Real talk: No matter how deeply values-driven your business may be, it ultimately exists for that uncomfortable thing many of us shy away from talking about — to make money.
Whether you’re at the start of your business-building journey, or you’ve been at this for a while, as long as your business isn’t bringing in enough income, you’re never going to get the kind of fulfillment you deserve to get from it.
There are many things that go into building a profitable, successful business (hello, 3,000+ hits on Amazon for “how to build a successful business”!).
Today, I’m going to share the 5 ingredients I think are the most essential building blocks.
Let’s dive in.
1. First ingredient: A gallon of vision
It all has to start with your vision.
This might sound obvious to some, but do you know how many people start a business just for the sake of having their own business and being their own boss — without having a clear vision of what they’re trying to achieve?
A lot.
If you have a big-picture vision, even if it’s not achievable right now, you’re already leaps and bounds ahead of most business owners.
So, think big. One of my favorite questions to ask in my Bold Foundation process I take every client through is:
What would you want to do with this business if money were no object?
It’s a way to step outside your constraints and think about what you’re really trying to accomplish here, beyond just building financial success.
That’s your vision, your Big Hairy Audacious Goal, as the great Jim Collins would say. But a vision without strategy is a dream born to die. That brings us to ingredient #2.
2. Second ingredient: A whopping dose of strategy
Alright, let’s get cooking. The base for this soup is strategy. (I’d say I’ll lay off the cooking puns, but I’m too committed at this point — #sorrynotsorry!)
I see so many entrepreneurs dive headfirst into their business without first laying a strategic foundation, or frankly, even really understanding what strategy is or how to develop it.
Listen, I get it.
When you’re excited about an idea and you know it can help people, you don’t want to get waylaid by spending months or even years developing a strategy, especially if you think of strategy as some nebulous, intangible, corporate thing.
But when you take actions in your business without first thinking through how those actions help you work toward the goals you want to achieve, you’re absolutely going to be leaving money on the table.
Developing a strategy includes defining:
- Your short and long term goals
- What kind of company you want to build, and why
- Your company’s budget and risk tolerance
- Who your audience is, along with their needs, wants, and fears
- What makes your company uniquely equipped to solve those needs, wants, and fears
If you’re not totally sure how to answer these questions, don’t worry, you’re not alone. So many small business owners struggle to put these pieces into words, especially in an actionable way.
That’s why I start every project with my Bold Foundation, to help fully define my clients’ brand strategy before we start developing their brand and website. Which brings me to…
3. Third ingredient: A heaping cup of branding
Your brand isn’t just a cool logo slapped on a bunch of merch.
It’s not a color palette or a tagline, either.
Those things are part of a brand, but your company’s brand is so much bigger than that — or, at least it should be.
Your brand is the visual representation of your clearly outlined strategy and the company you want to build. AND it’s the way you talk about your company — what you say and how you say it (aka your messaging).
Because your brand holds so much weight in how your audience perceives you, it had better check two key boxes:
- Super well thought-out in how it accomplishes the goal of bringing your brand identity to life
- Consistent AF so it’s recognizable and builds trust in your audience at every single touchpoint
Does your brand check those boxes? If not, it’s likely time to go back to ingredient #1 and lay the groundwork needed for building a strategically bold brand.
4. Fourth ingredient: 3 cups of online presence
When someone is considering using your services or buying your products, you can be 100% certain they are looking you up online and scoping you out. There are a few different scenarios that could play out:
- They can’t find your company online at all — no website, no social media presence, not even a Google Business profile.
- They land on a website that looks like it was put together in 1998, is confusing to navigate, and doesn’t give them the information they’re looking for.
- They find a website that has one visual brand, a Facebook page with another, and a YouTube channel with yet another. They’re not sure which one is the company they’re looking up.
- They immediately come upon a clean, crisp website that tells them exactly what your company does, who you help, and why they should choose to work with you. Your visual brand and messaging are super consistent and recognizable on your website and all the social media platforms they land on.
Which of these do you think engenders the most trust in this potential customer?
Spoiler alert: It’s #4!
Whether you’re running an online business or you’ve got a brick-and-mortar company, it’s more important than ever to have a stellar online presence that represents the company and brand you want your audience to see. This is how you build trust in your audience and show them why you’re the best choice to address their needs.
5. Fifth ingredient: A generous handful of traffic
Of course, even with the clearest, most consistent brand that shines through on your website and everything else you’re putting out into the world, you need traffic coming to your site and interacting with your business.
That’s where having a well thought-out content marketing strategy is so key.
A full-fledged content marketing strategy considers all the pieces of the puzzle that can drive users back to your website:
- An SEO strategy for your blog
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Ads (usually at a bit of a later stage)
Content marketing can feel overwhelming without a clear plan and strategy. Getting guidance from an expert (shameless plug: like me!) can help.
How do these ingredients fit together?
So, how do all these ingredients come together to form the most deliciously successful business?
When you start with a strong foundation of developing a values-based strategy for your company, that’s going to come through in everything you do and everything you put out into the world.
That strategy should inform your brand’s visual identity and messaging, which will seamlessly connect with your ideal audience. When this is done right, your ideal clients are going to flock to you, because your brand makes them feel like they’re sharing a brain with you. They want to be your best friend (and pay you for it 😂).
With a strategic, jaw-dropping brand, you’re perfectly equipped to make sure your online presence does exactly what it needs to to grow your business.
- When your brand and messaging are clear and values-aligned, that will come through on your website and across your social media platforms.
- When you have a clear marketing strategy, the content you post on your website and social media feels intentional, rather than random.
- When you’ve put thoughtful work into making sure your website and other pieces of your online presence speak directly to your ideal clients, they will be banging down your door.
Of course, there are many more steps you can take to create a successful, profitable business. But if you start by focusing on these 5 key areas, you’re going to make some pretty impressive strides.
Need help navigating all this? Book a free vibe check with me so we can talk through how to get your business to the next level.