Posts Tagged ‘starting a business’
February 16th, 2010 | 
Author: Taking applications for speakers for a series I am doing, “FREEDOM! Emancipate yourself from your webmaster” Series. The goal is to get expert users to give strategies to entrepreneurs on how to get their message and content out on the internet professionally, Quick, EZ, and often, without waiting for the webmaster or web guru to get back to you.
The frustration a lot of my clients come to me with is something like this…”I need to advertise to my list about an event in a few days, hours…(whatever) and I can’t get my website to do what I want, the web person can’t get to it, I don’t know what to do, I am tired of paying for something that should be easier etc…”
So if you use or have a method/product/tool that makes it Quick and EZ for anyone to update content, build a list, get their message out, I want to talk to you!
Before submitting think about these questions:
1) Can I speak intelligently for 30 mins to an hr on the topic?
2) Can I give step by step strategies that will make it easy for the audience to duplicate.
3) Does it meet the Quick, EZ, Often criteria?
4) Can almost anyone that is a DIY person do it right off the bat or with a little coaching, or a checklist do it?
5) Do I have real life success with it already or is it just a theory at this point?
Examples: How to use Twitter to get the word out. EZ article marketing, Wordpress, Facebook, Linked In, DIY salespages, You tube, the list is endless.
To be considered for this series please submit:
Your topic- What you plan to show, promote, talk about.
Do you already have a presentation?
Do you want an interview format?
What have you used this method for and what were your results?
What are real life examples of how it is EZ, Quick and Repeatable for YOU as you market your biz?
This will be either a presentation you can give any time at your convenience or we can make it a scheduled call if you prefer.
Can’t wait to hear from you!
Susan Snyder
PCS Training
http://www.pcstraining.net
susansnyder@pcstraining.net
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Different Approaches Mean a Bigger Bottom Line
If you have only one offering to clients, you are expecting them to make a tough decision. In this price model you usually have a higher ticket item and a potential client has to decide if they like you enough to put up the cash. Your job is to make it easier on them.
Think about “courting” your customers before asking them to “marry” you. You need to give them opportunities to get to know you better and see if they are interested in sticking around.
A common tactic that businesses use is called the Marketing Funnel. This will enable your clients to make easier decisions and often spend more money with you in the end.
Think of a funnel. The top is wide and the bottom is narrow. You will layer offerings down the funnel that will move the client to your higher ticket items. Your goal is to get as many clients as you can in the top of the funnel at your lower ticket items and get them moving along in hopes that a good percentage of them will buy the high ticket items at the bottom.
A common funnel would go something like this:
Freebie: A give away that will give the potential customer a “taste” of what your services are. This needs to be something simple, that doesn’t require on-going effort for you to deliver or much time to implement. Common freebies are sample recorded talks, templates, a report or other information to give a good idea of what the client can expect from you. This shouldn’t be fluff but it also shouldn’t be the whole system.
Introductory Services: This is a lower priced service that will give them more of an idea of how to work with you. It could be a scaled down version of a service further along the funnel, or a larger report with more “meat” in it.
Two or Three Other Services: There is no hard and fast rules here. You don’t want it to be confusing for the potential customers. You need to balance moving them along to the higher priced services and making the funnel so saturated, they never get there. Fewer and fewer clients engage at the higher priced levels, so you will have broader products at the top and more targeted products at the bottom of the funnel.
The funnel does not mean you have five or six product, it represents the levels of pricing for each type of product. You may have several freebies, five $27 reports, several traditional print products, and several levels of coaching services. The funnel just helps you structure your offerings in a manner that helps you to move them to the higher priced services.
Note: As you move further down the funnel you give more and more of your time and resources. They get more and more of the information you have to give and more personal access to you and your team.
Every client is different. You need to meet them where they are at. Some need a longer time to make a commitment, some can see your brilliance right away. You need to give all of them the opportunity to discover you and your services in a way they will feel most comfortable.
So here’s to moving forward… and learning all you can along the way.
To your success!
We make it easy for you to get all the information.
What you do with it is up to you!
If I can answer any questions or help you in any way just email me. I am looking forward to your success and helping you build your VA skills!
Have a happy and productive day!
Susan Snyder
Founder/CEO
buildyourvaskills.com
http://www.pcstraining.net
PS- Go to http://www.buildyourvaskills.com and look at our current schedule of training. Find one that’s right for you and bring a friend!
PPS- Not reaching your goals? Last year didn’t shape up the way you intended? Make THIS year YOUR year! I have two programs that will help you do it! The “Get Your Rear in Gear” Focus Group and The Inner Circle Coaching Program are filling fast! I have opened up a second group for both and I am limiting it to the first 25 so you get personal attention! Check it out and start or take your VA practice to the next level. http://www.buildyourvaskills.com/innercircle.html. Email if you have questions.
Owner or Operator?
Not sure what to do?
This is the second most asked question by the Virtual Assistants and other service providers I coach on a regular basis. Should they run their own business or be part of an existing team? The answer depends on the individual.
- Are you passionate about the services you provide?
- Can you not wait to get up in the morning and get to work?
- Do you love the work?
- Can you love it in a year?
- Do you have a “circle of influence”?
- Are you able to get clients quickly?
- Do you have connections with people needing your services or do they have direct connections to others needing what you offer?
- Are others already asking you to provide the services you want to offer?
- Have you already done the work?
- Are you a self starter who can keep yourself motivated and getting things done?
- Do you want to be your own boss?
- How are you going to learn and grow as a business owner?
- Who is your support system?
- How much time/money do you have to invest in your business?
All of these questions are just a beginning gauge of you are at right now. It helps me find out if you are really ready to run your own business. Running your own deal is hard work. Sometimes it isn’t fun. I am not saying it is always a drudgery, but it is not always 8 to 5, two weeks of vacation and nights at home with the family. I love working for myself and wouldn’t have it any other way, but many people are not wired the same way. You will always be the hardest boss you’ve ever worked for.
Many of the questions address what you are doing now:
* Are people asking you for the services?
* Do you already know how to do the services?
* Do you know how they will offer the services?
Some questions help me determine if you have the “stuff” right now to be a business owner. Passion and determination can take a person far as a business owner. Business skills can be learned or delegated.
You don’t want to have to worry about learning a whole new skill set for services AND how to run a business at the same time. You want something that is easy to get going, has low overhead, and you can have confidence right away in your abilities to give great service.
A support system both emotionally and financially is important for a new business owner. You have to have a plan for cash flow. This plan could look like a spouse that works and you can live on what they bring in, a part-time or full-time position while you get the business to cash flow, or money in the bank. The point is you can’t just expect to live on air and enthusiasm. Emotional support means you either have people around you that you can turn to when you have tough days that will be honest and encouraging or you are willing to find those people. There are a number of associations, forums and if all else fails facebook and twitter that will help you build your community. I encourage all my clients to get their cheering section in order quickly.
Willingness to learn is probably the number one factor I use to advise someone in whether they fly solo or join a team. No matter what services you “provide”, those services are not your business. You are in the business of marketing; The art of attracting, getting and keeping clients. If that turns your blood cold, you are probably better off joining a team. If however you are willing to roll up your sleeves, think outside the box and most importantly learn from others, you could be a business owner.
So should you do it? I don’t think you have to have everything figured out to start. Things will change a lot, especially at first as you refine your ideas and get going. The key pieces are learning and if you think you can do it. If it is “your only option”, that is not true and maybe you should join a team and learn the ropes first. This is not to say you will never run your own business but you can take your time and evaluate before you take the big leap that may end up costing you a lot of time and money.
There are many options for joining a team to provide the same services you wish to offer. The best way to find out what works for you is to do your research, interview people that work on the team and see how it fits with your needs and goals.
There are many things to consider when deciding which direction to go in life. The question of being an owner or an operator is something that is easily answered for some and not so easy for others. From my experience owning a business is the best of both worlds, I get to be in charge of my destiny and I get to work with fabulous clients and colleagues. For some people though, working for yourself doesn’t provide the structure you need and you aren’t ready to make the leap to providing your own benefits and leaving the perceived “security” of an employed position. There is no right or wrong answer, it just a matter of what works for you.
Thank goodness we still have options in America! Be all you were meant to be whether it be an owner or an operator.
So here’s to moving forward… and learning all you can along the way.
To your success!
We make it easy for you to get all the information.
What you do with it is up to you!
If I can answer any questions or help you in any way just email me. I am looking forward to your success and helping you build your VA skills!
Have a happy and productive day!
Susan Snyder
Founder/CEO
PS- Go to http://www.buildyourvaskills.com and look at our current schedule of training. Find one that’s right for you and bring a friend!
PPS- Not reaching your goals? Last year didn’t shape up the way you intended? Make THIS year YOUR year! I have two programs that will help you do it! The “Get Your Rear in Gear” Focus Group and The Inner Circle Coaching Program are filling fast! I have opened up a second group for both and I am limiting it to the first 25 so you get personal attention! Check it out and start or take your VA practice to the next level. http://www.buildyourvaskills.com/innercircle.html. Email if you have questions.
