Which way is your small business heading?

Are you moving forward or is something hindering your momentum?

What’s the real handbrake on business success?

When our business, Big Blue Digital was stagnating and not quite making the jump to the 7 figure business it is today, I was the handbrake.

• Too controlling.
• Too much into micro management
• Too much staying in my comfort zone and
• Not enough looking at processes that actually fed into a healthy bottom line.

One nervous breakdown later, we ( Brendon and I) have a thriving digital agency. We also have an additional business and digital marketing method that we now teach to small business owners to help them achieve this success as well.

For this to happen, I needed to stop doing the old crap, to let go and embrace new ways of doing things.

Not every business is going to be a million dollar business and it doesn’t have to be. If we want to have a better business, a more sustainable, enjoyable & profitable one than what it might be now, then we need to let go.

This is the heart of why my business Leanne O and in particular Summit School with Leanne O exists.

I want small business, particularly established small business to stop doing business the old comfortable way. I want you to embrace new ways of reaching, connecting and selling to your customers.

Digital Marketing means sales

Yes - I actually said selling.

Digital Marketing should be your online salesperson. You should think of digital marketing processes as being your actual salesperson.

I read a great blog post yesterday about the challenges of small business in the digital age. It was a Canadian piece, but it’s so true for any business. It talked about several big issues that are facing small businesses right now in the digital age.

1. Time
   The biggest complaints I hear from business owners is that they don’t have time to do all these online things. But that is often that they haven’t planned anything. Planning and being strategic saves your hours of time.
    
2. Social Media doesn’t work
   Think about a traditional sales role - think about the amount of time they might spend talking to people, going to networking events, having a drink or coffee with people. They might spend hours on the phone chatting to one person. As long as they bring in revenue, would you think that these activities aren’t working? No! We recognise them as how business is now done. Yet I still hear everyday from business owners who say, I don’t like Facebook, I don’t see how they benefits my business
    
3. I’m not good at technology
   You need to embrace technology. You need to learn how to use these tools and you must make time for them in your business or outsource them. Successful business owners embrace technology to move their business forward. There has never been an easier time to learn what you need to know to ensure your business survival. Online Learning is booming get into it.
    
4. How much time do I need to put into it?
   As much time as needed. You get out of it what you put into it. So many businesses wonder why their website ‘doesn’t work’ and yet they never do anything with it beyond have one. They wonder why they don’t get sales from newsletter, except they don’t send it out . Don't complain about poor enquiries from your website, if you don’t even know what kind of web traffic you have right now.

So what excuse are you using?

What is your reason for not making digital marketing work for your business?

Over the next 4 weeks I am going to be introducing you to the 4 areas of the digital ecosystem that your business needs. I will be outlining the key components that ANY small business needs to put in place. At the end of the series, you will start to understand how you bring it all together to form your digital strategy.

My Digital Ascent Program that will be running from the start of September. This is the only time I am running this program this year, so you don’t want to miss it. It's a 10 week online program designed to show you how to get your online business working for you.

The 4 must have elements of any successful small business Digital Strategy

• Web Elements - what are the right foundations for success
• Social Elements - where should your conversations be online
• Content Marketing - turn your website into a conversion engine with engaging content
• Search Marketing - get found by the right people at the right time

No more excuses.

Where will your business be in 5 years?

Will it be where you want it to be or not?