woman building her profitable dream business without overwhelm

Overcome Overwhelm: How to Build Your Dream Business Step-by-Step

When we hand a child a violin for the very first time, we don’t expect them to map out their worldwide concert tour.
 
We don’t hand a kid their first pair of ice skates and start talking about preparing for the next Olympic games.

Yet that’s what we often expect of new business owners.

Business coaches and groups start talking about “scaling” and “systems” and “brands” – world tours or Olympic competitions - before a new business owner has even made the first sale.
 
Or even figured out what they are going to sell.
How do you think that makes most new or aspiring business owners feel?
Overwhelmed.
Exhausted.
Intimidated.

And worst? Feeling like a failure before they even start.

Do you think that most kids scratching their way through Twinkle Twinkle Little Star would feel pumped up or frightened to be told that they need to be ready to play Carnegie Hall in a few months?
Kids who are wobbling around the rink would be terrified of the pressure to medal in the Olympics by the winter.
Yet that’s what we keep doing to new or potential business owners.
Coaches and "experts", so in love with showing off their own expertise, sometimes make people who want to start a business feel like their aspirations are out of reach – or worse – that they are not dreaming big enough so why bother?

I am not against big dreams. Not at all.

Do you dream of founding a multi-million dollar empire? Have at it.
But most new business owners are so defeated by all these steps and checklists and things to do that they often won’t even start.
I am not against checklists, case studies, and to-dos….what I am against is giving new business owners too much.
Solve a single problem in front of you. Just that one thing.
Once you solve that, move on to the next thing and solve that.
These simple, clear steps will get your business started.
We don’t expect the average Kindergarten student to get tossed into Calculus IV. Yet we expect the average beginning business owner to figure out their sales funnels (along with upsells and landing pages).
We don’t expect violinists who have had three lessons to solo at the Met, yet we expect new business owners to set up “systems to scale."
Please.

Can we get a little reality check here?

New business owners need support around a few things:
  • Figuring out what they want to sell.
  • Identifying who can (and will) buy it.
  • Understanding how to make a profit on what they do.
That’s it. Full stop.
The branding, the websites, the email lists. All that comes later. After the sales start coming in.
Why? Because your business will change based on what you learn from those first few customers. Spending a lot of time, money, and effort when you are just starting out is a waste.
Your business may start with creating custom cakes. But it might evolve to business catering because it’s more profitable and predictable.
Or your business catering idea might evolve into high-end chocolate making because you found a (profitable) need and can fill it.
woman building her profitable dream business without the overwhelm

I am not against big dreams. Not at all.

Do you dream of founding a multi-million dollar empire? Have at it.
But most new business owners are so defeated by all these steps and checklists and things to do that they often won’t even start.
I am not against checklists, case studies, and to-dos….what I am against is giving new business owners too much.
Solve a single problem in front of you. Just that one thing.
Once you solve that, move on to the next thing and solve that.
These simple, clear steps will get your business started.
We don’t expect the average Kindergarten student to get tossed into Calculus IV. Yet we expect the average beginning business owner to figure out their sales funnels (along with upsells and landing pages).
We don’t expect violinists who have had three lessons to solo at the Met, yet we expect new business owners to set up “systems to scale."
Please.

Can we get a little reality check here?

New business owners need support around a few things:
  • Figuring out what they want to sell.
  • Identifying who can (and will) buy it.
  • Understanding how to make a profit on what they do.
That’s it. Full stop.
The branding, the websites, the email lists. All that comes later. After the sales start coming in.
Why? Because your business will change based on what you learn from those first few customers. Spending a lot of time, money, and effort when you are just starting out is a waste.
Your business may start with creating custom cakes. But it might evolve to business catering because it’s more profitable and predictable.
Or your business catering idea might evolve into high-end chocolate making because you found a (profitable) need and can fill it.

You just don’t know until you get out there and start testing the market.

Supplying to customers.
Meeting customers.
Listening to their wants and needs.

As you go along, you might uncover an untapped market. Or you might figure out that what you want to do does not have a big appeal. At this point, that’s okay. You are still in your exploratory phase.

And the best news?

You have not spent months and thousands of dollars on “systems” and “scaling” for a business that you will now pivot.

And worse, if you *have* jumped in and invested time and money with expensive branding and a custom website before you have your business nailed down, it makes it much harder to do the pivot that your market is asking for.

And then what happens?

Too many business owners try to make a go of that original idea because they have spent all their time and money on an idea that will never be profitable.

They struggle and fight, and when they give up, they blame themselves.

But the blame is squarely on the shoulders of all the gurus and experts they listened to.

The "experts" told them that everything needed to be perfect before they launched.

The struggle is real.

I have worked with clients who have spent months (or worse - years) trying to test the colors and fonts on logos.

They spent big bucks (or decided to DIY) on websites built for businesses without customers.

They set up sales funnels when they don’t have a tested product or service.

It’s all BS. Lies.

Worse. It’s emotional blackmail.

The feeling is that if you don’t “start right,” you may as well not start at all because you are destined to fail.

You MUST have the right plan in place to run this giant company that you don't have rather than just the help you need to get started.

There is a better way.

A kinder, gentler way that lets you chart the course that’s right for you.

Without the fear of “doing things wrong.”

No emotional blackmail of “just” wanting a small business that supports you and your family and not some “scaled up conglomerate.”

Without the overwhelm of trying to plan your Olympic championship while you’re still trying not to fall down on the ice.

Let’s get back to basics.

As a new business owner, I am telling you to focus on the basics.

--What do you sell?
--Who can and will buy this?
--How do you let them know that you are in business?

Forget all the other nonsense. It will matter someday. Just not right now.

The only things you need to know are:

--Exactly what your customers actually buy, not what you think they’ll buy. Actual dollars in your bank account from real sales.

--Exactly who your customer is. Details. Drill down so that you know what common characteristics your customers have.

--How did you get on their radar? Have they bought from you before?

--Exactly why your customers buy from you. Location. Needs. Speed, Convenience. Reputation.

--Why do they pick you over someone else?

And do you know how you find this information?

You ask your customers.

Your customers (not your audience) will tell you all you need to know about what makes a successful business.

Your audience is people who know you exist. Your customers are people who like and trust you enough to vote with their wallets and buy from you.

Ask them why they chose you. I guarantee the answers will tell you more than any high-priced business expert.

You can create a profitable business that helps customers and lets you grow as you wish.

Because even gold medal winners - and million-dollar businesses - start somewhere.

 

Patricia Browne

Patricia Browne

Patricia Browne is the author of seven books that help businesses grow and profit.

Read about The Profit-ize system and what it can do for your business

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