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Starting an Online Business in 2024 · Marketing For Tradies

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Someone recently asked me if I was completely broke and had to start a business all over again, how would I do it?
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it really got me thinking about the process I've been through over the last four years, starting and growing my digital agency, and I've put it into a step-by-step process that you can follow if you're looking to launch your business this year.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: So in this episode, I'm going to share with you the step-by-step process to launching your business in 2024 and exactly what I would do if I was to start all over again.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, usually if someone is asking me what business should I start, they're generally referring to the business model.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, should I start an e-commerce or should I do services?
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Should I do coaching, digital products?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: But this is actually the wrong question to ask because the method or the business model is generally a lot less important than the market that you're serving and the work that you're doing every day.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's always going to be different trends in the market, but there's never going to be a specific vehicle that's best for everyone is going to guarantee you success because you launch it this year just because it's trending or anything like that.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And to ask that question first is actually assuming that the external factors like how much money you're going to make and things like that are a higher priority than you building something that's actually meaningful.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I see this a lot where people are, you know, hell-bent on creating a product or opening an e-commerce store or building a specific type of business.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I generally find that these people are only focused on the external outcomes rather than is this going to give me professional fulfillment?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is it actually doing work every day that I love?
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Is it going to fund my lifestyle in terms of obviously money being very important, but also time freedom as well?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And is it going to positively impact the lives of others?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what is the actual problem that you're solving and who are you serving and how are you helping them?
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I think to start with the vehicle, first and foremost, is the wrong way of thinking.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And you really have to come back to thinking about what's going to be most meaningful to you.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: But in terms of the actual process that I would go through, the first would be to create my vision.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: And what do I mean by that?
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean if you are building a business for the sake of it with no kind of end game in mind or no real like goal or outcome direction that you're going in, you're gonna feel like you're running in the same place and not going anywhere.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Just like you would never get in a car and drive to a new location you've never been to without having, you know, some type of sense of direction or literal directions and a roadmap to get there.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: When cre when you're creating a business and especially when you're creating it from the beginning, you want to have a vision.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: It may seem a little bit grandiose in the beginning to think about, you know, what what is my life going to look like in years down the track.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: But a really simple and effective way to do this, if you are a little bit unsure about what that grand vision is, to make it easier in the beginning, what I would recommend or what I would do would be, and what I actually did literally when I started my business or before I started, years before I started my business, in fact, was to write down my perfect day.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is such a powerful exercise.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: And anyone can do it.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to have a business and you don't need to have big goals in order to really just clarify what you want your life to look like because it's all of those small moments in life that actually make a great life.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not the big achievements and the big goals that you have, it's actually how does your life look like?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: How does your life look on a day-to-day basis?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So if you can write down what you would do in your ideal or perfect day and have that as your vision and the outcome that you're trying to achieve, it's going to help you or make better decisions as you're starting and growing your business.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you've never done this before, just to give you a little bit of background, it's essentially writing down from start to finish exactly what you would be doing in every hour of every day and getting really visceral with the feelings and senses that you experience.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: So not just talking about where you're going, but how does it feel, what does it look like, and actually just like embodying those feelings and essentially manifesting your way into creating that perfect day.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: I talk more about this in one of the previous episodes, which I will link into the show notes.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I've also got a worksheet that you can go through to map out your perfect day as well.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that would be my first port of call, creating a vision.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: The second step would be to find my profitable skills.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I know a lot of people are going to listen to this and maybe they've never started a business or they don't know what they want to do, and they're gonna think, I have no skills, I have nothing that anyone would want to pay me for.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, like I felt that same way too.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it is such a limiting belief that a lot of people have.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: But there is a process to actually figuring out what it is that you can offer and the problems that you can solve.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: So the first step is to write down a list of things that you love.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like just you don't even know why you love them, you just love them.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: They might be hobbies that you have, just general interests, maybe things that you have experience in that you're not doing a lot of at the moment or that you would love to build a business around.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So you'll have a list of things that you love, and then your profitable skills are that perfect intersection between the things you love, the things you're good at, and the things that you can get paid for or in demand essentially.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, again, I have a worksheet for this, and I've talked about it in more detail in a previous episode.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Again, I will link it in the show notes.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: But everyone has this.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like I promise there is something.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: You have a profitable skill, and then once you know what that is, you can then decide, you know, what is the vehicle or the um direction I'm gonna take in terms of building out a business model.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Step three would be to identify and connect with my target market.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: So at this point, I know what my vision is, like the direction I want to go in.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna help me make better decisions for me and create a lifestyle that I love.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: I know what my profitable skills are, potential areas that I could leverage or create a business around that's going to be or allow me to do work that I love.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: The next thing I'm going to do is identify and connect with my target market.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I might have an idea in mind of the market that I want to target that I know needs the service or offer or just area I'm looking at creating a business around, but don't skip this step because so many people go out there and create a product or service and then try and find a market to fit that.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: By this point, I would have only had the idea or the area of interest that I'd be looking to serve or create a business around.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so now I need to find the market that I'm going to serve, and then I can create the offer around that.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: So many people go out there and create a product or create a business or create a service and then try and find a market for that to fit in.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: And it's actually the other way around.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: You really need to know your market and then create an offer to solve a problem that they have.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I would literally be connecting with and speaking to a target market that I had in mind that would suit the area of interest that I had.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I would ask them what their problems are, what they've tried in the past, what their biggest goals are, and what's stopping them from achieving that.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I would create something that would help them achieve their goals or solve their problem.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Or both.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: You are much better off fulfilling a need in the market than to find a market for an offer you've already created.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: So that's with everything you're developing in your business.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: But definitely from the start, this could really excel your progress in starting and growing your business by really getting to know your target market.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: So the next step that I would take if I was completely broke and had to start my business all over again would be to develop the offer.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, like I just mentioned in the previous step, I would get to know my target market first and then I would create the offer around that.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: So, not the other way around, I wouldn't be looking for a market for my offer.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: I would be looking to fulfill the needs of a market that was already out there and in need.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're creating an offer, you're essentially trying to help a target market solve a problem.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: So you're trying to get them from where they are now to where they want to be.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Your offer is the vehicle that's going to get them there.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: So the better that you can create a product or service that's going to deliver them that outcome that they want in the shortest period of time, in the most effective way and easiest for them is going to be a winning offer.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: But again, you have to know the target market in detail in order to do that.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to be asking those questions.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take one of my core offers as an example.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about website in a week.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: So this offer has been created specifically for new business owners who currently have no website, but they also don't have any branding and they have no idea how to market themselves online.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So what Website in a Week delivers to them is a website, even if they don't have branding and they have no idea how to market themselves.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: And we give it to them in seven days.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: It seems impossible, but we've created a process and an offer that's specifically tailored to people at this stage of their journey.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I know for a fact that if new business owners were to go to an agency and get a custom-built site, there needs to be a lot of clarity around branding, around their marketing strategy.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: And this is really important when you are creating a custom site because you can't really create something that is effective and is going to get them results without these things.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a prerequisite.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: But business owners at this stage of their journey don't have those things.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Or if they do, they have very basic, like maybe a logo or something like that.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: But they don't have the time because they're focused on building their businesses and they don't have the budget to invest in high agency costs.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: So website in a week is the solution to problem they have being they don't have the time, the budget, the branding, or the knowledge around marketing themselves, and delivers a website at the end of the week that is highly professional, will help them market themselves online, and will help get them conversions through their site too.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: So they don't need to have all of the prerequisites and the budget to work with an agency or get a custom build.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: So me understanding the market and the problems that they have at that stage of their journey and what they're looking to achieve has allowed me to create an offer that bridges the gap between where they are now and where they want to be.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you can do this with anything, but one thing I would also make sure of is that there was a strong value proposition, which is what I just took you through, that they'll have a fully functioning online presence by the end of the week.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: But there also needs to be a unique selling point.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: So in this case, in my example, the unique unique selling point is that we do it in one week.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: So know your market, create the offer that'll get them from A to B, but make sure there is a high value proposition.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: So the outcome they're going to achieve is actually something that's in of or is important to them and have a unique selling point that sets you apart and will make them take notice and want to take action on working with you as well.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: The next thing I would do when I was starting a business from scratch would be to then build a website.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I've got clarity on my offer.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: I can then have a website that showcases my brand, my business, and my offer.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I would make sure that that website answers the main questions that people have as they're considering if I'm the best fit for the services that I'm providing.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: If someone goes to your website, they're generally going to be either just curious about what you offer and wondering if it's for them, or they're going to be considering you as the person that they want to work with.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: So there's going to be a series of questions they're going to be subconsciously needing answered through that process.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: So to build an effective website, you need to answer these questions.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you?
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you help?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: What do you sell?
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: Why do I need it?
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Why should I trust you?
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: And how do I get it?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: They are literally the series of subconscious questions they're going to be asking as they go through your site.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: So if I was to create a website again from scratch with this new business venture that I'm creating or hypothetically creating, I would make sure that the website answered those questions for my prospect.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now that I've got a super effective website up and running, I've got a clear offer and I'm on track to achieve my vision and do work that I love by finding my profitable skills, I would then market myself.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: So the goal with any marketing is to attract potential people or people in your target market into your business, but you need somewhere to send those people, which would be my website.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: There's essentially four ways that you can market yourself, and anyone can do these.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: So the first is social media.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: So you might post free content on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: But the most important thing with social media is to pick platforms that your target market is active on.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's really important that you don't just pick a platform that you like, you pick a platform that your target market is on.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: So you should know if you're going through this process, who your target market are.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so you can easily look at the demographics and the type of people that generally use different platforms.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: But it's really important to keep that in mind when you are choosing one of those.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: The next is search-based content.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I say search-based content because I didn't want to just say SEO, which is alluding to just optimizing, you know, your website for search, which is definitely an area that I would be focusing on if I was starting a business.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: But it's also your other platforms like YouTube and Pinterest because these platforms use a search engine function to help get your content out there.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not like Instagram and other platforms where you essentially post something and within 24 hours it's like disappeared essentially.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Search-based content allows you to create more evergreen content.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that's content that will be relevant for a longer period of time or can be findable or searchable for a longer period of time.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: The benefit with this is that you don't have to constantly be trying to keep up with the algorithm of the platforms with that you're creating more short form content on, like Instagram and Facebook and things.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: But the downside is that it can sometimes take a little bit longer in order to build an audience.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: But if you are consistent with getting relevant content out there and you do optimize it for the search function, it can be found for years on end.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: So you reap the benefits over a longer period of time.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: The third is paid ads.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of different social media platforms allow you to uh use paid ads to market yourself, but this will generally apply to Facebook and Instagram or meta-ads.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: You can get your content boosted or just general content out there or generate leads through a lead magnet and all kinds of different strategies using paid ads.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or the fourth is outreach.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: So reaching out to strangers or people in your network to actively ask them if they're interested in what you offer.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if I was starting my business, I would probably choose like one or two of these areas to focus on.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: And since I would be broke in this theory, I probably wouldn't do paid ads because you do need money to invest in those.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I think in the beginning, I would focus on outreach and social media because they're the fastest acting strategies.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of other things that you can do to market yourself, like partnerships, collaborations, email marketing, referral programs, and things like that.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: But you don't want to spread yourself too thin in the beginning and just focus on the areas that are going to get you the best results and then expand from there.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Or that's what I would do.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: So the seventh step in this process of starting a business would be to drive traffic to my website.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I would have an effective website up and running, and I'd be marketing myself through social media and outreach potentially, or another strategy if I decided that I mentioned before.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: But I would be actively trying to get the people that I was marketing to to take that step into visiting my website.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: So the whole concept of marketing is essentially a system of warming someone up to becoming a client.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: So there's stages of awareness any market or audiences in from being completely unaware of what you do and what you offer all the way to becoming a client.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a process that they go through in order to do that.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: So what a lot of people forget when they're marketing, especially on social media, is the actual point of it is to get people off the platform and into your website or landing page or into your email list.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: You want to take them off the platform and take them to the next step.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: So what I would focus on once I've built my audience and built my brand awareness and authority through my marketing strategies is I would try and get those people to funnel into my website.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: I would try and drive traffic to my website and into my offers that way.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: So that is the exact process I would go through if I was to start a business from scratch all over again.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: And so if you are in the process of starting or you're wanting to start a business this year, I hope that this has been helpful in guiding you through that process.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just remember that the absolute best business to start, in my opinion, is the one that's going to give you personal fulfillment.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: So it's going to give you the lifestyle that you want, professional fulfillment, allowing you to do work that you love and inspire you.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: And it's the business that's going to help you make a positive impact on the lives of others.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: I stand by that fact, and it's the whole concept around the purpose-driven business and why I created this podcast so I can share this message.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think creating a business of meaning and purpose is much more fulfilling.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: Profit and external success is very important as well.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's a high value of mine, too.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't think that external success and creating something of meaning and purpose have to be independent of each other.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think that you can have both.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'll wrap up this episode just with a little bit of a word of encouragement.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: If you are thinking about starting a business or you are in the process of starting one, just remember that your potential is only limited by your belief.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're struggling with lack of confidence or uh imposter syndrome or have fears around being seen and things like that, they are some of the most common things, things that everyone deals with.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: So if you can find a way to overcome those, it really opens up so much opportunity for you.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I do think that while you can consume all of the skills and you know, read all the books and go through all of the courses, it essentially comes back to you and how you're taking action.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we don't take action because of the more mindset-based things that are holding us back.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it's definitely worth finding those things that may be limiting beliefs right now and finding a way to push through those, especially if you're in the beginning of your journey, because most people don't start because they're afraid of what others are going to think.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so afraid of judgment or they're afraid of failure and things like that.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is that if you don't try, you can never succeed.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: And trying and failing a thousand times, you're still going to be a thousand steps ahead of those that never try at all.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope this episode has been helpful.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: For now, that is all.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Purpose Driven Business Podcast.