Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 40: What nobody tells you when starting an online business

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40: What nobody tells you when starting an online business · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 40, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about what nobody tells you when starting an online business.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me today.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: In today's episode, I'm going to be talking about what nobody tells you when starting an online business.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because I've been at this for a while now and I've learned so much.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: But there's a lot of things that I've had to learn that nobody talks about.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I hope from today's episode is that you'll walk away with some nuggets of value that you can then use in your business or at least be made aware of, so that if you are looking to work in the online space, you'll have some idea before you do it, or maybe it might help you as you're doing it.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: So as I said, I've been working in the online space since around probably 2018-2019.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been a few years.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: At that time, I was mostly focused on building my branding studio, which served more local businesses.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because during this time it was pre-pandemic, which meant that a lot of my business came from offline networking and business events.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now I stepped into the online space at this time because I wanted to make what it was I had to offer more accessible to startups and to entrepreneurs who didn't have the budget to pay for branding studio prices.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: And so, in order for me to do that, I needed to think about my offers and how I was going to deliver them.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so the online space became an obvious choice for me, which is why I started to work on my online course, which basically was helping entrepreneurs to create branding for their businesses.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when I look back, I had no idea what I was doing.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: I just knew that this was something that I needed to incorporate in my business because it would help me to reach a wider audience.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this came from a place of really wanting to support more people because I really believed in the message that I was sharing.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so I felt compelled to make this online course so that I could get my message out there to more people.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, at the time I was really focused on helping startups and entrepreneurs who, like I say, couldn't afford to pay premium prices for their branding.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you start a business, you do need to have branding in place because it's branding what connects you to your customers or your clients.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're at that startup stage, you're not necessarily going to have that money in the business to invest in making this possible for you.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I wanted to really break this process down to startup business owners so that they could present themselves in a way that they were going to be proud of and that would give them that professional edge.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, what I created centered around helping them to create a brand image for their business so that they can communicate their message to the right audience.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when I started out on this journey, I didn't know what I was really doing.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it was all very messy.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: It was all very, look, I'm just going to figure this out as I move on.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And looking back, I was probably really naive as to what it actually took to get it done and to get it out there.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: In my service-based business, which was operating at that time more offline, I figured out quite quickly what the best direction was for me.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe that I always made the right decisions.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, for example, I attended networking events that proved to do more harm than good.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think looking back, I could have made smarter decisions around that.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: However, I did do a lot of networking, and I think that served me really well because it got my name out there, it got my business out there, and it helped to build my brand.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm a people's person.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: I love engaging with people, I love finding out their stories, what they're about, what they need, and of course how I can help.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this approach helped to position me in a really strong way so that I could build my client base.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: However, as I said, I didn't always make the right decisions around the networking groups that I attended because some of them did prove to be more damaging than good, especially because I was in the early stages of building my business myself.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think looking back, when you're starting your business, you really need to be careful about who you surround yourself with.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be around people that inspire you and that are good for you, not necessarily those that want to take from you or create environments that are not healthy.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so, just as a side note, if you are new to starting a business, I would choose your networking groups very carefully if you are a networker.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because whilst networking can be very powerful, it can also be very damaging as well.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just as a side note, and that's just from my own personal experience.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: However, I am a strong believer in that everything that we experience happens for a reason.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I do believe that everything that I have experienced along my own business journey has needed to happen because ultimately that's got me to where I am today.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's the good, the bad, the ugly, it really doesn't matter.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Everything has been put into that pot, and the decisions and the direction that I take today stems from those experiences that I've had in the past.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now it wasn't really until lockdown that I started to really focus on shifting my business into a new direction.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Up until then, I was trading online, selling digital products, but I was mainly focusing on offering my branding and web services offline.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: However, I suspect, like most people, lockdown or the pandemic changed everything because it forced us all to go online and it forced us all to show up differently.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm not saying I did this straight away because to be fair, I wasn't really in the mindset to do this straight away.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: I know I had business colleagues that instantly they jumped online and they absolutely made the most of it.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: And all power to them, they saw the opportunity and they took it.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: But that wasn't me.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: It did take me a while because I spent a lot of time homeschooling and I was also dealing with the fallout of the pandemic and the effect it had on my business, trying to keep customers happy, trying to figure out what this new world in terms of my business was going to look like, and also recognizing the fact that I wanted to shift direction because that doesn't just happen overnight.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's a process in itself.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: However, once I made that decision to move online and to create more of an online business, then I started to see those opportunities and it started to play out in the decisions that I was making and the people that I was working with.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: At that time, we were all forced to embrace technology at a far deeper level than what we were used to.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I do believe that was a good thing.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think it really brought forward what was going to inevitably happen.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: But equally at that time, it was very challenging for a lot of people.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I do probably include myself in that as well.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, one of the things that I remember realizing at that time was the concept of longevity in our businesses and stay in power.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: That was a really big thing to me because at that time everything would just seem to be crumbling, everything seemed to be turned on its head, and nobody knew how it was all going to fall, how it was all going to pan out.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: We were very much in the dark for a long period of time.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember thinking about that prospect of falling ill or not being able to run or be at my business, and thinking that if anything happened to me, what would happen to my business and how would I keep earning if I wasn't able to work?
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that whole idea of having longevity and sustaining that stay in power was really on my mind at that time, and it really hit home with everything that was going on in the world.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: But as I said, everything happens for a reason.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think those thoughts, along with the reality of what was going on at the time, had a huge impact.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: And so for me, that's when I vowed that I was going to create a business that would be around for a long time to come so that my children could be a part of it in the future.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: But in order to have that, I needed to make changes because what I was doing was not going to be sustainable long term because it was all on my shoulders.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And although I was working with a team of really talented and creative associates at that time, I had no real desire to build or employ a team of my own.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: So the only way I could see myself creating something of real value that was going to have long-term growth and that could fit around my needs and the needs of my family was to commit to creating an online business where I could create a more sustainable business model that would give me freedom and give me time back so that I could enjoy the things that I wanted to enjoy.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that would also bring in revenue into my business to keep it going.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, having said that, whatever this new direction was, first and foremost, it needed to fill me with joy and passion.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because for me, that's one of my values is passion.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: I need to feel passionate about the work that I'm doing.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: I need to be able to show up every day with that joy in my heart, knowing that I'm doing what I love.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, what's the point?
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: I might as well go and get a job and call it a day.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: So when I created my first online course, I felt like I was more or less learning in plain sight.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: I was having to figure things out as I went on.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: And looking back, I probably didn't know that much.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: But what I did know is that I had a desire to learn.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so knowing that I was going to create something that was more online, I needed to work out all the logistics and all the things that needed to go with that in order for me to make a success of it.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as a result, I probably wasted way too much time focusing on things that did not matter and probably not enough time focusing on the things that did.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And so, what I want to share with you in this episode is what I've learned along the way, so that if you are traveling along a similar road, hopefully it will just make it that little bit easier for you.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So, one of the things that I learned first and foremost when I started creating my online course and my digital business was that it doesn't just stop when you have created your offer.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: So here's the thing: when it comes to creating an online course or a digital offer, whatever that might look like, the work doesn't just stop the moment you have created it.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: It isn't just a one and done situation.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the whole concept of creating online courses is amazing because once you have created the online course, you can sell it on repeat and you can generate ongoing revenue for the lifetime of that course.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that in itself is incredibly powerful.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of the reasons why I work in this space because there's so many things that you can do with an online course, but the online course itself gives you limitless opportunities, which is what I love.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: However, there is so much work involved in getting your online course out there.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: And when I see Facebook adverts, which I do all of the time, saying that you can literally earn six figures the moment your online course is created, it's just not true.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: There is work that needs to go into getting visibility around what you're selling.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew this to a certain extent.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I guess what I didn't take into account is how much work was involved.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what I will say as a side note is that you can create an online course and not do anything other than integrate your payment method, set up your checkout page, and off you go.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're looking to sell your online course one customer at a time, then absolutely create an online course, set up all those little bits that means that you can accept payment and then sell it to your customers through conversation or through networking or however you want to sell it.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: However, if you are creating a volume-based model where you're selling it to a lot of people, then you have to build out the machine that sits behind it.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when I talk about that extra work, it's going to depend on how much you want to put into selling your offer.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: So you can do as much or as little as what you want.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: However, the point is that there is work that needs to go into it in order for you to sell your online course to more than one person.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, when you sell an online product such as an online course, it's commonplace to create a sales page.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: A sales page takes a lot of time to create.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I've just created a sales page for my new online course, and it's literally taken me days and days and days to create because I want everything to represent what it is I have to offer in the right way.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a process, it takes time.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: It takes time to write effective copy, it takes time to source really great images, it takes time to work out the design and the layout and how you want it all to come together.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: So that takes time.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: The next thing is that you need to think about the emails that go into the cell of your course.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: So once somebody visits your sales page and they go to your checkout page and they actually buy the thing that you're selling, then that triggers an email sequence.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is something that is not always talked about.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Often people talk about online courses as a one and done thing.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: However, you need a really good email sequence that sits behind your online course that's going to direct your students and inform them of what it is to come.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: So when they hit that buy now button on the checkout, they know exactly what they're going to be getting.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: And again, that takes time to create.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: And you need to think about the flow that goes into that email sequence.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then we need to be thinking about how we're going to be selling the course.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So again, if you're after creating a volume-based model, then you need to think about your conversion events.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're going to have a conversion event, like a workshop or a webinar or a challenge or a video series.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Are you going to have one?
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if so, how are you going to pull that together?
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: If you're going to be delivering a workshop, then you need to be thinking about the strategy around the workshop.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, then the content that goes into the workshop.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess what this really boils down to looking back is that I didn't realize that there were so many moving parts in doing this, which is why I decided to create this podcast because this is the kind of thing that I want to talk about.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: I want to lift the lid on exactly what goes into creating a successful online course or even a successful online business.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are thinking about creating an online course and you're at the very start of the journey, then this is something to really think about.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: There is work to be had after you have created your online course.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: But what I will say, and what I have said, is this is going to be dependent on what it is that you want to do in order to sell it.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to create conversion events like workshops or webinars.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to create sales pages.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: You can just create your online course and sell it one customer at a time.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: But I think it's important to know that if you're going to be selling this online or you're going to be selling it to a volume model, then you need to have these other components in place as well.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the second thing that I didn't realize that is important when creating an online business is that you have to pick a niche.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, at the beginning, as I said, when I started out, I was running my branding studio.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I think looking back, I didn't really niche down.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: Not really.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: The closest thing I got to targeting an audience was female entrepreneurs, which is really quite general and broad.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't really kind of drill into who those female entrepreneurs are.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: And at the time, I think it was because I was attracting a whole manner of different businesses across many different sectors who needed the thing that I was offering.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I didn't really niche down because at that time I didn't feel like I really needed to.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: The work that I was taking on, I was more than happy to do because I was getting that variety.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: I found it really challenging to drill down into one audience type.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: When it comes to creating an online business, niching is so incredibly important.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now think about it.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: There are over 7.8 billion people on this planet, and you cannot work with all of them.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you define who it is you want to work with?
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if you're creating online products, the one thing that is going to be key is knowing exactly who you're creating your online course for.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because you cannot create an online course for everybody.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: The content you're going to have in that online course is going to be teaching a certain person with specific needs.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you cannot get away with creating an online course that is for everybody because your online course just wouldn't work.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to get really laser focused on exactly who you're creating it for.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, not everybody's going to be interested in an online course targeting weight loss.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: However, a small section of people might be.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so when it comes to niching, you have to really drill into those people that are going to be interested in weight loss if that's the kind of course that you're going to be creating.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, online business is different to offline business because the one thing that is really important.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: When trading online is your messaging.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be so crystal clear and concise and succinct about what you're saying so that the right people know that you're talking directly to them.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying that when you trade offline, your messaging isn't important.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's not what I'm saying at all.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: But if you think about it, there are so many people online that could see your messaging that your messaging needs to be so magnetic to the right people so that it attracts them to your business.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the plus side to this is that when you're creating online products like online courses, because of the very nature of the content that you're creating within your course or within your digital product, it does make it that bit easier to really drill into your audience.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: After all, you may not be making a weight loss course for everybody, like builders and tradespeople, but you may be making that course for busy months who are looking to get back into shape after childbirth.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: So therefore, when you're creating your online course, you're going to know exactly who your course is for.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: So when it comes to promoting your course and talking about your course and creating that messaging that's going to exist online, it's going to make it easier for you to create that because you have this information.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know exactly who your ideal audience are.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the third thing that I want to share with you is the fact that when you're creating an online business, there is so much to learn, and it is a journey.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is something that I think nobody tells you, or nobody that I've come across makes this clear.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I love learning.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: I invested eight years of my adulthood to taking courses, to learning how to become a graphic designer.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I am no stranger to taking a course or two.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: However, nothing could prepare me for the amount of learning that I've had to do in order to create an online business.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's really easy to get caught up in the idea that if you create something, put it online, then you'll get instant sales.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: But the reality is it doesn't work like that.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: It takes time, it takes effort, it takes focus and a lot of energy to build traction.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: People who have achieved success in the online space have most likely spent years and years and years figuring out what works for them and what doesn't work for them.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: And they have most likely created a formula that they can now apply to their business.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's so much easier to attract new clients when you have a really effective lead generation strategy in place.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is that you're not going to know what's going to work until you're out there giving it a go.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: Business is all about trial and error.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: What works for one business may not work for another business because businesses are all different.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's like our thumbprint.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're made up differently, our businesses are made up differently.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: We all have very different perspectives and we all do things very differently.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, therefore, by default, our businesses are going to be different.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many different factors to take into account.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't believe for a moment that there is one golden bullet out there that's going to work for everyone.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Experience has taught me that it's all about trial and error.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: And you have to be brave, you have to be bold, and you have to be focused and committed enough to give it a go and to commit to showing up and do what it takes to make it work.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, you can learn strategies and tactics, but you do have to adapt them to what will work for you and your audience.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: And there's no one size that fits all.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot take a cookie-cutter approach to business.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: I have invested in so many programs and courses over the years to get me to where I am today.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: But the learning itself isn't enough.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's by the doing that is where you start to learn.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: You can learn everything that you need to know about starting an online business through a textbook.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: But if you don't put what you have learned into practice, then it's pointless.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think for anyone who wants to create a business online, then I think it's really important that you develop the ability to learn in order to learn what it's going to take you to make it a success.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I ran a program a few years back to teach people how to create an online course.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: I had a student that enrolled into that program that refused to do any work.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it almost baffled me because I didn't understand why you would pay to come onto a program and then not put the work in.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: And even still to this day, I am baffled.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think handing over money is the easy part.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: The results and the rewards come from doing the work, is where the rewards actually are.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to move into the online space and create an online business or sell your digital products, then one of the things that I do recommend you do is take the time to learn the things that you need to learn.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and to give things a go and to put the things that you're learning into practice because that's where growth happens.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's where you will learn what you need to learn to get the success that you truly desire.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the next thing that I want to share with you is that it also takes time, which again, I knew this, but when you're seeing so many Facebook ads out there claiming to get people to six-figure businesses by creating online courses in just seven days, it does skew your view on it.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, whenever I see these ads, my alarm bells start to go off because I think that if anything is worth having, it takes time to build out.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: So success takes time to achieve.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: Businesses take time to create, and it is all a process.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if you rush that process, then you're going to miss valuable steps of the learning process.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: You need to go through those steps in order to learn the things that you need to learn to make what you're doing a success.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, it doesn't matter whether you're creating a digital product or a service or whatever that looks like.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: There is no getting away from the fact that in order to create something of value and of true worth, it takes time and you need to give yourself time to achieve that.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: If your goal is to rush out a product because all you are interested in is making money, then don't be surprised if you get people asking for their money back because they're not happy with the quality of that product.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: The truth is that when you create an online business or an online course or a digital product, the time element is so important because you need to allow time for things to flow and come together.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, you can always speed things up, and often the best ideas do take time to curate and build out.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_00: If we rush that process, then we're in danger of creating stuff that lacks meaning and depth.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think the best and most successful online courses or businesses take time to create.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: They have sold learning pathways that moves students effectively and efficiently towards a result, and that result is what creates impact in that student's life.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I also think, why would you want to rush that?
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: Why would you want to rush that end result in order just to make money?
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the fourth thing that I want to share with you, and I think this is one of the most important things to take on board, and something that looking back, I probably didn't really take on board, was that it's okay to be messy, and it's okay for you not to have everything figured out.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as a self-proclaimed perfectionist, I had a belief that everything that I put out in the world had to be perfectly polished and finished, otherwise, it wasn't going to be very good.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_00: And what I've learned, and what I do think nobody actually tells you, is that this does not need to be the case.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay not to have everything figured out.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay to put a seed of an idea out into the world and watch it grow.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to have it finished and perfected.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, experience has taught me that when it comes to creating online products or creating even an online business, this is often the best approach.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: As long as you're honest and you're upfront about it and you don't try to be something you're not, it can actually help to drive sales.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this was something that I didn't realize until I stumbled upon it myself.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you do not need to have a finished online course to make a sale.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I would highly encourage you not to do so.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: As long as you know your topic, as long as you know what your course is offering, as long as you have a framework of some kind that moves a student through a learning pathway, and as long as you understand the results that your course is going to achieve, then there is no reason why you cannot put it out into the world.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone who purchases at this stage of the process will just be simply known as a founding member.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, you could sell it, but it would be at a discounted price because they know and you know that it's not a completed product.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: What this allows you to do is sell something that is incomplete, but you can also gain feedback and direction on it by the people that you bring onto the course early.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you are a perfectionist like me, this is going to feel messy and it's going to feel uncomfortable.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: But trust me when I say that this approach was one of the best approaches that I did.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Because what it enabled me to do was to sell my program that I was selling at the time and make money, even though it wasn't complete, which meant that I had money coming into my business that paid for my time to create the program.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: Because your business needs money, you need to stay afloat, and it's not realistic to take three months out of a business to create an offer whilst not earning.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: So the best way to navigate this is by creating something and selling it before it's finished.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's going to feel messy, but the best thing is when you remove that need to be perfect, you actually get to have fun with it and you create something that brings you joy.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: You are more open to taking chances and trying new things.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is where the magic actually happens.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: People don't care about something being perfect, they only care that it's going to get them from point A to B in the quickest and easiest time possible.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: And they only care that they're going to get the results that they need in order to resolve a problem.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are somebody that suffers from that need to be perfect, shift your perspective.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_00: You do not need to be perfect.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay for your business to be messy, it's okay for your offers to be messy, and also take on board that perfection is subjective.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_00: What you deem to be perfect may not be perfect to somebody else.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so that idea of perfectionism doesn't really exist.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you are crippled by that need to be perfect in your business, then I want you to look at what is going on for you because there could be something that you're dealing with at a much deeper level.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: Imposter syndrome is real, we all go through it, but it could be the thing that is most likely going to be holding you back.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I would really encourage you to look into this.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_00: I wish somebody had told me at the start that being messy is okay because I think I would have saved a lot of time and a lot of energy procrastinating and worrying about things not being perfect.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think once I figured this out, everything for me started to shift.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I felt like I was starting to move forward with freedom.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I think because of that, I've been able to create my business that has taken this new approach.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so these days, the way I approach what I do in my business is very different.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_00: And because of that, I'm able to get things out a lot quicker, and I'm able to build an audience and a customer base around what it is I'm creating.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it's okay to be messy.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: I probably would encourage it.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_00: Try not to let it stop you.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_00: Have fun with it because business should be fun.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_00: And just go with it.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_00: You have something unique, you have something to share with the world.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's more important that you get it done, you get it out there, and then you perfect it later on.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: But until then, have a great week.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: So why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.