Make it about the outcome not the products....
…That way your business can evolve with you.
In this article we’re going to show you how Keri and I built our business from nothing.
We didn’t have a clear idea of what we were doing. We were broke, exhausted, and emotionally both in a bad place. Coincidentally, it was these circumstances that incentivised us to start something as wild as an online business and have since become our greatest assets.
Our business has changed from our initial idea. We learned more and realised what we really enjoyed, what we really wanted and what we really had to offer people.
It’s been a tough road. We had to go through a lot to get to where we are now.
That said, we would never have got to this point if we hadn’t just started.
So, rather than letting all the things you don’t have, time, money, energy, a product or expertise stop you, here’s how you can start no matter your situation.
Your business will change…
…even if you have a really clear idea of what you want to do.
The secret is to build a business around an outcome you are actively trying to achieve.
Your business should help other people achieve the same thing.
If you build your business around an outcome you are working towards, Here’s why:
- You don’t need to be an expert yet, your journey is your value.
- You will naturally attract and understand the right audience.
- Content will be easy to create, just document your journey in a way you enjoy.
- The more you work towards your outcome, the more authority and content you have.
- The products and services you recommend and create will genuinely be useful and valuable to your audience.
- You don’t have to rely on one product or income stream, everything you do supports the rest of your business.
Here’s how to do it…….
"I can't have an online business because I...
- Don’t have a product yet.
- Need a unique “niche”.
- Need to have some kind of expertise to offer people.
- Need to be super charismatic.
These misconceptions will stop you building your business before you even start.
We found no one cares about what you’re selling, how special it is or how qualified you are.
They care if what you are saying relates to them. They care if you can help them achieve something they want.
Isn’t that why you are here?
Have an outcome not a product.
The conclusion we will come to is that online business is about helping people achieve an outcome.
Trying to second guess what outcome people want, is as futile as guessing what product will succeed.
`Ask yourself:
“What do I want to achieve?”
If you can focus your business on helping people achieve that outcome:
- You’ll be driven to learn more.
- People will relate to you, your values and your experience.
- You don’t have to sell anything. Just recommend products that you found useful and explain why.
- Your business and value will grow and evolve. As you learn more you will be able to offer more.
What are you working towards? (how to figure it out)
Your life ambition isn’t to have an online business, is it?
Or even to be rich.
Those are just ways to give you freedom, to do and focus on what’s important to you.
What is important to you?
What’s driving you to look into this?
Here is an exercise that will help you figure out what you really value. The results might surprise you…..
Imagine that tomorrow, you wake up and your business is successful.
You have as much money and time as you need.
Your only concern is making the most of life.
What would that mean to you?
- What would you do with your day?
- How would you feel?
- Where would you go?
- Who would you be seeing and talking to?
- How are you making money, and why do you deserve it?
- What would make you feel like you’re living a life worth living?
Can you spot any recurring themes in that day? What are your priorities?
Write, it draw it, discuss, scrapbook or pinterest it.
Try and get clear on what that day really looks and feels like.
Trust me It’s going to be the foundation of a business that will get you where you actually want to go.
What are Nick and Keri working towards?
In the video you hear me talk in detail about this. I’ll get Keri to talk about hers in another video when this idea has percolated for you. From our content you can probably surmise that our day involves, our family, travel, adventure and the outdoors.
If I had to pinpoint our priorities, I would say:
- Family and relationships
- Being of value/contributing
- Health and wellbeing
- The outdoors
Your probably thinking well that’s a bit obvious, Right?
But that’s because you’re you and there’s something about Keri and I’s message that led you here, reading this Blog.
The fact you are reading this is not an accident.
Here’s how we got you here.
How we structured our business around that goal.
Now bear in mind Keri and I are not experts, this is just a mishmash of ideas, experience and some rehashed theory.
It helps us discuss and think about ours and your business.
This is why I’ve written something and you are reading it. It’s why you come back and read more.
Imagine a funnel leading to an Outcome
Trail blaze towards your outcome.
At the bottom end of the funnel this idea or concept of our “outcome”.
Our outcome is what Keri and I are working towards.
This concept of being able to live each day, focused on our family, being of value, exploring the outdoors and more.
We haven’t achieved it yet, but we’ve learnt and experienced loads. We share that at different stages of our funnel.
Our funnel is a way of inviting you and other people to join and learn from our journey at a pace that suits you.
It’s a way of attracting people who don’t even realise that they want an outcome like ours yet….
The top of the funnel....
Attracting like minded people.
We try to attract people who are not consciously looking to achieve the same outcome as us, but share the values we aspire to:
- Family and relationships
- Being of value.
- Health and wellbeing
- The outdoors.
We put images and content around these general idea on social and open platforms.
For example:
On Instagram:
We have our own images that have these themes embedded in them
On our Blog/website:
We might have a few blogs and videos that relate to the specific things people might be searching for: i.e
Simple ideas for toddlers in the garden
or
How can I make my life better?
On our Facebook and other social media:
We share articles, videos even memes around these themes. Some of it’s ours, some of it’s stuff we shared or found interesting. Non the less it’s had our brand attached to it. The people who like that kind of thing tend to come back for more and associate themselves with ALMO.
(Facebook and Google are also trying to show you what you like so you’ll spend more time on there platform. If our content has a clear theme platforms will put it in front of appropriate audiences.)
At this stage it’s a pretty wide net, but we’re attracting like minded people and inviting them to engage with us.
We’re not selling. We might put an affiliate link to specific tools and products like this where it’s appropriate:
This is usually to answer questions in a blog that people might have searched. Things like “what equipment do I need to X.”
Rather than sell we are advising what would be appropriate for them and what we have found useful.
We find at this level people only want, inspiration, entertainment, maybe a little bit of information but most importantly they want empathy. A sense that other people share their values, hopes and fears.
We’re not consciously thinking how to we embed our values into this image or post.
We’re building a business around us and the outcome we are actually working towards. We don’t have to invest a lot of thought and time into this.
We are sharing whatever makes us inspires, entertains or interests us. It’s our current life, the things we love and are actually doing and the things we want to change.
The people who like it are likely to understand and empathise the reasons why our outcome is important.
The middle of the funnel....
Sharing our How and Why.
So it usually takes seeing our top of funnel content 7 time but this is where we direct people who have a general desire to learn more.
They’ve taken an interest in our story, they’re curious about how and why we are doing it.
This is where you are now.
We’re giving you an understanding of what’s involved, both the benefits and the challenges.
You’re getting to know Keri and I. We’re forming a connection even though we haven’t actually spoken.
(we will in time)
The platforms at this level are generally our website and our email series.
It’s more specific content that informs people.
We share lessons we’ve learnt and mistakes we’ve made.
We share our wins and our losses. Things we’ve tried and things we want to do.
And we affiliate products that can genuinely help people take a step that’s appropriate to them.
Here’s two camera set ups with vastly different prices. Later in the series we’ll discuss which if any are right for you.
We also share products and resources we think are nessesary to take action.
You’ll see this when we think someone might benefit from the training and resources needed to start creating stuff online.
In the bottom...
Of the funnel you’ve got the content for the action takers, the people who have made some kind of commitment to working towards this outcome, who genuinely want what you have to offer. Are willing to make an investment of their time and money. And want advice from someone they know, like and trust. And we realised that that has to be earned.
This is where Keri and I Invest some of our real-time in people. So phone and Zoom calls, webinars.
We’re building a Facebook group where we and other people can interact and help each other towards this outcome.
Later on in the email series we're going to look at:
Understanding your value:
Going into more detail about the best ways for you as an individual to provide value and the various platfoms and methods that will suit you.
How to make money
Your strategy
Everyone starts with different amount’s of time, money, commitment, confidence and expectations. We’ll help you create a plan to get you from here to your outcome in a way that suits you.
In conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a product, a clear niche, or even know what your doing.
You will learn, you have already learnt and there are people out there who would benefit from that knowledge.
People who are are waiting for someone like you to put it in a context that they relate to.
Well, that’s been my experience anyway…..
Action you can take now?
Option 1
Join the ALMO email series
(if you haven’t already. )
Get a free four part workshop teaching you the basic of online business and an overview of setting things up.
Followed by insight from Keri and I about building the right business for you.
If you have make sure you’ve watched everything.
We want you to have a full understanding of what’s involved, The good the bad and the ugly, if you’re going to get serious about changing your life.
Option 2
Start creating content.
Pick up your phone point it at your face a tell it what you want to achieve and how you are going to do it.
Post it on you tube.
Start collating all the things that make you happy and you want in your life.
Take pictures and video and put them on instagram.
All this will help you start building your brand and your message.
It will help you get clear on how you are going to help people
You may even begin building the audience that will launch your business.
Option 3
Make a conscious decision that this is not for you.
We think our year of hardship was worth it. That said it’s not for everyone. We think it’s really important that people can appreciate what they do have.
If that’s you, accept where you are and be grateful.
The worst thing you can do is have this idea that you will do this one day. There is never really a right time. You will never be ready.
Option 4
Start building your business.
You’re going to need web pages and email series and an understanding of how to offer “high ticket items” to the right people items if you want to turn this into a business.
We recommend the training below. It includes all the website hosting etc and tech support you need to get going as well as the training you need to actually make the magic happen
