What To Do When You're Busy Chasing Sparkly Squirrels
Episode 210: Show Notes
Today on the show we are going back in time to an old episode. Our schedules were jam-packed this past week — speaking at a conference in Chicago for She Did It Her Way, and having our massive strategy planning session for the rest of the year and our future — so we didn’t get to record another episode of the Goal Crusher Series. However, we think you will enjoy this episode because it is definitely an oldie, but a goodie! It is all about chasing those sparkly squirrels, what to do, and what questions to ask yourself when those sparkly squirrels pop up, as they always do!
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Most creatives seem to also be known as “serial entrepreneurs” because we’re constantly thinking of new ideas and wanting to try them out. Although this keeps us innovative in business, it can also paralyze us and hold us back. Inside this episode we go through how you can stay on track or maybe get distracted intentionally to help grow your business. We’re getting you focused and making you ask the hard questions before you dive into something unknown or add on something new to what you already have to offer. So jump into this episode as we get some clarity up in here!
How to Know If An Idea Will Work
When starting out, most people are obviously scared. But do not worry! You are definitely not the only one afraid that your idea isn’t going to work. There is never really a guarantee that one will work better than the other until you’ve put some planning and work into it. The best place to start is by simply looking at ONE idea at a time. The two biggest questions to ask is A, do you like it and feel fulfilled by doing the work? And B, can you make money from it today? Remember, you are not married to your idea. You are building a business, not a weekend hobby, so keep adjusting until it becomes a well-respected, sustainable business.
Overwhelming Yourself and Your Audience Is A “No-No”
The Fear factor is one sure thing that sets in for those who are just starting out. You fear that what you are doing is not good enough, or that you are not going to get paid enough, so you keep adding to the menu board. You start assuming that the more things you offer, the more earnings potentially you will have. However, this leads to complete overwhelm not only of yourself, but of your audience as well. Instead, notice the products that are generating the most revenue that your clients are naturally drawn to. These are the ones you should focus on. To better serve your clients is to not provide them more things to buy. It’s to make the entire customer experience better.
Avoid the Overwhelm With Key Questions
To help avoid going down the path of total overwhelm there are a few questions to answer. One is, are you just adding to the white noise, or are you actually adding value? Any additions should not create more problems for your audience. You cannot expect your clients to simply buy something just because you created it. Secondly, does it actually align with your end goal? More often than not, we are just trying to find ways to channel our creative energy, and so we want to make more things instead of actually matching our products to a market that wants them.
Reshape Your Creative Energy
One of the best ways to re-channel your creative energy is by investing in your business, adding onto it, or looking into ways to save money, time, and energy. This means systems, automation, and productivity. Look at incorporating things into your business that are actually going to make it run better, smoother, and faster. This still requires creative energy, but it uses your talents in a way that will generate more revenue. Do not let yourself get flustered by all the decisions you have to make when first getting started. Focusing on the profit earning strategies is what will lead you to bigger and better things.
Don’t Get Distracted By the Tiny Details
The tiny details are definitely something that we get distracted by and something that we concern ourselves with, but they are not the things that are important. You have to focus on the end goal. Instead of focusing on the details, you have to keep the big picture front of mind. However, this is often times hard, especially for creatives. The thing is knowing when to step away and which pieces to let go of. Although the little decisions are important, they are important to be made once and then to move on from them. You cannot let yourself get hung up on them, and definitely should not use them an excuse for why you aren’t starting in the first place.
Do You Fly By The Seat of Your Pants?
There are definitely two kids of people; those that are planned to the nines and those who fly by the seat of the pants. Both of these kinds of people get stuck, yet the happy place is in the middle. For those “getting back to business school basics” type planners, often times the intense nature by which you plan can really take away from her moving forward. You cannot be so planned that you get stuck on where to go next. It is absolutely essential that you try things and experiment to see what will work in the real world. On the flip side, doing everything on a whim and bouncing around from change to change can also be a major detractor from moving your business forward. The key is that you have to find that happy medium; plan and layout your goals, but be sure to try new things to get your business off the ground.
Getting Real Answers From Real People
Most of the time people get stuck understanding what clients want because they simply have not been in business long enough. For us, we prefer to go straight to the source when it comes to creating an image of your “ideal client”. The best way to do this is to ask them the specific questions that will get you the answers that you are looking for. One of the most effective ways to get helpful data is to ask your audience or past clients to describe an experience and those things they are struggling with in their own words. Get them to “paint a picture” for you.
Highlights
How do you know if an idea will work? Find out our tips and strategies for narrowing down your business idea and strategy. [0:03:49.0]
Understand why adding more products does not necessarily lead to higher profitability, but could just cause overwhelm. [0:09:01.7]
Learn the key questions to ask to help avoid the overwhelm. [0:12:26.0]
Find out how to reshape your creative energy into strategies that allow you to invest in your business. [0:13:31.9]
Don’t let yourself get distracted on the small details. Hear our tips on what is truly important and what is not. [0:18:40.5]
Learn how to find the middle ground between over-planning and flying by the seat of your pants. [0:23:00.9]
Find out how to shape your ideal client by asking real questions from real people. [0:27:27.6]
#TalkStrategyToMe
Just Starting? Brain dump your ideas, and determine which would be profitable and which you could make happen right now.
Already have a business? Calculate, dollar for dollar, how much revenue you make from each product and cut those that are not pulling their weight.
Poll your people through a survey, focus group, or phone calls to ask the questions you can’t ask yourself.
Just do it. The details will work themselves out. Good is good enough. Just do it.
