The computer may be where your work happens but its real life conversations that spark ideas.
Nothing gets my creativity (and motivation) flowing like discussing ideas with like-minded people. The last three days spent with Steve Roller and the other participants at his Ultimate Writing Retreat™ helped me fill a notebook and refine a business goal.
Here’s a Taste of the Retreat:
1—An 11 Step Plan to Making More Money – These 11 steps include defining your target market and the competitive landscape. Additionally, you need to make your offer crystal clear. It sounds so simple yet there are so many pitfalls along the way.
Let me ask you, do you know who your ideal client is and what you do best? The majority of graphic designers, web developers, writers and other small business people I know haven’t clarified this for themselves. As a result, their marketing is sporadic and haphazard (I’m as guilty as anyone).
Yet, during the Ultimate Writing Retreat™, I refined an idea I’ve had kicking around in my head for a year or more and developed a 3-step process to bring it to fruition. Yep, look for big things this Fall :-).
2—Systemize Your Marketing—Develop a simple and repeatable system using tried and true direct response techniques. For example, in my refined business idea, I’ve defined my target market and my offer and will develop a three letter system to reach them.I’m excited to put this into action.
Speaking of action….
3—Take MASSIVE action consistently – Too many people start out gangbusters only to give up when their idea doesn’t take hold overnight. I see it with my clients and with friends and acquaintances. The thing to remember is,one Facebook post or one direct response letter doesn’t a business make. You have to create a plan, work the plan and stick with it.
Sure, there may be a reason to pivot if you find your idea isn’t gaining traction. However, don’t give up too soon. If you haven’t given it sustained effort and reached out to a large amount of people (50 people isn’t a lot—try 2000), you don’t have real data to back it up.
Each of us developed business plans at the retreat. Now it’s up to us to implement.
These Work For Everyone
By the way, these ideas work for anyone in any type of business. Are you looking to sell more widgets? Review your marketing strategy and see where you can ramp up your efforts. Do you need to reach more people? Develop a plan to do that. Do you need a better marketing system? Well, get busy. If you need help, find someone to help you. I find a lot of my clients don’t have a highly targeted market, so the first thing we do is work on refining it. After all, everything else flows from knowing who the audience is and how to reach them.
Putting these elements into place can explode your business. What steps are you taking this year? ‘I’d love to hear in the comments below.
