7 Things You Need to Launch a Service Business
What’s most important to focus on now.
You’re an aspiring business owner with big plans for the future, but you’re not sure where to start, and what’s important to focus on right now. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! I’ve worked with many women to help them launch their businesses, and here are the common threads.
Read on to understand the most important building blocks of your business, and what’s crucial to focus on now. So you can spend your limited time wisely and start attracting clients, sooner rather than later.
1) Get clarity on your business idea and vision for your business.
First things first — do you know what type of business you want to build and who you want to serve? It’s important to take the time in the beginning stages of building your business to really think this through. Think about what problem you want to solve, what your vision for your business is and what kind of impact you want to make on the world. This will help you not only start coming up with a plan, it will help you in your marketing because people will want to go along with you on the journey.
→ Mindset tip: Don’t worry, this isn’t set in stone, but you want to get some clarity in the beginning so you can move forward with purpose and focus.
2) Create a clear business model.
Ok, now that you’ve established what you want to do, now it’s time to think about how you want to do it. Do you want to offer 1:1 services, create a group program, or sell done-for-you (DFY) services? If you need some inspiration, it helps to do a bit of research in your target industry and see what other people are doing. Think about what you think you would enjoy doing day-to-day and how you want to show up in the world.
→ The answer to this question will shape the way you set up your business. You can also offer several options at different price points.
3) Define who you serve and the problem you solve.
In order to attract your ideal clients, you need to understand who they are and why they’re looking for help. The best way to do this is to focus on what problem you want to help people solve. You want to pick one thing that you know you can help people with (based on your own experience or expertise) and then figure out which group of people have that problem. The clearer you are on your niche, the more magnetic your marketing will be and the easier it will be to attract potential clients.
4) Build out a great offer.
Now that you have clarity on who you want to serve and how you want to do that, it’s time to build out your offer or program. Decide on the details of your package, the pricing, the timeframe, and what kind of transformation people will receive by the time they finish working with you.
→ Pro tip: Before you go out and start selling your offer, you’ll want to test it with a few people to make sure it’s a viable solution to their problem. And be sure to talk to a few of your ideal clients to see if there is a need for this type of program before you spend time creating it.
5) Create a strategic marketing plan.
You’ll want to build a marketing plan that aligns with your strengths and personality to give you the best chances for success. Pick strategies that align with your strengths––for example, if you like writing, then blogging is a great option for you. Or if you like teaching, you could create a video series or mini-course to promote your business. The key here is to only focus on one or two strategies, and really master them. You want to be consistent and focused, as that is what will give you the best results.
→ Want to know which marketing strategies work best for you? Take my What’s Your Marketing Superpower Quiz to find out! This is important because if you don’t like a particular strategy, you won’t do it. And no action means no results.
6) Start working on your website and email list.
It’s a good idea to have a website so people can learn more about what you offer and so you can gain credibility. I’d advise you to create this once you know who you want to serve so writing copy will be easier and you don’t have to redo it a bunch of times. You can build a simple site, to begin with, and expand later on. Building an email list is important so you can communicate with potential customers and sell your services later on.
→ I will say this: These two aren’t mandatory to start selling your services, even as an online business owner. They’re more of a “nice to have” in the beginning, because what truly matters is that you have a place to talk about what you do — whether that’s on a social profile (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.) or a very simple landing page. So don’t use not having a website as an excuse to not market your business!
7) Don’t forget the obvious business stuff!
While I won’t go into too much detail because I’m not a lawyer, you don’t want to forget about the obvious stuff like setting up a business structure (ex. sole proprietor or LLC), taxes, and creating legal documents like contracts. You’ll also need to find out what business licenses and registrations you may need (it differs based on where you live and what kind of business you have).
While you’re at it, you should open another bank account to keep your finances separate. If you’re going to be a real business owner, this stuff is important, even if it’s not that fun!
→ Pro tip: Get started on this early on, even if you haven’t fully figured out what you want to do in your business. It can take time to decipher all the different regulations and documents you may need to submit before you even add in processing time. If you need help, reach out to a lawyer or tax professional who can help you.
Want more help in getting your business started? It just so happens that I’m a business coach and helping new and aspiring business owners launch their businesses is my specialty. Check out my LAUNCH WITH EASE program, which is a 3-month 1:1 coaching program for new entrepreneurs.
