Get your ducks in a row before you start your business
Starting a business can be one of the most exciting and fun things you can do, but it’s important to get your ducks in a row first. I’m not talking about the usual stuff like setting up your business entity, writing a business plan, establishing financing, etc. I’m talking about connecting your purpose to your product and defining your message. It’s important to understand the underlying message behind what you do. What is your message to the world and who are you trying to help? When you understand your purpose, the message you have and who you want to help, it becomes a filter for the products and services you offer and establishes how you communicate with and serve your customers. Completing this critical first step to starting an online business will help you to develop a clear and empowering message to your prospects.
What’s the problem you want to solve in the world?
All products and services solve a problem. Your customers will buy from you when you are able to communicate to them that your product solves a problem for them and provides more value that the cost you charge them. So what is the problem you want to solve? What is the message you have to share with the world? How does the product that you offer address the problem you want to solve in the world? What are the benefits that your product offers that will solve a problem for your customers? When you can connect your purpose to your product and the benefits that your product offers, you will have alignment that allows you to authentically scale and grow your business.
What is the belief you have that you most want to share with the world?
Do you believe that everyone should have financial freedom? Maybe you believe that parents shouldn’t have to choose between providing for their children and being able to spend quality time with them? Do you believe that everyone can have health and vitality without spending hours in the gym? Or that no one should should suffer needlessly from preventable chronic diseases? What is the impact that you want to have on the world and what is the empowering belief you have about it? The first step to starting an online business is to get really clear about how you want to impact the world and how your business can be a vehicle to achieve that.
Who do you want to be a hero to?
What is the audience you want to reach? Do you want to help single parents or people suffering from chronic disease? Maybe you want to help retirees who have years of wisdom and experience but are disconnected from their passion and struggle with technology? Do you want to help young people who are tech savvy but lack a sense of purpose? Do you want to serve those who feel disconnected and alone? It might be people like you who are struggling with the same things that you struggled with and have similar goals for their lives. You are uniquely positioned to help them.
How does your story connect to your message and your audience?
What has happened in your life that illustrates your message and allows you to connect to your audience? Is there something that have you struggled with and overcome that will allow you to connect with and help your audience? What fears and limiting beliefs have held you back? How were you able to break free from your limiting beliefs? What changed in your life that allowed you to become a guide for your audience? Is there a consistent thread or theme that runs through your life experiences that illustrates your story and will benefit your audience?
What do you want to be known for?
Spend some time considering what it is that you want to be known for in your business. Do you want to be known for excellent customer service? Maybe you want to be known for your innovation and creativity. Do you want to be someone who finds solutions when other can’t? Once you have an idea of what you want to be known for, you can begin to focus on it and cultivate that reputation through the content you create and the messaging your share with your prospects. Share the aspects of your story that relate to that idea. Focus on that thing when you are communicating with your customers. When you ask for customer reviews, mention the specific thing that you want to be known for.
Are you serious about connecting to your passion and starting an online business?
If you are serious about starting a business that allows you to reach your goal and help serve others, I invite you to join the Entre Nation. Entre is committed to ’empowering people to achieve physical, personal and professional excellence through entrepreneurial education’. Are you ready to take the first step to starting an online business? Tap on the link below to learn more.
