You have started your online business and you are feeling a lot more fulfilled but yet you have a lot of questions on your mind. You want to know the specific areas to invest your time and money especially if you are bootstrapping. You know questions like what tools to use, what skills to look into, what course or program to invest in, what marketing strategies to implement and so on

 

Having an overall view on what’s needed to help you grow a sustainable and profitable online business will help you overcome the hurdles ahead in a very short time.

 

 

I will like to categorise the areas to invest in under six categories as listed below:

 

• Audience – Here, you need to invest your time thinking about the type of people you will like to work with. Being a beginner does not exempt you from being specific about who you want to work with. This actually helps you narrow your marketing and sales techniques so that you are not seen as marketing to everyone and no one. Do Some research and try your hands on the kind of tasks that the audience you choose really prefer. Don’t fret about this. It’s not as hard as you think. Choosing and narrowing down your audience will help you get on the right track quickly. Note that you can also change who you serve as your business grows.

 

• Platform – Where do you want to be seen and how do you want to be seen? Social Media Marketing is an easy way to start marketing your business online. There are a lot of social media platforms available right now but still, you have got to choose where you want to be on. If you are not savvy with anyone. Take some time to scroll through the platforms available like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. One must really appeal to you. Start learning about how you can use that PLATFORM  GROW YOUR BUSINESS. As a beginner, you need to get the word out about your business to as many people as possible. Don’t hide behind the scenes. Use the Platforms available for you.

 

• Services – As a beginner, You can start with two or three services and narrow down more as you grow. Your Niche can also change. Nothing is static when it comes to building your dream business. Don’t be stuck at Analysis Paralysis while time waits for no one. Ask yourself, What three services can I start with start with those and tweak them along your business journey.

 

• Payment – Your payment platform is very important. Streamline this as early as possible. You can use Paypal, Stripe, Bank transfers, Paystack, Gumroad and so much more out there. Have a process through which you will collect your money from your clients seamlessly. The normal process I use is to send an invoice using an invoice app, bank transfers and Paypal. So, decide on which process to set up so you have a seamless way of receiving payment.

 

• Process – This simply implies how you work with your clients. As you sign on your new client, start as early as possible to note the process it takes you to deliver your tasks and achieve results for your clients. This is very essential as it can come in handy in various parts of your business like creating a Standard Operating Procedure for your business or creating a signature product for your services and so on. Document the processes you take clients through to enable you to build a solid foundation for your business. Here, setting up How you work can also come in here. Setup Boundaries so you don’t burn out. Don’t let clients get used to having you around 24/7 and then you start complaining of being overused. Start setting things up straight right from the beginning.

 

• Digital Tools – Learning a tool or two really sets you apart from the crowd. What tool fascinates you or enhances your work and business? Learn about it and start implementing them in your business. There are a lot of online business tools you can become an expert at. Get to work by upgrading your skills now. Your Productivity is also key when it comes to running your business and that’s where tools come in. What tools do you think can make busy easier? Learn them now. Examples can include:  Graphics – Canva, Productivity – Asana, Trello, Storage or sharing a document, Google Drive or Dropbox, Swipe files Creation – Google Drive, Evernote, Pocket etc

 

You don’t need to be everywhere or have all the tools in the online space before you can build a successful Online Business.

Having the right focus and specific tools is all you need. Interested in growing your online business the right way?

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