How to *Really* Grow Your Online Business
Are you a coach, expert, or consultant and want to sell your service and expertise online?
Let me share a little secret that blows my mind every time I think about it.
The fact that your business is 100% online doesn’t mean that it’s easier to run than a traditional offline business (a coffee shop, a shoe store, or a beauty salon).
See, most people think that setting up a website or an Instagram account will earn them hundreds of dollars in an instant and clients will line up at their door. That’s just not the case, sorry! Lots of gurus share unrealistic advice that it’s possible to make an impact really fast although it took them years to build the momentum that you currently see.
How many times in the past two years have I seen people who launched websites or blogs and nothing happened? The cost of entry into an online business is smaller and somehow people expect results without putting in a lot of effort.
In an online business, all you need is:
A website that you will update
Social media profiles that you will manage
An email list
Your digital products and services
In an offline business, you will inevitably spend money on an office, a physical location, storage, tools, products, employees, and a lot of other associated costs. You are taking a lot of risks before you make the first dime. Brick-and-mortar businesses are used to having upfront costs.
Somehow, it feels like running an online business is easier. But it’s not! Sure, you can DIY everything at the beginning. However, if you really want to grow, you will need to hire a team or freelancers, outsource some of your tasks and anticipate some inevitable costs (like, software development - it ain’t cheap!)
Treat your online business like you would treat an offline business, very seriously. Go all in. If you don’t have money to invest in your business from the get-go, you invest time and effort.
Go all in with an entrepreneurial mindset. Who is an entrepreneur? It’s a person willing to take risks, practice, iterate, and look for new ideas constantly. That’s why it’s impossible to teach someone how to be an entrepreneur just because it takes a lot of trial and error.
The idea that an online business is easier to run is an illusion. And the faster you get rid of these illusions the better!
If you launched something and didn’t sell, launch it again with a new twist. Keep launching, iterating, and re-packaging your offer until it works! It will work because you will go all in and make it work.