PowerPoint Presentation How to Use This Guide & Checklist

PowerPoint Presentation

Demond Wong

How to Use This Guide & Checklist

How to Use the Checklist: The checklist is divided in to five main sections, and basically outlines every single aspect of designing and running your business – from the very beginning. Use this checklist to audit your business and make sure:

3. What Is Your Marketing Strategy?

our previous corporate jobs. But didn't you leave your corporate job for a reason? Don't you want to set up a business that you really love – a business that is easy to run because it's ...

How to Use This Guide & Checklist

Then use this checklist as a high level guide to all the steps you need to work through from the beginning to get clear on your business and prepare to launch. Check off each step as you go. • Have you done some work on your business and want to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before launch?

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Love Your Business eBook Revised- 2020

How to Use This Guide & Checklist Introduction: Why you might not be a "Typical Entrepreneur" Know Your Business Phase Quick Start Your Business Five Steps to a Business You Love 1 2
3
4 5
Next Steps
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Overview
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You're a coach or passionate solopreneur and you don't want to go back to that soul sucking career. You want to make your new business work & get your important work out to the world.
But you're stuck & frustrated. Running your business isn't what you thought it would be. And you don't want to feel that same day-to-day struggle to get things done like you did in your old career. You don't want to feel exhausted and drained every night. And you don't want to wake up in the morning dreading running your business the same way you dreaded going to your job.
You want to love your new business. You want to feel energized and inspired. You want to make a difference and have fun while you do it.
That's why I created this eBook & checklist. I want to help you figure out exactly where you're stuck in your business, exactly what you're not loving about your business, and why.
Better yet, I want to help you learn how to become an Empathic Entrepreneur TM. The reality is that we all have a natural flow state & genius that is unique to who we are. And when you connect who you are to your business, you naturally free up more energy and feel more motivated & inspired.
And as a purpose & meaning-driven entrepreneur, you likely have an empathic & intuitive personality style which means you're motivated by purpose, and you need to set up and align your business with what feels authentic, in-flow and aligned with your core values.
That's what being an Empathic EntrepreneurTM is all about. And I believe it's the key to loving what you do.
"
© Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com

How to Use the Checklist:
The checklist is divided in to five main sections, and basically outlines every single aspect of designing and running your business from the very beginning.
Use this checklist to audit your business and make sure: 1. You haven't skipped any steps 2. Everything is clear and makes sense 3. Every aspect of your business is in line with who you are and how you work best 4. You feel energized and inspired when you think about your business
Once you've completed the checklist, you'll have the information you need to fill in any gaps or make changes to bring your business back in line with who you are and how you prefer to work.
Here are some other ways you can use this checklist, depending on where you're at in your business:
· Are you just starting out? Then use this checklist as a high level guide to all the steps you need to work through from the beginning to get clear on your business and prepare to launch. Check off each step as you go.
· Have you done some work on your business and want to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before launch? Then use this checklist as a review to make sure you haven't missed any steps. Mark off every step on the checklist you've completed, and see what's left. That's what you might need to work on!
· Have you already launched your business, but things aren't going well? Then use this checklist to see what you might have missed - and may want to change.
· Are you taking one of my courses? Then mark off each step as you work through the course.
Ready to get started? Let's go!
"
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What to Know First
6

Here's why typical business & marketing programs might not work for you
If you're a new life coach or heart-centered entrepreneur, who has left (or is leaving) your career to start a passion-based business you love for the first time - then you likely aren't a typical entrepreneur.
The Oxford dictionary defines an entrepreneur as: "A person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit." Does that sound like you? Probably not.
Typical entrepreneurs tend to have a passion for entrepreneurship and business building in and of itself, and their main motivation for being in business is money & growth.
Typical entrepreneurs also tend to already be well-versed in business & marketing, and have likely come from careers related to sales, finance or marketing or have already run previous businesses.
As an Empathic EntrepreneurTM, you may be unique in a few key ways. Take a look at the list below, and check off any that seem to match you:
1. Your main motivation for being in business isn't money or growth. Instead, it's connected to meaning and purpose or more specifically, the transformation you want to help people make or the important message you want to share.
2. You don't have a passion for business building in-and-of-itself. In fact, having a business & being an entrepreneur is more of a necessary evil to getting your important work out into the world.
3. You don't have a background in business, sales or marketing & haven't run businesses before. Instead, you're transitioning from a career, job or raising a family & starting a businesses for the first time.
4. You likely have a personality style that falls into the "idealist" category (if you know the MyersBriggs type indicator this is usually anyone with NF in the middle of their four letter code). This means that you likely feel things deeply, and are highly intuitive and empathic. It also means that everything you do needs to feel authentic and "right" for who you are.

Typical entrepreneurs on the other hand, tend to have a intuitive-thinker or sensor-thinker personality style (not all but many). This means that are most focused on finding the "best", most effective or most efficient way to get something done & aren't as concerned as to whether they like or enjoy doing it (that might be important too but it's MORE important that it's effective).
This is important to know for four main reasons:
1. Because money isn't your primary motivation but you need to MAKE money in order to do your important work & leave your soul-sucking career behind fear & perceived (or real) family or social pressure can easily block you or lead you off track.
And then you can find yourself accidentally building your business around something that isn't your true passion & purpose (because you think it will make you more money and quell those fears) and then lose all motivation for running your business (because you're not following your passion & purpose, and are not motivated by money). This turns into a vicious chickenand-egg loop that's hard to get out of and is a trap that many new heart-centered entrepreneurs fall into.
2. Because you don't have a background in business or marketing & are starting a business for the first time it means that you have a lot to learn, and you can't just expect to understand everything or have it all click together overnight. It also means that you need to learn business & marketing BASICS first, and set up your initial foundation.
BUT most of the business & marketing programs out there are more advanced and targeted to experienced entrepreneurs who already know the basics & have their foundation in place. And because you're just starting out, it's hard to tell the difference.
3. Because "being an entrepreneur" and starting a business is more of a necessary evil vs. your true passion, you need to make running & marketing your business as fun & easy as possible otherwise you simply won't do it.
4. Because you have a more intuitive-feeling personality type, it means that everything about your business needs to feel authentic & right for who you are. It also means that you need to know how everything fits together at the big picture level and "why" you're doing something.
This means that following someone else's set step-by-step system usually won't work for you. If you don't understand the system or why you're doing something, you won't do it and it won't work. Or if just one step in the system feels wrong or inauthentic for who you are, you won't do it and it won't work.
But most of the programs out there ARE step-by-step systems that work for the person who created it. And how do create your own right & true authentic system when you're just starting out? When you don't yet know how everything fits together?

Well, what many coaches and heart-centered entrepreneurs do is try to build their business the same way as typical entrepreneurs. Usually, because they don't realize that they need something different, or because they don't know there's an alternative.
And then when things don't work out, when their businesses don't get off the ground, they make it mean that no one wants what they have to offer. That they can't run a business. That they are failures. And that they need to stay in their soul-sucking careers.
But they really have no way of knowing if this is true. Why? Because they haven't yet tried to build their businesses in a way that is right and works for them.
Instead of advanced marketing programs like list building or online advertising, what you need right now instead is:
· A realistic career to business transition plan that gives you a sigh of relief · Clarity on who you are, including your true passion, purpose, unique flow & genius · An understanding of business, marketing & being an entrepreneur at a big picture level so
everything clicks · Practical knowledge of business & marketing basics so you know how to build the right
foundation · The ability to customize every aspect of your business & marketing to who you are and how
you work best · To focus on incrementally building a business that stays true and aligned with who you are &
what you truly want
And that's what we're going to do in this guide.
We're going to go through the exact seven steps that you, as a passionate solopreneur, need to take FIRST to transition from your soul-sucking career or "good enough" job to a purposeful business you love because it's completely aligned with who you are & how you work best.

What to Know First
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How to set the right expectations for the phase of business you're in right now
Before you start moving forward with designing your business & setting up your marketing, it's important to know what to typically expect on your career to business journey.
In my experience, most heart-centered entrepreneurs go through three main phases, with each phase lasting around a year.
And it is SO important to know which phase of business you're in, so you can create the right mindset & expectations.
Where things go wrong - is when new coaches & solopreneurs THINK they're in a more advanced phase of business than they really are and set marketing, business and financial goals that they believe they SHOULD be able to achieve but are completely unrealistic for the phase of business they're really in.
This creates an expectation gap. And then when these new solopreneurs don't get the number of clients or financial reward they expect, they make it mean that no one is interested in their services, their businesses have failed, and they have to go back to their soul-sucking careers.
But when you identify the phase of business you are really in, you can set realistic goals you can actually achieve, Better yet, you can give yourself permission to BE in that phase of business, to try stuff out, to have some fun - while you start building the right foundation for growing a business you truly love.
So which phase of business are you in?

Phase 1: Quick Start Your Business
Learning Trying Stuff Out Information Gathering

This is the phase where you're either in the process of learning your craft (for example, life coach training), or are in your first year of business after training.
During this phase, you likely: · Feel like you want to get your business going but don't have any firm financial goals,
aside from, "I'd like to get some clients".
· Aren't yet really clear on your ideal people, niche or how you want to offer your services. You only know what you want to do and who you want to work with at a very high level, but you're not sure whether or not this will stick. You need to find out!
· Are still in your old career or business or have a "good enough" job to pay the bills while you get started.
If this is the phase you're in, then it's important to keep a few things in mind: · RECOGNIZE that you're in this phase, and give yourself permission to try stuff out, to
gather information, and to learn without the pressure of unrealistic client or financial goals.
· This is the time to really connect to who you are and get clear on what you really want & why you want it. This will help you find the true focus & purpose for your business.
· Then, you can start to dream and scheme how you want to bring your purpose & business focus to life in terms of a core service or program and start getting clearer on who you want to help & how you want to help them.
It's important to keep in mind that you will need to make your BEST GUESS for right now and remember that you're not choosing your ideal client or program for all time. This is your opportunity to make your best guess, test out your services and programs so you can gather information and intelligence that will inform your NEXT phase of business.
· This is also the time to learn about business and marketing, create a super-simple marketing strategy, build a really basic marketing foundation, and start building your foundation and learning/implementing best practices at a basic level. This is NOT the time to skip all the basics and sign up for the course that will help you earn six figures in one year.

Phase 2: Launch Your Business
Set Up Your Business & Marketing Foundation Test & Tweak
You know that you've moved into Phase 2 when you feel clear on your ideal people, your niche, the service you want to offer, and how you want to deliver your services (at least for the next six months to a year). And you know all of this because you spent time in Phase 1 quick starting your business, making your best guess and trying stuff out!
**I have to REALLY EMPHASISE here that it's so important to remember that you can't know for sure who you want to work with & what you want to do BEFORE you take action. You can only make your best guess. And that's why skipping Phase 1 can cause so many problems.
If you skip Phase 1, then you run the risk of setting up complete marketing systems around a target audience and program that you've chosen and not tried out and might not be right for you which makes it so much more difficult (and time consuming and costly) to back up and make adjustments.
During this phase, you likely: · Have completed your training program, and feel like you've tried enough "stuff" out
and gathered the information you need around who you want to work with & what you do.
· Feel like you're clear on your ideal client and core offering and ready to build your core marketing foundation & launch your business
· Are ready to set some financial goals you need to eventually leave your old career or "good enough" job behind but plan to stay until you reach these financial goals (or you may even decide you love having a good enough job AND your new business!!)
If this is the phase you're in, then it's important to keep a few things in mind: · RECOGNIZE that you're in this phase, and realize that you're not just trying stuff out
anymore.
· Be REALISTIC about your business and financial goals. Remember that this is really your first true year of running your business in a serious way so set achievable goals.
· REALIZE that this is still a year of learning. Take note of what you like and don't like about running your business, test what works and doesn't work.
· This is the time to learn through ACTION.

Business and Financial Goals for Phase 2: · Phase 2 is the time to start setting some more specific business AND financial
goals along with understanding exactly what you need to spend and do to achieve those goals. · Phase 2 is STILL not the time to set super high unrealistic goals. Remember that you are really in your first year of business launch, and part of this phase includes actually building your real marketing foundation. But also keep in mind that there is no set limit for YOUR business goals it all depends on who you are and what you really want. Everyone is unique.
Phase 3: Run Your Business
Phase 3+: Running Your Business
In the more advanced phases of business, you will continue to gather information on what works and doesn't work and what you love and don't love doing. You'll continue to create realistic business and financial goals (similar to Phase 2) that are in line with your ideal day and life.
This is the time where you can evaluate what's working and not working with your marketing, and consider taking more of those advanced courses or adding in some new & fun tactics.
------------------------------------------
What Phase of Business Are You In? Check off your phase of business below, and include any specific notes around why you believe you're in that phase: I am in Phase 1: Quick Start My Business. I know this because.....
I am in Phase 2: Launch My Business. I know this because....
I am in Phase 3: Run My Business. I know this because....

------------------------------------------
So you reviewed the phases of business in the previous section and realized you're in Phase 1! So what do you do?
1. Still review this ENTIRE workbook. Why? Because it will help you get clear on exactly what you're working towards. And when you know your direction and the big picture, it can make it easier to set the right expectations and not go off track.
2. Quick Start Your Business! Take a look at the next section "Know How to Quick Start Your Business" and if you need more support then check out the Business Quick Start Course I've put together specifically for coaches & purpose-driven entrepreneurs like you in their first year of business.
So you reviewed the phases of business in the previous section and realized you're in Phase 2 or 3! So what do you do?
Work through all the steps in this workbook & checklist. As you move through this workbook, you may start to realize that: · You've missed a few steps in setting up your business · You're not as clear on your business (people, niche, service, messages, set-up) as you
thought you were · You really don't have a "true" marketing strategy in place or have missed some steps · There are areas of your business & marketing that might not be aligned with who YOU
are & how you naturally work best.

What to Know First
16

Don't let perfectionism & overwhelm stop you during your first year of business
If you're in the first phase of business, you may not know for sure who your ideal client is, or what packages and services you really want to offer. You just don't have that information yet.
It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the stuff you need to do to really put the right business foundation in place. And when you get overwhelmed, it's easy to get stuck. And then you do nothing.
Some of you will feel compelled to stop doing everything in your business until you figure this all out. Others will spend endless painful hours trying to figure out your ideal client or the exact right package to offer and never get out into the real world and start working with clients.
But you don't have to stop your business. And you don't have to spend hours agonizing over "the right" decision.
Yes, it's important to make sure you have the right foundation in place. Yes, it's important to audit your business and fill in any gaps. But you can do that WHILE you're moving your business forward.
Here's what I recommend:
Quick Start Your Business:
Because you're just finishing your training program and starting out, you likely haven't yet worked with enough clients or tried out enough stuff to be clear on your business. And it's really hard to GET clear if you haven't taken enough action and gathered enough information.

And that's where the Business Quick Start comes in.
The Business Quick Start is designed to help you make your best guess for now, and get just the very super simple basics in place so you can start working with clients, take some action in the real world, and start gathering information so you can move on to Phase 2 of your business.
Here's the best part: Because you'll be taking some action in the real world, you'll feel like you're moving forward, and will be building your competence & confidence and will feel more motivated. Plus, you'll start getting valuable intelligence right away on who you like and don't like working with and what stuff you like and don't like doing.
And all of this information will help you make the "best guess for right now" as we move forward with our business building steps in the rest of the program.
So if you aren't working with clients right now, I highly recommend setting up some business basics so you can start talking about your business and working with some clients.
What is a Business Quick Start?
A Business Quick Start will help you make your best guess for where you're at right now, and put some super simple business & marketing basics in place so you can start working with some clients and talking about your business. This includes:
1. Your Starter Niche: Make your best guess as to the people you want to start working with, and how you want to start helping them.
2. Your Basic Messages: Craft some basic core messages that will let your starter niche know who you are, how you help them, and how to contact you & get started.
3. Your Simple Marketing Strategy: Outline a VERY simple and basic marketing system so you can start communicating with your starter niche
4. A Way to Work With Clients: Set up a way to hold sessions/work with your clients whether that's over the phone, online or face-to-face
5. A Way to Book & Schedule Clients: Outline how you will have clients communicate with you, and book appointments.
6. A Way to Accept Payments: Consider how you will take payment from clients 7. A One Page Simple Website (or similar): Set up a simple website (or other way) for your clients
to find out more information and contact you. Most importantly, review everything above, and make sure everything feels aligned with who you are & how you naturally work best.

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-----------------------------------------Now that you know what it means to quick start your business, use the checklist below to make sure you have all your "quick steps" in place so you can start gathering information and working with clients now. I've made my best guess for now on my "starter niche" (who I want to work with
& how I want to help them) I have some basic core messages & a super simple marketing system in place (so
I can start communicating with my starter niche) I have a phone, online or face-to-face system so I can hold one-on-one sessions I have a way to accept appointments and schedule clients I have a way to accept client payments I have a one-page website where clients can find more information Everything I've set up feels authentic & aligned with who I am and how I
naturally work best
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Let's Get Started!
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How to connect who you are to a business you love

Now that you know what to expect on your career to business journey, and understand the phases of business you might go through, and what blocks may come up on the way, it's time to learn the five steps to building, marketing & running a business you love:

1. Know Yourself 2. Know Your Business 3. Know Your Voice 4. Know Your Marketing 5. Know How to Be an Entrepreneur

Step 2:
Know Your Business

You'll notice that there is one very important first step on this list and it's a step that most entrepreneurs skip. That most business & marketing programs ignore. And that step is knowing yourself.

Step 5:
Know How to Be an
Entrepreneur

But I believe this is THE MOST important first step in business building, especially for coaches & heartcentered solopreneurs. It's the key to designing, marketing & running a business you love.

Step 1:
Know Yourself
Step 4:
Know Your Marketing

Step 3:
Know Your Voice

Why? Because when you take the time to really do the deep work to get clear on who you are (your genius), what you want (your definition of success), and why you want it (your purpose), then you can connect who you are to every other aspect of your business.

And when you're able to design, market and run your business around who you are & how you naturally work best, you'll feel energized, purposeful and inspired every day. But when you skip this step, running your business can feel hard & exhausting - the exact opposite of what you're yearning for as heart-centered entrepreneur.

STEP 1
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Do you know who you are, what you want, and why you want it?
As a passionate solopreneur, you are your business. You report to yourself, and you get to choose exactly what your business looks like, who you work with, and how, when and where you work.
So wouldn't it be a good idea to get clear on who you are, how you prefer to work, and what success means to you before you launch your business?
Most of us either have an idea in our minds of how a "business should work" or set up our businesses in the same way as our previous corporate jobs.
But didn't you leave your corporate job for a reason? Don't you want to set up a business that you really love a business that is easy to run because it's set up in the way that you work best?
Knowing who you are and how you prefer to work means that you'll not just know how to create a business that you love but put business systems in place that actually work because they match how you prefer to work.
Best of all, when you work in line with your natural tendencies, you'll be more energized and get more done.

1. Who Are You?

Really diving deep into knowing who you are, how you prefer to take action, and what values are most important to you is a step many aspiring entrepreneurs skip, but is essential to creating & launching a business you love. So make sure you've taken some time to explore who you are in these areas:

Personality Style

I am:

Action Mode

Unique Genius

Values

Strengths

2. What Do You Want?
It's important to explore what success really means to you instead of operating under society's standard definition of success. Have you defined success for who you are and developed business goals that align with your true definition of success and your ideal life?

Definition of Success Business/Life Goals Ideal Day Ideal Life

I want:

3. Why Do You Want It?
Knowing who you are and what you want isn't enough. You also need to know WHY you do what you do. This is the key to felling motivated, inspired and fulfilled every day.

Purpose/Why Meaning/Fulfillment

I want it because:

4. What's Blocking You?

We all have fears, limiting beliefs, and people in our lives who can block us from moving forward in our businesses. When you identify all the thoughts, fears and people who may block you up front you can take some of the power away from them and mitigate their impact right from the start.

Fears Limiting Beliefs

What's blocking me is:

Painful Thoughts

www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com/free-resources

STEP 2
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Before you start marketing, you need to know who you help & what you do
Now it's time to take everything you've learned about yourself and apply it to your core business (your ideal client, core difference, programs & services) to make sure they're clear and in line with who you are and what you want.
What You Need to Know About Your Business Before You Start Marketing Before you can get out there and start marketing your business, you need to be able to answer four key questions:
· Who do you work with? (so you know who you're actually marketing to) · What do you do? (so you have something to offer to your people) · How you do it? (so people know exactly how you can help them) · What do you say? (so you can communicate who you help & what you do)
Why is this so important? Because if you don't know who you're marketing to, what you're offering & what you're saying you'll likely find it challenging to take even the basic steps in marketing such as:
· Creating your website because there will be nothing to put on it · Finding your people (and therefore choosing the right marketing vehicles & where to
market) · Writing marketing messages (which you will need for the marketing vehicles) · Getting your people to contact & work with you (because they won't know what you do
or how you can help them)
So if you're trying to create your website & market your business, but keep getting stuck and frustrated, it's likely because you're not yet clear enough in one or more of these areas.

How Clear Do You Need to Be?
Many new solopreneurs get stuck at this stage because the idea of defining your ideal client, choosing a niche, and outlining your programs & services can feel like a pretty huge & daunting task.
Especially if you believe you need to make the right choice, right now, for all time.
The good news? You don't.
What you can do instead is make your best guess for right now. That way you can set up a basic website, start talking about your business, create a simple marketing strategy and start working with some clients.
And this is what's going to give you the information you need on what you like and don't like so you can get more and more clear on your business, and make tweaks & changes as you go along.
Three Simple Steps to Get Clear on Your Business (for right now)
In this section, we're going to guide you in making your best guess for right now on four key areas: · Your People (who you work with) · Your Thing (what you do) · Your Services (how you do it)
That's it! With this information, you'll have everything you need to move onto the next section Know Your Voice (where you'll craft what to say to your people through your core messages) and then Know Your Marketing.

1. Who Do You Help? I can clearly communicate who my ideal people are:
I help:

2. What Do You Do? I can describe the main problem I help my people solve:
The main problem I help my people solve is:

3. How Do You Do It? I can describe how I help my people solve this problem (my core
process, program or service)?
I help my people solve their problem by:

4. Is My Business Aligned with Who I Am?
I have reviewed all of my core business fundamentals to make sure they are in line with who I am, how I prefer to work, and what I really want.

STEP 3
30

Have you connected who you are to your voice?
When your ideal clients land on your website, view your social media, hear you talk, or see your business card, they need to know that what you have to offer is for them! And, they need to know that you understand the challenges they're facing and how you can help them overcome those challenges.
So now that you're clear on your core business fundamentals, you need a way to communicate who you are & what you do to your people in a way that both resonates with your ideal clients and feels authentic & true to who you are.
Your very basic messaging simply needs to answer these questions:
1. Who do you work with? These are your ideal people .
2. What do you do? This is the problem you help people solve or the transformation you help your people make.
3. How do you do what you do? This is your offer (your service, program or package along with how you deliver your service).
4. Why do you do what you do? This is your "why" or the purpose behind your business.
5. What is your story and why are you uniquely qualified to do what you do? This is the story behind your "why" the story that relates to why you started this business & want to help your people, along with any other information your people need to trust that you can deliver on what you promise.
6. What action do you want your people to take: This is the specific next step you want your people to take in order to either get to know you better or work with you.

1. Who Do You Work With? I can clearly communicate who my ideal people are:
I help:
2. What Do You Do? I can describe the main problem I help my people solve:
The main problem I help my people solve is:
3. How Do You Do It? I can describe how I help my people solve this problem (my core
process, program or service)?
I help my people solve their problem by:

4. Why Do You Do It? I can clearly communicate the "why" or purpose behind my business:
Here's why I do what I do:
5. What is my unique story? I can describe the story behind my business and let people know why I
am uniquely qualified to help them.
My unique story is:
6. Is My Messaging Aligned with Who I Am? I have reviewed all of my core messaging to make sure everything is
line with who I am, how I prefer to work, and what I really want.

STEP 4
34

How do you get your people to know, like & trust you?

If you find the concept of marketing confusing, scary, complicated or downright icky, you're not alone. Marketing is one of the biggest roadblocks to launching a passion-based business, especially when you're motivated more by meaning and purpose than business building , and are transitioning from a career and launching a business for the first time.

The good news is that once you understand how marketing works and how all the pieces fit together, you can create a simple strategy that feels fun, authentic & easy because it fits who you are & how you naturally work best.

At a basic level, your marketing strategy simply outlines your process for: · Letting your ideal clients know that you exist · Educating & informing them on who you are & how you can help them (so they get to
know, like & trust you) · Giving them ways to try out your services in a low risk way, buy from you, continue
buying from you, and refer you to others.

You can easily create your own simple marketing strategy using a framework called The Marketing Hourglass TM (created by Duct Tape Marketing) using a table like the one below.

This table includes seven boxes that pretty much sum up the process I outlined above.

Know

Trust

Try

Buy Repeat Refer

Know

The best part is because the Marketing Hourglass is a framework and not a set system, you can really pick and choose from any number of tactics to fit into each step of the Marketing Hourglass and as long as you don't skip any steps you have a marketing strategy that can work.

And that's where your unique flow and marketing genius comes in.
Instead of choosing tactics that you think you should be using, why not choose the marketing tactics for each step that are not only effective, that will not only help you reach your ideal clients but are also the tactics that feel fun and easy and fall within your unique marketing genius?
You know that a marketing tactic falls within your unique marketing genius when: · You're good at it · It feels natural and easy like you're in your element · It's something you love (or at least like!) to do · It's effective
When everything you do in your marketing matches who you are and how you work best, then you will feel more energized and in flow with your business every day. And that energy and flow will trickle down to everything you do, whether it's working on your business or in your business.
Best of all, you'll have more time and energy for other areas in your life. It's one of the keys to achieving that work-life balance you may have been searching for.

1. What is Your Marketing Genius? I know which parts of marketing fall within my unique genius - and
feel fun & easy:
My marketing genius includes:
2. Where Do Your Ideal People Hang Out? I know a few places where my ideal people hang out, and I've identified who in my life might either be or know my ideal clients:
These people might know or be able to refer me to my ideal clients:
Here's where my ideal people might hang out::

3. What Is Your Marketing Strategy?
I know how I will help my ideal people to first know that I exist and then move them through my process to become paying & referral clients:

KNOW

How will you get your ideal clients to know you exist?

How will you educate your ideal clients on who you are, what you do & how you help them?

TRUST

How will you let your ideal clients know that you are credible & can deliver on what you promise?

TRY

How will you help your clients out in a low risk way?

BUY

How will you enable your clients to buy your programs & services?

REPEAT

How will you encourage your clients to continue working with you?

REFER

How will you enable your clients to refer you to others?

* This table outlines the Marketing Hourglass strategy which was created & trademarked by Duct Tape Marketing.

4. How Will Your Marketing Strategy Work in Real Life? I know how my marketing strategy will work in the real world along
with the foundational materials, tools, technology and resources I need to make it happen:
Here's how my marketing strategy will work in the real world:

I will need these foundational materials, tools, technology & resources to make it happen:

5. How Will You Manage Your Marketing Day-to-Day? I know what I will do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to manage
my marketing:
Here's what I will do on a daily, weekly & monthly basis to market my business:

6. Is Your Marketing Strategy Aligned with Who You Are?
I have reviewed my marketing strategy, and everything is aligned with who I am and how I naturally work best.

STEP 5
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Have you considered what it takes to keep motivated & align who you are with your day-to-day business?
If you're like most passionate solopreneurs I know, you didn't wake up one day and think, "I want to be an entrepreneur and run my own business".
More likely, you were in a regular job and felt a sense that you were supposed to be doing something more, something different and the only way to do that was to launch your own business.
You likely enjoyed the idea of working for yourself because you could set your own hours and not have to answer to anyone. But all the rest of running a business and being an entrepreneur was a bit of an enigma.
And the reality is, as a passionate solopreneur, how you run your business is just as important as the business itself. But many new solopreneurs simply don't think through exactly what they need to do to run their businesses every day, let alone how to set up their business is a way that works best for them.
So instead of running your business the way it was done in your last career, or the way someone else told you to, why not think out exactly how you want to run your business so you can feel in flow and energized every day?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
· Have you set up all of your core business systems?
· Have you thought through all the aspects of being an entrepreneur?
· Have you connected who you are and how you work best to running your business on a day-to-day basis?

1. Business Systems
There are three key business systems that most passionate solopreneurs need to have in place. These systems may be highly technical and automated or super grass roots and simple. The important thing is that you've given them some thought and know what you're going to do.
Buying System: I have outlined a buying system that works for my clients and matches who I am & how I work best:
Here's my step-by-step process that outlines how my clients can purchase my programs & services, and what happens after they
purchase:
· Fulfillment System: I have outlined a fulfillment system that works for my clients and matches who I am and how I work best:
Here's my step-by-step process outlining how my programs & services are delivered to my clients::

Management Systems: I have considered the management systems I will use for my business, and they feel in line with who I am and how I work best:
Here are the accounting or other management systems I need to have in place to run my business:
2. Self Leadership:
I know how I am going to lead, motivate & inspire myself, deal with challenges and setbacks, and celebrate successes in my business:
Here's how I'm going to lead, motivate & inspire myself:
Here's how I'm going to deal with challenges & setbacks:
Here's how I'm going to celebrate successes:

3. Day-to-Day:
I've outlined how I'm going to communicate with my clients & other stakeholders day to day, have a realistic schedule that's in line with who I am & how you I prefer to work, know when I'll be working, and on what, every day and have clear boundaries in place:
Here's how I'm going to maintain ongoing & effective communication with my clients, partners & other key stakeholders:
Here's the realistic schedule I'm going to use to run my business:

Conclusion
NEXT STEPS
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Hi I'm a Master Certified Soul's Calling Coach, Master Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant, Certified Equus Coach, and instructor for Martha Beck's Wayfinder Coach Training Program. I spent more than 15 years in the corporate marketing world before partnering with the world's leading small business marketing brand and launching and running my own successful marketing consulting business, Corner Your Market.
Today, I combine my expertise in marketing & business with soul's calling coaching to help frustrated passionate solopreneurs become Empathic EntrepreneursTM and connect who they are to businesses they love. I also partner with The Soul's Calling Academy to deliver courses & coach training. Visit my website at www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com.
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Are You an Empathic Entrepreneur?
Learn More At:
www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com
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