Not Knowing How to Prioritize is Costly
One of the greatest challenges of being a business start-up is knowing where to focus your time, money, and attention. There are many people out there advertising the latest ways to grow and market your business. Some say focus on your website, others on your social media, others suggest creating blogs, courses, or marketing funnels. This makes it very difficult for those starting out to know how to prioritize.
The reality is that all those methods not only take a lot of time and money, but they also require a great deal of clarity. This is the costly trap that many start-ups fall into – investing in things they aren’t quite ready for. It sounds like a great idea on the surface, but when you delve into the details, you quickly realize that these marketing mediums require greater understanding of yourself, your clients, and your marketing needs.
A Better Way to Begin
So, what is a better way to begin? Well, the reality is that identifying who you are and who your ideal clients are is the perfect place to begin. Not having had clients before, the only way to find that out more is to get out there and interact. Talking with other people and asking them questions will help you see what the needs and wants are of other people. As you begin to see the problems you can personally help them solve, you can customize your products, services, and marketing messages to your ideal clients’ needs.
In addition, finding out what your unique skills and talents are will help you understand what differentiates you from the rest. This is especially important if you are providing a service. In a product-based company, you’ll want to focus on what differentiates your products and speak about how they uniquely serve the needs and wants of your ideal customers.
Where many service-based businesses get into trouble, they spend too much time and energy on content such as writing blogs, courses, or content for their websites. It’s understandable because it’s easy and fun to do. It also helps to create clarity. But it’s important be mindful that if done too much, it will keep you in your comfort zone and away from your potential clients. Remember, the real work to be done is to get out there and interact. The more you do, the more you learn, grow, and connect.
How to Get Started
This is why one of the first things I suggest start-ups do is to network. In addition to clarifying what people need, you can utilize networking for these other important purposes.
- Networking will help you practice “being” the business owner that you are. In the beginning, that critical voice in your head will tell you that you are not really a business owner. It will tell you that you are too new, or you don’t know what you are doing. Imposter syndrome will set in quickly. So, much of the initial work you’ll need to do is convince YOURSELF that you really are who you say you are. The more you practice introducing yourself, the more believable it will feel and sound.
2. Secondly, it is a good time to practice describing what you do. This is often referred to as an elevator pitch, but it’s more than that. If I were to ask you what you do, could you describe it in a way that I would get a picture in my head, or would I just be more confused? Would I get enough of an idea that a person that comes to mind that I know would benefit from what you sell? This is especially tricky for service-based businesses that don’t have a tangible product. So, it’s important to bounce it off other people. If they are confused as to what you do, it means there is more work to be done on your end to clarify.
3. Thirdly, it is essential that you create a support network for yourself. Being a business owner is very isolating at times. Often, you will feel alone in your journey towards your new endeavor. You will get lost along the way. Not to mention, there will be times when you want to give up. Having other people who know what it’s like and are there to support you is critical to your success. Building a new business is not easy. It takes a village. Having the right people in your corner who can help you along the way will make the difference between you succeeding or failing. Find people who believe in you and can lift you up in the moments when you don’t.
When the Magic Starts Happening
Time and time again, where I see the magic happen for business start-ups is when you, the owner are out there connecting with other people. It’s beautiful when you discover that what you have to offer is needed. A shift will occur inside you as you begin to experience value and impact of what you offer. Hiding at home, while necessary at some levels (especially for us introverts), will keep you from connecting to the very people that need you. So yes, give yourself time to rest AND set time aside to go out and network. In doing so, you will see your confidence glow, your client base grow, and you will fulfill your dream of helping others.