BLOG SERIES: Part 5 - 3 tips that have changed the way I do business

This blog post was first published on 29 May 2020

If you’re thinking of starting out with an business and have no idea where to begin, or perhaps you’ve been in business for a little while but you aren’t seeing the growth and impact you want, then this five part blog series is for you. I’ll be sharing how I went from zero community and zero impact to an engaged community which has a huge positive impact supporting women with online businesses.

How to Grow a Successful Online Business: Part Five
What better way to finish this series than with the tips that have changed the way I do business.

1. Sell the Sizzle

One big thing which seemed to help everything else click was really understanding how to sell my products. At first I created what I thought people wanted. That didn’t go very well. Now I have a refined simple structure that I use over and over.

Start by asking your audience what they need. Not directly but by discussing a topic you think might be relevant. Do they engage with a post about it? Do they seem interested? Start analysing your data regularly. Is there a theme of social media posts which do well. By “do well” I don’t mean get lots of likes, I mean shares and saves. Comments are great too but it’s the shares and saves and website clicks which are the key data to track.

Once you see a theme, suggest a way to help your audience on that issue. This is where the sizzle comes in. You’ve got to be authentic and honest but you’ve got to explain your product in a way which makes sense. For example, I don’t just sell legal documents, I sell peace of mind. I help people sleep at night, I take away the worry, stress and anxiety of something going wrong and finding you are not legally protected.

What is your sizzle? What is the thing that is going to make people take notice of what you’re offering and say, “I need that”? That is what you need to find.

2. Keep it Simple

I realised this week that in the same year that I started Lucy Legal I got a promotion in my full-time job and also a bonus based on the number of hours I billed. I don’t say this to show off, that isn’t my style at all, but simply to say that it is possible to run a successful business whilst working full time. The way to do it is to keep things simple.

Offer something people need and give it to them at an affordable price.

That sentence sounds simple but actually there is a lot in there. Often people don’t know what they need. It’s your job to sell them the sizzle but you have to do it at a price point they can afford and that is different for everyone.

In my business I actually have three ideal clients. One ideal client wants their business to be totally legit and will buy everything I offer. The next wants to protect themselves and their clients and will purchase some of my products. The third, won’t buy anything. Yep. It is part of my USP to support all business owners, that’s my primary aim before profit.

I keep things simple by focussing on one social media platform. I create free resources for everyone to benefit from and a range of templates for people to use in their businesses. I network to get my services in front of the right people and it really is as simple as that.

3. Be an Expert

Becoming the go-to legal expert for small businesses and entrepreneurs means that most of my work comes from word of mouth referrals. Whilst it seems counter-intuitive to say no to work it actually strengthens your brand and your messaging.

The same goes for staying focussed and being known for one thing. Recent business ideas I have had include candles with mood scents, energising, calming etc. for entrepreneurs, coasters with motivational quotes on them so that you get a dose of inspiration whenever you pick up your brew and also a course to teach others how to grow a successful side-hustle. Whilst those ideas could be great, I am known as being the lawyer. People come to me for that. If I start talking about candles it will all get confusing. Take a look at your business, what is the one thing you do really well? What is it that lights you up and you love supporting others with? Becoming the expert at that one thing could really transform your business.

If you’ve loved this blog series and you are not yet signed up to get my weekly Legal Letters, then what are you waiting for? You can sign up below!

Finally, I wanted to tell you about two templates in the template library. I sell all of the legal documents individually and also in handy bundles to help you get what you need at an even more affordable price.
The Standard Terms of Business - this is something you can use to quickly and simply onboard clients.

Our much requested Contract for Services is a legal contract which you can personalise for whichever services you offer.

You can view all of the templates here and if there is a template which you want which you can’t see then feel free to email me and let me know.

Lucy x

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