056 | A slightly different episode as it consists of a coaching call between Alan Donegan from the PopUp Business school and Tallis, who wishes to grow her business and make it profitable.

In this episode we cover:

• First episode the year: coaching call • Call between Alan Donegan and Tallis on her new business idea • Alan will walk her through ideas to grow her business • Tallis' business: dance classes for people with Parkinson's disease • Reasons why dance classes work • Defining who are the customers • Defining who would fund the business • Planning out Tallis' business model • Alan's advice to find funding using examples • How to use reports as a pitch for funding • Alan's tips: finding social value, building an email list, scaling the system • How to show that the business idea works • The importance in adding value to people who fund the business • Where to start with PR • The branding process • The importance of having a website • How ChooseFI will check in every so often • Why and how Talis will start the business frugally • The importance of being very clear who your customer is and how you can help them • How FI helps us become entrepreneurs

Alan's key questions:

• Who's the customer? • Who's going to fund your business? • What proof do you have that your business works? • What makes your business different to other similar ones? • Don't sell workshops to people without money • Sell to people who have the same desire to fix the problem as you • How can you give back to the institution/company funding you? • Use a report/survey as data to support your business • What social good does your business achieve? • How could you measure whether the idea works? • Build credibility by involving other people's stories • Build a list of contacts of your possible customers • How will you brand your business? • How can you minimize the cost? • Are you clear on who your customer is and how you're helping them?

Links from the show:

• Episode 30: The Unspoken Lever of FI • Alan Donegan from the PopUp Business School

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