Building an Online Business
I put off writing this blog post for awhile. The reason I’ve been struggling to touch on this subject is 70% due to imposter syndrome — “who am I to talk about building an online business?” and 30% pure laziness i.e. actually sitting down and writing the damn thing.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately: what makes someone an “expert” in his or her field? For me, the question started to float through my mind when I was invited to speak at a health and fitness seminar. Apparently, I had become an expert on the topic? News to me. If people look to me when they want more information about something health and fitness related.. does that make me an “expert”? Thinking about how I became a “go-to” person on this topic has gotten me thinking: what makes anyone an expert?
It’s not so simple, I think, as just learning everything there is to know about a certain subject. In fact, anyone who thinks they have learned everything there is to know about a topic probably isn’t an expert — I’d call them a liar (lol, just kidding….. relax).
While knowledge is obviously an important quality of expertise, it’s only one of several factors that I think makes someone an expert in their field. I think to be an expert, you have to have knowledge but you also have to have experience, connectedness, and curiosity.
I would say one of my strengths would be my curiosity. I’ll be the first to recognize the limitations of my own understandings. However, I am constantly seeking new answers and new approaches, and ultimately new ways of doing things.
Being an expert means being aware, sometimes painfully aware, of the limitations of your current level of knowledge. There simply is no point as to which you’re “done” learning — which I think is pretty neat. With that being said, I’m not going to call myself an expert, but I am going to share some of my perpetual learnings over the course of my journey of building an online business.
Running an online business definitely has its appeal, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. While some may think of the internet as a get-rich-quick scheme, basic business principles still apply. My personal business continues to evolve every year, but getting started was super intimidating. So in this blog, I want to give you some tips on what might have helped me back when I was first starting out:
Just start — and start now. You know the saying “start now, start where you are, start with fear, start with pain, start with doubt, start with hands shaking, start with voice trembling, start and don’t stop, just… start”? Well, if you didn’t, now you do.
But in all seriousness, the longer you wait, the further behind you become. I say that from experience…“I don’t have enough time”, “I don’t have it all perfect yet”, “the timing just isn’t right”, “there’s too much competition”, “I don’t have the right equipment, knowledge, skills, tools, you name it here” … are all lies i’ve told myself. There is never going to be a perfect scenario, and I mean like, ever. Just know that each step or action you take builds experience, confidence, and competence. Learn on the fly while building your business and allow yourself to make mistakes and course correct along the way. Don’t wait for everything to be “perfect” — there’s literally no such thing. There will always be room to improve.
Start with what you have — to build on tip #1, start now & start with what you have. I used to think I needed 10K followers to have an online presence. I used to think I needed the most expensive camera on the market to film workout videos. I would spend money buying fancy tripods or ring lights on Amazon that would only collect dust. I’d waste hours on Lightroom editing my photos. Don’t be like me. Begin with what you have now; an iPhone, laptop, and natural light, and as you build your business and make money, then you can invest in upgrading your gear. *Obviously this is dependent on what type of business you plan on starting, but generally speaking, you can likely get going without all the fancy bells and whistles.
Here’s a quick analogy for you: someone who has never worked out a day in their life decides they are going to become more “fit”… they go out and buy some fancy piece of equipment to start their regime. But is buying a thousand dollar machine really going to make up for those years of inactivity? Probably not. You need to start building the HABIT of exercise first. You need to start off by going for a… walk, maybe? Only after you build the habit and gain some momentum should you worry about creating your dream home gym. Same goes for building your online business - start with what you have, and once you figure out if it’s truly right for you, then I give you permission to ball out.
You are your own brand - unlike working for a big corporate company where you’re part of a brand, starting your own business means that you are now the brand. Present yourself and your offering in an authentic and clear manner in your sales and marketing to help potential clients relate and connect to your mission, vision and values. Be consistent in your online presence. Of course, this isn’t for everyone and can take some getting used to (I still hate talking on my Instagram stories), but if you’re not posting or sharing frequently in today’s society — you really don’t exist in the online world. The more you show up in people's newsfeeds, stories, etc. the more trust and connection you build with your viewers. The more people know you, like you, and trust you, the more likely they will want to work with you. In my opinion, having a strong social media presence is more important than a website because a strong social presence shares the story of the individual behind the business. Share frequently and allow yourself to be seen and stand out amount other people in the same trade.
Make “social media” social — some people use their social pages exclusively as a billboard, only posting promotions or ads for their services (or upcoming challenges - guilty!). Creating ACTUAL meaningful connection on social media with your followers is so important. One thing I pride myself in is carving time out of my day to reply and connect with others on a deeper level rather than just a double tap or automated reply. I think my engagement with messages and comments alone has gotten me to where I am, along with providing value. Focusing on conversation with others and getting to know each individual personally has helped build trust and connection which leads to a higher likelihood that a potential client will want to work with you again.. and again…. and again, and tell their friends, who will tell their friends.. and their neighbours… and — you get the gist. I feel closer to some of my clients than I do with my own friends and family.
Learn sales — without sales you don’t have a business. You are the product and you are responsible for asking people to pay money for your experience. Practice and perfect your pitch, get comfortable and confident selling yourself to others. I used to straight up be the girl who would message any stranger that showed interest in my business. I’d run a poll on my Instagram and give two options: “are you interested” or “maybe next time” and anyone who took the time to click that button got a message from yours truly. I would slide right in their DM’s (unsolicitedly, of course) and ask if they wanted to join my upcoming challenge. I gave zero f*cks. But sometimes that’s what you gotta do. I gave my pitch and there were 3 common responses. They either said “sure, sounds good!” (cha ching! $ I just gained a client) OR “not right now” OR there were crickets… and honestly all three of those were perfectly acceptable responses for me. To those who said sure & signed up — amazing, I just stepped outside of my comfort zone and it was totally worth it! What if I had never sent that message? I might not have gained their lifelong returning business if I didn’t reach out! To those who said “not right now” — no worries, I put them on a list to remind myself to reach out to for next program (you didn't think you got off that easy, did you?) Anddddd to the crickets? who cares — moving on!
I gained a lot of business this way. So much business that I got to a point where I didn’t have to reach out to randoms at all anymore. Those clients enjoyed the program so much that they became returning clients and signed up for the next challenge and essentially did the dirty work for me by referring their friends.. who then referred their friends.. and so on and so forth.. which leads me to my next point.
Know your value — your value is not based just on the class/session time, but also the prep involved, technology investment and your expertise. If you don’t price yourself right, it’s likely that you’re going to wind up stressed, miserable, and even resentful. Eventually, that resentment is going to make the quality of your work go straight downhill. While it’s hard when you’re first starting out to charge the same prices as your colleagues who have been in the business for ages, you have to do it. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do some pro bono work and also have some friends, family, or some type of test dummies to try your product out on, but selling yourself short or not realizing your worth in the beginning will set you up for failure down the line.
Try experiencing whatever product you’re trying to sell as a participant. Then ask yourself “what would I personally pay for this experience?” This is a great exercise to ensure you are always providing your maximum energy and best product to your clients. Bottom line: know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for it. If you undercharge for your services, you may find yourself burnt out trying to keep up or feeling resentful and taken for granted.
Picture this: You’re 3 years into running your own business, you’re feeling exhausted because you’re overworked and feel like you’re not getting the return for the amount of effort you’re putting in. You decide enough is enough and you increase your prices because you finally feel competent and also recognize your worth. Your OG clients are confused and wonder why you jacked your prices up after so long. They liked getting such a discounted rate. In turn, of course you lose some of those OG clients. However, some stay.. the ones that value the time and energy you put into your business. So let’s not waste 3 years.
Knowing (& charging) what you’re worth from the get-go is so important. It may feel awkward at first but if you know you can prove your value to your clients, they will buy whatever you’re selling… and those who complain about a price that’s “too high” might not be the type of clients you want to attract anyway. Food for thought.
Build community — woof. This one is huge for me. We all know community is important. Most of us belong to some sort of community, be it a church, a gym, or professional organization. We like communities because they help define our identity, make us feel safe, and give us purpose. Finding a way to build community within your brand will give your customers a space to feel seen and heard by your brand in a unique way. When brands build community, they invite potential customers to become part of something bigger and to have an impact together. That shared brand experience and collective impact makes people feel good. Customers may be buying my products or programs, but I truly do believe it's much more than sales. Once you have a community people love, they return to experience that community. I know many people participate in group fitness for a sense of community alone. Creating a virtual community like a private Facebook group can create unity with your clients and increase retention in your business. There are countless ways to exercise online; but for me, facilitating a place people can feel safe, supported, celebrated has been a priceless competent that other workout programs can’t compete with. This now leads me to my final point: know your why
Know your “why” — In the book “Start With Why” the author Simon Sinek discusses the concept of a company’s “why,” emphasizing the idea that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Every company in the world knows what they do, which is why it’s the first thing they tell people about. But telling someone what you do in your business doesn’t sway that person’s decision making process on whether or not they become a consumer. Emotions trump reason every time. Once someone is sold on the “why” of an idea, they’ll go above and beyond to support it with their money and time. Great leaders and companies all start out with why they do things, followed by how they do things and then they finally reveal what it is they actually do last. Take Apple for example. First, they tell us why they’re here to shake things up, then they tell us how (with easy-to-use, beautifully sleek designed, top of the line products). Finally, we find out what they make: computers, phones, tablets, watches. By the time they get to their what, we’re long sold on their why and are ready to support them in every way we can. If you want to inspire others, start by telling them why you do things, instead of what you do, and you’ll see a massive change in engagement.
While my “what” definitely came before my “why”, I quickly gained a sense of clarity of my why once I started my online business. My why has to do with my love for helping people. My why has to do with my own past struggles. My why is that I get to be a massive part of someone else’s journey to feeling stronger (in & out of the gym) and I honestly feel as if there’s no better reward. After going on my own long fitness journey and discovering a love for health and wellbeing, my why is to inspire others to experience the same feelings by helping them discover and showcase their own physical AND mental strength.
While I will never call myself an “expert”, I will gladly give myself the title of a lifelong learner. I hope these 8 tips helped someone out there who may be contemplating building their own online business. I think the biggest tip I have when it comes to this topic is to invest yourself in a lifelong learning process. Constantly be on the lookout for ideas and views both within and from outside your own field that can extend your own understanding. Don’t get too comfortable — the biggest thing I’ve learned with COVID-19 is that adaptation is key. Invest in education, ask questions and reach out to those you see succeeding, learn from their mistakes, and when you’re feeling overwhelmed and start letting fear and self-doubt sit in the driver’s seat — take a deep breath, go back to #1) and just …start.
xx Sarah