When you start in business and do a bit of research, you’ll find out about how it’s important to identify your ideal client (or sometimes people say avatar). The next thing you’re advised to do is identify their ‘pain points’. Think about what’s keeping them awake at night and tailor your business to resolve this pain. 

According to Einstein ‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.’ 

 

So bearing this in mind it stands to reason that if you can address a problem with your *thing* and can make someone’s life easier then you’ll have a successful business model and make your fortune, yes? Only it’s not that easy. Or at least I haven’t found it that easy over the past 9 years. There’s a lot more to being your own boss than having a great solution to a problem. 

 

You have to be a mega marketing machine to increase awareness of this solution to their problem. And that is a whole new skill you need on top of your *actual* skill. It’s no good being bloody brilliant at what you do if nobody knows about it. You have to be brilliant at self-promotion and market yourself like crazy so that you are front of mind for when that ideal client is ready to buy. You need to be able to state very clearly what you do and how you do it so they can see exactly how you can solve their issue. And, to me and people I talk to, this can be the hard bit. 

 

My way around thinking this way is this – McDonalds and Coke don’t stop advertising because everyone knows what they sell. Therefore if worldwide, household names like McDonalds and Coke have to continually advertise to stay front of mind to stop us from going to Burger King or Pepsi then I need to adopt the same mentality. 

 

I used to get a bit concerned if I lost subscribers or followers on my mailing list and social media but then I realised that it was a self-selection process. If people aren’t interested in hearing from you then how likely are they going to be to buy your thing? Perhaps they only signed up for your freebie anyway? And that’s another thing with the type of content marketing that so many of us who like to serve our followers might have to accept. There are lots of freebie gatherers who will never cross your palm with silver. So, if they unsubscribe or unfollow it’s like having a declutter without your having to do any tidying up yourself. 

There’s this thing called a ‘funnel’ in marketing. You draw people into the funnel by creating awareness of what you do. This can be through your free content such as blogs or posts on social media where you might share tips and demonstrate your expertise. If someone likes the cut of your jib, they might check out your website and sign up for your newsletter or a freebie of some kind – essentially inviting you to spend more time with them in their inbox. Ideally you would then convert some of these into paying customers. Then eventually some of those clients become word of mouth advocates for you and your business and rave about your thing.  There’s obviously a fall out at each stage and only a small % of those who joined the funnel at the top are going to end up as raving fans. 

 

In my mind all this means is that we continue serving those that are still hanging around and opening our emails and reading our stuff – one day they might be ready, and I want to be front of mind when they are! This is why being consistent is a good thing. Consistency helps with the know like trust factor and makes people feel that they can rely on you. You get to decide how often consistent is for you. It might be 2/3 posts a day, a week, or a fortnight – that’s your call. 

I’ve recently been helping my husband set himself up in business. He took early retirement just after lockdown. A couple of years on, having finished all the jobs around the house and garden he was looking for something else. It needed to be something he could fit around family commitments with flexible hours. We talked about him combining his practical skills (engineering background), with what he could do quite easily without having to retrain or invest heavily into in case it didn’t work out. Odd Job Paul was born! I helped him with his branding. His tagline is ‘Call Odd Job Paul when you haven’t got the tools or the time’. He invested in insurance, got a DBS certificate, and set up a Facebook page. Within a few days his business had really taken off! 

 

Bearing Einstein’s quote in mind, he’s tapped into a market opportunity that was crying out for a solution. He’s been putting shelves up, assembling flat pack, jet washing patios etc. Actually being reliable and turning up when he says he will is earning him lots of brownie points with customers. He’s already had repeat clients and lots of word-of-mouth referrals. It just goes to show what can happen if you tap into the right market. Think about those businesses that were quick to pivot during lockdown. 

I felt super grateful at that time that I had an online element to my business and had already established delivering my courses virtually. Most of my work now is still conducted online. Technology has meant that many things are no longer efficient done face to face. Saying that, there’s nothing quite like getting together in person when you’ve found your tribe. This is why the FAB Network has both online and quarterly face to face meetings – best of both worlds. 

 

The FAB Network came out of my own personal difficulty of not being able to find a women’s networking group where I felt completely at ease and able to be 100% my authentic self. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy the networking groups I’d been part of, I had. But I’d got to a point in  my life where I wanted all things to be Goldilocks (just right) and didn’t want to make do anymore. 

 

I didn’t want to feel like I had to dull down my personality or not show emotion for fear of being labelled “unprofessional”. The FAB Network is not a place where you ever have to dull your sparkle. It’s the kind of space where everyone can shine. Or, if you’re not feeling so shiny, you can tell us why, and we’ll support you to get back to full beam. The culture is very much about support for women in business coupled with learning and personal development. Here are a few snippets from members when I asked them about the benefits of the £35pcm membership. 

 

‘It’s a place where you can completely be yourself, and everyone genuinely wants to help each other and lift each other up. Business gets done, but it’s far more about building relationships to the point where you naturally want to refer business to each other.’ Rachel Haith, Inspired Life 

 

‘Fab network is a place to be yourself, grow, learn and connect. It’s a place to get to know other women and build lasting relationships.’ Sheryl Andrews, Step by Step Listening 

 

‘Bloody awesome! Supportive. Inclusive. Insightful. Developmental. Loads of fun.’ Taz Thornton, Super Soul Coach 

 

‘It is a safe place to be yourself , happy in the knowledge that everyone else in the room wants you to succeed, no matter what success means to you.’ Zoe Saari, LIVE -You Are Awesome 

If any of this resonates, please rest assured that you would be in good company at the FAB Network meetings. We laugh. A lot. There’s a relaxed vibe, and the meetings are structured yet informal. The energy is high, and there’s a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The FAB Network is for heart centred women in business. If that sounds like you come along and see what it's all about. We have 2 online meetings in August. Your first visit is free. If you haven't visited one yet, click below to register for a complimentary Golden Ticket. Hope to see you soon. 

 

11am-1pm Thursday 3rd August 

 

11am-1pm Wednesday 9th August