Am I some genius business guru? No... probably not. BUT, I am someone that has built a few businesses, both for myself and others, and over the years I have learned a few things that I wish I would've known from day 1.
This episode lays out MY process in building a new brand... specifically a store that sells multiple products... and how I have started growing it.
1. Decide what you want to sell. You don't have to know all the nitty gritty specific details quite yet, but get a general overview. Are you selling a particular service? Clothing? Shoes? Pet supplies? Art? Digital Content? etc.
2. Name your business. This is where most people drag their feet and hit the breaks. What if I choose the wrong name? What if I hate it tomorrow? What if it doesn't represent my brand the way I wanted it to? STOP. Here's the deal.... YOU. CAN. CHANGE. IT. Odds are, your business isn't going to be a big huge success the day you launch where millions of people suddenly know you in an instant. That kind of success takes time, which means YOU HAVE TIME. Name it, and if you hate it later, change it. Simple. But, DON'T SKIP THIS STEP. Naming your new business makes it real in your mind. It becomes a something, not just an idea, and it is easier to commit to it, grow it, and love it.
3.
Decide what your business is going to be about. Let's say you decide to open a clothing store. What is your clothing store about? What is it's story? Why is it here? Just a generic clothing store doesn't separate you from the crowd... but a clothing store that promotes body positivity and female empowerment does. Catch my drift? So, decide what you're going to be about... keeping in mind that this is something you can always change in the future... and as a matter of fact, you SHOULD as your business grows and evolves to the changing world. Give yourself room to pivot.
4. Design your brand. This is the next step that normally trips up a lot of entrepreneurs, causing them to be paralyzed in fear of choosing the "wrong branding"... Here's the deal. I repeat: YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT. You aren't going to scare your customers away because you decide to change your branding, that's just ridiculous. Make a choice, and go with it. Decide on a color scheme, a logo, a theme, etc. I like to make this myself because I think it's fun, but you can always hire someone to help you.
5. Buy your domain. I HIGHLY recommend using Namecheap to do this. They have the best customer support I have ever dealt with in any business.
6. Claim your social media handles. In today's world, if you want to grow and compete in the marketplace, you NEED to be on social media. Keep following the podcast for help in growing these channels.
7. Design your social media pages. Upload your new logo, fill out your "about" sections and your bio. Maybe invite your mom and husband to like your pages like I did, lol. They are now real, ready to grow into your new empire.
8. Decide what type of website you want. Do your research here and experiment. If you are growing an online store, I recommend Shopify. Out of all the platforms, it is the easiest I have found so far.
9. Batch social media content. Listen to Episode 5 for exactly how I do that.
Happy business building!
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