We all want a fulfilling life where we make a difference. If you’re a small business owner or thinking of starting your own business, chances are, you don’t want a 9-to-5 venture. You want something you can sink your teeth into and make a difference. It’s the ultimate dream. But how can you ensure you are building a business you’re passionate about?
KNOW THYSELF
To build a business you’re passionate about, you need to know yourself. Do you value prestige, free time, creative expression? Do you like leading and managing people or are you more of a lone wolf? Do you want to impact a global problem, or leverage a local opportunity?
Understanding what you value, how you work and what impact you want to make is the first step to building a business, and life, you love.
VISUALIZE A PERFECT BUSINESS
When business owners know what they want, it becomes a matter of execution. What does the perfect business look like to you? What do you want to be known for? As Andrew Patricio points out in the online webinar, How to Build a Business You Love, too often small business owners let their business become their jail. So when you visualize your perfect business or life, make sure you’re visualizing how your perfect business facilitates your freedom.
Once you have a clear vision for what you want, you can start planning for a business you’re passionate about.
START WITH MASTERING YOUR MARKETING AND SALES
Get narrow and focus on a target market because you probably don’t have a lot of free cash to throw at bombing the hill, Instead, you need to focus your promotional resources myopically on your target market. Then, develop content your target market needs and promote it, along with your products and services so that you only reach your target market with the right message at the right time.
Grow the Love: To help ensure you will continue to be passionate about your business as you run it, you need to develop a marketing plan. Patricio says, without a plan, there’s chaos. Develop a plan with enough detail that you can hand off to someone else to execute, but with enough flexibility to take advantage of market opportunities.
FEED INTO SALES
One of the most effective ways that a small business can generate leads, according to Patricio, is to pick up the phone. Yes, digital marketing can be a cost-effective way to reach those at the top-of-the-funnel. But to build a business you’re passionate about, you can’t be afraid to personally reach out to your potential customers and build a person-to-person relationship. Starting with a cold call.
Take your cold calls to the next level by gaining customer insights. Ask questions, listen. If you find you’re having a hard time explaining a concept, you know you need to develop an elevator pitch or easy-to-digest content, like an infographic, that explains the concept better. Take what you hear and incorporate it into your future sales and marketing.
Building a business is difficult enough if you’re not passionate about it. With an intense focus and quick wins, you’ll find it easier than you think.
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