The Framework To Go From $0 to $1M
Hey there. Tim here.
The verdict is in. Ted Lasso is 10 out of 10.
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1. The Framework To Go From $0 to $1M
Years ago, Brian Clark gave me a piece of advice that I never forgot. He said, "you can't be afraid of repeating yourself because there is always someone who is hearing your message for the first time."
I was reminded of that this week.
I received a Twitter DM from someone who is interested in building a startup. He has a great idea, but like most people, he has no idea how to get started.
So here's the roadmap.
This is the exact same process I have used, over and over again, without fail.
Step 1 - Build a Website
In the world of social media, there is an unfortunate narrative that websites are no longer important. People think that your social media profile is your brand.
But that's not true.
You don't own your Twitter account. Twitter does. They can take it from you whenever they want. It's happened many times and it will happen again.
Your website doesn't have to be custom built or fancy. My website is as simple as they come, but all the value in my business comes from the fact that I OWN my content.
At minimum, your website needs ...
- a homepage to collect emails
- an about page
- a blog
- a contact page
That's it.
Step 2 - Build an Audience
Many entrepreneurs think that the first step is to build a product, but this is a terrible idea. Here's why ...
When you create a product or service, you actually have no idea if people will want your product or service. It's not uncommon for upstarts to spend ten (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars to create a product, only to discover that no one wants what it is they're selling.
An audience is more than "a following." An audience is information.
The more you serve your audience, the more you will learn what it is they are interested in and what problems they have that you can solve.
This is why my products and services always land. Because I spend time (in the case of TimStodz, I spent years) creating content to discover what it was my target audience was truly interested in.
Once you know that, selling is easy.
Step 3 - Create Automations
Note* - Step 3 is actually to create your product or service, but for the sake of simplicity, lets assume you have already completed this step.
This is the step that causes people the most pain, because they never take the time to build a sales funnel.
Selling is uncomfortable and yes, you will be rejected. But without this step, you will most likely be one of the 90% of people who never actually generate income from their business idea.
In order to create income, you need to sell. There's no way around it, so stop looking for a hack or an easier softer way.
Your automations will become your sales department.
You can create sales automations for products, services, SaaS companies, newsletter sponsorships, coaching, consulting, anything you want.
If you want a more detailed breakdown, here is an article I wrote about my own automations and how successful they are.
In the beginning, your automations won't be enough to generate enough sales on their own. You still need promotions and most likely, you will need to do in person or over the phone sales. But in time, your automations will become more and more powerful as you put people into your funnel.
Which brings us to step 4.
Step 4 - FILL THE FUNNEL!
Steps 1 through 3 are designed to create scale. Your website, your email list, and your automations create leverage, which means that it doesn't require more work to achieve more results. It takes the same amount of work to communicate with 10,000 customers as it does to communicate with 1 customer.
Now that you have created your business process, your entire focus should be to generate as much awareness around your products and services as possible.
That's your only job.
Now, the only question becomes "how can you get the most people into your email list as possible?"
There is no right or wrong answer here. For TimStodz, I generate most of my subscribers through Twitter and LinkedIn. For Copyblogger and Stodzy, I generate most of my subscribers and sales through SEO.
Regardless of how you do it, you should be in a position where generating more subscribers into your funnel takes up 80% of your time.
The Downside to my "Audience First" Style
It requires patience.
My style demands that you have time to build your audience, and in my view, it's better this way.
Nothing kills more businesses then NEEDING to be successful.
Startups fail because they are on a time crunch and they have a runway. I'm not saying that you don't need urgency, what I'm saying is that the space and freedom to experiment will steer you in the direction to find the maximum success and will help you build the proper leverage you need to generate scale.
If you're willing to be patient, this style of business building will give you a much higher probability of success.
You now have the framework. The only thing left for you to do is begin.
So get to work.
2 - How to Build Community
The secret is out. JoinHampton.com is live.
For months, Ethan has been working on a secret project. In this episode, we finally get to announce the launch of Hampton, a high level community made for CEOs.
This was a great episode. Ethan and I spoke about the challenges of running a successful community.
- how to create engagement
- how to find your ambassadors
- how to get your first sales
Click here to listen on iTunes and click here to listen on Spotify.
3. Join the Copyblogger Academy
Let's be real. Building a business is hard.
It's lonely, scary, and filled with uncertainty.
But if you know how to navigate the world of online business, the payoff will change your life. That's why I created The Copyblogger Academy.
This is a world class community with top level education that shows you exactly how to write great content, build an audience, and most importantly - MAKE SALES!
You'll get ...
- personalized coaching lessons via THE HOT SEAT
- access to monthly masterminds from some of the world's leading experts
- access to all 10 high level courses about SEO, sales, and copywriting
- support, inspiration, and accountability so you finish what you start
Click here to join for just $1. If you don't like it, you can cancel anytime. 30 day money back guarantee.
4. Hard Conversations
One of my biggest faults as a leader is my insecurities around dealing with conflict.
However, learning how to have tough conversations and addressing problems right away is a critical aspect of leadership.
This week, I talk to you about the lessons I'm learning and why having hard conversations is so important.
Click here to watch the full video.
5. Final Thought - "Stop Working So Hard."
I've had a revelation. This revelation has allowed me to stop working so many hours while increasing my income.
I am an avid believer that hard work matters and I will ALWAYS outwork my competition.
But there is a breaking point where more work doesn't equal more results. Eventually, you have to learn how to scale your time and make your minutes more valuable.
In the month of March, I focused more on executing on tactics and less on working hard. Amazingly, I had my best month of sales I've ever had.
As you start to accumulate success, what matters most is good decision making.
One mistake can put you back ten years.
I used the more > better > new philosophy to scale my income without putting in more hours.
If you want to get a behind the scenes look at my sales numbers and how I created the sales, then I hope you consider joining my members only newsletter, called The Bootstrapper.
Love you guys. Talk to you next week.
Tim
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