Starting an Online Business?

So you're starting an online business? 

Hooray! That's so exciting!!

I've been where you are right now ... not that long ago.  In fact 7 years ago I suddenly found myself needing to work and support my family.  My top priority was/is my young children so the flexibility of working for myself was very appealing.  

But two things stood out. 

1. I had no idea what I wanted to do (actually I had lots of ideas I just couldn't settle on one) and

2. I had no idea where to start!

After trying several different types of businesses I soon realised that I was good at helping others build their businesses because I loved the creation and tech side. And now here we are...7 years later with a successful online design business working full time from my home office. 

This is possible for you too! 

When starting a new business the most common question I have heard is: ‘where do I start?’

Most people will just tell you to "just start - do all the things."  

In a way, ‘do all the things’ is correct advice but not necessarily helpful since that can lead to burnout and disillusionment.  And ‘overwhelm’ is probably what you’re feeling right now or you wouldn't be reading this post. We don’t want you to be discouraged with your business before you’ve even got started - do we?? 

So in this post I’ll be sharing step by step where to start and how to eliminate overwhelm when you are just getting started. 

Here are the 8 basic steps:

1. Choose your business idea

2. Who is your ideal client or customer?

3. Create one specific offer to focus on

4. Choose 1-2 marketing strategies to focus on

5. Get your tech sorted

6. Launch!

7. Stay consistent with marketing

8. Don't give up!

Let's go into each one in more detail....

This might be the most challenging step for some.  I know it was for me.  In fact it took several years before I landed here. I had so many ideas that i couldn't narrow it down to just one.  But you might be the opposite.  You know you want to run your own business but just aren't sure what to do.  

Here are some questions to help you narrow down your ideas or think of one:

What do you love doing?

What skills do you already have?

What does your ideal day look like?

What do your friends or family say you are really good at?

What type of businesses do you follow online?

If you closed your eyes and thought about a dream you have always had - what would that be?  

It's important to choose something that you love doing.  Making money isn't enough of a reason to choose a business idea.  This is something that you are going to be doing every day - so make sure you love it! Note: helping others is a good reason to start a business.  Don't underestimate the emotional incentive of a business idea - it will inspire you more so than the income you make.  Although I know that's important too.  

What does this mean?

Well if you are working with people then you want to get clear on the type of people you are going to work with.  You can't be everything to everyone!  I know this is a hard one - but it's important to realise this early on.  Decide on who you want to work with and focus on them.  It will make your offers, and marketing so much easier to create.  

So get a piece of paper and write down a description of the person that you want to serve and help.  Some things to include are: age, gender, do they have a family?, what do they do for work?...also what are they struggling with?  why would they need your help? What problem do they have that you can solve?

Once you've got clear on that person then you can direct your offers, and marketing towards that person. 

Now that you have your business idea and ideal client in mind....it's time to work on your offer! 

So are you a service based business or a product based business? Or other?  Depending on the type of business you have chosen will determine what type of offer you will create. 

If you are a service based business I would recommend choosing one offer, for example a coaching program, and focus on that. Rather than trying to create several offers at the same time. 

Remember also that your offers will change over time and you will add others.  So don't stress too much about getting it perfect.  I offered website design for years before I got really clear about how my offer would look and who I offered it to. 

This step can feel really overwhelming which is why I suggest only choosing 1-2 strategies to focus on at the beginning.  These could include the following:

Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Linked In, YouTube, Blogging, Affiliates....

Don't try and do all the ways....it's too many new strategies to learn.  So it's better to choose 1-2 and do those well. 

The most important thing to remember is the be CONSISTENT with your marketing and content - whichever one you use! 

This might be a challenging step for you if you're not tech savvy (yet!)

But here are the things to consider when it comes to tech:

1. Domain Name - I recommend Go Daddy for this if you've have got yours yet.  It's easy to navigate and very reasonably priced. 

2. Instagram and/or Facebook handles - you'll most likely be using one of these two types of social media so make sure you register an account that is as similar as possible to your business name. 

3. Email address - I'd recommend a gmail account so that you can also use GoogleSuite's programs too.  Things like Google Docs. Google Drive, Forms etc are super useful in online business.

4. Website Platform - a website is something that you are definitely going to want if you are running an online business.  It's the way people can learn more about you and your offers and you can share your testimonials, portfolio, contact details etc.

If you are planning on offering an online program like a course or membership then I highly recommend Kajabi (obvs) Click HERE for a 30 day FREE Trial of Kajabi. Kajabi is an 'all-in-one' online platform that can host not only your course or membership but also you coaching program, podcast, email database, website, 

If you aren't planning on offering a course or membership then I would recommend SquareSpace. 

SquareSpace is a very affordable website platform.  You can create beautiful sites with this platform and it's definitely what I'd recommend if you're not ready for Kajabi. 

If you would like help with either of these platforms - building your website or course please reach out.  If you didn't already know...this is what I love to do! 

This may seem obvious - but it's time to LAUNCH!!

Often when we are working on something that is close to our hearts we want it to be perfect!!  But perfection is not what we should be chasing....our focus should be on supporting the clients we are serving of offering the product we are selling.  So make sure you don't delay too long...get your offer out into the world! Start working with your ideal clients and you can always edit as you go along.  There is nothing wrong with that.  

I've already mentioned this one - but it's important so I'm saying it again.  Even when it can feel like you aren't reaching anyone with all your hard work - you are!  So stay consistent with your content, keep sharing your offers...it might take some time but it will pay off! 

Mindset is everything!  So DON'T GIVE UP!! 

If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed or need some accountability then definitely hire a business coach.  There are HUGE benefits to having the support of someone like a coach.  A business coach or mindset coach can really help you move past some of those limiting beliefs that are bound to happen when you are starting something new.

I would absolutely love to know if you found this helpful.  Reach out HERE with any questions or if you need support.  I'm here to help.