subject: Are You Building A Business Or A Marketing Empire? [print this page] You know how it is, we are told to constantly be marketing. To stop marketing is to watch your business wither and die.
True?
Like most things, it depends.
If you have a launch-based business in which revenue depends on how well your next launch does, then yesthis is true. You have to constantly be "out there" reminding people who you are and what you offer - AND you have to keep coming up with offers to hold their attention.
Stressful? To me, yes it is but some people thrive on it. I prefer a business which I own, rather than one which owns me.
Setting yourself up for small business success means you have to design your business, from the ground up, as you would a house: starting with a strong foundation and knowing what you want it to look like when finished.
Owning a business designed for success means that you take time off to rejuvenate and revenue continues to come in
Owning a business designed for success means that you are not scrambling asking yourself "How will I make money this month?" or "What can I offer that my list will want to buy?"
Owning a business designed for success means that you have a Marketing and Extreme Client Care Plan which creates raving fans out of your clients so they, in essence, become marketers for you by talking about their positive experience in working with you.
Take the time now to step back and ask yourself what type of business you want:
1. A castle-in-the-air, launch-based-revenue-roller-coaster, OMG-I-have-to-grow-my-list, what-will-next-month's-offer-be, EEK-I have-been-on-Facebook-for-3-hours-and-no-clients-yet business or
2. A well-thought-out set of offers where clients can naturally progress from one program to the next depending on where their business is today combined with a strategic marketing plan which makes each offer a logical progression from your content.
Hmmseems pretty obvious, doesn't it? Yet, by not consciously doing no. 2, most business owners "choose" no. 1 by default and often spend years, and thousands of dollars, trying to determine what went wrong with their initial vision.
All no. 1 gets you, aside from a possible ulcer and mounds of debt, is a marketing empire. You have to be consistently marketing, marketing, marketing - always being focused on the next thing to market.
MY REQUEST TO YOU
If you feel like you are currently creating, or already have, a launch-based marketing empire, ask yourself:
* What do I love about my business, as it is today?
* What would I love to change about my business, as it is today?
* What are my goals - short and long-term - for my business? For my life?
These questions will help you get on the right track in designing a business to support you.
