Solopreneur Success Path | Have A Profitable Online Business

To build a WordPress website, you'll need three essential components: Domain Name: This is the web address of your site, such as google.com. WordPress Hosting: This is where your website's files are stored and served to visitors. A few hours of undivided attention: Dedicate some time to focus on building your website. The cost of a WordPress website can vary significantly depending on your...

In this episode, Tom explores the idea of self-awareness and the advantages of leveraging one's strengths instead of dwelling on weaknesses. He contrasts the traditional educational system and societal emphasis on shortcomings with Gallup Organization research, which reveals that individuals have greater potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths. Tom underscore...

This episode delves into the concept of the comfort zone and how stretching it can lead to personal growth. Tom highlights the comfort zone as the 'bullseye' and introduces the 'Stretch' and 'Risk' zones as the next rings out. He emphasizes the importance of embracing fear and anxiety when pushing boundaries. Tom references the book 'The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan...

In this episode, Tom explores the potential of podcasts for business growth and offers guidance on starting your own. He emphasizes research, passion, and motive as key considerations before diving into podcasting. Tom then shares his personal podcast journey, highlighting decisions he made: Niche Market: Define your target audience. Logo: Choose an appropriate logo. Platform: Use a platform like...

In this episode, Tom aims to elevate your message and story to a higher level, emphasizing how you can exert significant influence and make a positive impact on people's lives while simultaneously promoting your business. Tom acknowledges the importance of visibility and exposure in every business. While the world of advertising, particularly through social media, has changed dramatically, Tom...

Tom discusses the crucial goal of every business: making sales. He emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between the business and its target market to achieve this goal. Tom acknowledges that people often don't make purchasing decisions upon their first encounter with a product or service, emphasizing the 'know/like/trust/try/buy' process. To close this gap, Tom suggests using storytel...

Tom discusses the process of making a life-changing decision, particularly focusing on the transition to entrepreneurship. Tom shares their own experiences with career pivots and highlights that change can occur voluntarily, such as retiring with a purpose or pursuing a lifelong dream, or involuntarily due to circumstances like job loss or divorce. They emphasize the importance of embracing change...

Tom emphasizes the significance of copywriting in business success, noting that it's often overlooked. While tangible aspects like sales and marketing get attention, Tom highlights that effective copywriting is essential for guiding prospects through the 'know/like/trust/try/buy' process, aiming for repeat customers. Tom integrates copywriting into various business components, includin...

A personal brand, as Tom explains, is more than just logos and websites; it's how you authentically present yourself to your audience, encompassing values, skills, and experiences. It sets you apart in your field and builds trust. Tom emphasizes the need for every entrepreneur and professional to develop their personal brand. It helps you stand out by showcasing your unique qualities and exper...

Marketing has gone through quite an evolution over the past 20 years or so. With so many businesses transitioning to Internet based products and services, it’s forced businesses to rethink their approach and what’s actually effective for modern consumers.   Marketing, in today’s terms is: Getting someone who has a need to go through the ‘know/like/trust/try/buy’ process.  I like to think of it thi...

What is an email list? An email list is a special list of names and email addresses of people who gave you permission to send them updates and promotions from your business. Many expert marketers say their biggest mistake was not building an email list when they first started out. Why build an email list? Email marketing on average sees huge return on investment (ROI) for businesses in the USA. Be...

Before we talk about products and services, we need to talk about sales. You need to sell your stuff. Whatever it is. Products or services, you need sales. Sales is what keeps businesses alive. So what do we do when we need to sell but we don’t like to sell? We help people.  My approach to sales has ALWAYS been from the perspective of helping people. And it’s worked just fine for me. I just said p...

5 Components Every Website Should Have So let’s look at the 5 elements every website should have using basic copy techniques.  1. Pass the Grunt Test If I put a laptop in the lap of a caveman, could this person understand these three things: • What do you offer? In other words, what problem do you solve? • How will it make my life better? • What do I need to do to buy it? 2. Call to Action Active...

Vision or Dream? So..What’s the difference between dream and vision? Aren’t they basically the same thing? Dream and vision are not the same thing. A dream is a more lofty idea you have in your head without a lot of details. I’d like to retire and live in a more southern state where it’s warmer and have a decent retirement income from my business, or the sale of my business. No details. Exciting,...

Social media has evolved quite a bit over the years. Not too long ago, having some sort of social media account was considered to be something ‘extra’ in our lives…something that was sort of fun to do, but not taken too seriously.  Back in the 90's (not that long ago for some of us), social media didn't even exist. But today, with the advancement of the ‘smart phone’ (does anyone really ca...

We live in a time where it's very easy to get discouraged and think that only the wealthy can have opportunity and success. We seem to have a knack for dwelling on the negative, not the positive. We have to be taught to be positive thinkers and many people even pay to hop on someone's course or community just to be part of the positive mindset and get help thinking and believing that a pos...

Emily is a former philosophy professor who left the world of academia and teaching, but found that she could utilize her research skills when she discovered her love for longform writing, which led to her zone of genius as a ghost writer. Think ghostwriters only work for celebrities or high profile execs? Emily believes that everyone could use another set of eyes on their content. If you’re strapp...

Below are the show notes for this episode on the 7 major building blocks for starting a personal brand business. Are you required to have all 7? No. But I strongly recommend all 7 and use these and more in my business. With these 7 building blocks, you'll have a very solid foundation to not only start but grow your business. After all, that's what it's all about, right? Growing the bus...

Here are just 4 benefits to starting a business later in life, based on my own experience and conversations that I have had with other older entrepreneurs. Finding a Sense of Purpose  What are you passionate about? What do you want to change about the world? What problem do you wish someone would fix? Maybe it’s time to be a part of the solution. Meeting People Who Share Your Interests Starting a...

Every day, more people are using the internet to start a side business, full time self employment or create a new revenue stream. There are always problems in the startup process. Issues that crop up that we didn’t expect, in addition to the problems that we did expect. But the solution isn’t more time or money, the solution is more clarity.  Clarity is power. When you have clarity, you multiply y...

What makes up your brand? What is “branding?” well Sarah talks about what branding is, the strategy behind your brand, and how it influences every part of your business. She's a Brand Specialist and the creative mind behind KindaWonderful. With a background in graphic design, Sarah is focused on helping businesses share their passion with the world by building brands that are impactful, profit...

Episode 22 of the Small Business Startup Essentials podcast with an interview of Jen Groover, personal mindset coach and world class serial entrepreneur-you won't want to miss this one Jen talks about her new book 'The More Method' and starts off the conversation by explaining the 6 core aspects of mindfulness and how she uses an auditing checklist: Is what you're doing hurting you...

Nick Loper is an author, speaker, side hustle guru that started out with a blog in 2009 promoting ways for people to have a part time business and eventually built a nationally recognized and very successful full time business. Nick is very well known all around the world and if you want more information you can go to www.sidehustlenation.com. Listen in on this episode, to hear us discuss: • His e...

Sean Castrina is a serial entrepreneur, having started more than 20 companies over the last 20 years, and still seeks to launch a new venture annually. He is an investor, teacher and highly-sought-after speaker who communicates with humor and a bluntness that engages and captures his audience. He is the author of 8 Unbreakable Rules for Business Startup Success, The Greatest Entrepreneur in the Wo...

Matt Crump, is a author, business coach/consultant, certified empowerment life coach & a purveyor of hope (cancer survivor) ready to meet another superhero…You! In this episode, Tom and Matt discuss the topics of: future trends how Matt defines success and who his ideal client is explaining his perspective for both personal and professional coaching books he's written on overcoming life&#3...