3 Lessons When Starting An Online Business
So you are ready to take the plunge to start your new online business…. You think.
But so many thoughts are running through your mind:
Can I actually do this?
How am I supposed to start?
What do I say, what do I post?
I get it. You are probably worrying about how to do the right thing to attract customers to your amazing new biz idea. That’s what this blog post is all about: walking you through lessons I’ve learned through starting an online business - and what you should do (and avoid doing) to save yourself some heartache.
Before you hit “Publish” on your brand new site or choose your new biz insta handle, here are 3 things to keep in mind as you are starting your online business:
The Customer Matters the Most
When you are building your messaging around your new business and brand, you want to keep in mind that there are 2 key components of a successful business:
A Customer with a problem/need
A Solution that you provide
It can be easy to get confused or distracted by what to say about your business, whether you are writing a blog post, telling your friends and family about it, or just hopping to chat on your Insta stories. What exactly are you supposed to talk about?
Let me help you with that - talk directly to your customer.
Your business will not succeed without customers… even if you have the best solution or idea in the WORLD. So if you aren’t talking with your customers, empathizing with their problems, and talking about your solution - then you are missing the point of marketing!
It’s okay to talk about yourself, your “why” behind the business, and even random things at times - but you always want to bring the focus back to the customer. People love to feel like they are acknowledged and being spoken with...not spoken at.
Basically, just focus on how you can best help your customer through each avenue and connecting point - and that will put you miles ahead of others.
Try Out New Things… But Not All At Once
It can be really tempting to want to join all the platforms, hire all the assistants and contractors, and buy the best of the best products when you are first starting your business.
You need to work a TON and spend a LOT to make it...right?
Let me stop you right there.
Yes, when you start a business, you are making an investment. And yes, it’s going to be hard work.
But that doesn’t mean that you need to start out with all of the most expensive, high-tech options and be showing up 24/7 on every single platform possible.
It can be really intimidating when you see lots of successful business owners showing up EVERY DAY on EVERY PLATFORM, with all the latest and greatest subscriptions, cameras, and equipment - but remember that they had a first day of business too - and it definitely did not look like that.
A successful business does not mean that you have to do everything, all the time. I was able to consistently get multiple web design clients a month in my first 8 months of business - and all I did was post a few times on Instagram a week and blog. I wasn’t on TikTok, I didn’t have a Youtube Channel, I was just starting Pinterest, and Facebook was something that i always forgot about.
What I recommend doing is focusing on different marketing channels that you like the best, and investing in what you need the most.
Maybe you LOVE short form video, so TikTok is the perfect place for you to blow up quickly.
Maybe you don’t NEED a fancy client management system right now - but you do need a subscription to Adobe to make some good graphics.
Try different things out, see what you like the most/what works for you the best - and then just zone in on those.
Speaking of - if you are trying to figure out if you should have a separate business account for your new biz, check out this blog post: Should You Have Separate Personal and Business Instagram Accounts?
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail Or Pivot
I feel like this last point is pretty cliche, but seriously - failure is a part of every single business.
Some people have launches that don’t work out. Others just have businesses never make it off the ground. And do you know what? That’s okay.
My advice to new business owners is to try quickly and see what happens. Anticipate that something is probably not going to go as you expected - and be ready to pivot when you see what the next opportunity may look like.
That may mean trying a new marketing strategy to reach more customers - or maybe totally changing your entire service offerings because your old ones never attracted any customers. Whatever it is, keep an open mind, and keep trying.
Your business may end up looking like you never expected - but you’ll learn so much and grow as a business owner through it all.
So there you have it. 3 Lessons to help you JUMPSTART the online business of your dreams.
There are so many more lessons you will learn along the way - but just keep your head up, keep connecting with your community and customers - and you will ROCK IT!
