5 Ways To Grow An Online Business Without Leaving Your 9–5
With the growing trend seeing an increased wave of 9–5 ers choosing to set up side hustles with the hope of escaping the 9- 5, online businesses are springing up everywhere.
Thing is passion and enthusiasm will only take the idea so far, the reality is that after a long day at work, getting home to spend the evening head down in the laptop can seem like the last thing you want to do especially when you are seeing no return.
Having worked with a number of entrepreneurs in this exact situation over the last few years, I have seen what works in those early stages and what does not when you are growing a successful online business. I am going to share 5 ways you can grow an online business without leaving your 9–5.
- Get clarity on who you are serving
When you start an online business this step can be so easily skipped. You see the power of getting crystal clear clarity on your audience and the problem you are solving ensures your marketing will speak directly to this group. Clearly communicating you have the magic pill to take away someone’s pain will aid your sales conversions particularly if you are implementing an effective marketing strategy and will get you more of your ideal clients and customers willing to pay you.
2. Leverage your existing network
So the number one block that seems to be a barrier to growth when building an online business alongside a 9–5 isTime. Therefore being intentional with what you have can bring great results. Consistently growing your network and cultivating your existing relationships in a positive way will position you well. Becoming the connector in your network without expecting anything in return will mean you will also be the first to spring to mind when referrals need to be made. Each member in your network has their own audience or circle of gold as I like to refer. By simply asking if you can share your expertise with your networks audience you can instantly leverage these new audiences.
3. Create an environment to support your new habits
As you build your business online you will need to adopt new daily habits that can compound to create growth. However new habits if you have ever tried to adopt one are not easy, so creating an environment to support these new winning habits will assist you with a better chance of long term longevity. So what does this mean practically?
Well when I decided I wanted to adopt core focussed hours in my business instead of having the laptop or phone with me everywhere I went, I created an office space in my home. I used my phone and inputted core working hours and set an alarm as a reminder I also set aside time on a Sunday to scheduled my working activities for the week. Ensuring my environment was setup to support my new goals worked much better than me deciding to go it alone with just will power to aid me.
4. Be clear on your sales funnel
Because your time is limited to grow your business online having a clear path you wish your audience to travel down to become a customer is a must. One of the best examples I have ever seen of this is Ikea. If you enter the store you are guided very strongly to follow a specific path until you hit the sales tills. This means that all customer touch points before sales are carefully thought out.
If you have your sales funnel clearly mapped out in the early stages of your business you will save yourself a lot of time and increase your client base no doubt.
5. Have clear consistent call to actions
Ok so this one seems so obvious but easy not to do. I hold my hands up and can say I am guilty of forgetting this myself. Having clear call to actions on all your messaging products/ platforms helps guide the customer with what to do next resulting in extra growth for your business simply by remembering to put a few instructions. I promise this is a game changer.
If you have found this article valuable and would love to delve deeper into how to gain more clients for your online business without leaving your 9 -5 then If you need any further support with growing and scaling an online business then be sure to follow my youtube channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToCharlotteYouTube or My Facebook group: bit.ly/TheFemaleEntrepreneurCollective for exclusive content.
