YOUR BUSINESS WON'T GROW BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET IT.

I’ve seen it time and time again. You get an idea for a brand or a business and that first wave of initial inspiration hits you. You feel unstoppable, this idea is GENIUS, it’s never been done before. You post about it, you get your friends to share it and people LIKE IT! It’s doing better than you could have ever expected. So the 10 orders you anticipated getting turn into 50. Those 50 quickly turn into 80…and now? Well, now you’re not feeling inspired. You’re overwhelmed, you’re annoyed, you’re tired. So you stop for a few weeks cause you just need a break. Then once you’re rested you pick it up again cause you’re inspired again.

The cycle continues and your business won’t ever TRULY grow or flourish because YOU won’t let it.

I tell all my clients (and friends) when you begin a business prepare for it as if it is going to take off. This doesn’t mean order 5000 shirts. This means order 50 BUT have the process created and understood for how you reorder. It means to anticipate the questions clients will ask and put out marketing materials that answer these questions. It means be PREPARED to be a business that caters to a bigger audience than your friends and family.

Below are 5 steps you can take before ever selling one product that will help your business grow and run smoothly.

1. Create your brand identity - and actually follow it. 

   Brand identity is much much more than a logo and a brand name. Or a brand name and a product! Brand identity could honestly be its own blog post (and maybe I’ll bring in some of my favorite brand strategists to do a big discussion on that). Your brand identity very simply put, is how you want your brand to make others FEEL. Well-done brand identity will include colors, shapes, audience make-up, your brand's values, and much more. 

   So imagine you’re a skincare brand: Do you want your clients to feel earthy and one with nature when they use your products? Then green and brown branding and earth-like tones will suit your business well. OR do you want your clients to feel clean, fresh, and motivated? Then bright colors, metallics, and sharp lines may serve your brand better. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN MARKETING.  If your brand identity and marketing have a disconnect then you’ll forever struggle with creating content and products that resonate with your ideal client! You want your products to make people feel clean and fresh but your marketing is all earthy tones and focuses on plants and nature… you can see how people may not understand what you’re pushing. 

2. Write down 5-10 questions you think people will have about your product. 

   Create a FAQ and have it somewhere accessible on your business page. Seriously, if your marketing is working then you’ll get NEW clients. Assume these clients know NOTHING about your business and make it easy for them to educate themselves. If you’re having tons of DMS' and are annoyed with the number of client questions you get, take a second and think:

   Do I have a FAQ? If I do, is it easy to find for someone who has NEVER visited my page or website before? 

   Simple questions to start with? 

   1. Booking method.

   2. Shipping info.

   3. Best methods of contact.

   4. Location and business hours. 

   5. Other platforms (website, socials, etc) 

3. Have set client communication methods.

   Decide how you are going to communicate with clients (old and new) and STICK to it. No DMs? Then don’t do business in the DMs. I have a pretty standard message I send to all clients who inquire with me in the DM’s or private messaging. It just says I don’t take business inquires in the dm’s and they can be better served if they email me. Simple fix, if they don’t email then odds are they aren’t my ideal client anyway. 

4. Map out your workflow. 

   This may be my Virgo speaking but seriously, organize your business. If your daily business to-do list is only 3 steps then write those three steps down. If your process is organized and easy to find then when something goes wrong (and something will) it’s easy to figure out where the problem is and how it can be resolved. If you have a mapped out workflow then you can avoid issues in the future. For example: You’re a designer and know that you do inventory every Friday and then order more fabric on Monday’s. If you have that mapped out and planned for then if Monday is a federal holiday and business are closed you know you need to order Friday instead! That way clients aren’t kept waiting and there is no delay on orders. Having an organized workflow can prevent and solve problems! 

5. Have the details (even the minor ones) already decided. 

   Create a policy and stick to it. All clients are different you can’t predict how they will respond or what they will do. You can control YOUR response, however. Know when you’re willing to offer discounts or refunds. Know the method for taking orders and keeping your clients updated as things change. If you’re going to communicate by email then do that consistently.