What if your virtual assistant, freelance writing business or blog only had one year to live?
Oftentimes we ask ourselves this question personally, but we don’t think to ask it professionally. But I think we should start, don’t you?
Side note: If you haven’t asked it personally, you should do that too. What are you doing now that you wouldn’t give one hoot about if you met your maker next year?
Maybe it’d be to quit your job and finally strike out on your own. Or maybe it’d be to make more precious memories with your kiddos. Whatever your answer, don’t put it off. It’s not worth it.
Because nothing in this world is guaranteed! Well, I guess death and taxes… 😉
I can’t take credit for coming up with this question (I’m pretty sure it was my pal Kai Davis who asked it in a newsletter, blog post or podcast episode), but basically pretend you’re going back to school or starting a new career in a year. If you weren’t held back by self-limiting beliefs, fear or worried about where your next paycheck would come from, how would you go about marketing your business differently?
Or another way to ask this question, is where aren’t you being aggressive enough?
Interesting way to think of it, right? I think so!
A similar theme cropped up when I was listening to Clay Collins, co-founder and CEO of Leadpages <– affiliate link on Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast. They were talking about how to “ladder up” and grow a 7-figure business by starting a $7k business first.
In their conversation, Clay made the point that if you are too scared to tell your family and friends about your product or service, there’s NO WAY you’ll be successful selling it to strangers. I.e. if you’re not passionate (and proud) of what you offer, then no one else will be. Makes sense, right?
They then went on to talk about building a minimum viable audience (MVA), which is much like building a MVP (minimum viable product). And how you go about doing this is by also being passionate about the subject matter you blog about and that you should also be building an email list (which we’ll be discussing here on the blog next week, whoop!).
Okay, enough about podcast episodes I’ve been listening to (that one’s really good though, BTW) and newsletters I’ve been reading. Let’s get back to your VA, writing biz or blog. And it only having a year to live.
Or posed another way…
What if you only had one year to GROW your business?
This phrasing adds a little more positivity. It’s a bit more hopeful, right?
It’s full of promise and opportunity.
So how would you answer? If you had a safety net of cash supporting you and just one year to make this ship sink or sail, how would you go about trying to build it?
While you’re thinking about it, I’ll tell you four things I’d do.
1. I’d tell everyone and anyone around me what it is that I do and/or sell.
You wouldn’t picture Gina Horkey, without also picturing 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success, the Virtual Assistant Finder or any of the other products or services I offer.
I wouldn’t shy away from trying to help everyone I can build a lifestyle business. One that can support them, their immediate and even their extended family like mine does.
One that can take them to South Padre Island, Texas for the winter. Or overseas to Southeast Asia where Daryn is right now. Or to Europe where Mickey and her husband moved to last year.
I’m telling ya, virtual business is where it’s AT!
See how passionate I am? That’s how passionate you should be about your business too! It’ll rub off on those around you, promise. 😉
2. I’d give it everything I had.
If I only had one year to make it or break it, I’d stop doing anything that doesn’t matter and burrow into my business for the winter.
I mean I’d still take time to pee and eat and stuff. And cuddle my littles. And maybe every once in awhile take a break to watch Southern Charm or something. (That show is so ridiculous I can’t stop watching it – total train wreck, right?)
But all of those shiny objects? I’d totally shut that stuff down!
I wouldn’t get sucked into to watching another webinar. Or let non-business producing social media slow me down.
Nope, I’d know EXACTLY what I’d need to get done each day and dive in with fever. MITs (most important tasks) for the win!
3. I’d prospect my BUTT off.
This kind of ties in to #1, but I feel like it needs it’s own space.
Why? Because this is the one that most people completely miss. Or maybe it’s the one they most commonly avoid?
And while I understand not wanting to get rejected, I don’t really understand not wanting to succeed. If you don’t put yourself out there and find or ask for work, well it’s just not magically going to show up on your virtual doorstep. I know you want it to, but it won’t.
#SorryNotSorry
*If you’re not currently prospecting your butt off, but think the idea has potential, check out this post and this post on the subject.
4. I’d eat frogs every damn day.
So I guess my points are all intertwined. Oh well, it is MY blog after all, right? 😉
Have you ever heard the phrase, “The best time to eat a frog is in the morning?”
No? Where do you live, under a rock?!?
Kidding, I’m not going to pretend to know the origin, but I do know there’s a book about it <– affiliate link by Brian Tracy and it has to do with productivity. The gist is that our willpower decreases as the day goes on, so it’s best to “eat the frog” or tackle those MITs first thing in the morning.
I’ll also be writing a post sharing my Miracle Morning routine coming up, but suffice it to say that exercising for me is a MIT. So I’ve started hitting the gym at five o’clock in the morning.
Which means I get up at FOUR. Cray cray, right?
But it works. And I can’t make excuses all day long like I used to.
That’s how I think we should look at our businesses too. Ask yourself, what are the things that you put off in lieu of easier or more interesting tasks?
Projects that you know will help you to grow your business, but seem too darn hard in the moment?
We all have them.
But what if we all started taking action on them instead of shelving them for five-turned-60 minutes of YouTube? Just think of the potential!
So basically…
If my business only had one year to live, I’d shout about it from the rooftops, grind like no other, prospect like a fiend and stop procrastinating the hard, but potential-filled projects on my to do list.
After answering this question for y’all, I think I just came up with a new business plan! 😉
So now it’s your turn. If you only had one year to grow your business, what would you do differently?
Sound off in the comments!
