How do you overcome your fear of not knowing where or how to get started when you think you are ready to start promoting your entrepreneurial vision online?

By Jon Isaacson

We have come a long ways from free trials of AOL and waiting for the dial up modem to connect with the internet to now constant connection to information on multiple platforms. Web content continues to evolve from the eclectic early MySpace communities to generic sites built on GeoCities to now being the super highway for disruption and innovation. Even though our personal use of the internet portal borders on addiction, there are many entrepreneurs, side hustlers and weekend warriors who are relatively in the dark when it comes to utilizing resources that are both simple and inexpensive. If you aren't sure how to get your vision working for you through the resources that the internet provides, here are a few simple tips to getting started. 

Start with what you use. Are you on Facebook? Have you ever mentioned your business or the skills that you want to monetize on this platform? Most businesses endeavors start with approaching your friends and family as your initial client base, if you, your friends and your family are on Facebook why wouldn't you utilize this finger ready medium to promote your entrepreneurial venture? The next step would be creating a Facebook Page for your business, this is free, it is simple and it could serve as your businesses first foot print on the moon of internet commerce.

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi

Start with what you know. Do you have knowledge, skills and/or products that could be of use to others in improving their lives? Share what you know about these items and distribute that information in as concise and clear an information package as you can manage. There is plenty of useless information on the internet, if you are authentic and have genuine information to share, there are people that are ready to listen. The internet is a platform that is always working for you and can expose you to clients that you otherwise would not physically be able to reach. Think in terms of what you can contribute that can serve others by saving them time or money by sharing the experience that you have acquired.  

Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. Barry LePatner

Start with whom you know. Talk to the people who know you, your experience and your products/services, ask them about what they appreciate about what you do as a starting point for where you can connect with potential clients. It's one thing to have positive input from your friends and family, the next question for an entrepreneur is whether those feelings will transform into purchase orders. Having constructive input from trusted resources such as friends, family and mentors is essential to building your message, your network and your business. To read more about identifying, leveraging and building your market, read our article The Four Essential Who's of Breaking Into a New Market. 

If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started. Drew Houston

As an entrepreneur, if you do not know where to start - start with what you are already using, start with what you know and start by trying your branding out on people whom you already know. If you are on a platform such as Facebook start with what you use, what you know and who you know by experimenting with promoting your business through that medium whether you post on your personal page or create a business page for your organization. If you want to share your insights and ideas with the world there are blogging resources such as Wordpress that make setting up a site simple and free, with a few clicks you are ready to start assailing the web readers with your quips. If you feel like you are ready to take a shot at having a personal or business website, tools such as Weebly make starting an entry level site easy. If you start you can adjust as you learn, if you never start you will always fail. 

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan

The voices inside you are probably battling between the comforting voice cheering you on, "You got this, if those idiots can do this than so can you!" While the voice on the other shoulder take a different tone, "There's no way you can do this, they're all going to laugh at you." Your first attempts will probably look like first attempts, your first articles may be boring, your first site will likely struggle to gain traction, but the reality is that 1) you'll be laps ahead of everyone else who is still sitting on their thumbs and 2) everyone else started out the same way. Whether it's learning a sport, an instrument, a language or how to navigate the modern market, the most important thing is to not enable your fears to cripple you - start somewhere and you will learn as you go. If you hit a wall or decide you want some assistance, you know where to find us. 

There are things in business that boggle the mind as to how anyone could think this or that was a good idea, discussions that are often opinion based with the benefit of hindsight to judge the offending parties. One area that is very confusing is that there are business entities who are under utilizing the internet as a resource for their services and products. How is it that there are still churches and organizations with similar outreach based emphasis that do not have a website? There is no phone book, so if people want to find you they are going to the internet – it’s been this way for many years now. So, what are the barriers for these service groups to creating a simple web page presence?

​First potential barrier, these organizations are so involved in their work that they don’t realize the interest exists. This is unlikely but I suppose it is possible. This level of being off the grid may not need to be helped, unless that was you and this is the first thing you are reading while online. Welcome to the future.

Second potential barrier, the belief that every on the internet must cost too much to create an internet friendly presence. This may be a real barrier as there are many non-profit as well as for profit organizations that don’t understand where to start in creating their online presence. If you are a small ministry or a new company it may seem like any amount of money spent on web advertising is prohibitive but any entity that wants to reach people, whether you are serving them or selling them, has to understand that the bulk of those people are online. An entry level website can be very cost effective and even inexpensive as at this point of engagement there are only a few key foundational items that need to be communicated such as location, meeting times and contact information which is very similar to a for profit business in communicating what services are offered and how to make a connection.

Third potential barrier, the belief that the internet is too complex to allow for people with no experience or programming knowledge to create websites. Nothing could be further from the truth as most of the entry level tools are nearly fool proof in your ability to create and/or maintain a simple site. Many website generators provide free sites, free templates and simple assistance with upgrades. There are blog sites as well as pages that can be created on social media platforms. Whether an organization or business is willing to try on their own or is looking to hire someone to assist, at the entry level websites can be value friendly with the right partner.

What is a website, think of it as your business card that is always working for you. Do you want people to know that you exist and be able to find basic information about how to find where you are, what you do and when you meet? The internet provides this potential for connection at very basic levels as well as opportunities to take advantage of a few key optimizing elements to boost your presence on the world wide web. Don’t let cost or complexity be a barrier to promoting your organization or business online, we have helped several friends, families, organizations and business owners get their start. Look for our IZ Ventures article soon covering where to start when launching your website or social media platform and contact us if you need assistance getting things going. 

by Jon Isaacson

A new market can feel like a new planet with new customs, languages and people groups. If you are going to survive your new assignment and build thriving business relationships, whom do you need to know?

First Who of Whom You Need To Know – Know Yourself

Bring on the psychobabble, right? Yet, the reality is that sales interactions are relationships. If you know yourself then you will have a firm grasp of at least one player in the game of life as it turns the bend towards building new partnerships. If you do not know yourself then you have at least twice the work of native salespersons as you are chasing the unknown you while you also explore the topography of the unknown market.

           In most communities, large and small, word of mouth is the key to the city. Discerning who’s opinion matters, or at least who’s opinion can help you build your brand momentum is an important exploration benchmark. Seek opportunities to create win-win situations where assistance is mutual and the momentum is beneficial to all parties involved. Learn what is important to the community and find ways to engage with those values.  

​Third Who of Whom You Need to Know – Know Who You Don’t’ Want To Work With

          Nearly as important, if not even more important, than knowing who you want to work with is identifying those clients that you don’t want to work with. Whether your values do not align or for various reasons the relationship is not a good fit, everyone deserves at least one dance but that does not mean that we will form a partnership with everyone who expresses interest. As noted in a prior article, Marketing Step One, There is no substitute for meeting people and sharing who you are and what your company does. Listen for opportunities. Observe those whom you do and do not want to do business with. Be clear in who you are, what value you bring and with whom you want to partner with.

         Bad relationships can be costly, do your research to ensure that you only enter into partnership where your values and vision are aligned so that you are not confusing your brand. Risk and rewards are always measured in relationship to opportunities, knowing which ones to pursue and which ones to pass on is the reason you get the above average dollars. Keep your eyes and ears open, try new things and don’t let fear be the reason you don’t take steps to explore the new territory. Learn the nuances and customs of the new market so that you can align with what matters to the community. Engage people from a standpoint of confidence in yourself as you embrace the community, create beneficial partnerships and build a brand of value. Go and do good things! If you need assistance with ideas, let us know. 

Do people know your company exists? 

If the answer is no = you have a lot of work to do. A LOT. 

If the answer is maybe = smack yourself and refer to "If the answer is no." Being lazy will hurt you more than having bad ideas or taking risks. 

If the answer is yes = you still have a lot of work to do, but at least someone knows you are out there. 

The reality is simple, before anyone can or will do business with you they need to know you are in business (they need to know you exist).

Who are you? 

Sales is selling yourself first. Who are you? What do you bring to the universe or at least to the marketplace you are trying to serve? 

What is your business? 

Your business is an expression of you, it has a purpose, can you describe that purpose on the spot with as few words as are needed (get to the point). 

You know yourself and are confident in who you are + you understand your business and can explain it to others = you are prepared to make yourself and your business known. 

What problems are you trying to solve?

Whether you sell products or service, you are solving a problem or fulfilling a need in the universe, what is that for your business? How does your business alleviate a barrier, simplify a process or solve an issue in the marketplace? 

Who are the people that have the problems you are trying to solve? 

You know who you are, you can pitch your business quickly to anyone that wants to know and you know what problems you are working to solve, now it's time to find the people that would pay to have you assist them in those needs. One of the most effective questions in relationships and business is - how can I help? 

Identify those people and get yourself in front of them. Initially your only purpose is to establish that you exist. If you get the opportunity to discuss more than the fact that you exist, make sure you listen for needs that your potential customers share that you could potentially assist them with that they would potentially pay you for. 

Once potential is established move from the world of the possible into the world of business, the world where good work is affirmed with good dollars. 

Who are people that you don't want to work with?

Another important aspect of this phase of establishing existence is to identify those from your list of potential clients who fit into two key categories - A) those that you would like the opportunity to do business with and (just as important) B) those whom you do not want to do business with. While this listed of unwanted clients should not be a published list, it is an important distinction for long term successful working relationships. We want to be a company that people trust and we want to work with clients that we trust. Some relationships are not a good fit, that is fine they will find someone that is a good fit (maybe even with our help if we know someone that could work well with them). Some relationships are dangerous, these we want to avoid. 

There is no substitute for meeting people and sharing who you are and what your company does. Listen for opportunities. Observe those whom you do and do not want to do business with. 

Set a goal for how many people you will meet every day and build your book of business on introduction at a time. 

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