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The 3 Best Social Media Networks to Promote Your Business On in 2018

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With a New Year comes a new sense of drive to skyrocket your business growth.

Social Media Marketing is, of course, one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your business to a lot of people at once, but there are a few social media networks in particular that present an exciting opportunity for massive growth in 2018.

Read on to find out which Social Media Networks you need to add to your digital marketing strategy in 2018.

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4 Four Ways to Avoid Competing on Price

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“I love your services and your products but the price is way too much.”

I’m sure as small businesses, service providers and entrepreneurs, we’ve heard this line a thousand times. And, it usually makes my blood boil. However, when the client adds “for me” to the end of that statement, I have no problem with it. I actually understand. I am in no ones pockets, so I can understand someone stating a price is out of their budget, but to tell someone their price is too much is rude and unacceptable.

Especially when you are the one reaching out to the service provider. My advice stands and remains, never compete for business based on price. My mantra remains, I never claimed to be the cheapest. But I am worth it.

Pricing is something that creates a lot of anxiety for business owners. It’s because we are trying to be fair to our customers, ourselves and our industry. Various factors are considered  in how we charge our services and products (we will have a separate discussion about this). Once you have set your price and are comfortable with it my advice to you is not to use your price as a way to get customers to come to you or return. If you are being hired because you are the cheapest, you are doing yourself and your clients a disservice.

It is extremely difficult to be the cheapest in any market and provide the level of customer service and quality service or product that you want your brand to be known for. Lower profit margins means you are able to invest less into your business and your business grows at a slower pace, if at all.

Tips To Avoid  Price Competition In Business

This important busines lesson shares my tips on how to eliminate price as the barometer by which clients hire you or buy your products. Try these tips to avoid price competition in business:

1. Build Your Reputation

Build your reputation by consistently and efficiently providing quality level work! At the end of the day, we all want shoes that look good and lasts long. We want graphic designers that responds to our calls and provides quick turn around. And we want caterers that show up on time and wows our guests with great food. Do the right things over and over and it will get around.

Last year I catered an event for a young lady who received my number from a colleague. She received my quote and called me back. “this is too much” she exclaimed. I explained I could not lower the price because I know what it takes for me to do what I do. I don’t cut corners. My staff will arrive 2-3 hours prior to your event to set up, they will be courteous to your guests, there will be enough food.

She said she couldnt afford me. Two days later she called me back. She said wow, everyone I ask about you had nothing but amazing things to say. She said, “this is such an important day for me I can’t risk things not going right.” Even though I have a cheaper alternative, your reputation precedes you. I will go with you”. Price alone is not the reason consumers choose you. It’s who you stand for and what you are known to have done, continuously.

2. Differentiate Yourself & Add Value

I know I can go on craigslist and get a website for just $100. But will I? Most likely not. The difference between the graphic designer that I’m hooked and the craigslister are numerous. She pays attention to me and has an understanding beyond Just coding and html. She understands branding, and helps me create not just the images, but also understands Marketing and human psychology and helps me in crafting my brand.

How can you differentiate yourself in your business? What skill sets do you have beyond your actual product or service that will be a plus? Yes I can get a cup of coffee at the corner Coffee shop, but there’s no jazz music playing in the background like they have at Starbucks. They don’t even write my name on the cup!

3. Be DOPE

The foundation to charging what you want and not be worried about what others in your industry is charging boils down to creating amazing work. Your products and service has to be good. No one can deny great work. Even if they can’t afford it, they will try to because it’s that GOOD. Many people buy things they can’t afford. Because the product is that good. Be that good! Be dope!

4. Create a Community

What does your brand represent? Create a movement around what you do. People like to belong. Mercedes, Louis Vuitton, and Apple. They all are what they are because of the community they have built around their brand. Their Brand stands for something and people want to be part of that. How can you create a community around your work? What do you stand for? Quality, Refinement, Women empowerment, Class? Find it and share it! I can buy a gym tshirt for $5. But I consistently buy from suppliers that sell shirts for $25-$45.

Because I want to be part of a community of “strong women bosses in the boardroom and the gym” or #FitAfroGirls.  What words describe your brand and how can you rally your supporters around that ideology? Create a movement. Whole Foods aka Whole paycheck, has built a community around people who want to eat well and take care of their well being. It may cost you $120 for 7 items, but there’s a sense of self care that’s associated with shopping at Whole Foods. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that community?

Great products/Service, value and community building are all great ways to ensure you get people through the door. Be known as the person who consistently comes through. The listener. The fixer. Build your reputation around the Key factors that matter to your ideal customer and price will be the least of the reasons to come to you.

The Evolving Brand of Taylor Swift

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Anything can be branded. Toilet paper is branded. Charities and politicians are branded.  Hell, even Florida branded sunshine!  Sometimes when we think of brands, we think of Target, Nike, Starbucks, and Apple.  The truth is, everything and everyone can be branded- even pop stars.

 

Branding has power over the way we perceive people, stars, and celebrities.  It allows us to take a little girl originally from Pennsylvania and create a Nashville country star. Branding (or rebranding) then allows this Nashville country star to be strategically placed into the pop scene and then again into the dark, electro-pop scene with her latest album. Any ideas of who I am talking about?!

 

Yep! None other than Taylor Swift.

 

Taylor began as a good girl, a country-loving pop star with baby pink lip gloss in her first 2006 album. The old Taylor sang of love, broken hearts and all about boys she imagined a future with. Taylor in 2006, was likable, easy to dismiss and vanilla. Her brand design was soft, feminine, girly and innocent. Her music video for Tim McGraw featured a southern landscape, a pink and purple sunset with a young love interest. It wasn’t until she put out the album Red in 2012 when she began to write music that fit the bright, catchy pop scene that we are all too familiar with today. During this phase, Taylor experimented more with the red lipstick and a new found attitude and dropped the country star front.

 

This year, Taylor Swift recently went through a rebrand, deleting all of her Instagram photos and starting over with the dark, cryptic imagery of slithering snakes before releasing her newest album Reputation. Some say this pop star turned dark over a revenge against people like Katy Perry and Kanye West.  I don’t have the time to spend Googling these relationships.  I do, however, have the time to analyze the new Taylor Swift brand.

 

The new brand is angry, smart and out of blood. In the music video for Reputation, Taylor climbs out of the ground as a zombie, staring at the camera as if to say “Do not f$¢k with me.” She wears darker lipsticks, bondage-inspired costumes, and a whole lot more black. You can see her sitting on a motorcycle with studded leather clothing with a threatening look in her eyes. It’s a little freaky to see the girl next door transform into a malicious vixen, but do we buy it?  Well, that doesn’t matter because this is the new Taylor.  She can be whoever she wants to be, and she tells us exactly who that is (right now) with her new brand.

 

Is her brand accepted by her followers?  By her fans- most likely yes. They’ve grown up and evolved along with her, so for the most part, it’s assumable that she hasn’t lost any followers (with the exception of those who are fearful of the “new Taylor” and what that seems to represent).  The other question is- does it matter?  Her rebrand has us all talking- whether we love her or hate her.  From a branding and marketing stance, that’s brilliant.

Taylor Swift’s Brand New Look

Whether you like the new Taylor Swift brand or not, her team has worked hard to create a solid brand strategy for the singer. Her brand has shifted and evolved dramatically over the last 11 years as she has grown as a female artist and worked to stay culturally relevant.  Her strategy is on par with Madonna as an ever-changing surprise package.  Taylor Swift started out as a squeaky clean good girl and now she’s badass and brooding. I think we can all take a lesson from Taylor, if you never take a strong stance with your brand you will lose the interest of your followers.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what’s next…  

Why I Bulk-Schedule My Instagram Content

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Do you feel like you are time-poor when it comes to managing your Instagram Content?

 

Are you guilty of sitting there on the couch after a long day of work and hubby or wifey wants to watch a movie with you, but you whisper…

 

“Just five minutes babe, I need to post on Instagram”.

 

As I write this I swear I can hear groans from millions of husbands and wives around the world who hear this sentence almost daily.

 

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Womeneur Founder Sets Sail on The SpreadLove™ Wealth-Building Conference at Sea October 2018

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Reprinted from the SpreadLove™ press release.

SpreadLove™ announces its 2018 Wealth-Building Conference at Sea, setting sail on October 13, 2018, with a panel of successful female leaders across multiple industries. The mission of this new platform is to support and advance women’s interests through the promotion of financial literacy, self-love, and healthy business and personal relationships. This 8-day event will educate and inform participants about various revenue streams including those derived from entrepreneurship and investing. It will teach them the strategies on branding, attracting your target market, integrating social media, and starting a new business from the ground up.

Our conference participants will engage with influential leaders for 8 days and 7 nights in a variety of business and social settings…[and] learn new business practices and strategies, learn how to invest, and form new habits that can lead to personal success.”

“A change in mindset is a prerequisite to a change in circumstances,” said Esther JeanBart, Founder, and CEO of SpreadLove™. Our conference participants will engage with influential leaders for 8 days and 7 nights in a variety of business and social settings. I am passionate about entrepreneurship and financial freedom. These concepts are my driving force and excite me to present this opportunity for women to make new connections, learn new business practices and strategies, learn how to invest, and form new habits that can lead to personal success.”

The 2018 Wealth-Building Conference At Sea will be held aboard the luxurious Royal Caribbean International ship Harmony of the Seas from October 13, 2018, to October 20, 2018, departing from Ft. Lauderdale and stopping at Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Cozumel, Mexico. The conference will feature guest speakers, workshops, vendors, and parties with guest DJs. Philanthropy is an important component to SpreadLove’s ongoing efforts. There will be charity-related activities in Haiti at the cruise (more details to come). The keynote speaker will be announced at a future date.

The lineup of inspiring guest speakers and workshop facilitators includes:

  • Ana Quincoces – Founder of Skinny Latina™, Attorney, Author, Chef, Media Personality
  • Lucinda Cross Otti – Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, Best-Selling Author, Founder of Activate Worldwide, Inc., Business Coach and Strategist.
  • Sharon Beason – Holistic Business Strategist & Founder of Womeneur
  • Stacy-Ann Rose – Producer, Actress, Co-Star of HBO®’s Ballers, and the upcoming Jlm, Break the Stage
  • Tamiko White – Fashion & Style Expert, Brand Builder, Media Personality
  • Wana Miri – Founder of Women on Topp

This event will be a great opportunity for you to:

  • Build relationships
  • Connect with key influencers
  • Generate business leads
  • Stay up-to-date with trends
  • Benefit from new ideas and different perspectives
  • Showcase your products and services
  • Create brand awareness
  • Socialize, relax, and have fun!
  • Develop business and investment strategies

Don’t miss out on early-bird pricing… for the entire month of December, you can reserve your room with ONLY a $50 minimum deposit per person!

 

To learn more and register, visit SpreadLove.com.

About SpreadLove™

Women face a multitude of obstacles and struggles daily, from challenges at work and home to body image and relationship issues. SpreadLove features a sounding board for women to discuss and share their solutions. It makes them learn from the experiences the other women. Women deserve a home base for all things WOMEN! SpreadLove is a place to share narratives that are very common and aren’t discussed yet!

Join the discussion on “Women in Business and Lifestyle.” To learn more about SpreadLove, go to http://www.spreadlovetm.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About the Founder, Esther JeanBart
A native New Yorker who resides in Tampa, Florida, Esther JeanBart has been a restaurateur and an entrepreneur in sales, marketing, and real estate for 15 years. She is a successful businesswoman with a vibrant spirit. She launched SpreadLove™ in 2017 to increase meaningful communication between women worldwide. Esther connects with diverse women across the country and the world. She talks with the women who make unheralded contributions to their families, businesses, communities, and grow SpreadLove for all things women.

FOCUS: Why Finding Your Niche Will Make You More Money

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I wish I understood the importance of a market niche 15 years ago as well as I do now because it would have saved me a lot of time, money and energy.  More importantly, it would have made me way more money.

For the first 5 years of my business, whenever someone asked me what kind of catering I did, I would automatically respond, everything. I mean who wouldn’t want a caterer that could do Italian, Caribbean, and American classics all with great flare? Actually most people would indeed love that, however, most people don’t trust it. Even I don’t trust it. I did get every type client. I catered for film shoots, corporate events, baptisms, and private dinners. But Nothing was sticking. I wasn’t known for anything.

As a perpetual learner, after countless seminars and conferences, I came upon the idea of a niche. I understand the importance of defining your market niche first. And, I make sure to incorporate it as part of my R.O.A.R. (Reach, Organize, Act & Realize Coaching) programs. As you develop your business strategies, it’s important to understand the value of a niche: the concept of serving a very specific group of individuals within a wider market or population.

In business, when we speak of niche, we simply mean “what segment of the population do you serve”. Niche is what separates a General M.D. and a Cardiologist. It is what separates Lululemon from the next workout gear and it’s what’s going to separate your baking business, your event planning company, your consulting practice, and your floral business from others.

 

Rather than being a gym that serves people who want to get fit,  Planet Fitness says, we are a gym for the person that knows nothing about fitness. It’s the web designer saying, I will be a web designer that services creatives who want to stand out. Do you lose people? Yes! But trust me, it is people you probably don’t need anyway. It would probably be that 20% of your customer base, that caused you 80% of your pain. It’s all because you don’t know the importance of defining your market niche

The gym equipment you need to service top athletes, crossfitters, newbies, and seasoned gym rats, are completely different and it would cost you way more money to accommodate everyone. I have a friend that gets very upset every time he steps into Planet Fitness (PF) because they mainly have smith machines, and he is looking for a “real workout”,  that he feels PF doesn’t provide. I have another friend, who loves PF because most other gym intimidates her. She doesn’t know how to use the free weights. My seasoned gym rat friend found a happy home at Crunch gym, while she’s happy and thriving at PF.

Niching is the way to go. It is the best way to establish your authority, get tons of clients looking for exactly what you provide and it allows you to focus your marketing to get better results.

 

Benefits of Finding Your Niche

Here are the benefits of understanding the importance of defining your market niche

Provides Marketing Focus

A niche allows you to get crystal clear on who you serve. In my case, once I understood that I wanted to serve high end social and corporate clients that wanted to offer ethnic cuisine from the Caribbean with a global feel, I was able to zero in on that target audience. I knew where to find them (Caribbean lawyers and doctors associations), Classmates from the Black Students Associations/Caribbean Associations from my Alma Mater, Corporations, and institutions looking to offer their employees something different for their holiday parties or picnics,  Munaluchi Bride Magazine that caters to ethnic brides and multicultural weddings. Niching providing me laser focus that allowed me to develop a marketing strategy specifically for that target audience and I knew where to find them.

This is one of the major reason why understanding the importance of defining your market niche is an important business lesson.

 

Better Closing

Once you establish your niche your close rate will increase significantly. You will only target those clients that fit within your niche, and in turn, the clients that reach out to you will be the ones you want to hook.

 

Experts get Paid

Let’s get back to the cardiologist. If you are having heart issues, would you choose to pay $100 per hour to see a general practitioner or a cardiologist at $200 per hour, who specializes in nothing but heart issues? As much as you may hate spending that extra $100 per hour, most likely if you care about your heart, you will pay the extra money. Aim to become the cardiologist in your field. Be the expert that someone needs and they will pay whatever you command because they need you. Your service/product speaks to directly to what ails them. Trainers do ok. But a trainer that specifically focuses on new moms who just gave birth, can command a much higher price tag. They come with an understanding of the pains of being a new mom (time issues, hormonal issues, etc.)

The questions you need to ask yourself to establish a strong and targeted niche are:

  1. What product/service/skills do you offer?
  2. Who you do you offer them to?
  3. What are the specific pain points for the individuals you serve?
  4. How does your product/service sell these issues?
  5. How do you leave your client/customer feeling after servicing them?
  6. What sets you apart from your competitors? What’s unique about the way you solve the issue?
  7. What aspects of the solution your provide are you passionate about?

 

The answers to these questions will be key because they will help you determine your niche market. As a business or life coach, I could have chosen to serve any and everyone, who is looking to create a breakthrough in their business and lives. But the final question, in particular, helped me realize I wanted to service entrepreneurs because I have been there. I have learned so much, and I get such satisfaction helping entrepreneurs, get going and get thriving!

 

In closing, saying everyone is your client, has the same effect as saying no one is your client. Nothing will stick in people’s mind about you or your service once you are not in their presence. Don’t fear losing out on potential clients that most likely don’t align with your vision and passion anyways. Focus on catering to the demographic that excites you. The ones that align with your skills and passion. It may be a smaller pool, but the targeted approach will be well worth it.

Are you struggling to define your niche?

Then consider purchasing Womeneur’s Target Marketing workbook (completely FREE to WomeneurCollective members). When you’re done with this 11-page fillable workbook, you’ll be able to:

  1.  Understand the importance of a target audience
  2. Define your target audience demographics
  3. Define your target audience psychographics
  4. Know how to research your target audience
  5. Know what marketing strategies to implement based on your target audience
  6. Create a customer avatar

All in all, understand the importance of defining your market niche can be more favorable in terms of your business success and profitability.

5 Tips for Turning Your Side Hustle into a Full-Time Job

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You can start creating your ideal lifestyle while still at your regular job.

How? By shifting your mindset, learning how to manage your time wisely and building some good habits, sure. But there are specific things you can often do, that will be the foundation of a successful transition into full-time entrepreneurship. Here’s where you can start:

1. Skyrocket your personal brand.

Branding is a never-ending process. And in the digital world, anything you publish, do or say, becomes part of it. So it’s worth taking control of that, and creating as much content under your name as possible.

That’s how you can become an expert in a niche over time. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll be investing time in that daily, by sharing practical things on social media and keeping your profiles and portfolio updated.

There will be weekly activities such as setting up a site for your business/brand/product and working on the design, authority, content creation, link building, etc.

There will be things you’ll do just once, such as:

  • Joining new platforms to make sure potential employers can find you from anywhere. 
  • Emailing influencers to thank them for the inspiration they are. 
  • Writing blog posts to discuss specific topics and for building authority.

That’s how you start to build a name for yourself and how clients will eventually interact with your brand. But the process begins today. Don’t postpone.

2. Learn the basics

One profitable way to invest your time on available mornings, evenings and weekends, is to research things about the critical aspects of your future full-time online business.

Start with the legal part – what type business structure. How will you pay taxes, what’s required from you, what can you do today to make the transition easier?

Then, learn basic financial management. Unless you hire an accountant or bookkeeper, budgeting will become a necessity to learn and track your finances. You’ll want to make sure you make good financial decisions, save every month, have multiple income streams, and calculate earnings and their sources carefully every 2 weeks.

3. Master a skill

What’s your side hustle?

Is it writing, designing, making jewelry, consulting small business owners, creating online courses, or else?

Whatever it is, make sure you’re constantly leveling up.

Read about it to remain informed about the latest trends in the industry, talk with professionals, go to seminars, take courses.

Invest in yourself as much as possible if you want to provide quality services to your clients and make sure they’re happy with your work, whatever niche you’re in.

4. Avoid burnout

It’s time to start saying ‘no’ to some things and what you’re used to, so that you can get different results this time and excel at your career, to be able to move on and build something on your own.

That might mean not going out with old friends that much. You can invest that same energy in working on the side hustle, keeping your mind clear, not hanging out with people who aren’t with the same goals, and staying focused.

It might mean making some lifestyle changes, such as waking up early to do your work before others get up, to be concentrated instead of distracted. It might mean eating healthier in order not to feel lazy and moody after a big meal.

You’ll need to take breaks frequently and know how to shut off your brain before bed so that you can recharge and be on top of your game every day of the week.

In fact, the goals of turning your side business into a full-time job can be a good reason to finally take more care of yourself and pay attention to your health.

5. Outsource earlier

Many business owners, when asked about the mistakes they made when they were just starting out, share that it took them way too long to be able to let other people handle some aspects of the business.

Why should you do that now, even if you think you aren’t ready?

Because by delegating some of the work (administrative tasks, social media, content creation, or else), you’ll stop doing repetitive tasks and be able to work on the strategies, connections, and growth.

That’s what you should be doing. And because it has the best ROI, you won’t be losing money by paying freelancers or assistants hourly or even hiring them full-time.

These tips should be enough to help you see progress pretty soon, and feel like the full-time dream job is closer than ever.

4 Ways to Survive Instagram in 2018 and Beyond

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It’s no secret that if you’re using Instagram, you may be getting frustrated with the relentless updates and algorithm changes.

Just like many others, you have most likely witnessed a massive drop in your engagement and marketing results over the past year, and at this stage, it seems that Instagram is only continuing to become a more difficult platform to achieve true organic reach.

The pain of Instagram is that as soon as you start paying to play – or using Instagram Advertising – you will start to see a decline in your organic reach also.

The platform wants you to advertise.

However, if you are not ready for that financial commitment in your business, you may want to keep reading to find out a few ways you can ensure that your account will survive and thrive on Instagram in 2018 and beyond.

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These Three Things Do NOT Make a Successful Brand

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Branding can be confusing! It seems that there are so many elements that work together to create a brand. I have been encountering more and more women who think they have a brand because they have:

1. Marketing

2. A Logo

3. A Small Amount of Success.

Branding vs. Marketing

Marketing and Branding are totally different things.  Branding is the way in which you create a perception, a gut feeling, and a compelling difference about what you have to offer. It is your promise to your customers, and how you want them to feel whenever they experience your brand. Marketing is simply selling your product or service by implementing strategies to fulfill your promise in exchange for money.

Branding allows you to manage the perception of your brand or product through the way you design and strategize. Brand strategists have studied neuroscience and psychology to create a deeper understanding of how our brain works as it relates to brands we love and choose over and over again. I love that design is used as a tool to create something beautiful but taken a step further design is a tool combined with a strategy to make a real impact on customers and on the world.

Marketing includes things like putting out the right brochures, Facebook ads and creating a sales funnel. While having a brand does help you sell and market, marketing, and branding are different worlds entirely.

Logo Design

While logo design is important, it does not compare to a brand strategy. Getting a designer to simply create something pretty is NOT an effective way to create a visual design. A logo design stems from your brand strategy. If you do not have a solid brand strategy, I would urge you to do the work and create it before you jump into your logo design. Your success literally depends on your brand strategy.  We see absolutely zero big brands that don’t have a compelling strategy. Steve Forbes, Chief Executive of Forbes said:  “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”

A small amount of success

I love celebrating small successes every day.  You hit 500 followers on your Instagram!? Pop that champagne, girl. You made your first online sale?! YAS BITCH. Success is good, but sometimes small amounts of success can hold us back at first. Say you reach your goal of $1,000 per month with your online business, should you just stop there?

Some people do. I’ve met many solopreneurs who say they are making some money so they don’t see why they need to brand. They are OK with their small success. I don’t know about you, but I am not slaving away every day on my business to do just ok, or to get by. You are one Bad Motherf*¢ker.  Small success is a stepping stone for you.  Go big.

I encourage you to find a brand strategist and designer to help you create a compelling unique selling proposition.  A professional will know how to translate your unique and compelling difference into a visual design. Branding intentionally will create big growth and keep you relevant to your audience.

4 Ways to Work More ‘On’ Your Business, and Less ‘In’ It

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One of the lesser known traps of entrepreneurship is that you might end up being yet another employee for your business, and do things that you shouldn’t be doing without even realizing. This can happen when you’re scared to delegate because you want to do it all by yourself. It’s when you keep investing hours and hours weekly in administrative tasks, finance, emails, social media and more, when this can be automated or done in less time by putting systems in place. Michael Gerber spells it out best in his book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What To Do About It. His core message is discussing how to work ‘on’ your business (i.e. strategy, planning, etc) versus ‘in’ it (i.e. day-to-day admin, etc)

The worst thing is that you miss out on many opportunities for growth. And, after all, your job is to keep your customers happy, improve your business model, skyrocket your brand, network, start new projects, and think big. And all that can happen if you stop working ‘in’ the business, and start working ‘on’ it.

Here are some ways to make it happen:

1. Analyze your strengths and focus on them

Before you set clear goals for your business, you need to know what you’re best at, and what takes you way more time than necessary and can be outsourced.

Think about why you were interested in this field in the first place, what helped you take the first steps and build something out of nothing, what else you need to work on to get further.

Be honest with yourself. Gather your past successes, what others have told you you’re good at, your interests and passion, and skills and knowledge base. Examine all this and come to some important conclusions, such as which aspect of the business needs more of your focus, and what can be done better by an expert (which means hiring your first freelancer).

 2. Delegate and automate.

Not an easy part, but a necessary step on the way to growth.

Write down everything you do during the day connected to the business. Include all the small tasks you don’t even think about, every single email you write, anything that takes you 10 minutes of brainstorming before you can take a decision or contact someone.

Now see which of these don’t need to be executed by you. If you’re ruthless, you can get back hours of your day and use them for more productive and creative work instead of tedious daily tasks.

Payments, scheduling posts, sharing them on social media, analytics, making appointments, and more can be automated using the right tools.

As for handling your finances, writing content for your website, reaching out to influencers, marketing, product distribution, and administration – all these can be delegated to someone you hire virtually. Start with one freelancer, preferably a virtual assistant, and assign him anything you want to stop doing yourself. You’ll need to train him for some time, but it’s a great return on your investments as you’re freeing tens of hours of your time weekly in the near future.

3. Create passive income

That’s the dream in online business, but many don’t achieve it since they’re disciplined to endure the hard work long before you see any results.

Passive income, however, is what can let you make money while you sleep and always make sure you reach your monthly budget even if there’s a lot going on in your life, you’re traveling, or can’t seem to find new clients for your current project.

How do you start earning it, though?

The simplest way is by creating a product, something evergreen that people are willing to pay for, and making money from on a regular basis.

Do your research first, see what people are genuinely interested in learning more about, see how your competitors did it and think of a way to make it better or offer it in a more convenient way. Then, start promoting like crazy, build a name for yourself, distribute it wherever your potential customers are, and make profit.

That product can be an eBook, an audiobook or a course (these are quite lucrative now as people want to know the ‘how-to’ of anything these days and want the information to be distilled and easy to understand and implemented).

If you want to take things to the next level, get into the software space by creating a tool, a service or an app. The initial investment in terms of time and money here is bigger, but it’s also where the big money is. So you might give this a try too.

4. Have systems and procedures

In order to never make the same mistake twice (which might cost you thousands of dollars, or weeks worth of work), you need to track everything, eliminate what doesn’t work, and do more of what works.

That’s the main principle behind working smarter instead of harder.

It saves you a ton of time and worries, and makes sure you’re always on the grow and heading in the right direction.

So that’s how you can start working on the business today. Any other ideas? Leave them in the comment section below.