Small businesses make up over 99.9% of businesses in the United States, according to the Small Business Administration.
For many of these entrepreneurs and solopreneurs in service-based businesses, the driving motivation is to help people and make a positive impact while doing what they love and creating a lifestyle of freedom and flexibility.
The problem is, you have to make money – and sales/finance aren’t usually the strong suit of people-helpers, coaches, consultants, experts, and creatives.
This is often when I come into the scene as a business and career coach, to be a thought-partner with owners and help them build their dream business.
If you’re unsure about the next step in your career, take the short quiz to see where you’re at in the Greenhouse Method.
I recently worked with Jake, who, suffering from imposter syndrome, was about to give up on his young consulting business because of his lack of clarity and growth. We stepped back to understand his unique abilities and the vision he had for life and work. As the big picture became clear, he regained the confidence and motivation to focus on building his business. After taking it even further and implementing the three steps I’m about to share, Jake was operating in his sweet spot, growing revenue, and moving forward with a clear plan.
Building your coaching or creative business can easily become overwhelming when you try to do all the things you’re ‘supposed’ to do or try out all of the latest growth hacks you’ve heard about. But really, there are just 3 keys to generating positive results and optimizing sustainable growth: Problem, Process, Plan.
Problem: What problem do you solve?
Coaches and creatives tend to focus on opportunity, but most people and organizations pull out their wallets to pay for someone to solve their problems. So a mindset shift is needed in your marketing and messaging – the way you talk about what you do. It’s simple, yet intentional. When you lead with a problem that your potential client is experiencing, then you become the solution they’re willing and ready to pay for.
Process: What is your unique process that solves the problem?
Unknowns are scary. People don’t trust things they can’t see, so they’re hesitant to buy from you if they just have to cross their fingers and hope that their money produces a good result. It’s natural to focus your messaging on what you do and expect people to trust the outcome of your work. But the reality is, they need to know how it’s going to work. Even a simple process inspires confidence that you know what you’re doing. And if it explains what makes you unique, then your chances of creating a paying client are even better.
Plan: What is your plan for the business?
You don’t need a complex business plan to be successful, but a simple strategy for what you’re going after and how you’ll stay organized will go a long way to avoid the extra emotional and financial rollercoasters of business-owner life. Primarily, having a weekly planning rhythm to stay focused on what matters most.
More on building a business and getting more clients
These three steps are the foundation of coaching and community in the Greenhouse Method Coaching Membership. You get access to one-on-one career and business coaching so you can gain paying clients quickly and build out your Problem, Process, and Plan with clarity and confidence.
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