There are three things I recommend you do right now and if you do them, I believe you’ll come closer to your business goals.
One: Choose one single project to focus on.
Two: Get it ready for public consumption.
Three: Promote it.
It’s so simple – so why do so few actually do it? (There are lots of reasons: fear of failure, fear of success, lack of self esteem, etc)
It’s not that you can’t ultimately operate a variety of online properties. I have a huge variety of projects in my business, but I work on one at a time. Plain and simple.
The steps cannot be disputed. They are the steps that every successful solopreneur follow, so let’s break them down:
Choose one single project to focus on.
Do some research, is this a viable project? (Can you do it?)
Think things through, what all is involved? (Will you like doing it?)
Get some advice from those you respect, let them help you see it from as many angles as possible. (Have you missed something important?)
Make a commitment. (Decide you’ll do whatever it takes!)
Get it ready for public consumption.
Sit down and make a plan. Maybe you need some help with this, it could be a great time to hook up with a good business coach, someone who has done what you want to do.
Carve out large chunks of time, mark them on the calendar and defend the time with your life. Too often we settle for grabbing a little time here and there and it doesn’t work as well as you’d hope.
Methodically attack the plan and get things done!
If your plan calls for a skill you don’t have and probably can’t learn quickly – outsource it.
Get feedback from someone you respect. It’s easy to fall in love with your own work and not see things objectively.
When you’re proud as heck of what you’ve done – its time to…
Promote it.
Tell, tell, tell!
Be completely single minded about your message.
Update all of your social media profiles to highlight the new project and ask everyone you’re connected to to come check out your new ‘baby’.
Guest blog, be interviewed on podcasts, write articles to distribute, offer to teach a class for a friend’s membership site – look for every opportunity to get your name out there.
Twitter: savv_sub
says:
Once again Kelley after listening to your podcast I get so inspired.
How long do you feel is a good goal to set to focus on one project? For example my first will be my blog as you suggested. Should I set a time frame that I get it up and running?
Twitter: kellymccausey
says:
Ideally, you should focus on the one single project until you’ve brought it to profitability. Let’s say your goal is for the blog to earn you $500/mo. You’ll be single minded about that blog until you hit the $500/mo mark.
This makes sense and really helps. I tend to get distracted.
Blocking out the chunk of time is hard with a family.
I seem to have medium sized chunks of time spread out too far.
I need to be more protective of my alone time.