An On-Air Strategy Session with Better Biz Student Susan Cabezas of Being More Social-EP050

One of the major hurdles online entrepreneurs face is that of scaling their business. How exactly do you generate the client base necessary to take your venture to the next level?  Susan Cabezas quit her job as a digital marketing consultant in 2010, with the hopes of building an online business. She worked as a VA through Elance while she had her first child, but struggled to make a sustainable income and eventually went back to full-time work. She was laid off in 2013 and worked for a VA company doing subcontract work when her second son was born, but again returned to a ‘regular job’ to generate consistent income. Susan has been at her current full-time digital marketing position with a large non-profit for the past three years but has built an online social media management business as a side hustle. This venture, Being More Social, seeks to help female entrepreneurs connect with their audience and grow their businesses. Susan is also a blogger, helping busy moms live happier and be more present with their families at The Mama Resource (formerly Modern Frugal Mom). Today she shares her best tips on organization and time management as well as her vision for the future of her business. In addition, Laura offers some on-air coaching to help Susan strategize next steps as she works to position herself as a social media expert, write effective proposals, and take Being More Social to the next level.   Key Takeaways Why Susan has struggled to move into full-time freelancing Need for sustainable income Difficulty finding clients via networking   How Susan finds clients now Entrepreneur/blogger Facebook groups   Laura’s advice around scaling a social media management business Offer monthly retainer packages Niche down to one or two platforms Position/brand self as expert   Laura’s tips for landing clients Ask current clients for testimonials, referrals with incentives Talk to prospects in a results-oriented way (i.e.: social platform growth, time saved) Provide case studies of current/former clients Empathize with client pain points when developing proposal   Susan’s advice regarding time management and productivity Stay organized, keep track of deadlines via online tools Consider Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Trello   What’s next for Susan’s business Grow into full-time enterprise Leverage blog to make passive income via affiliate marketing, products   Susan’s #1 tip for aspiring online business owners Know what you want Be consistent   Resources Google Drive Google Calendar Trello Michelle Schroeder-Gardner’s Affiliate Marketing Course   Connect with Susan Cabezas Being More Social Website Being More Social on Facebook The Mama Resource Blog Susan on Twitter