Read time: 4 mins
In this week’s issue, I want to talk about the 3 pillars of having a successful business as a Local Small Business Consultants and/or Digital Marketing Agency Owners…
Starting or being in business should be fun and enjoyable to some degree.
Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs lose sight of why they got started in the first place and find that they are lost…
And dare I even say, miserable.
So with that in mind…
Let’s dive in!
Why You Decided To Start Your Business
I know I can’t speak for everyone…
So I’ll just speak for myself as to why I decided to start my digital marketing agency and perhaps some, if not all of it will resonate with you.
I went to college because it was the next logical step in “The American Dream”…
I knew I wanted to do something with computers.
But back in the mid 90s there weren’t a whole lot of options to major in when it came to “computers.”
I always had an eye for art and taught myself basic HTML and javascript to build my first website in 1995.
However, when it comes to college degrees and classes…
“Web Design” degree wasn’t a thing yet.
So I had to settle for the next best thing, “Computer Information Systems.”
But that was primarily about programming (or coding).
Not exactly what I wanted to do, but nonetheless did it anyway.
After college I went to work for State Farm Insurance as a “Systems Analyst.”
I literally was living a life that was exactly how it was portrayed in the movie Office Space!
So I did “the corporate life” for a hot minute…
Moved from job-to-job-to-unemployed-to-job-to-job-to-unemployed-to-job from 1999 through 2009 (I’ll spare you all the details).
And right after the Great Recession…
I decided I no longer wanted to live that life.
I wanted to start my own business on my terms and “be my own boss.”
However, I didn’t know exactly what I was doing…
Meaning, I knew my “why” (to support my family)…
But I didn’t know what I really wanted from this business.
And because of that, I really just started another “job” without a consistent paycheck…
But working more hours and probably 10x as hard!
And I’m pretty sure that you can relate.
How To Build A Business Around Your “Why”
I think there’s a huge misconception when entrepreneurs talk about “What’s your why?”…
Sure, for most of us our “why” is like I previously mentioned about supporting my family…
However, I believe most entrepreneurs who start a business miss a key part of their “why.”
And that part is… What do you actually want in your life because of your business?
Because if you don’t figure out that part of the equation…
You just end up with another “job”…
And I’m pretty sure that’s not what you’ve signed up for.
I know it wasn’t what I had in mind.
So it’s extremely important to figure out what you really want your life to look like before you start your business to ensure that it aligns with your vision.
Does that mean if you already have a business that it’s too late and pardon my French, “You’re up sh!t creek without a paddle?”.
Absolutely NOT!
It’s never too late to make changes…
Especially, if what you’re currently doing in your business is NOT in alignment with your overall vision of what you want in your life.
Again I can’t speak for you or anyone else reading this…
However, I can tell you what I’ve done and wanted in my life from my business.
I intentionally built my business around my life so I could do things like…
- Go to the gym everyday
- Go to my son’s basketball games
- Go to my daughter’s cheer competitions
- Go on vacation anytime I want with my family
- Not have to wake up to an alarm
- Not have to answer to a “boss”
- Not have to go to an office for 9 hours per day
- Not have to be dependent on someone else’s business
I have zero interest in building a business that requires more time, employees, etc…
Even if it means I’m ultimately sacrificing more money.
What The 3 Pillars Of A Successful Business May Look Like
The foundation of my digital marketing agency business is built on 3 specific pillars outlined below…
Pillar #1: My Irresistible Offer
Closing customers/clients is easy when you have an irresistible (no-brainer) type of offer especially when there’s zero risk involved for the customer/client.
For years now, mine has been built around my social posting as a service which provides a ton of value for a very low price point…
And when I stack on my 14-day free trial (30-day if/when they book and attend an appointment)…
My close rate skyrockets through the roof!
Pillar #2: My Sales Pipeline
Scaling to low to mid 6-figures in net revenue is easy when I have the proper customer/client prospecting systems (SOPs) in place.
Ever since I removed myself from the tedious process of client prospecting…
I’ve been able to keep my sales pipeline full of leads…
Making the sales process much more enjoyable by the time I do actually interact with the warm leads.
Pillar #3: My Customer’s Journey
Onboarding a customer/client is easy when you intentionally provide multiple touch points (communication) to ensure that they are given a great experience along the way while getting their problem solved.
Oftentimes, the customer/client journey is overlooked rather than being a focal point of the product/service being delivered…
When in fact, it’s what turns the value you provide in the form of your solution to their problem into a real sustainable business…
Because as you gain happy and satisfied customers/clients, those in turn will help you generate even more customers/clients.
What To Do Next
If you feel “lost” in your business…
You’re not alone…
And there’s still hope for you as well!
You just need to reassess the return you’re seeking from your business.
Then intentionally design your business specifically for that outcome.
If you need guidance with this…
I’m happy to help!
That’s why I decided to start my two coaching programs…
Local Agency Accelerator
And…
Local Agency Inner Circle
Both are masterminds where I work closely with each member to help them design and build a highly profitable business machine that does not require a ton of time, energy, or money.
We will implement my system that consists of the 3 core pillars to create your ideal business.
Inside, you’ll have my direct input in setting them up specifically for your business.
After learning the key components of each of the 3 core pillars…
We’ll spend the following time watching their impact on your business…
And taking care of any problems that may arise along the way.
Plus, we’ll implement any additional frameworks I have that are relevant to your business and ultimately get you closer to your overall goals.
If you’d like more information about this opportunity…
Feel free to reach out to me at kerry@kerryknoll.com with any questions or concerns you may have.
See you next Monday!
1. Free your time and scale your Digital Marketing Agency without increasing your workload by getting easy to sell recurring clients in 8 weeks or less here.
2. Build better, faster “Hybrid Sales Funnel Websites” which are proven to reduce bounce rate and generate more leads & sales here.
3. Easily schedule & recycle 18,000+ images in over 101+ niche/industry specific image packs here.
4. Use these high quality professionally designed social media image packs in over 101+ niches/industries here.
5. Level up your knowledge through training programs & done-for-you digital assets specifically for Local Small Business Consultants and Digital Marketing Agency Owners here.
6. Turn your social media profiles into lead generating landing pages here.
7. Remove the complexity, confusion, and overwhelm when it comes to connecting all the tech with sales funnels, email marketing and paid ads here.
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