Hello and Happy Tuesday, ,
We’re ramping up to get you in top shape for a strong second half of 2023, and I hope you are feeling optimistic and ready to go.
I know online business can be daunting, and there are worries in the world, too (say, you know, the economy and whatnot), but marketing marches on, and the companies who double down on improving themselves (even in a downturn) are the ones I see always come out okay.
It’s so true that many companies slow down working on their businesses when business or the economy as a whole slows, but you and I are going to keep working on things, getting solid systems in place, and doing a lot of overlooked items, and even working ahead, while there’s a chance to do so. Don’t waste a second when you can improve your business.
In the last two emails, I shared the foundational pieces to consider if you are starting out or perhaps to revisit to upgrade or improve if you aren’t so new. Either way now is an excellent time to review where things stand and where you want things to go in your digital business.
To review (or ICYMI), here are some of the highlights for foundational tips and tools for you:
1- reliable wifi/web connectivity for whatever device you are operating from (even if just a cellphone) and
2- a comfortable workspace to do your thing
3- an email service provider (ESP) like my go-to fav, AWeber, to directly interact with an engaged (affiliate
link)
4- set up your digital home (a blog/website, storefront, etc.) to work from for building your email list and selling your wares
For example, in addition to my WordPress website, I have an Amazon Storefront: http://ileane.live for my peeps to shop, watch a replay o my latest stream or plan
for future purchases!
5- integrate a payment processing platform with your digital home or storefront platforms (Amazon or Shopify has this baked in, FYI)
Paypal and Stripe are the ones you often hear about, but there are others like Venmo, Square, CashApp, Zelle, and
others. Rae Rae Star mentions using multiple platforms so people can pay however they like.
6- register as an LLC or another legal business formation that suits your needs
NEXT Steps and Tools for
You
If you’ve been listening along with the Twitter Space with my guests, then you know it’s time to mention that essential tiny little business matter of getting your business purpose and goals tied up into a business and marketing plan that leads to success.
Doing so allows you to have a strategy behind your efforts with clarity and direction to guide all the media and content you produce. My colleague and friend, Sue-Ann, wrote an article for BizSugar, giving you all the steps to create, review, or upgrade your Business Mission Statement.
With your business vision, mission, and values securely in place, we can get back to talking more tools for your digital business needs.
You may find guest DR SMart’s Harmony & Growth: The Ultimate Planner For Small Business And Life Management Paperback helpful to stay on track for your life and business.
Make sure you use landing pages, even from an ESP like AWeber, for a quick and effective option to use for quick signups for your
offer(s). Use services like LinkedTree for easy placement to draw people directly to your most exciting happenings while offering multiple ways for people to connect with you! There are advanced systems to grab leads for your business as well, like Clickfunnels as one option.
QUICK TRIVIA: Did you know that my dad was the first person I ever knew to have a computer?
Organize to Collaborate Even Before You Have a Team
Even if you work as a solopreneur, have just a VA (virtual assistant), or as you build your team, organization, systems, and processes to help you at every step.
I've used Trello, but for a bigger business like the company where I work, Microsoft Office products, like Teams, are popular. Whatever the software, easy collaboration is the key! Asana, Slack, and Wrike are other connection-inspired project management products to collaborate and organize your business and/or teams, as well as allow you to track things for progress.
D_R Smart has a strategist he works with, and together they can share Canva for production work and ideas. Google products
are also a go-to for him, with many easy sharing capabilities to work with partners or teams.
Streamyard is my absolute favorite source for livestreaming videos and even for video creation outside of LIVE mode!
Fraser Ramsey, my friend from Scotland, agrees that Streamyard performs better in his view than, say, Zoom for video presentations. Particularly, he mentions sound quality as a factor for him! P.S. You can use the free version of Streamyard until your heart’s content…
