cancel a lot of your business.

A sign that you are in this stage could be that you’ve taken a major hit financially.

POSSIBILITIES: You can drive more online traffic. You’re going to want to put more time and energy into building an online presence and offering incentives. While you might not be able to physically do your job if you’re a photographer, you could offer gift certificates or coupons if they book now. Think of restaurants around the holidays when they sell a $50 gift card and give you $15 to use on your next visit - same principle.

You might also consider offering something new, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE TWO: YOUR BUSINESS IS CLOSED

If you’re in this stage, you might have a physical business that is now closed, so your options are to close or move online.

POSSIBILITIES: Move your business online so you can continue to sell. Think about what technology systems you need and how to manage the ins and outs. Every business needs an online presence and you have a chance to build that now. Think of ways to sell gift cards even if it’s not physical products right now. Incorporate incentives as I mentioned above. 

Also, this is a great time to build brand awareness and educate your audience on your product so they can purchase at a later date. Use different tools and resources to drive traffic to your new site like Search Engine Optimization and Pinterest.

This might also be a good time to consider a new offer, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE THREE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN FORCED TO SHIFT

This stage could look like a lot of different things. Maybe you’ve experienced a hit, but you have money in savings so you don’t have to actively sell right now. It might also mean that what you sell doesn’t feel good and you want to make some adjustments to your offer or how you message it.

The majority of online businesses typically find themselves in this stage.

POSSIBILITIES: If you’re in this stage it’s about heightening your brand awareness. If what you sell or offer is still valid it’s less about what you offer and how you’re offering it. A big shift during this stage might be a pivot or adjustment in your messaging, along with adjusting the price of your offer.

During this brand awareness phase, it’s also important to explore other avenues. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a drop in people spending their money on marketing. That means ad costs have gone down drastically, so if it’s available to you investing in this aspect now can really pay off in the long run.

SPEAKING OF LONG RUN

When pivoting, or navigating a time of great change, it’s so important to focus on the long game. I hate to be the one to say, but even if you're not making money right now, which is scary, you can set yourself up for massive growth later on.

How can you set yourself up so that you can sell later in the year or next year really, really strong? 

Those are the things that we need to consider because that is the reality. So how do we do that? Let's talk about some questions that I want you to think about around pivoting your offer. 

PHASE TWO: PIVOTING YOUR OFFER OR SERVICE

Let's say that you have an existing offer that's not working, or you have an existing offer that you want to modify. Here are some questions to consider.

What does your audience need right now?

I’m a big fan of market research because I know it changes the game of how we show up, run our businesses and ultimately make sales. If you show up and you ask your audience in this time where they're needing support, they will most likely tell you.

If you don't have an audience already look at other people's threads in your industry, look at what people are Googling, or look and see what people are asking in Facebook groups or threads.

What are people needing right now? 

Let me make this clear, I do not mean everyone. I specifically mean what does your target market need and what would support them in this season of life?

How can you show up and give that to them in a way that is an extension of your brand? 

Is this something existing? Or do you need to create something new? 

For many of you, you are going to have to create something new. You've probably had ideas for things that you can launch or build in the background, but maybe life was too busy so I'm going to challenge you to look back at those ideas that have maybe been sitting on the back burner, on a post-it note on your desk, and start to think, “Is that something that I could create now?”

FEELING STUCK? A NOTE ABOUT BRAND CONTAINERS

Brand Containers are a concept that I teach to all of my clients on the idea that what you sell cannot be your business and brand. If it is you are probably running into a problem right now. 

It’s not about having 75 different offers, it’s about having a brand and having variety, allowing for more flexibility, creation and community building.

When you create a business around a single offer and then want to pivot, it will feel like starting over, but when you create a brand first and foremost it’s much easier.

Imagine 5-7 brand containers of things you love talking about. For my business branding, business coaching and marketing are definitely the main ones, but I also love to talk about travel and could offer a blog or course on how to travel full time.

If you’re interested in learning more about Brand Containers and my branding process, check out youbrandedcourse.com.

The key here is you want to first look for a pivot that is of value to your audience and already connected to your brand as a whole, your Brand Containers can help with this. 

When it comes to pivoting the hardest thing you can do is burn it all down in the hopes to build something new. I encourage you to look more for opportunities or gaps in which you can make small adjustments.

Ask yourself: How can I show up, that's going to be a value to my audience and is already connected to my brand as a whole?

Then it will feel more of like a shift or extension than it does a complete starting over from scratch. 

Pricing Your Offer

If you don’t feel like you need to create something new, just adjust something existing, it’s time to think about how to shift it.

Is there a new pricing structure? 
How can you modify an existing offer to launch something smaller?
Can you take a bigger program or something that you've created and sell it separately as a lower-priced offer? 
How can you repurpose some of the things that you've talked about in the past? 

Think of how you can get creative with what you have. For instance, if you’re a photographer and can’t photograph clients, you don’t necessarily have to declare you’re no longer a photographer. You might be able to adjust your offer to something along the lines of selling a style guide on how to prepare for brand photoshoots or teaching other photographers how to edit their pics.

TO RECAP

What does your audience need?
What can you support them with?
Is there something that you can create that as an extension of your existing brand, think about your brand containers, rather than starting completely over? 
And if you have an existing offer that works, how can you modify it or change the pricing structure? 

PHASE THREE: AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

Phase three is what every single business should still remain focused on during a pivot or crisis. 

The brands and businesses that continue to persevere are the ones that continue to show up, build trust and community. These are the businesses that will experience sales later.  

Pivoting isn’t just about the offer it’s also in your messaging and how you show up.

How can you build brand awareness?
How can you create educational components for your audience?
What does this look like for you? 

Get ready for the questions because here they come. Some things to consider are:

Does your content need to shift during this transition? 
How is your overall brand messaging, is it in alignment with your new direction
Do you need to adjust the platform you are showing up on and reaching your target audience? Do you have SEO on your website? Are you using Pinterest to drive traffic? 
Can you start reaching your new target market with advertisements? 
Do you have a sales funnel set up for onboarding new community members and leading them to a sale on evergreen?

When you’re pivoting it can be really easy to not show up, to not build an audience because you feel like you don’t have it all figured out. Take some time to get clear on your pivot offer and audience and keep showing up. 

People are waiting for your message, even when you’re “figuring it out” keep showing up and building trust.

MISSION-DRIVEN BUSINESS GOALS

When you’re going through a pivot or transition it might feel like you need to create something RIGHT NOW. You might think, “I’m just going to put this out there!”

I'm going to encourage you to slow down just a minute to ask yourself this overarching brand question…

“What’s the purpose behind your business? Why are you doing this in the first place?”

Because the reality is if you run your business just for money, you will run into problems. It has to be more fulfilling. What do you do, when in one season of life you don’t have the money coming in? What continues to drive you?

Questions to consider.

What is your purpose behind your business? 
What is your mission? 
How can you create content and offers and all those things that are in alignment with that? 

And if you don't know this, it’s time to dive deep into your brand.

CONCLUSION + PLANNING

MAKING PLANS

With the info that you have collected from above, I want you to start mapping out and planning your next steps.

I know in times of uncertainty and change, there is power in knowing what direction you're going.

Think of where you are headed, there’s that purpose, mission and long-term thinking again, so you can start taking small steps every single day. Start mapping out what that looks like, but be open to adjusting.

Think about…
How does your content look with these new plans?
What offers are you going to put out there? 
What do you need to create?
How can you start rolling out these changes?

Having a plan is really powerful, even if it needs to change and adjust at least you know which direction you’re headed.

If after you dive into these questions you still feel lost and a little overwhelmed. I always encourage people to get a step-by-step plan. My course You! Branded gives you the pieces to finalize your purpose, mission and so much more to build a strong brand and business upon.

You can learn more about You! Branded and the work we do around niching down, ideal client, messaging, offers and emotional branding at youbrandedcourse.com

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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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.

Work From Home With Kids

Work From Home With Kids

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

**Author's note: I wrote this blog post home alone with a four-year-old. I moved my laptop once to the other room, took my headphones out three times and took a break twice to answer questions. Sure, it isn’t ideal, but it is possible.

I've spent the last four years building my online business with a baby right next to me. 

That’s right when the world is getting thrust into working from home, doing it with our kids and possibly homeschooling to top it all off, this has been my life for the past four years.

So let me tell you, the questions started pouring in...
...how do I structure my day?
...how do I keep the kids entertained and busy so I can work?
...how do I balance it all without losing my mind?

Let’s all take a collective deep breath really quickly.

**Pauses so you actually breathe**

Ok.

Now, I might not have all the answers for this unprecedented time, but I have some tricks up my sleeves that have served my family over the past four years and we’re getting into all of this inside this blog.

If you find this blog useful, there is also a video presentation which you can find below. Please share this blog out with your friends and family to support them during this time.

Before we dive into it all, I promise it’s coming, let me just remind you that no one is expecting you to have this all figured out on day one. How could you?

You’re learning a new way of working, parenting and moving through your day to day. Give yourself some grace as you navigate and I promise the journey will be much more enjoyable.

ROUTINES WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

I understand that your normal routine is completely flipped on its head and that is a lot to handle, however, this allows you to create a new one #silverlining.

One of the areas I highly suggest adjusting your routine is in the morning.

When you’re working from home it’s all on you boo and so you need to be super grounded and prepared as you take on the day. Skipping this time in the morning (which is now much more flexible if you were previously commuting) can lead to short fuses, anger and feeling all over the place throughout the day.

This might mean taking an extra hour in the morning or just 20 minutes to connect, but some of my favorite tips for this time are:

• Get dressed. Seriously, I know it sounds so stupid, but the days when I’m in sweats I’m way less productive. Just put on the pants with a button and a shirt and get this party started.

• Move your body. Sure, you’re used to sitting at a desk all day, but that isn’t going to work at home with kids. Get your energy going in the morning by working out or taking a walk, you’re going to need it.

• Get grounded. Whether you meditate or not is not important, although I’m a big advocate for 10 minutes of mindful thinking and deep breathing every morning, I just want you to chill. Take some time in the morning to feel connected to your body, your mind and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.
  

You might be thinking, “Hello! Michelle, I told you I’m doing this with kids?”

Oh, I know and that’s the joy. From an early age, I was including Cal in all my activities in the morning. To this day, we still workout, meditate and journal together. Include your kids in the activity to teach them an important life lesson along the way and to get a little space.

If your kids have never done this, be a little flexible. They might not do the full workout but might jump in and out to join you. If you have Bluetooth headphones try those while meditating and if you’re journaling you can give them crayons and paper to draw a picture.

As with everything presented to us during this time, it’s an opportunity to slow down from our normal rushed routine.

YOUR SCHEDULE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

Let’s just address the elephant in the room...you’re not going to work uninterrupted for 8 hours, so you’ve got to adjust, but you do need a schedule.

The biggest tip I can give you when it comes to creating a new schedule at home is to pay attention to your kids' rhythms, I promise they have them!

Paying attention to these rhythms, you might not be as familiar with, will show you little pockets and opportunities for extended work periods.

If your kid takes naps throughout the day then utilize those times to dive into your work, eliminate distractions and hustle your way through nap time.

If your kid has certain times of the day when they play well by themselves or get pulled into a project, then plan to get work done during that time. Cal does well in the morning, so after my morning routine, I would dive right into working until about snack/ lunchtime.

PLAN YOUR DAY IN ADVANCE

If you have older kids I suggest having them create their schedule the night before. Take some time together to plan out what the next day might look like.

Do you have meetings? If so, when are they?
Do you have a deadline that needs to be met?
Is there a project your kid is working on with school?

Then fill in the rest. Give your kids the responsibility to map out their day, this will make them freaking excited, and then hold them to it the next day. Use tools like timers to keep track of everyone’s schedule.

You need to do the same. Identify your big priorities for the day, now is not the time to try and do everything on your list. If you go into your day with 3 main priorities and put your focus around that it will make it much easier to feel accomplished than if you’re not clear on the main goals.

Do this every single day, yes every single day! I like to use a free tool like Trello to organize my day to day activities and if you’re working with a team tools like Slack and Zoom are very helpful for team communication (seriously, can we stop emailing each other) and team meetings.

SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS - WORK FROM HOME TRICK

I’ve read a lot of information online about working from home over the past four years and I swear no one is talking about this.

Either they know and they don’t want to spill the beans or it’s truly something not enough people are utilizing, but THIS right here is what saved me so many times.

If you have a meeting, a big project or an upcoming deadline set your kids up for success during those times.

I know you’re nervous about being interrupted, we all are, but your kids don’t know you have a meeting or even what that means if this is all new to them, so we’ve got to show some grace to both sides.

One way to combat the need for silence and focus it so set your kids up with a project and resources so they don’t need you unless there is an emergency.

So what does this look like?

“Setting Them Up” can be:

• Creating an activity bin that you pull out during meetings or times where focus is needed is exciting for kids and gives them a “this is a special toy” feeling.

• Moving your office outside. Sometimes I would take my calls outside where Cal could run around, play with the dog and explore. He was often entertained for quite some time because it was a new setting for him and I never complained about the fresh air.

• Give them a project. Depending on the age of your kids you’ll have to use your imagination, but some of my favorites were creating a tent and turning on a movie, building something, doing a puzzle, an activity book or reading.

• If all else fails it’s cartoon time! Look if you have a meeting you have a meeting. I’m in no way advocating for your kiddo to be on their tablet or in front of the tv all day, but once and a while momma...GIVE. YOURSELF. A. BREAK! Some of our favorites were Word Party and Beat Bugs on Netflix and the PBS Kids app.
  

In addition to the projects I highly recommend getting some snacks ready.

We try to have a bin in the fridge with cut-up fruit and other snacks so Cal can grab them without having to ask me. Of course, this only works for older kids, but if you’ve got kids under three you can have those snacks at your desk ready to go when they are hungry.

When you can combine a little preparedness with these activities you’ll handle your day so much better. There is a big difference in knowing you have a meeting at 2 pm, so you eat lunch by 1 pm and have the kids ready to go by 1:45 pm so you can get to your meeting VS. realizing at 1:50 you’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes.

Just sayin'.

TAG TEAM WITH YOUR PARTNER

If you have a partner at home it’s time to work as a team, seriously there is no reason to do this alone. Whether your partner is also working from home or gets home at the end of the day there is an opportunity to tag team this whole thing.

And, when this whole Coronavirus thing brings us back to some normalcy you can also lean on support from your community - think neighbors, best friends or hiring support.

I asked my husband Ben what he would recommend from this period when he was working retail and I was working from home with Cal building my business. He said the biggest thing he remembered was asking for chunks of time.

So let’s break down two scenarios.

IF BOTH PARENTS ARE WORKING FROM HOME
If you’re both working from home then together plan your schedule for the day. If someone has meetings all day virtually or projects to complete the other parent is on deck. Then you're able to flip the role when needed. 

IF ONE PARENT IS HOME ALL DAY
This one is much closer to my heart because this was our life for three years. At the beginning of the week, I would do my best to let Ben know when I’d need “uninterrupted time” for calls, writing or recording. But sometimes you just can’t prepare. Don’t be afraid to send that loving, yet kind of urgent text to your partner saying, “I need two hours tonight before dinner, you’re on call!”

BE FLEXIBLE

The rules no longer apply!

You’re not chained to a desk from 8 - 5 every day with the weekends as the only time to chill, and that’s the beauty of it all.

If you need to rearrange your schedule to work on a Saturday rather than a Tuesday then go for it, I promise your co-workers are doing it as well.

If you find an opportunity to wake up in the morning before the kids do or your partner leaves then explore taking this time to get some work done during this season.

It’s hard when your kids run the show, but I promise you can work in harmony with a little grace and planning (my favorite combo always).

FINAL THOUGHTS

My top tips for you are to...

• Take time in the morning to ground yourself, get dressed and move your body.

• Change your environment frequently throughout the day.

• Take time the night before to plan your schedule and activities for the day ahead.

• Set your kids up. You’ll save yourself time in the long run if you take 10 minutes to prep (just trust me on this one)!

• BABIES: Wear your baby in a baby carrier throughout the day. They love it and it’s super easy to work when you have both of your hands free.

• TODDLERS: Activities. Activities. Activities, oh and snacks!

• TEENAGERS AND OLDER: Now’s a great time to set some boundaries. It’s a life lesson we all need at a young age so don’t be afraid to sit them done and have them plan their schedule and openly communicate with them when you need uninterrupted time.
  

If you suddenly find yourself trying to play full-time employee, parent and teacher I’d love to pass along a bit of advice I received early on. Allow your kids to have experiences. Honestly, this kind of learning can teach them so much more than spending a day in school.

Encourage them to build something, play outside and garden, put on a play, etc… Sometimes the alternative learning opportunities can have the biggest impact.

I hope this post was helpful for you during this season of life. Please share it out on social media to support other parents going through the same thing.

If you want to follow along with daily tips and inspiration be sure to connect with me on Instagram @michelleknightco.

P.S. If you want to learn more about me and my online business Brandmerry.com, I’ve got some great resources for you below.

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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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.

How to Find Time to Build Your Business as a Mom

How to Find Time to Build Your Business as a Mom

May 23, 2019

Prefer to watch, instead of read? I’ve got you boo. scroll down to watch a quick 6 minute video!

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Where are my mompreneurs at?

It is so true that being an entrepreneur is hard freaking work, but you add kids to the mix and that’s a whole new level.

And it’s something so many entrepreneurs don’t understand. That’s why I love supporting women in building, launching and scaling their brands because I get it!

I built my business from zero to 6-figures a the same time I was raising my son - in fact my business is as old as my son because nothing says “It’s time to start a business” like just giving birth.

So when I tell you I get that it’s hard to find the time to bring your dream business to life I want you to know that I understand it is hard, but it’s not impossible.

Today on the blog I’m sharing my top tips for making it happen.

1. GO ALL IN

I know what a touchy subject to start, but the truth is if you’re half in and half out of creating this business it’s not going to work.

You’ll always find a reason WHY you can’t work on your business, it’s too easy to get distracted, do you’ve got to make the commitment right here, right now.

The cool thing is I’m not asking you to choose, because you don’t have to. You can be both an amazing mother and entrepreneur, it’s not an “or” situation, it’s an “and” situation.

There are women out there doing this every single day, there is no reason why you can’t too.

2. BATCH YOUR TIME

I talk about batch scheduling in my blog all about content creation here, but if you plan to build a business with a kid and you’re not doing this it’s going to be so hard.

It’s time to pull in the forces girl, your partner, your friends, family, babysitter, call your best friend from high school who also has kids and swap services if you have to, but get yourself at least 3 hours a week uninterrupted.

Trust me you’ll get more done in those 3 hours than you will in 10 with a little one at your feet and productivity is key if you want to grow your business.

3. CREATE TIME

Yes it’s possible! You have a choice on where you spend your time. So where’s your time going right now?

• Are you binging on some Netflix?

• Do you drive a bunch, but not using that time efficiently?

• Are you a social scroller?

I see you - no judgement.

But, the reality is you’ve got 24 hours in a day, how are you using it?

There’s a super easy way to figure this out and something I have all my clients do and it’s a time evaluation. Take 3 days to track your time and see exactly where it’s going. Then prioritize (business and family) and leave the rest behind, at least for now anyways.

Oh and speaking of wasting time in the car. I use to commute 2 hours to work and I’d listen to podcasts for inspiration on the way to work and voice record my social media posts and emails for the week on the way home.

IF you want it you’ll do it.

4. TRELLO

I feel like I talk about Trello as least once a week, because I love it so much. Recently I did wrote a blog on productivity and focus where I shared how I use Trello in my life and business.

You can’t organize all the things you need to do blindly and why should you there are free tools at your freaking fingertips. One of them is Trello!

I use Trello to organize my weekly schedule and give myself the flexibility to move things around as needed. It’s great for measuring my productivity, allowing me to see what needs to be done every morning and gives me the flexibility to reschedule if needed. My main goal - get it done by the end of the week!

Look, if I didn’t believe you could do it I wouldn’t write this blog or make this video, so please remember that you are worthy of having a successful business and a thriving family.

If you want to learn more about my journey + the complete Roadmap I followed to build a business that sustains my family, gives me the freedom to be with my son AND create a business I freaking love? You can watch this Netflix-style masterclass here.

Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!

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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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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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.

5 Things to Know About Your First Year as an Entrepreneur

5 Things to Know About Your First Year
as an Entrepreneur

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

Look, I’m going to go against the grain here and say starting a business and becoming an entrepreneur takes work.

Insert Rihana singing “work work work work work”

The reality is this is not for the faint of heart, which is ironic because what you need to make this thing work is a whole lot of heart.

In addition to having the belief, mindset and deep desire to make this thing work there are 5 things you need to know in your first year as an entrepreneur.

The first year of my business it took months, I’m talking 8 months for me to truly figure out what I was doing.

I took action, continuous action and was busy working on building this dream, but I had little to show for it.

So, I consider myself a freaking expert in helping women who struggle to get going because I’ve lived through it.

After 8 months of pushing uphill things started to shift for me and within three months I was making enough monthly income to replace my 9 to 5 and in a year I had made 6-figures cash in my business.

Do I think I could have hit those goals faster if I’d had known these things? YES

But, then I wouldn’t be able to share this with you today #lessons.

So here we go - 5 Things to Know About Your First Year as an Entrepreneur (what I wish I’d known).

1. YOUR WEBSITE

How do I say this in a way that doesn’t come across as a total butthead - no one is searching for your website.

Oh, I know you want it to be the case, but in the beginning, people don’t know you, yet so many entrepreneurs spend so much time on building their website right out of the gate when they should be focused on building brand awareness.

Your website is needed and will be one of the most valuable tools in your business, but spending months and months and sometimes thousands of dollars to build your website is a waste at the beginning.

Take the time to identify your niche, who you want to attract and your brand messages BEFORE building your website and be sure to have a marketing plan to actually drum up enough interest that has people visiting your website.

2. YOUR BRAND

Another one that takes so much time and so much money - yep, it’s branding.

I love branding, it is my jam, but so many entrepreneurs do it wrong the first year. They jump right into finding their colors, fonts and designing their logo BEFORE understanding their brand foundations. Yep, you guessed it - your niche, your audience and your brand messages.

PLUS, they overlook the power of emotional branding (more on that here) which at its core is WHY people buy. So rather than diving right into the visual branding what we should be focused on is what branding truly is - the deeper connection to your audience.

One of the best things you can do is create content for your audience to build brand awareness (yes, this is part of branding) and watch as your visuals fall into place.

3. POWER OF STORY

You’ve got one thing when you start and that’s your story! It’s also the one thing you have that will help you stand out from the crowd and competition.

You need to spend time uncovering your story and setting a strong foundation for story in your business.

Your audience is 22x more likely to remember story, which means it goes beyond just your brand story and also includes authentically tying story into every piece of content and marketing material you make.

4. SOCIAL MEDIA I CONFUSING

Yep, that’s right social media is a lot of information. It can be one of the coolest tools you use in the online space OR it can literally drive you crazy.

In the beginning, you want to be everywhere because that’s what you’re told right? Well, not really the best move when you’re just starting out.

Instead, I suggest you focus on one social media platform to start and get really good at that. In order to do this think of two things. #1 Where do you like to hang out and #2 Where is your audience spending time.

Boom - start there and stop overwhelming yourself trying to be everywhere!

5. MESSAGING IS MAGIC

If there is one thing I’ve learned as an entrepreneur and especially my first year in business is that messaging can make or break your success.

This goes back decades and is the foundation of successful advertising. You need to be crystal clear, do everything in your power to not confuse your audience and clearly communicate how it benefits your audience.

If there is one thing you set up at the start of your business it should be your brand messaging. What do you provide and how does it benefit your audience?

That’s the secret - making sure you’re clearly sharing how it benefits your audience.

If you’re always focused on this, it’s freaking magic.

I hope you take these five essential pieces and put them into action.

They can completely change the course of your business and your ability to reach profitability faster.

If you need support along the way, that’s where I come in.

My program Roadmap to Freedom is opening soon and it’s better than ever. This live 90-day program is for the new and aspiring female entrepreneur ready to simplify the process of building an online business that allows her to make money on her terms and create a life of abundant experiences and impact.

You can learn more at brandmerry.com/freedom.

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.

Why perfectionism is bad for business (entrepreneur edition)

Why perfectionism is bad for business (entrepreneur edition)

April 25, 2019

PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO. SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH A QUICK 6 MINUTE VIDEO!

It's a trap. I'm talking about perfectionism, more specifically, perfectionism in business.

I know it's really easy when you dive into this whole entrepreneur thing that you want every single thing to be perfect.

So I have to know, do you struggle with perfectionism and more specifically, did you feel that heightened when you became an entrepreneur when you started diving into the world of entrepreneurism?

I know I did, and you and I are not alone. There are so many women who struggle with this. Today, I want to talk to you about what perfectionism means for your business and how you can start to escape it.

Real talk. I have struggled with perfectionism my entire life, and I'm not talking about that one time in college when that one paper had to be perfect.

I'm talking about perfectionism on an emotional, mental, and physical level really impacting me for years and years. And so when I tell you I get you, I am not freaking lying.

That feeling of almost being paralyzed to do anything in your business, redoing and redoing an email and a website, trying to get it absolutely perfect to the point that you feel exhausted and slightly overwhelmed and comparing yourself to other people in the online space because let's just admit it right now, comparisonitis plagues perfectionists so much.

I get it - all right. Maybe you're not that far gone, and to that, I say bless you, but perhaps you are, and you need to hear exactly what I'm telling you today.

Throughout my entrepreneur journey, I had to come face to face with my struggle around perfectionism. And today I have some harsh truths for you; perfectionism is keeping you stuck. I know, I get it.

When I first heard it, I was like, who do you think you are? But it's true and after three years of really making this a focus, to dive into how perfectionism was keeping me stuck, how it was keeping me in a safe space, I have come to learn that it is an excuse that so many entrepreneurs use, and it's probably an excuse that you're using today.

It's a belief that you have held onto for so long that it's ultimately keeping you stuck.

It is keeping you in a safe bubble where you are not taking risks and big, bold chances. And I have to tell you; it is those risks and big, bold chances that make you a better entrepreneur and more importantly, a better version of yourself.

And so with everything, I genuinely believe that you have a choice and you might be thinking to yourself, I know that and I believe that, and maybe you know that on a surface level, but have you actually thought about that today?

Have you thought about the fact that you can live with something forever and ever and you can wake up one day and have a choice to no longer let that be your truth?

You have a choice right now.

You can choose to stay safe in this perfectionist bubble, redoing things over and over again, not putting your voice out into the world, or you can choose to take action, and you can choose to get super uncomfortable, and I have to tell you, that's where growth comes from. It comes from doing uncomfortable things.

Also, side note, if the fear of failure is like going off in your head right now, watch my video from last week because we talked about the fear of failure and what it truly means.

But I have a question for you. Does everyone who struggles with perfectionism stay hidden? The answer is no. Obviously, because there are big important people in this world who are out there sharing their message that struggle with this same thing that you and I struggle with and I know that was a huge part for me.

When I realized that these people out there every single day are doing it even though they might be a little fearful that they might fail or that it won't be perfect. They're still doing it. I'm standing in front of you today to tell you that you have a choice.

You deserve to show up, and you deserve to be seen just as you are in this moment, even if it doesn't feel perfect, it's your job to decide not to let this label keep you from achieving greatness.

My first live stream was horrible. My first webinar blew up in my face, my first launch. It did not go as planned, and the only way that I grew was by putting it out there and continuing to take action over and over again.

So how can you ever perfect something if you're not willing to put it out into the world? If you are afraid of what people are going to say, I have to tell you there will always be people who love you and there will always be people who want to bring you down.

You have to focus on the people who love you, and you have to put your stuff out there and to be your true authentic self anyway.

So how are you going to show up and take action and take risks even though it is scary, even though you want it to be perfect and it's not there yet because I am telling you your business, your life of freedom, it all comes back to you and the choices that you will make today.

If for you, that action means finally getting started, your thriving online business. If that means for you saying yes to the dream that you've had forever playing over and over in your head, but you're afraid to do it because guess what? It's not perfect yet.

I want to invite you to my upcoming masterclass where you'll hear from someone who has been where you are struggling with perfectionism, and we're going to talk about exactly what you need to create a thriving online business that doesn't waste time, energy, or resources, and get you to profitability faster. You can go to brandmerry.com/masterclass.

Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!

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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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