How to build an amazing small business

How to build an amazing small business. It’s not what you think.

When I first opened my business I put all of the logistical pieces into place. I set up my office with the proper technical equipment. Bought business cards, wrote out a business plan and all of that practical stuff that goes into starting a business.

And yes, that practical “stuff” is needed. The one thing that I did not do though, was to ask myself how I was going to make this business work.

In other words, I did not create a brand, an ideal client profile or even layout exactly how I was going to work with my clients and on what.

I’m a coach I said, I will coach them. They will have roadblocks, they will need to have mindset shifts. I will work with them on that.

And you know, that did not work at all. Why? For instance, I didn’t even know who they were or what they struggled with. I had no idea what to say to them and so I did not have the confidence (which is true for a lot of the people I work with) to speak to them in a way that made sense to them. 

Know what it is you sell and who it is for.

I needed to make money and I needed to get a grip. A coach of mine asked me “Kim, what are you selling (offering)?” And I said, very proudly, I might add, Coaching!

She said “that’s all well and good, but WHAT exactly will your client get because of coaching with you?” 

And then she asked “…and who is it you are selling to?”

Well, game changer! 

What I needed to figure out was, what I was selling and who was it for.

When I started my business, I set it up for me. What would be good for me. I never considered who it was for, who would want what I have and how they would benefit from it.

I have since learned and now teach that your brand is about your clients! Yes, we do put a lot of ourselves into it, and ultimately it is about them.

It is about the problem we solve for them. Once I figured that out I was able to create my cornerstone program, The Business Building & Growth Success Program. It is full of teachings, formulas, strategies and more that help my clients create businesses that attract their clients and make money.

I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of coaches, healers, service-based businesses, realtors, salon owners, virtual assistants, and creative entrepreneurs to help them gain clarity on their ideal client, brand and marketing and yes, confidence.

And each and every time we do an Ideal Client Profile, the moment they connect their pieces is the moment that they change and that their business changes. It’s so amazing.

Confidence is the missing piece.

I was in a sales training recently and the instructor asked:

“How many times do you follow up with someone if they have said no?”

Most people said NEVER! NEVER?! Holy cow, do you know how much business is lost by that?

It soon came to be that they weren’t confident in their value of what they offered. And that was my challenge, I didn’t know that either. So I struggled and I struggled a lot.

I didn’t have the right language to talk to my ideal clients so they would hear me and say “yes, sign me up!” I didn’t know really what they would get so how could I tell them what they could expect as a result of working with me?

It was only through working on this part, practicing, getting my own coaching and getting out there was I able to build the confidence to be where I am today and now teach others to shorten their learning curve and avoid the struggle I had.

Your Starting Point

Take a moment and think about someone you have worked with that you have loved so much you would work with them for free.

List out what you loved about them. Be very specific down to the color of their eyes (ok, only if that matters to you)  😉 you get my point though.

Think in terms of demographics, psychographic and what you want in a client.

Now, what is it you do, that you love (again, so much that you’d do it for free – though I’m not advocating that) and are brilliant at? List it all out. You should have more than 25 things.

From there, what are the benefits that the clients you love get when working with you? Make that list. Again this will have more than 25 things on the page.

This is your brilliance and this gives you your Ideal Client Profile and what it is you do with them. Another way to say that is: This is your client and what you offer them.

And start thinking about what it is your clients say are their pain points, where do they struggle, and what would they like to have instead?

That’s how you start to get a list of their words that you use to speak to your ideal clients so they hear you.

Cool, right? 

True, there is more to this, I have not given you the whole formula. But this will get you started. And it will give you the confidence to get out there, talking to your ideal clients and signing them on.

And that’s even more “cooler”!

Build and Grow Your Business

If you are hoping for a better 2021, I’d love to be the one to help you go from hoping to having. Sign up for a free consultation and we’ll talk about how you can create your completed Ideal Client Profile, marketing plan and more to build and grow your business to where you want it. Click here to set up time for us to talk. I look forward to meeting you.