Building in the Dark
Starting Over When You're Lost
Our best plans mean nothing without execution.
Last week I got a chance to do a self-audit and I realized there’s so much I need to do.
I got inspired to do a self-audit because I went to a webinar about addressing problem areas in your business, and I realized I needed to build a new system.
Traditional advice might be a combination of review your business plan, talk to a business consultant, or look for areas you can either delegate or automate.
My situation was different.
I wanted to figure out how to relight the spark for a business of one.
I took the next few weeks to figure out my systems and processes.
When I first started this journey nearly a decade ago I stumbled into this path after looking for a challenge.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Alan Kay
In the nearly 10 years of building a business I never thought I would have gotten this far.
How It Started
I didn’t want to fall for the trap that stopped most business owners from growing.
I knew I needed to do the one thing I couldn’t stand, I had to be aware of the value-adding skills and the nice-to-have skills.
When I was working a regular job I just had to worry about getting my work done and maybe doing a little extra work.
When I launched the business, I was using the skills I gained to do one simple goal: help businesses improve their storytelling.
That simple goal turned into discovering about the world of marketing, technology, education, and future proofing.
It was during my discovery phase that I noticed how many business owners, regardless of their time spent running a business, can make beginner mistakes, such as neglecting customers or assuming they knew more.
When you neglect your clients, you start to fall for the traps. As life happens, we get comfortable and we become more vulnerable to: time traps, distractions, and false clarity.
Evergreen Skills
Looking back, when I first tried to build a business, I didn’t have a plan.
Business plan. Nope.
VC funding. Nope.
Team of builders. Nope.
Willing to Research. Yep.
Willing to Learn. Yep.
Willing to Fail. Yep.
I spent months using free resources to figure out how to get started.
I went to the library, I went to YouTube, and I kept asking questions.
It took me months to write a business plan, build a prototype, and find clients.
I did business backward, trying to spend months building custom solutions instead of finding clients who needed help.
I used to believe the more technical I was the more successful I’d become.
The reality was I used the technical lessons to forget about the basics of business.
Customers – You need people to have a business.
Communication – You need to be reachable by the customer or they’ll go elsewhere.
Relationship Management – You need a partner to turn your idea into a scalable reality.
Evergreen Skills – You need one or two high-growth skills not random skills.
I had been working in the business for a number of years, but I forgot what made the business really work.
Faced with two options, I could either quit now or double my efforts.
The worst thing that could of happened did. I failed.
I started to learn the problems others faced and recommitted to helping others.
I knew that I could help businesses so I changed how I did business.
Instead of leading with the skills I had. I switched to the value that I could add.
Lighting the Fire
I gave myself a deadline.
In the past, I’d be passive with my personal strategy.
I used to believe that the work alone would be enough.
It wasn’t.
I used to think good content alone would lead a customer to convert.
I was wrong.
I did some tests and later discovered a better way to connect with customers.
The biggest mistakes I made early on was forgetting about the customer.
When you launch a new venture, you need to spend an equal amount of time thinking about how you’ll be connecting with customers.
A website with social media isn’t a marketing strategy.
Having a strong presence on social media doesn’t guarantee that your business will be around in the next month.
What does help is a deep understanding of your customers.
Too often, we neglect what matters in life until we lose.
When the rush of getting your first client wears off, you still have to deliver until you reach a point where referrals, word of mouth, and social proof help with some of the lifting.
When you’re building something new, you don’t have the immediate benefits of your former job, such as name recognition.
Instead, you have to build it the old-fashioned way.
I got curious and started to wonder what steps a small team could take to connect with customers in a memorable way so they can become top of mind.
To win in the long term, you need to build trust; you can’t buy it.
Sometimes the right content can help.
When you’re running an ecommerce store a few well-written pieces on your blog can help to educate customers and reduce the friction that your website might be causing.
When you’re running a digital first business you need to triple your digital services and customer service skills.
To win for the long term, I needed a plan that allowed for resilience, innovation, and collaboration.
When you’re just getting started as a business owner, you’re just trying to get your foot in the door with potential customers.
When you’re leading a team of 100, your business needs might be split between onboarding, automation, and untangling.
It wasn’t until recently that I noticed the chasm.
The disconnect we see in business can be seen when sales slow down.
Before you go and spend more money on sales training, you need to know your sales process.
Think back to when you got your first customer.
Final Thoughts
Nothing in business is straightforward.
The worst thing we can do is try to mirror the success of our peers in an industry we’re unfamiliar with or try to model ourselves after our favorite industry leaders.
Each level of your career will require more sacrifice, a different team, and a new perspective. This is true for when you’re running a business regardless, of the company’s size.
It’s easy to get excited about a new product and the possibilities of hitting new sales goals in the next 30 days. The wrong system will prevent you from meeting your goal.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” – Ben Franklin
Our best plans mean nothing without execution.
When we run a digital first business we don’t have the luxury of outsourcing sales and marketing early. We have to spend as much time as possible finding clients, juggling software updates, and team building.
Few people figure out quick enough how to balance building the business without becoming trapped in the business.
Few solo business owners see the chasm between what they do and what the customers really need.
The challenge is figuring out how to tell engaging stories that convert.
The stories we tell help customers understand the value you bring, and helps reduce friction along the way.
Many business owners struggle because their teams aren’t speaking the same language - marketing isn’t talking to marketing, and technology is talking over marketing.
The disconnect from both makes it hard to make a clear decision and grow.
P.S. I’ll be helping 3 business owners bridge the gap from confusion to clarity. Together, we’ll simplify your messaging to get your team on track.
Comment “Storytelling” in the comments.
"Instead of leading with the skills I had. I switched to the value that I could add."
I liked that one. On top of a few other pieces.