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Marketing The Flying Solo guide To

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Contents Welcome 3

Business Plan 4

Why you need a plan

Start with the big picture

Getting started with marketing 8

KISS: Keep it simple, soloists

Mind mapping 12

Think outside the square

Target market 15

What do you do and who do you do it for?

Unique Selling Proposition 17

How unique are you?

Communication 20

Communicate clearly

Features and benefits 22

Know the difference

Test and measure 25

Tools and analysis

Just do it 27

Time to take action

Conclusion 29

The Flying Solo guide to Marketing. Just one benefit of membership. See what we give Community & Business Class members. 3

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WelcomeCongratulations on running your own business.

We hope you’re loving every moment of it.

We know, though, that for all its joys, soloism brings many challenges, the biggest

of which is how to consistently attract new customers. Your success at marketing

will be what points them in your direction.

But what if you don’t know the first thing about marketing? Does that mean you

can’t enjoy long-term prosperity as a small business owner?

Not at all. It just means you’ll need to go on a steep learning curve!

Marketing is a broad topic and one that we’re asked about by soloists on a daily

basis, hence this report. Inside The Flying Solo guide to Marketing you’ll find a

collection of the best articles and advice from the Flying Solo community that will

help you get your head around the fundamentals of marketing.

Dive on in!

Want the best bang for your marketing buck? Check out Flying Solo’s premium membership options. Get stacks of benefits to support online and offline success.


BuSineSS plan

Why you need a planDoes your version of flying solo involve soaring above the

clouds or spinning out of control and landing with a thud?

A good flight plan could make all the difference, as learning

and performance expert Mark Moore explains.

I meet plenty of soloists. Some fly solo to get away from a bad or frustrating

situation. Others feel they have no choice, or decide to jet off on their own simply

because they fancy it. Some have come into money from somewhere else and no

longer ‘need’ to work.

Of the soloists I’ve met like this, many haven’t had a clear idea of where they’re

going. Some haven’t even seemed that bothered about the purpose of their flight.

Many have had a very bumpy flight. Some have nose-dived.

The soloists I meet who are flying high (or even looping-the-loop or victory rolling)

tend to have started out differently. They chose a different sort of flight – one with

an important purpose.

These are the soloists who’ve spotted a group of people with a particular need.

They feel compelled to help and they know they’ve got the skills, passion and

experience for the job. They also know the personal rewards they’ll gain in return.

But these are no impetuous, caped crusaders heading for the skies at the drop of a

hat. No, these super-soloists have made a point of planning their flight thoroughly.

They plot their course, check for turbulence, undertake regular safety checks and

keep a close eye on their dashboards. Above all, they know their destinations.


Whether your business is still on the tarmac or already in the air, take some time to review your flight plan:

Where are you flying to, and why?

What will you do when you get there?

How are the flying conditions?

Do you know what you’ll do in an emergency?

How can you improve your fuel efficiency?

What would make your flight more enjoyable?

Still tempted to move ahead without a plan? Here’s what Flying Solo forum members sixx and Karen Wardle would say to that idea, based on their own experiences of doing just that.

Several people have experienced

starting a business without initial

guidelines or planning the day-to-day

running of their businesses… like myself!

“Obviously this cost me time and money because I

was doing so many things that could have so easily

been sorted out prior. I found myself double handling

things… New things were popping up every day that

I had given no consideration to, so it was many,

many hours researching, emails and phone calls and

getting basic things done that I hadn’t thought about.

This happened because I was never told to stop for a

minute and dissect every element of the business and

foresee what problems or issues may arise and how I

could adequately deal with them.”

sixx, Flying Solo forum member

… in my defence, I was very young! I didn’t have a

business plan. But more importantly I didn’t see the

need for one. I foolishly believed that if my goal

was to just have a ‘small’ business then I really didn’t

need one. They are only for the big players right?

Not only did I not have a written business plan, but I

didn’t even have it clearly laid out in my mind either.

Oh I had an idea, but it was pretty rough. I thought

that I could ‘wing it’ as I went, BIG MISTAKE.”

Karen Wardle, Flying Solo forum member

“

“


Before you get down to the nitty gritty of marketing,

you’ll want to make sure you’ve really nailed the big-

picture aspects of your overall business plan. In this article,

business coach Peter Morgan talks you through the process

of formulating your vision, mission and values, which

should underpin every business decision you make.

Formulate your vision:

What does your ideal future look like?

This is the fun part! It’s where you ask yourself: Where am I going? What am I

going to do there?

See yourself in five years – how do your business and your life look?

Allow yourself to dream. Don’t censor it, and don’t be embarrassed. And as you

allow yourself to form a vision of your future you should feel a tangible surge

of energy and excitement as you start to get the clarity you desire about your

direction. It’s the same thrill you would have felt as a child before a fun day out, a

trip to the beach or an exciting holiday.

Identify your mission:

What makes you do the things you do?

Your mission statement is the why to your business. It gives you the reasons to

keep going when things are tough, or when you ask yourself “Why am I doing

this?” and can’t remember the answer.

The answer, interestingly, has nothing to do with you and what you want for

yourself. It has to do with your sense of purpose – your personal mission – to be

of service to others; to give, or to make other people’s lives better, easier and more

enjoyable. You may be here to inspire or guide others, or help them be their best.

Whatever your life purpose is, when you find it you will know it, unmistakably, by

how you feel inside. You may even be moved to tears – tears of joy, or tears of

sadness for the years passed without knowing your mission.

Start with the big picture

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021


Determine your values:

How will you behave along the way?

This is the GPS navigation system for your journey! Your values are what guide

you every day in your business decisions. Whether that is your willingness to listen

to your clients, your integrity or your sense of fun, your values are what is most

important to you and what will ultimately distinguish your business from the one

down the road.

A big clue in identifying your values is to look at what you find most annoying

when it’s lacking in what you receive from others.

For example, poor customer service and lack of communication are what irritate

me most. As a result, excellent customer service and clear communication are the

most important values in my work.

Remembering that enables me to clearly define the actions I need to take to stay

on track, which may be as simple as a quick phone call to a client to check they

are happy with the way the work is progressing. This is ultimately where we find

our fulfilment – giving of ourselves in a way that we truly value.

If you haven’t already done so, put a bit of time aside to address these high-level

aspects of your business plan before you start the process of developing your

marketing plan. That way you’ll know where you’re going, why you’re going there

and how to get there – and you’ll have a lot more fun along the way!

I wish I had taken more time and

care when writing a vision statement,

mission statement and values I intend

to live by as well as my goals.

“Getting the foundation right in the first place makes

making decisions further down the track a breeze.

If an opportunity presents itself that isn’t in line with

your foundation, saying no is empowering and

opens the space to move you towards your dreams

so much faster.”

Elizabeth Richardson, Flying Solo forum member

Here’s what forum member Elizabeth Richardson had to say when asked what she wished she’d known before she started her business.

?

“

If you’ve never done it before, the idea of putting a

marketing plan together might sound complicated. Don’t

despair though, because as small business marketing

consultant Dean Parker explains here, the best marketing

plan is one that’s a simple, easy-to-use guide to attracting

new customers and retaining the ones you’ve got.

Keep it short and simple

If you really want to use your marketing plan, don’t make it too long. For most

micro and small businesses, three to four pages will be sufficient.

Recall your mission statement

Start with a brief one- or two-line introduction to your business that defines what

your core business is, your competitive scope and who your customers are.

The purpose of including this statement in your marketing plan is to give yourself

focus and clear direction. It’s also beneficial if you ever need to share your plan

with third parties such as PR agencies or your accountant.

go!

K.I.S.S: Keep it simple, soloists

geTTing STarTed wiTh markeTing

8The Flying Solo guide to Marketing. Just one benefit of membership. See what we give Community & Business Class members.


Look around you

Next, look at the external (macro) and internal (micro) business environments you

operate within. This is known as a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

(SWOT) analysis. Your SWOT analysis will help you set your marketing objectives.

The macro-environment covers issues you have no control over, such as the

political situation, laws affecting your business, technology changes, and your

competition. Do these situations represent opportunities or threats for you?

List four to five opportunities and threats, and when describing each issue,

include both the scenario and its potential impact on your business. For example:

“Reduced consumer spending due to increased tax rates is expected to lead to

reduced sales.”

To review your internal or micro-environment, list the key strengths and

weaknesses of your business. These may include market share, customer

satisfaction, product offerings, and the skills or personal attributes of yourself and

any team members.

What do you want to achieve?

Set out your sales and marketing goals by creating marketing objectives.

Your objectives can be drawn from your SWOT analysis, and should include

subjects such as market share, profit, sales goals and other relevant terms.

Be realistic with the number of objectives you set. Having too many objectives

means most will be unreachable, rendering much of your plan useless.


Be SMART

Don’t set vague objectives such as “increase productivity” or “add 50 new

customers” as these objectives are unlikely to be achieved. Instead, draft your

objectives according to the SMART goal-setting principles, so that you and any

team members clearly understand what needs to be done:

Be strategic

To achieve your objectives you’ll need strategies. These form your To Do list, and

this is the section of your marketing plan that you’ll refer to most.

For each strategy, include a timeframe, a budget and, if necessary, the name of

the person responsible for delivering it.

For example, if your objective is to add two new varieties of jam to your product

range by 1 September of this year, one of your strategies might be to complete

customer research into popular flavours by the end of March, with a budget of

$400 for the associated costs that will be incurred by outsourcing this task to your

virtual assistant. (You’ll find some tips on market research for soloists in the next

report in this series.)

Include precise details of what you

want to achieve.

Can you measure whether you are

meeting the objective?

Can you really achieve this, or are you

attempting too much?

Do you have the resources to make

this objective happen?

(Think about cash flow, materials,

equipment, and personnel.)

When will the objective be completed by?

SpeciFic

meaSuraBle

achievaBle

realiSTic

Timed


Tweak as you go

Work on your marketing plan doesn’t finish here. Regularly review your objectives

and strategies, and don’t be afraid to make any necessary adjustments to your

plans as you go.

If you work with others or with a business coach or mentor, including progress

reports in your business review meetings will reinforce your commitment to

achieving your objectives.

Don’t get too caught up in making your marketing plan perfect, because it’s going to morph over time anyway. The only way you’ll know whether you’re on the right track is to try your ideas and see how they work out, as forum member JayTurn reiterates here.

… I can sum it up in three words: ‘trial and error’. It’s

an ongoing process of trial and error based upon what

marketers THINK will encourage further sales…

There is no right or wrong in marketing… There is only

planning, testing and analysing.”

JayTurn, Flying Solo forum member

“


mind mapping

Think outside the squareIf you’re one of those people who finds the idea of

committing your marketing plan to paper overwhelming,

don’t let that put you off the planning process. Try making a

visual record of your plans instead.

Freelance writer Megan Hills favours mind maps as a way of

turning her natural flow of ideas into a document that helps

bring her plans to life, and says, “Looking at them I actually

feel enthusiastic about what I have to do and can see how

I’m going to achieve it all. In no time, I’ve jumped off that

black, ‘to do list’ conveyor belt and now have some colour,

order and creative planning in my life.”

?


What is Mind Mapping?

A mind map is essentially a diagram of ideas, tasks and solutions centred on a key

concept. It’s a more intuitive and lateral way to look at something you’re working

on and it’s great for brainstorming, organising projects and solving problems.

Mind maps often take up only one side of paper, making it more a compact

method of note taking. By just glancing at your map, you’re effectively looking at a

series of cues and so are more likely to remember key aspects of the job.

Popularised by author Tony Buzan, mind maps now support an industry of

software programs, the most popular being Mindmanager, MindGenius and

Freemind, but there’s no reason you can’t start your mind map with an ordinary

piece of paper and a bunch of colourful textas.

One advantage of mind mapping is that it taps into your intuitive side, just because

you’re letting your thoughts loose on the page. And don’t worry: you don’t have

to be an artist. As you can see, I’m certainly not one!

This example shows my brainstorm

on ‘Time management’ and tries

to identify the problems and find

solutions. By using key words, colour

and even little illustrations, these

tools will help highlight important

areas and trigger my memory

whenever I look back on it.

Okay, it looks a bit like a dog’s

breakfast, but I can modify this map

into something more presentable

later. Getting every idea down first is

important. One of them might prove

to be a key solution to a problem.

The main topics are in the centre of the map. This layout allows space for other

ideas to expand out like branches and twigs from a tree trunk. Some branches

link with other branches – it’s all about seeing the relationships. Don’t worry about

designing the structure. It will evolve on its own.

Other ways to create mind maps include using the drawing menu in Microsoft

Word (if you know how to design in Word, then the process is pretty

straightforward), and using specific mind-mapping software (such as FreeMind,

which is easy to use).

These options create more restrained looking maps and allow tasks to be grouped

together by colours to help you see your priorities at a glance.


Mind mapping is an ideal planning method for those who like to give their imaginations free rein, and best of all, you can do it any time, anywhere, using the simplest of tools.

Frankly the best option I have found of all is called

Pencil on Large Piece of Paper. A bit hard to modify

neatly, but at least it has almost unlimited options…

Consider it list writing on steroids!”

Flying Solo forum member Paul Perry’s

conclusions after checking out a range of online

mind-mapping tools.

Want to really get your creative juices flowing? Flying Solo’s

founder, business coach Robert Gerrish recommends

creating a vision board as a way of bringing your plans to life.

Grab yourself three or four magazines. Not the

type packed with celebrities, but ones with images

that suggest aspects of life and business you find

appealing. They don’t have to be current, so the

neighbours’ recycling bins should provide ample

fodder.

Next up, tear out images that depict situations

you’re looking to create more of, the marketing

objectives you’re planning to achieve and ideas that

you think would work well for your business, and

paste them onto a board.

Add hand written phrases or headlines from the

magazine to emphasise points.

Make the board quite large and ideally clear a space

on the wall to hang it.

In a recent clear up, I dug out a vision board I

created a few years ago. It featured images of a

handful of people working happily in their funky

little offices. They looked like really nice, interesting

people, the sort I’d love to work alongside.

Scarily like my partners Sam and Peter and the

wonderful crew at Flying Solo HQ, I now realise.

Also on my vision board were images of high-rise

office buildings indicating Flying Solo’s intention of

growing relationships with the pointy end of town –

a scenario that certainly manifested in the months

that followed.

Indeed, aside from the absence of a car built in

Stuttgart, all aspects of my vision board have been

realised. And who cares, my family wagon is really

very sleek.

“


TargeT markeT

What do you do and who do you do it for?Once you’ve identified your marketing objectives it’s time to

start thinking about your target market and how you’re going to

communicate with them.

If you already know your target market inside and out, you’re

ready to get on with the important job of creating your

marketing messages.

Tempting as it might be to wax lyrical about your new product or service, the secret to

effective marketing is to be as single-minded and consistent in your messaging as you

can. As marketing consultant and Flying Solo Concierge Jayne Tancred explains, the

more specific and targeted your message is to your intended audience, the better your

results are likely to be.

TargeT

markeT

Defining your target market and messages

As a soloist, it’s up to you to steer your business in the direction you want it to go.

Getting your marketing messages right won’t just help you financially, it will also

influence how you spend your days, what your business comes to be known for,

and the kinds of people you do business with.

How? Because the customers and opportunities your business attracts will be a

direct consequence of the messages you convey.

It’s all about knowing EXACTLY what you want, and being clear and consistent in

positioning your business in a way that attracts the right people, and gently points

the others in a different direction.

Send out vague messages, and at best you’ll end up with a vaguely successful

outcome. I’ve lost count of the number of newbies who’ve introduced themselves

to the Flying Solo forums by telling us “My target audience is anyone who needs

bookkeeping/a website/children’s clothes… or anything at all really”.

Sadly, these tend to be the folk who lose heart with soloism quickly, often giving

up on their dreams after finding it tough to get their first few clients or sales.

What you offer and to whom needs to be super-clear. When you’re really specific

you’ll also gain clarity around when, where and how to deliver your message in a

way that gets results.

16The Flying Solo guide to Marketing. Just one benefit of membership. See what we give Community & Business Class members.


uniQue Selling propoSiTion

How unique are you?Perhaps the most crucial of your marketing messages is

your unique selling proposition, or USP. Ironically, this

boring-sounding term is what makes you really exciting to

other people. Your USP is what makes you special. Here,

Megan Hills helps you fast track the process of defining

your USP by asking yourself two simple questions.

For your marketing to be even remotely effective, it’s absolutely vital for you to

know what your USP is, and to be able to summarise it in a single line.

Why? Because if you don’t know what makes your business special, why should

anyone else care?

Question 1: What makes me different from everyone else?

How do you know what makes you different if you don’t know what the others in

your market are doing? You don’t exist in a bubble – and neither do your clients.

Like it or not, you’re going to be compared.


Here’s a simple way to discover what makes you different:

Define what you do as best you can (e.g. plumbing)

Define the people you want to do it for (e.g. people in Bondi, Australia)

Google those terms (i.e. plumbing, Bondi, Australia) to find out how others like

you are promoting themselves

Take note of the key services and products they’re promoting and the messages

they’re conveying

Take note of what’s missing from their sites that you know you offer (or could

offer in the future).

You’re specifically looking for any gaps that are likely to be well received by your

ideal client.

It could be a particular service, product or guarantee. Or it could be that you

know everyone in Bondi is groovy-savvy and there are no plumbing websites

that look remotely groovy-savvy… and you are pretty groovy-savvy yourself (yes,

even plumbers can be groovy-savvy). But is being a groovy-savvy Bondi plumber

enough to serve as a unique selling proposition? Maybe. This leads us to the next

question…

Question 2: Why should they care?

What does your ideal client care about?

Essentially, most people want to know that:

You are reliable; and/or

You are responsive; and/or

You are worth what you charge; and/or

You are someone they want to be associated with (e.g. using your product/

service makes them feel groovy-savvy).


Your unique selling proposition

The plumber in Bondi will need to promote that he is reliable, responsive and

reasonably priced. Why? Because who wants dodgy plumbing for more than

a day? And people are watching their wallets – even the groovy-savvy ones.

However, most plumbers advertising in Bondi are likely to be saying they are

reliable, responsive and reasonably priced.

You need to say it, too, but by having a groovy-savvy-looking website you will be

also saying “AND I am one of you. I, too, am groovy-savvy”. Of course, you don’t

actually print the words ‘groovy-savvy’. It is just obvious from the design of your

website – and your business card, flyers, other marketing collateral and personal

branding materials .

Work it baby, work it

Your unique selling proposition could be a particular service, a guarantee offer or

just a style that your ideal client wants to associate with. The point is that once

you know your unique selling proposition, you’ll then be able to work out the

most effective way to promote it (a topic we’ll cover in more detail in the next

report in this series).

Got the message yet? You really can’t spend too much time perfecting your USP, because it’s the way you’re going to stand out from your competitors. Think of it as the marketing equivalent of jumping up and down with your hand in the air calling out “Pick me! Pick me!”

Your USP or unique service or value proposition is the foundation of your

marketing... it is the base of your marketing pyramid… If you don’t get your USP

right (and it is a changeable dynamic thing) you are just throwing money down

the drain...”

Warren Cottis, Flying Solo forum member

“


communicaTion

Communicate clearlyIn your quest to attract and keep new customers, clear, simple marketing

messages work best. These tips on communicating in an engaging way come

courtesy of small business marketing consultant, Dean Parker.

Speak the same language as your customers

Many business owners are experts in their field. They have years of experience

and could talk the leg off a chair about their product or service. However, their

marketing messages can be hard to understand or bogged down with industry-

specific terminology.

Don’t forget that your potential customers are not experts. They may not know a

lot about your product and service. And honestly, in many cases, they simply don’t

share your passion. That’s why you should step back, put yourself in the shoes of

potential customers and ask, “Are my marketing messages easy to understand? Do

they motivate customers to purchase?”

communicaTion


Use terms they relate to

Talk to your customers in terms they relate, trust and respond to. Avoid overused

words such as “quality” and “superior service.” These generic terms need

statements of fact to back them up.

If you’re not sure what to say, try asking existing customers why they use you.

Doing so should unearth a number of statements that will help you attract other

like-minded customers. It might be something as simple as “Your gift-wrapping

service is so elegant”. Bang! There’s your point of difference. Now, rather

than saying, “We provide superior service”, you can highlight something your

competitors don’t do: “We professionally gift wrap for you.”

Not only have you provided a point of difference, you’ve spoken directly to your

target market in a way that demonstrates to them that they’re going to get a

better level of service than they would from your competitors. A simple statement

like that could be the single deciding factor for customers choosing you over

someone else.

Don’t assume it’s obvious

I recently did some consulting with a hairdresser who wanted to attract more

customers. The salon looked great. It was modern, open, bright, funky and

inviting. From the street you could see lots of salon product and stunning images

of female models. Window signage simply featured their logo.

When I asked if they cut men’s hair, they replied that they did, but that not many

men came into the salon.

I mustered up all my marketing experience, drew deep on my Masters of Marketing

degree and suggested that perhaps they tell potential customers that they cut men’s

hair by writing it on their window. “Oh yeah,” they replied. “Good idea!”

This simple action may potentially double their customer base.

Put simply, if your audience doesn’t understand the message you’re trying to convey, you’ll lose them at hello. And that’s something you simply can’t afford to do.

Please speak the language of the layman.

How many people do you think understand what

you are saying? If it’s very few, your efforts …

will reap very little.”

Khalid Adam, Flying Solo forum member

“


FeaTureS and BeneFiTS

Know the differenceCrucial to creating effective marketing communications

is understanding when to talk about the features of your

product or service, and when to talk about its benefits. In

this article, copywriter Sara Howard steps you through the

process of working out which is which so you can arrive at

your competitive advantage.

What makes your business truly remarkable? Unless you know your features and

benefits and what they mean to your customers, they won’t really care.

I recently met with the partners at a small financial planning company who wanted

a new brochure and sales presentation. My first question, as usual, was “What

makes your firm different?”

The answers were fairly predictable: “We can handle most financial issues… you

can have confidence in our advice… we have experience… we create a plan that

suits your needs.”

Well, yes, but the same goes for just about every other half-decent financial

planning firm. I was reminded of the old saying “Discounts are taxes placed on

brands for being unremarkable.”

Sometimes I need to ask my clients a lot of questions before I get a clear answer

about their competitive advantage. So, to save you a bit of time, let me share my

number one copywriting tool with you. It requires no software. No fancy timers.

Nothing but a piece of paper and a pencil.

It’s a features and benefits table. And it’s where I start with any new writing brief. 50%

off


Do you know the difference between a feature and a benefit?

When I ask business owners the benefit of their service, I often hear: ‘We have 20

years’ experience.’ Or, ’Our account managers have small groups of clients.’ Or,

more worryingly, ’It’s a turn-key solution that drives innovation.’

These are all features. Except perhaps the last one because I still don’t know what

it means. Please don’t use jargon-y clichés to describe a feature or benefit.

What will those features actually do for me as a customer? That’s what I’m

interested in: the benefits.

Here’s how you work out the difference.

Step 1: Get a blank A4 page. Draw a line down the middle and write the headings

Features on the left, and Benefits on the right.

Step 2: Make a list under Features of everything your service or product offers.

Here are some examples in case you go blank:

Download updates online

Can be customised with your branding

Local customer service team

Dedicated account manager

WiMax technology built for data

Small classes

Simple automated systems

Step 3: Now, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What does that feature mean

for them? It might mean different things for different types of customers. Write it

all down next to the relevant feature.

If you find it tricky, add the words “which means that…” to the end of your feature,

and then complete the sentence. If a certain feature doesn’t mean anything to the

customer, than it’s not really worth bothering them about, is it?


Here are some examples of benefits to match the features above.

Convenient, saves time

Promote your business professionally

You won’t spend time on hold, and we’re empowered to help you

Proactive support, focused on your needs

It’s fast and reliable

You’ll get the attention you need

Spend more time on your business, less time on paperwork

Step 4: Is there anything in your benefits list that really stands out? It may be

something customers have mentioned they especially love about working with

you, or something that you know no one else can offer.

Step 5: Write down a few different ways to express that benefit from your

customer’s point of view – keep it clear and simple.

And then make that benefit shine on your website, direct mail, flyers and

presentations. If you think you need a tagline, there it is. You’ve also now got a

quick response for networking and elevator pitches.

See? Now that wasn’t so hard.

“Features don’t sell. Benefits Do.

Instead of pointing out the features, point out the benefits that these features

provide and how those benefits effect your potential customer. Don’t sell the

product. Don’t sell the features of the product. Sell the benefits.”

TJ Madigan, Flying Solo forum member

Why put your benefits in the spotlight? In a nutshell, they’ll do your selling for you. If you’re still not convinced, try putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, and asking “What’s in it for me?”


TeST and meaSure

Tools and techniquesAs you start rolling out your marketing plan, you’ll want to

know what’s working and what’s not so that you can adjust

your activities and messages accordingly. Getting into

the habit of testing and measuring everything you do is a

fantastic discipline to implement early in your soloist career,

and will help you make increasingly better decisions every

step of the way. Here, performance measurement expert

Stacey Barr explains how to get started.

Most solo entrepreneurs are bright idea junkies who see business performance

measurement as tedious and non-urgent. Yet wasted time, money and effort can

be avoided by learning which of your bright ideas work and which don’t.

The trick is to make measuring in your small business a minimal affair, so you

can get beyond the boring bits and start getting excited about how business

performance measurement launches your business to greater heights.

Measure as little as possible

Just because you can measure it, just because ‘they’ measure it, or just because

someone said you should measure it, doesn’t mean you should measure it!

Get a taste of the excitement of seeing your results taking off by focusing on just

two or three measures and use those to keep you focused on excelling in those

results. Start measuring the one thing that wakes you up at 3am, or that you find

you’re spending the most time thinking about.

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Document and delegate the routine for measuring

If you have to fumble around when looking for data, setting up a spreadsheet and

trying to remember which report to pull your sales figures or cash flow numbers

from, it’s going to be all hassle and no hustle. Write down the steps in a checklist

or flowchart, and aim to delegate them to an assistant as soon as you’re able to.

They’ll love it and you’ll love the gorgeous report they give you each week, which

will refocus you on what really matters for your business success.

Establish the weekly ‘Track, test and tune’ habit

You’ll get super fast and super efficient at measuring and tracking, but only with

regular practice. Spend just 15 or 30 minutes a week looking over that lovely

report, and make one decision from the insights you get from the data, then act

on that decision immediately.

Forming this weekly habit will grow your business much faster than randomly

jumping on the latest fads.

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JuST do iT

Time to take actionSo there you have it: the basics of your marketing plan.

We’ll go into more detail about refining your marketing

messages and developing your marketing toolkit in a future

report, but right now it’s time to start bringing your plan to

life. Because as small business accounting and bookkeeping

specialist Rhys Roberts explains, the best marketing plan

in the world won’t help your business grow if you never

implement it.

There are dozens of excuses for not implementing your business and marketing

plans: too little time, too many demands from existing clients, bills to pay, can’t

get the right staff, don’t have the resources. Or maybe you’re not confident

stepping out of your comfort zone, lack the skills required, don’t know where to

turn for help or are afraid of failure.

Whatever the reason, if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll end

up with the same predictable outcomes.

Failure to include specific actions and timelines that you can measure against

might be part of the problem. But failure to implement is the bigger issue.

Have you ever been guilty of this? I know I have. What plans do you have right

now that need to be implemented? What are you doing to turn them into reality?


Try the following step-by-step approach; it’s certainly proving effective for me.

Write your plan down if you haven’t already: You don’t need a prescribed

template; just write down what you’re planning to do.

Make it SMART: Specific, measurable, achievable, resourced and with

a timeframe.

Share it: Go over your plan with someone – your partner, business coach,

employees, colleagues, anyone. Tell them what you’re going to do and

commit to it.

Start with the first step: Remember the rule for eating elephants? One bite at a

time. The same goes for your plan.

Measure your progress: Adjust implementation if need be, even adjust the plan

if required, but keep track of your performance against your planned targets

and timelines.

Measure the outcomes: Has your plan delivered the benefits you hoped for? If

not, why not? What can you do differently?

Keep on keeping on: Keep measuring, keep reviewing, but most of all

keep implementing.


concluSion

With these marketing fundamentals under your belt, you’ll

be well on your way to building a thriving soloist enterprise.

There’s more to marketing than these basic principles, though. As your marketing

confidence grows you’ll want to spend time refining your communication

strategy, assembling a toolkit of marketing materials (such as your logo, website

and social media presence) and determining your sales approach.

We’ll cover each of these topics and more in future reports, but until then,

happy marketing!

Love your work!

The Flying Solo crew

Desi

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: R

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Jen

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Join Australia’s micro business community These comprehensive ‘how-to’ reports are just one of the many benefits of Flying Solo’s premium membership.

In addition to a consistent stream of marketing and promotion opportunities for your business, membership combines elements of coaching, business education and connection. Click here to learn more or visit www.flyingsolo.com.au

the flying solo guide to marketing€¦ · the flying solo guide to marketing. ... you may be here...

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