This is the first in a series of your questions that I’m answering to help you confidently launch your own online, service-based business. If you’d rather watch/listen instead of read, then click here and you can access a video where I address this question.

This series is for anyone who is in the very early stages (or even just at the point where you have the vision but don’t know where to go from there) of starting their own online business that offers a service rather than a product - so coaches, mentors, wellness practitioners, course creators etc. 

The question I’m going to be addressing in today’s live is, “WHEN STARTING MY BUSINESS, WHAT SHOULD I PRIORITSE FIRST?”.

I love this question because usually the response I give is not the response that people expect to hear. 

I want to share a situation that I’ve witnessed a lot. People decide they want to start their own business and then they become obsessed with all of the shiny/public things related to being a business owner. Suddenly they’re spending money on a fancy website, business cards, looking into renting workspaces, running events at expensive venues, spending money on branding and photographs for their website.

This is all great, and definitely has its place, but in my experience, these are not the things that you should be investing your time and money in right away.

Heard of the phrase, “fur coat and no knickers”? Well the example above is exactly that, getting all of the pretty, fancy, external facing parts of your business in place might make you feel like you’re a business owner, but it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be able to offer your clients an experience or service that’s genuinely going to help them or be unique. 

A lot of the most important things to focus on initially in your business are the quiet things that happen behind the scenes. These are the things that take time and can’t easily be ticked off of your “to do'' list, but they will ensure that you have strong foundations and that you’re building your business in integrity and in a way that will genuinely make a difference to your client’s lives.

So what are these things?

Explore your core beliefs - it’s important to understand what assumptions you’re holding on to or that are potentially blocking you before you begin. There’s a great exercise that I do with my clients at the very beginning of my 12-month programme where we explore their feelings around self-belief, money, success, and leadership. This gives them a clear view of where they might hold some unconscious beliefs that might sabotage them along the way if not addressed. It also gives them the opportunity to reframe some of these beliefs and begin experimenting with a new identity in this area. Doing this work first means that you’ll be in a stronger position personally and professionally, to show up and support the people you want to work with.

Identify your values and how these will shape your business - this exercise will help you to stay focussed even when things don’t go to plan (which happens a lot in business). It will help you do this because your values become a point of reference. For example, if one of your values is integrity, you can remind yourself that however impatient you feel along this journey, rushing the process will mean that you’re not truly offering your clients the service or the dedication that they deserve. 

As well as this, your personal values will help you to define everything about your business, from the boundaries you hold as a business owner, to the way in which you write emails, and the service you offer your clients. For example, in my business, I believe in resilience. I believe that we all step into our most authentic selves and build the confidence we need through trial and error, by failing and learning from that experience. This core value has influenced the length of time I work with my clients. Other than single sessions, I only work with my clients for 12 months, because from experience, that allows enough time for people to make mistakes, to try different things and change their minds, and not feel rushed into pursuing something they don’t believe in just because the time they’re working with their coach is four months.

And finally, your values will enable you to understand what you as a business owner stand for and against in your field. This is important in shaping your unique point of view, helping you stand out in your industry and also enabling you to create genuine content that speaks to the heart of what you believe in and also engages people as it takes a stand and puts forward an argument, and maybe an argument that doesn’t align to the status quo - that’s always the sweet spot!

For example, I believe in transparency, which is why, this year I made the decision to publish the amount people need to invest to work with me on my sales page, a practice that isn’t normally done in the coaching industry, it is usually left to the end of the initial discovery call - a practice which I now see as being potentially harmful to people.

Get crystal clear on YOUR vision - this is another vital exercise that I always go through with my clients and often more than once because things change, life changes, and with that your ideas and needs change too. 

A good place to start with this is by first taking some time to be quiet, turn your phone off or take social media apps off of your phone for the weekend and listen to the things that are within you rather than the external messages we consume about what your life should look like to be successful.

Once you’ve taken this time, journal on these questions:

• How do I want to feel in life?

• How will my business support me to achieve this?

• What do I want my week to look and feel like?

• What three things can I do right now to help me begin moving towards this vision?

• What relationships can I utilise to help me bring my vision to life?

• What do I need to let go of in order to help me achieve my vision?

Other areas that I like to explore with my clients in these very early stages are boundaries, developing your personal rhythm so that you work in a way that matches your energy flow, as well as recognising and appreciating all of the skills and expertise that you already have at your disposal.

If you want to find out more about my signature 12-month programme to help you confidently launch your online, service-based business, then click here. I’ve got two spots opening up very soon, so book yourself a call with me if this sounds like something you’d like to explore. I also offer single, 90 minute coaching sessions that you can book here.

Let me know what you thought about this blog in the comments or drop me an email. As always, I want to keep this conversation open so any other thoughts or questions you have, I’d love to hear.

I’ll be going live on my Instagram page to answer more of your business related questions, so make sure you’re following me there so you don’t miss it.

Until then, have a lovely week!