Be Your Own Boss

I’ve been thinking about a regular series of articles covering how to build your business from a customer perspective, and have spent a few days writing down my thoughts on how I have built successful businesses from nothing. For the online publisher (blogger, webmaster, whatever) building clients usually means building traffic. For the retail store, building clients means bringing in customers. For the consulting, building clients means finding people who need your service and approaching them.

Darren the ProBlogger had an article today titled How to Find Traffic for a New Blog where he references another blog article regarding traffic building for the new blogger. I read both posts and found that they offer some insight that is different than mine, but they also forget some very important considerations to make when you are a new businessperson — online or in real life.

The most important marketing tool any business owner has is what I call proven reliability. Proven reliability comes from having a history of being able to complete tasks. It also comes from having a history of being very knowledgable in your market or product. Lastly, proven reliability comes from having previous customers who would recommend you to others or back up your service as a positive reference. Both bloggers and “real life” business owners need to build all 3 histories in order to acquire this proven reliability, and it doesn’t come quick.

The huge step that one takes to start a business is very similar to what one does when they go to college to get an education. You’re making a time and money investment over years in order to acquire knowledge that you can use to market yourself to others. A new business owner is exactly in the same boat — you’re learning, not making money. Do you go to college to get a paycheck from the process of learning? No, the paycheck comes after you’ve proven yourself. The early business owner or blogger has the same hurdle to overcome — you’re giving up time and money in order to learn without gaining a financial profit from the process (usually).

Some businesses and bloggers earn a good money right away, but these are so rare that we just can’t focus on the hope that we’ll be that rare individual. Instead, I like to look at a new blog and a new business as my version of college. Hopefully I have enough time and enough money to build a business education before I start reaping the profits. This is where having a second part time job can come in handy — just like some college students need to get through the years of learning.

Looking at the blogs I linked to above, we get the following:

This is a little easier if you already have a web presence and the ability to directly influence current readers (especially if your known in the area your new blog is about).

I agree. If you’re starting a business, take advantage of any influence you might already have. Have you performed your services for previous employers, family, friends, or businesses in the past? Use these people for references. Do you have any nepotism you can take advantage of? Do so. Don’t be ashamed of it. If you’re a blogger, get the word out to everyone you know to watch as you learn about blogging or learn to build a website. They might tell others that they know.

If you don’t already have such an influence your options are more limited and things might be a little slower to grow. One such option is to pay for traffic via some form of Advertising.

No way. Advertising? Forget it. People will come to your business or website and see that you have no history to back you up. Work, instead, at looking at the first few months or even a year as building a history of reliability. If you’re a blogger, blog even if you have no traffic. Slowly build up links with other bloggers in your market but only once you can show that you have a history of writing. If you run a real life business, focus on working with the few customers you do have, and then work with them as references to market directly to businesses rather than blanket advertising to the masses.

If you don’t have direct influence or you are not willing to pay for traffic another option is to leverage the traffic of others via the links they give you. This takes time as you build relationships with other bloggers and as a result of producing quality content gain traction for your blog from them linking to you.

Here’s an interesting idea that I think can work in the blog market and the real life market. Instead of forming those bonds only, how about writing some articles for other bloggers for free? Offer them your articles in exchange for a future link back to your blog where you’ll republish it. Bloggers get busy, and even if they say no today, they might remember you tomorrow when they can’t stay ahead of their writing. If you’re in a real life industry, talk to actual competitors outside of your market and see if you can perform some work for them in exchange for their referral in your market. Most competitors will say no, but I have built 3 businesses out of help from people who would be my competitors if they were in my market area. I had to drive far to get their confidence, but over time it was very successful. Subcontract yourself out at a big discount (remember, you’re gaining an education in the process while getting paid!), and build up your portfolio of proven reliability.

The new business owner may just sit there and stare at the walls, or the new blog writer might write only to see 2 or 3 people visit a day. This is tough, and it can be the number one reason we see people leave a business or a blog. Real traffic will come years down the line — this is where you know you’re succeeding. Early success in either business can be a panacea in terms of building up hope that you’re a success but it can quickly disappear. Don’t base your future on any initial booms in business, especially if you haven’t built that proven reliability that other customers will use to judge if you are worthy of hiring, buying from or reading.

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