The Latest and Greatest…
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to talk shop with a fellow entrepreneur. She was looking to grow her design agency. A graphic designer, who had tinkered with web design. We began our conversation with the basis…
*Do you have a web site?
*Does your web site have a portfolio page?
*Do you have a sales funnel plan?
*Do you have an emergency fund?
Surprising she did have a web site. Her web site did have a very impressive portfolio page. The web site did have a call to action section, and several prospective had inquiry about her services. While she would be working on her web design services full time, she still was working full time for the next several months.
The Latest
Our conversation took an unusual twist, she began asking me about this program and that application. My thought began wandering to “so have you secured your first large client”. Explaining she was in the crawling stage, not the running (not even in the standing, walking, or jogging stage). Quickly explaining several pitfalls to avoid.
Establish Profit First. Avoid Shiny Objective Syndrome. Setting Goals and Objectives. Hiring others to do tasks.
Profit First
You have to be profitable. If you are not, then the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is going to look at your organization as a hobby. Having a business plan, which outlines expected revenues and expenses is critical in the early stages. While your business plan might not be accurate, at least having a road map which leads to success is so vital.
Crawling is not a bad spot to be in, especially with new business. Reaching out to your community. Figuring out your niche market. Research your competition. Reviewing prospective clients. Finding out your target audience’s pain points Joining meetup organization setting up for your target audience. Speaking at your local chamber of commerce, or meetup. Early stages of marketing your brand. Crawling…to establish potential clients, which will hopefully lead to projects, and establish some profitability in your brand.
Avoid Shiny Objective Syndrome
It is human to want the newest application (or toy). Wanting to be perceived as successful, is what most newbies desire. While not wanting to destroy this notion, shiny objects will always be around. Establish your brand. Develop a sales funnel. Make sure you have adequate funds in your saving (notice I did not say checking) account, before jumping on the newest shiny object.
If you must sign up something, then make sure you establish goals. Use the application for a trial period. See if the application is creating some value to your brand. The shiny object should make your design process more efficient, provide more sales leads, or help you close more projects.
Setting Goals and Objectives
Get use to setting goals and objectives. How much should be in your bank at the end of this month? this quarter? this year? Are you looking to create partnership with other agencies? How are you marketing your brand? What return on investment (ROI) are you anticipating? Are you measuring everything?
Hiring Others to do task
While not being a fan of shiny objects, acknowledging the need to have applications to make your process more efficient is important. Dropbox, Asana, Local (by Flywheel) are a few free services, which can make your job more efficient.
Conclusion
In conclusion, be smart. Everyone wants to be the latest and greatest. You can become that, with a little patient and hard work effort. Just make sure your decisions make your brand profitable, you avoid shiny objective syndrome, set goals and objectives, and hire others to help with task, then you will become the latest and greatest.
Image courtesy of John Schnobrich.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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