19 Jul Create Opportunity Series 01: Starting an Online Business? 3 Things That Startups Forget to do …
It’s no wonder that “Everyday People” are making the decision to create opportunity. They’re making the leap into entrepreneurship using their experience, education and special talents to freelance or offer virtual assistant services. Online, work-from-home opportunities are in demand and on the rise.
And why not??
Your experience is valuable
Your skills are valuable
… and, you don’t need permission to be amazing!
BUT, before you start and launch your online empire – you need to do some personal house keeping to get off to a good start and not derail your online progress … Here are a few of the most overlooked areas of online start up – that new freelancers and virtual assistants need to pay attention to so that they can gain traction and momentum in growing their online business professionally and achieve success.
1. Get your mind right – You’re a Boss
Make the shift from ‘approval seeker’ to ‘BOSS’ or learn how. Many of us are trained to have an ‘employee’ mindset. Meaning we take orders as opposed to creating and deciding how things should get done … based on our standard and rules. This might seem distasteful in black and white … but, it’s facts.
As an employee we:
- We need to seek approval on tasks
- Compensation and increases … you get it …
As an entrepreneur this is the complete opposite. You’re a BOSS, a decision maker an action taker. You create your what, how, when and which way you will move your business goals. Now, this might be absolutely intriguing to the entrepreneurial newbie moving forward (YAY) but without the proper tools in place you can actually trip over your own progress or lack there of.
a) Seeking approval can be disappointing so decide what’s right for you. With prayer, research and planning. You don’t need permission to be amazing. You might make a few mistakes, but you’ll learn along the way as your business evolves.
b) Be a deliberate decision maker – you’re not going into outerspace (yet), so stop procrastinating. If you need to change or shift your focus and take another path – you can.
Test & Validate Your Idea: Testing the waters is a great example of ensuring that your offer has weight, interest or demand. See what works and what doesn’t. Not everything in your entrepreneurial journey is going to go according to plan, so get used to shifting and or adjusting to suit the market. What works for one online professional is not going to work for another – so don’t be afraid to try, shift and evolve.
2. Stay open to learning …
When creating an online business as a ‘side hustle’ or a full time gig, start with services that align with your strengths and experience. As you get comfortable in your business, you’ll get requests for additional services that maybe you need to learn more about (that is totally normal). The online realm is always, and I mean always changing, growing, evolving. At any rate, you can either learn additional skills that you can bank on, or be a powerhouse with your services of choice. That’s what actually makes an online business so amazing. You can literally, offer 1 service and DOMINATE the market because you’re a BOSS and it’s seen in your work. Or, you can offer a variety of services, from small to big ticket and service a niche or the world. It’s your choice. But at any rate – stay open to learning.
a) As an online Service provider stay sharp on current trends. Want to expand your services offerings? Grab a copy of the TOP 20 Services in Demand Right NOW and add them to your arsenal. Look for market trends on what’s in demand, and create a learning list or learning library. Practice, practice and practice some more
b) As with everything in life, you never stop learning new and exciting things. Stay open to learning, maintain flexibility to retain versatility. Don’t be afraid to learn a new skill – you’re already talented, so, kick-it-up-a-notch! Don’t be afraid … you’ve got this.
3. Harness the Power of Community. Connect to a Private Mastermind Group
Being an independent online service provider aka Freelance professional, or Virtual Assistant can be exhilarating and freeing. However, it’s not without challenges and that’s why it’s so important that you connect to an online mastermind group or network with a sense of community, that will keep accountable, motivated in addition to a number of other things.
Immersing yourself in learning current trends, collaboration and having a sound group or network makes it easy to get referrals and keeps you in a state of growth (personally and professionally). It’s so important that you surround yourself with a safe space of like-minded community to meet the ever changing, ever evolving online marketplace. That’s the main reason I started Startup Online Connect.
If you’re looking for a mastermind group that you can grow into – check out Start up Online Connect.
This group was designed for freelancers, virtual assistants and online service providers to help them stay focused on what matters.
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