Six steps to business success
During my career as a journalist, founding and managing an influencer marketing agency, and now coaching women to build successful businesses, I’ve found these six steps set the right foundation for business growth and long-term success.
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FIND YOUR WHY
If you have a strong sense of why you are building your business you will always find a way to work out how to do it. A deeper purpose behind why you are building and growing your business will also ensure it’s sustainable and fulfilling. According to Simon Sinek, it's: “The compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as the source of all we do.” His viral Ted Talk is a must watch for all entrepreneurs and business leaders.
2. OVERCOME YOUR FEARS
We all have self doubts and limiting beliefs but this negativity stops us from taking action. Your mindset matters. So train yourself to be positive. Practice a morning routine. Meditate. Visualise yourself running a successful and profitable business. Surround yourself with inspiring and supportive people. The only thing you should fear is never trying.
3. DEFINE YOUR NICHE
What problem are you solving, and for whom? Target in on that because that’s what will make you and your business memorable. You should be able to describe what you do and for whom in one sentence. For example, “I help ambitious women start and scale their own business”. Think or it like your elevator pitch. When a friend of mine gets asked what he does he doesn’t say, “I’m a copywriter”, he says, “I write words that sell anything”. Practise pitching your business in a catchy way like this.
4. BUILD AN AUTHENTIC BRAND
Tell your story. Connect with your community. Don’t spend lots of time and $$$ on fancy logos, websites and branding agencies (you can when you’re profitable). Instead design a basic logo using free software tools, start a digital presence and create content that educates, inspires or entertains your target audience. Pick one social media platform or communication tool that’s aligned with your business. For example, instagram will work well for a personal trainer but a fortnightly newsletter would work better for a consultant. Whatever you choose, communicate with your audience consistently. You don’t have to post everyday but ensure if you decide to do one post a week you stick to it so your audience knows what and when to expect it. And remember It’s better to have a small but engaged audience rather than millions of followers who don’t convert to customers.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
It sounds simple but often business owners talk more than they listen. I’ve found listening to the needs and problems of my existing and potential clients the greatest sales tool for my business. Delve into what problems they have or what they want to achieve (often they need help defining this), then respond with solutions you offer to win their business. By conducting regular surveys and asking for constructive feedback you’ll be able to tailor your services accordingly and get ideas for new products and services to suit their needs too.
6. VALUE YOURSELF
You’ll get knocked back time and time again but if you believe in yourself and have a strong sense of worth you’ll survive the tough times and build resilience. When I first started my influencer marketing agency back in 2014 I did a lot of brand work for free because I was so grateful leading bloggers and talent wanted me to represent them. Now I value my time and experience because I know I get results. In my experience, women in particular, undercharge for their services so pick an amount that’s slightly outside of your comfort zone and negotiate from there. If people aren’t willing to pay, they’re not the right client. I hope these six steps will set you on your path to success.
We cover all these six steps and more in our six week Upstart program. Register your interest or book in a free 15 minute discovery call via [email protected] to assess whether it’s the right program for you.
