February 1st Newsletter

Here’s knowing you will close out the week strong!

It’s Thursday, so we are closing out a week, but we are beginning a new month. I left some advice below that you can start implementing and chewing on this weekend. Take what you need today and leave what you don’t. Happy reading!

As usual, let’s get to business so we can get back to business.

Table of Contents

• I am an Entrepreneur, Of Course I Nap

• E-Commerce Marketplaces: Your Business Booster

• Stop Looking Up. Just Look Straight Ahead.

• Grow Your Business in Just Two Hours a Day

I am an Entrepreneur, Of Course I Nap

Running a business, working a day job, and maybe even handling a side hustle sounds like a typical day for many of us, right? Here’s something I’ve learned: napping isn’t just for kids; it’s pretty much self-currency for entrepreneurs.

Turns out, naps are backed by science to help recharge your day. They can give you that extra boost to keep going, especially on those never-ending days. Most of us are trying to do it all – job, side projects, and getting our businesses off the ground. It's hard work, not the glossy lifestyle you often see on social media.

Let me take you back to when I was 18. I was babysitting and working at a nursing home. Crazy days, right? Babysitting was a strategic move because I could catch a 15-minute nap when the kids did. Even the parents agreed with my unorthodox method. Naps helped me become better in almost every area of my life. Those naps were my lifesaver, helping me power through my days that stretched from 7 AM to 1 AM.

One thing I’ve realized is that we often run ourselves into the ground. If your business is growing, your brain is on overdrive. I guarantee it. Fitting in a nap or two can make a huge difference. It’s about finding those moments to pause and recharge.

Here’s a trick I still use: drink a small cup of espresso before a nap. I go for Cafe Bustelo instant espresso because, honestly, espresso machines might as well require a degree to operate. This little hack? Gold. You wake up just as the caffeine kicks in, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest.

Napping might not be the first thing that comes to mind for boosting productivity, but give it a try. You might find it’s exactly what you need to keep pushing forward.

E-Commerce Marketplaces: Your Business Booster

Jumping into e-commerce marketplaces might just be the best move you haven’t made yet. 

Let’s talk setup. Platforms like Etsy and Fiverr are goldmines for getting your products or services out there. Best part? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to start seeing some action. I’ve been through the trenches of setting up shop on these sites, and guess what? I started getting orders within just a few days—without spending extra cash. Did my expertise in marketing help? Yes! Can You do it too? For sure!

“Setting up shop” isn’t just about throwing up a couple of pictures and a half-baked product description. The goal is to make your platform your 24-hour salesman. It will work for you even when you are sleeping. We’re talking about using the right keywords, having clear and attractive visuals, and making sure your bio tells your story. It’s the best sales tool you have in hand right now.

You don’t need to shout from the rooftops to get noticed. Once you nail your niche and get your profile tuned just right, traffic and customers start rolling in. It’s about leveraging the millions of dollars the platforms spend on acquiring millions of visitors to your advantage. Find your slice of the pie, and it’s pretty sweet.

Here’s the kicker: learning the ropes of these e-commerce platforms isn’t just good for now; it’s a crash course in marketing and customer engagement that’ll pay off big time when you’re ready to expand. Think of it as laying down the groundwork for your site someday.

So, give it a whirl. Choose an e-commerce marketplace and start tweaking. You might be surprised at how a little effort can go a long way in getting your business buzzing.

Don’t forget to check out my marketing workbook for more on finding your niche and building a brand!

Stop Looking Up. Just Look Straight Ahead.

In my journey of working with various businesses, a revelation struck me – each phase of business growth demands a unique focus. This may not sound profound, but now that I understand the niche of micro business owners in the product space… it is very profound. For you, as micro business owners, understanding this can be the key to not just surviving, but thriving.

Micro Business: Foundation and Hands-on Work

Right now, as a micro business owner, your main focus should be on setting up a solid foundation. It's about ensuring your products are seen in the right places, identifying who your buyers are, and communicating internally and externally with clarity. This is about making sales every day, proving there's a demand for what you're offering. Once these foundations are solid and your systems are in place, you're gearing up to move into the small business phase.

Small Business: Systematize and Expand

When you step into the small business phase, it's all about perfecting your systems and planning for expansion. This is where you solidify your brand, refine your offerings, and ensure your systems are ready to support new products and growing demand. You'll also be looking at important legal steps like trademarks and LLCs to protect and formalize your business. 

Small Business Enterprise Phase

Here's where it gets really interesting. As you transition to a small business enterprise, your focus should pivot to economic stability and growth. And guess what? One of the most lucrative avenues here is government contracting. Yes, the government is a massive, reliable consumer. This strategy isn’t just for giants like Amazon; it’s accessible for you too once you hit this phase. Securing government contracts can propel your business from 6-figures to potentially 8-figures over time. This all starts with your foundation as a startup. You can not sell or subcontract for the government if you are not crystal clear on what you can offer, how you can deliver, and have money upfront to deliver on projects. They may be the best consumer, but they mostly pay after the job is done. Right now, your business can not afford a 30-120-day wait to get paid. 

Your journey as a micro business owner today is the first step towards this exciting future. Keep your focus sharp, build a strong foundation, and prepare to scale up. The path from micro to small business, and then to a thriving enterprise, is challenging but incredibly rewarding. Remember, it all starts with where you are right now.

Grow Your Business in Just Two Hours a Day

I am a 4 am riser. You probably are not. Think you need to change your whole routine to succeed in your business? Nope. Spending just two smart hours a day on your business can make a difference. And you can fit these two hours in wherever they work best for you.

Use these two hours for tasks that set your business up for success. This means getting your e-commerce profiles tuned to work like a well-oiled machine—using the right keywords and visuals to attract the perfect buyers any time of day. Or focus on other tasks. 

Key Areas to Work On:

• Optimize Your Online Presence for Automation: Your e-commerce profiles are more than a digital storefront; they should be actively working to attract the right buyers 24/7. This means optimizing with the right keywords, visuals, and descriptions that speak to your ideal customers, ensuring your profiles are attracting visitors even when you’re not actively managing them.

• Connect with Your Audience: Spend time crafting messages that resonate. Whether it's email marketing, social media posts, or responses to customer inquiries, the right words can turn a browser into a buyer.

• Strategize Your Sales: Look ahead and plan your sales campaigns for the next 90 days. Knowing what’s coming up keeps you prepared and proactive, rather than reactive.

• Grow Your Social Media Reach: Your social media profiles are a key tool in your marketing arsenal. Use your two hours to plan and schedule content that engages your audience, grows your followers, and drives traffic to your e-commerce site.

Remember, these hours are also perfect for business maintenance tasks like creating engaging content for your e-commerce and social media platforms (yes, both!), interacting with followers /thanking new fans for their support, creating assets for campaigns, etc. 

We do not all have the same 24 hours. Your day might be packed with responsibilities that others don’t have and less funds to delegate them out. That’s why being realistic about the time you can dedicate to your business is crucial. Even with limited time, focusing on the right activities for just two hours a day can lead to significant progress.

Whether it is waking up early morning or after the work day.  The concept of working 4-6 hours after working 8-10 hours is not sustainable in the long run. Let’s make those few hours work hard for us and take your business to the next level, bit by bit, every day.