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Business Building Resources for Niche Clarity Participants
As soon as you have your possible niche identified and you've tested your idea to confirm your assumptions about your target market, it's time to think about how to build your business on a strong foundation that allows for growth and longevity.
Below you'll find a series of resources I've used over the years. I listed the resources in the order you will likely need them.
Create Your Business Plan
The best resource I've found for this is a book called the One Page Business Plan. When you are clear about your direction (which you are now), you can work through the worksheets in this book fairly quickly. I worked through it in an afternoon and walked away with some clear insights that definitely helped my business performance.
There's a version for Creative Entrepreneurs and Professional Consultants. Books include a cd with word documents and excel spreadsheets you can use to fill in your plan and run your numbers!
The reason it's important to spend some time thinking through your business plan is that you create a long term vision than can guide your short term decisions and actions.
Through a series of worksheets, you'll walk through the process of:
- Stating your vision
- Defining your mission
- Identifying your objective
- Determining your strategies
- Describing your plans.
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Develop Your Marketing Strategy
I have two suggestions for this stage.
My first recommendation is Robert Middleton's InfoGuru Marketing Manual. This ebook is full of easy to use strategies and templates to create your own marketing strategy...as long as you are clear about the problem you help people solve.
He gives solid background information about the steps in the marketing process, how to effectively communicate your marketing message, and details about specific strategies including:
- Buiding an effective website
- Promoting your website
- Generating referrals
- Making the most of networking strategies
- Using speaking as a strategy
- Using keep in touch methods
- Creating an eNewsletter or eZine
- Pricing and more!
Robert is now known internationally...I've known him and worked with him since before he struck gold with his work. He's authentic, knowledgeable, and very giving. He walks his talk and gives away about 20% of his knowledge. Even if you aren't ready to buy just now, get on his newsletters and participate in his free monthly teleclasses. You'll notice I refer you to his work in several steps along this journey.
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My second recommendation is Suzanne Falter Barnes' Get Known Now Program. Her main focus is helping you build your credibility and expert status NOW! She will how you how to get media coverage with your new expert status.
If you want to write a book, use her tips to build your message and your audience so that publishers will be begging for your book!
She's got a large number of solid strategies in this manual and helps you create your own marketing plan based on your goals.
- Your brand phrase and niche
- A great website and blog to attract visitors
- A eNewsletter
- Ways to promote your site - online, articles, join ventures,
- Ways to get media coverage
- How to use speaking to build your expertise
If you want more personal support, consider her Get Known Now Blast Off program. |
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Create Your Marketing Pieces
Both Robert Middle's Action Plan Marketing and Suzanne Falter Barnes' Get Known Now have guidance on how to create your marketing pieces. In addition, I'd like to highlight another key resource.
Keep in mind that even though you could start with building your website, you are going to build a much better website if you use some of the other resources to determine your true message.
Robert Middleton's WebSite Tool Kit is a great step-by-step plan for building an effective, content rich site to attract your target market. He includes audio training, a manual, sample sites, a development checklist, and a list of professionals who can help you manifest your vision.
(As a side note...once your site is created, you can use Adobe Contribute to edit the content on your site without impacting the integrity of the site structure. That's what I'm using right now to build this page from scratch. With this system you can't "break" the template, because your web designer is the one who is able to access the structural part of your site. I don't know what I'd do without Contribute! When you hire a web designer make sure they'll agree to set you up on this system. They'll continue to support you as you grow, but you won't have to pay anyone to change a date, fix a typo, or even add a page to your site.) |
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Take Action on Your Plan
When you have your plan in place, it may make sense to get support as you take action to implement your plan. I've got a couple of suggestions here.
Robert Middleton has two kinds of support to get your act in gear!
- Action Plan Toolkit - This tool kit gives you the tools you need to get into action. You'll cover setting realistic marketing goals, dealing with resistance, generating good marketing ideas, creating a workable plan, and scheduling in time for marketing.
- Fast Track to More Clients - This virtual program give you a marketing overview that gets you moving to generate more clients. In seven weeks you cover key marketing principles and skills you need to succeed.
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