A Simple 8 Step Process to Build Your Business

Random acts of action in your business will lead to a fast death for profits. You may have this disease without realizing it. Often, entrepreneurs are learning business building strategies from many different sources and ending up with a big pile of ‘stuff’. They pick strategies from the pile and begin implementing without a blueprint.

The end result is a flurry of action, a bit of overwhelm and disappointment from the lack of payoff.

I’m going to give you my simple process for planning a whole year of high-octane results in your business. And for a moment, I want you to forget about all of the particles. Particles are all of the individual tools and strategies that you use for marketing and systems.

1. Vision. How does a rockin’ year in your biz look and feel? If you were to live the dream this year, not based on past results, what do you see?
2. Create the model. How do you want to work with people? What types of things to do you want to offer? What would excite YOU? How often do you want to work?
3. Clarify your ideal peeps. What types of clients and customers do you totally dig? Create a deep connection with the details of this person.
4. Create the offering funnel. Nail down what you want to offer THIS year. Not what you did last year or what you want to do five years from now. What sounds zippy for this year? Make sure it will support your five-year plan as it expands. How will each offering lead to the next offering? Make a clear path for your customers to follow.
5. Create your HELL YES Business Plan. What do you want to manifest or implement in the areas of marketing, systems, team, product/service expansion, and profits. If it’s not a HELL YES, it doesn’t go on the plan. If it’s more than one page, you may want to cut it back. You want inspiration not overwhelm.
6. Choose your overall marketing strategy. Once you do this, stick to it. This is where most people completely derail. SEO, Facebook ads, Google ads, ezines, blogs, free gifts, mailers…oh my! Unless you have a rockstar team, you can’t do it all and do it well. Pick a few strategies and do them in excellence. And make sure you are inspired by the path you choose. If you stiffen and stress when you think about how you market, then you’re better off not wasting your time, energy and money.
7. Dial in your support system. Who is going to help you manifest your HELL YES plan? You need employees, consultants, contractors, and mentors that do the job right the first time andinspire you to expand beyond your past stories and profit levels. You need people who make you feel good, tell you the truth and contribute rock star ideas.

8. Set up yearly, monthly, weekly and daily structures and practices to keep you focused. Without this step, the entire foundation crumbles. Inspiration ignites but focused action keeps the flame burning. Choose processes, strategies and tools that work with your behavioral style. Check in with your HELL YES business plan OFTEN and choose your daily actions to support it.

While this process may seem obvious to some, most don’t follow it. They skin their knees over and over and wonder why they can’t build their business in a fulfilling way. Even creative types can follow this process because it gives you a framework yet lots of room to do it in a way that suits your individual needs and styles.

Let this 8 step simple process be your outline for success. Joyfully fill in the blanks in a way that has you smiling all the way to the bank.