Just started my own business...

[The VMV]

...after 28 years of being employed!

Hello

Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat and, if so, how's it going so far?

If you're a bit more established, what advice would you give to those just starting out?

Thanks in advance,
Ed

 

[DontAsk]

Sole trader or Ltd?

 

[The VMV]

Sole trader or Ltd?

Sole Trader (for the time being)

 

[fisicx]

Doing what?

 

[The VMV]

Doing what?

I run two complementary ventures in a dual-market strategy. One focuses on aligning strategic marketing with corporate goals and embedding AI to streamline marketing tactics, but also another venture providing an online marketing platform for solo entrepreneurs and micro-businesses which provides digital marketing tools and resources etc.

Basically, I help different types of businesses grow, each in their own way

 

[fisicx]

I’ll not pretend I understood any of that

I’d say you need to put all your efforts into marketing. But before that, do you even know who you are targeting? You mention two groups which are wildly disparate but within each there is a huge range of target that will need narrowing down.

Would you for example have anything to help Dave who is a budding window cleaner?

 

[DontAsk]

I run two complementary ventures in a dual-market strategy. One focuses on aligning strategic marketing with corporate goals and embedding AI to streamline marketing tactics,

I’m out.

 

[WaveJumper]

Which of these dual ventures is working for you and how are you reaching out to that market / potential clients

 

[Mark T Jones]

I run two complementary ventures in a dual-market strategy. One focuses on aligning strategic marketing with corporate goals and embedding AI to streamline marketing tactics, but also another venture providing an online marketing platform for solo entrepreneurs and micro-businesses which provides digital marketing tools and resources etc.

Basically, I help different types of businesses grow, each in their own way

My advice, for what it's worth, would be:

1. Focus on one thing at a time.

2. Talk the language of your customer, not the language of your product.

Best of luck though.

 

[Gecko001]

I agree with the above. You use too much jargon and as a result come across as someone who does not know how to communicate with prospective clients effectively, or as someone who is in a junior position or middle management in your firm rather than the owner.

PS. Perhaps you could use this platform to practice your skills in communicating by telling us what you do without the jargon. Everybody here wishes you well in your venture as we have all been where you are right now.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I run two complementary ventures in a dual-market strategy. One focuses on aligning strategic marketing with corporate goals and embedding AI to streamline marketing tactics, but also another venture providing an online marketing platform for solo entrepreneurs and micro-businesses which provides digital marketing tools and resources etc.

In plain English, please!

 

[Ozzy]

Hi @The VMV and welcome along.
Been running my own business(es) for almost 30 years now, and still learning new things daily and trying to keep up with a changing world, and changing trends and technology!

It's been said above already, and just to add a +1 and reiterate the message as the best advice anyone can give someone starting up. Speak the landguage of your customers, avoid trendy phrases or technical jargon.
It's been said on here many times, sell the sizzle and not the sausage.

The example would be in your post here where you explained what you do in language that means something to you, but doesn't mean much to anyone else.
Did you say 'I use AI bots to help people do more marketing in less time'? Actually, I just read the post again, and I'm not sure I've got that right either. That's your first hurdle to overcome so that potential customers get what you do in 5 seconds or less.

 

[ctrlbrk]

potential customers get what you do in 5 seconds or less.

Hi Ozzy

I remember the time, not too long ago, where the phrase "elevator pitch" was used to explain your idea to someone in the time you'd spend with them in an elevator (mere minutes, or sometimes less than a minute).

Whilst I appreciate we are in the "attention-span deficit" age where what matters to people are drops of information absorbed in tweets, bits and bobs, has the general attention span for a pitch really come down to 5 seconds?

Genuine question.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

"elevator pitch"

If you cannot explain the idea/business to a child in one or two sentences, you do not know what you are doing!

EDITED: ooops!

 

[Ozzy]

has the general attention span for a pitch really come down to 5 seconds?

Ok you've taken me quite literally

Maybe not 5 seconds, but I would say 30 seconds. Just think how much time you would have been prepared to devote to picking apart the earlier OP post to try to work out what the product and service was. It would have taken ~15 seconds to read, perhaps ~15 more seconds to think it through, and then moved on.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Whilst I appreciate we are in the "attention-span deficit" age where what matters to people are drops of information absorbed in tweets, bits and bobs, has the general attention span for a pitch really come down to 5 seconds?

Genuine question.

The problem with the elevator concept is that it creates the idea that you need to fill the available time talking about yourself

In reality, you just need to pique their interest - which takes seconds.

 

[DoolallyTap]

Website looks like a total scam operation, pay your cash and wonder what you are buying !!

 

[SillyBill]

I think 5 seconds is fair as it not much more than what you have to even pull the interest in so they will listen to the other 25 seconds+. If it starts like a word salad its already lost.