Businesses evolve and grow, and mine is no exception. I had been providing Facebook Ad Strategy and implementation up until a few months ago. (Why look; my last blog post and newsletter was in June of 2017! Not good.) But I began to realize this business model just was not working for me.
The more clients I worked with, the more I realized that FB Ads were just one tiny piece of a much bigger picture. The ad and the strategy behind the campaign were only as good as the landing page. The landing page was a reflection of the client’s positioning of the brand. The offer was frequently a muddled reflection of the entrepreneurs’ positioning.
In truth, I turned away more clients than I took on because their business was not ready to run ads, either financially or strategically. And I didn’t want to help them throw away money! I wanted to help my fabulous clients with the whole picture – way before a Facebook ad came into play.
I’m a strategist at heart; that’s my “zone of genius” (Sigh, I’m a tad sick of that phrase, but it makes a point). I wanted to work with these women earlier in their planning and on a bigger scale so I could truly help them grow. And FB Ads was not a solution for many entrepreneurs.
So I took a step back (4 months worth) to re-evaluate my biz and my own areas of expertise and what I wanted to offer the world. To say I was in a bit of chaos in an understatement. I see this in so many entrepreneurs who are at a transition or growth stage of their business.
Every business goes through stages: From the seed of an idea, through initial startup, followed by progressive levels of maturity and growth. Each stage has its unique challenges, and none are easier than the last.
During these transition periods, things can feel out of control. Many of your carefully crafted processes are no longer working, and you and your company just feel like it is bursting at the seams.
“These are growing pains.” as my mom used to say. Growing pains are an unavoidable part of a thriving business at all stages of development. However, with some wisdom and strategy, you can make the most of these transitions while minimizing the pain of expansion.
The first step to clarity is to ask yourself these questions:
- Where are you right now in your business? You have to be honest. If you’re not honest, you’re not ready or willing for the change you crave.
- Where do you want to go? What do you want your biz to look like? (Or, did you jump in and just start looking for customers and take on any and all of them?)
- Why did you start this business in the first place? Are your expectations being met?” It takes a lot of work to be an entrepreneur! Have you re-evaluated your why, now that you are in the midst of it, to confirm that you still feel your biz is worth all the effort?
- How will you get there?
I can help you with that last question. I’ve owned and grown 4 online businesses in the last 10 years, and have been through all stages of entrepreneurial growth. You may be thriving but exhausted, or unfocused, or struggling to identify your next revenue opportunity.
I’d like to invite you to download my short e-book “From Chaos to Clarity – 5 Solutions”. It could just be the first step to help you see more clearly to the next stage of growth.
What are you struggling with in your business right now? I would love to hear from you directly so I can get a sense of the specific issues you are facing right now. Shoot me an email at elyse@elysetager.com or post in the comments below and let’s talk.