One of the surest ways to fail in your business endeavors is to not know what it is your customers want. When you are in a guessing mode, you will create things that they don’t want and then wonder why.

When this happens, you will become discouraged and more than likely give up. Some times is not because you want to, but because you have no other choice.

Discovering what it is your customer wants, becomes a must-do item on the agenda. Doing so, gives you at least some assurance that they will do business with you because they have told you what it is they want.

One of the terms used to describe this process is called marketing before manufacturing.

As a matter of fact, many businesses do this very thing. They will “sell” you on a purchase after having inquired what you want through sometimes subtle means. They want to make sure you give them your money and then they’ll go and build it.

Have you ever done an online transaction like on Amazon and then being told you’ll have that item a couple weeks after the order? What do you think this is for? In some cases, it is the company now knowing that people like you and I will buy, goes into production mode to create the item sold. It’s building it after they have sold.

There are other times that you already have a relationship with people because you have exchanged something of value with them and they have given you something of value to them … their email address.

What do you do with that now that you have it?

This is one of the first phases of business. You want to nurture the relationship with them.

How do you do that? You send them an email welcoming and / or thanking them for connecting with you. This would be your first email.

In this episode, you will discover what this looks like and the types of question to ask so that you can get insight into what it is they now want more of or more, period.

These are just a few of the ideas shared in this episode. You will hear the word flight instead of episode mentioned here. This will fit with the launching idea of the podcast

Click Here and get your copy of this eBook on Amazon 

Links mentioned in this episode :

1. Finding Your Passion In 3 Minutes Or Less | Episode TML176

2. Validate Your Business Ideas Centered Around Your Passion | Flight TML177

3. 178: Using Your Passion To Solve a Problem and Build Your Business

4. Build your website with Anthony Grant’s A/E Editing Services

Past episode worth listening to:

Feeling Stuck So Here Is What I Did | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML162

You Still Have What It Takes And Here Are 3 Reasons Why | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML169

More About Your Host:

All that you need to know about Your Sherpa – Kingsley Grant can be found at:

As a content creator, you are always creating content. That doesn’t seem like a profound statement, is it?

No, it’s not but it would be interesting to see the percentage of people who hold themselves up as a content creator, yet this is the last thing they are doing.

In fact, what they spend most of their time doing is everything but. I know this was me a few months ago. Even though I’m not there yet in cranking out content after content after content, I have made some changes.

For example this past week, I wanted to submit my articles to the Huffington Post and Addicted 2 Success. I told myself that I’m going to get it done. It was a bit of a struggle coming up with what it is I would like to write about.

However, if I’m going to be a content creator, these are just some of the things I have to do. It’s a no-excuse approach.

You might have heard as I have that content is king of the web. The reason for that is SEO rankings. Google searches is how people find your content that have keywords related to the search.

Without written content, there’s no way of finding you on the web unless someone specifically searches for you.

Putting out content each day or even week, takes discipline. This is what I’m working towards; at least a weekly blog at www.kingsleygrant.com.

I have no choice but to put out at least two of these show-notes each week that corresponds with my podcast episode.

As someone who is going through midlife transition, I hope you will find this episode as helpful as the past episodes. As you might have realized by now, they are designed with you in mind.

I know what your needs are because I have been where you are and am still navigating this journey. I’m just a few steps ahead of you.

In this episode you will discover why you need to have good content on your website. Here are a few of the highlights:

1. Create good headlines … using how to’s and lists have always worked. You can use Google or Keyword Planner to search for phrases that people are searching for on a regular basis

2. Make your content scannable … it should be laid out in a manner where it catches people’s attention as they scroll down the screen. It’s the bold phrases and subheadings that stand out to them.

3. Write fiercely; give people a reason to come to your site … trying to be neutral is not a good strategy. You need to be on one side of the aisle or the other.

4. Seek testimonials directly or indirectly … these validate you as credible. People need to be given a reason to come to your site and spend sometime there.

5. Promote, promote, promote … it’s one thing to be a content creator and have good content on your site, but what’ good is that if no one sees it. It is no longer the “build it and they’ll come model.” That model has died. You must promote through some form of marketing.

6. Build strong relationships … one of the most ninja moves you can make as a content creator is to build strong relationships. These relationships will help you get the word out. There are so many generous people in the online world willing to help you. They want to see you succeed. Most of them are rooting for you.

The Ray Edwards acronym of PASTOR discussed in the show:

P-Problem / Pain

A-Amplify the problem and or pain

S-Solution

T-Testimonials

O-Offer

R-Response

These are just a few of the ideas shared in this episode. You will hear the word flight instead of episode mentioned here. This will fit with the launching idea of the podcast.

Links mentioned in this episode :

1. 

One of the common questions for people who do business online is, “how to attract people to your website?” This is an ongoing challenge, which has to be revisited very often.

What used to work a year or a few months ago, no longer work. The rapid changes in technology and the the state of a more knowledgable and sophisticated consumer, makes it even more challenging.

It’s so hard to keep up with the changes as well as the consumer demands. This desire to keep up puts much stress on you as well as your team, if you have one. This might be the reason to start getting outside help. You can’t do it all by yourself.

I know. I’ve tried and at times, think I can.

Not having the disposable income, makes it more challenging.

However, if you are going to compete and have people coming to your website over and over again, you must give them something of value. They must have a reason to keep coming back.

In this episode, I talk about the basics. Here are just a few of the ideas mentioned on how to attract more people to your website:

1. You must have a website

2. You want to have a URL that people may either look for or be able to tell what you do, when they come there. This is not always so, but especially in the beginning when you are just getting going, you want to do that.

3. Provide something of value. It could be a one-page document on a “how to” or information that you know your audience would want.

4. Use your social media to direct them to your website. Make the invite one that they can’t resist.

5. And more …

These last two are about hosting and storing.

6. Where best to host your website – Bluehost

7. What’s a good email service to use to store and communicate with your audience – Aweber

These are just a few of the ideas shared in this episode. I will be changing the word episode to flight starting in episode 180. This will fit with the launching idea of the podcast.

Links mentioned in this episode :

1. Finding Your Passion In 3 Minutes Or Less | Episode TML176

2. Validate Your Business Ideas Centered Around Your Passion | Flight TML177

3. 178: Using Your Passion To Solve a Problem and Build Your Business

4. Build your website with Anthony Grant’s A/E Editing Services

Past episode worth listening to:

Feeling Stuck So Here Is What I Did | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML162

You Still Have What It Takes And Here Are 3 Reasons Why | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML169

More About Your Host:

All that you need to know about Your Sherpa – Kingsley Grant can be found at: www.kingsleygrant.com/about-kingsley. You can find out more about him from the following articles as well as the l...

Making sure that you are using your passion to solve a problem, is one of the most important piece to your business success. If your business idea as you validated in Episode TML177 is not solving a problem, you don’t have a business. You have an expensive hobby.

How do you know what problem to solve?

In this episode you will discover several ways you can do so. Here are three ways that was mentioned:

1. Survey your client base or audience.

2. Research the market to see what problems others are solving with an idea similar to yours

3. Think about the questions you are being asked more than once.

4. …and much more.

These are just a few of the ideas shared in this episode. I will be changing the word episode to flight starting in episode 180. This will fit with the launching idea of the podcast.

Links mentioned in this episode :

1. Finding Your Passion In 3 Minutes Or Less | Episode TML176

2. Validate Your Business Ideas Centered Around Your Passion | Flight TML177

Past episode worth listening to:

There Has To Be More To Life Than This | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML168

Feeling Stuck So Here Is What I Did | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML162

You Still Have What It Takes And Here Are 3 Reasons Why | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML169

More About Your Host:

All that you need to know about Your Sherpa – Kingsley Grant can be found at: www.kingsleygrant.com/about-kingsley. You can find out more about him from the following articles as well as the links below.

 

5 Creative Ways To Deal With Life Transitions

 

3 Simple Tricks That Will Make A Man More Romantic While Keeping His Macho Image 

 

5 Important Reminders That Will Help With Your Transition At Midlife

 

► Website: www.kingsleygrant.com

► Twitter: @kingsleygrant

► LinkedIn: kingsleygrant

► Click to play on

Making sure that you validate your business ideas is one of the most important action steps you’ll ever take in the process of building a sideline business or a lifestyle business.

Getting this wrong or missing the mark on this, can mean the difference between having a successful business or a failed business.

One of the ways that I’ve found to be helpful in doing this is getting feedback from people that you trust.

Secondly after discovering your passion and who it is you are focused on as your ideal client, as outlined in Episode TML176, this was the next step. Your ideal client can give you the feedback necessary for validation.

Thirdly, are there others doing what it is you want to do? Are there books written on the subject? Even though this seems like you’ll be in competition, this is good because it tells you there is a market for the idea.

Your job is to differentiate yourself from the pack. You have to stand out like Starbucks have done in the coffee industry.

Here are some of the other points made in this episode:

1. Practice your passion for FREE

Find clients who will give you the chance to do that. Keep this in mind so that you don’t confuse your working with practicing.

2. Work for FEE

Once you have had time to practice, make sure you charge for your service and the expertise you have developed. You do not work for FREE. Keep that in mind.

3. Find a way to SCALE your work

You don’t want to end up trading a J.O.B for another J.O.B. Look for ways to scale your work so you can make more by doing less. You trying to avoid exchanging hours for dollars.

These are just a few of the ideas shared in this episode. I will be changing the word episode to flight starting in episode 180. This will fit with the launching idea of the podcast.

Links mentioned in this episode :

1. Finding your passion in 3 minutes [VIDEO]

2. Finding your passion in 3 minutes or less [AUDIO]

Past episode worth listening to:

There Has To Be More To Life Than This | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML168

Feeling Stuck So Here Is What I Did | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML162

You Still Have What It Takes And Here Are 3 Reasons Why | Kingsley Grant | Episode TML169

More About Your Host:

All that you need to know about Your Sherpa – Kingsley Grant can be found at: www.kingsleygrant.com/about-kingsley. You can find out more about him from the following articles as well as the links below.

5 Creative Ways To Deal With Life Transitions

 

3 Simple Tricks That Will Make A Man More Romantic While Keeping His Macho Image