Table of Contents

Pat yourself on the back. You’ve covered most of the ingredients you need to start your business.

But a business isn’t a business without customers. For many entrepreneurs, getting that first sale is an experience they never forget.

Your own first sale moment will be just as exciting for you, and it all starts with marketing and getting your business out there.

There are hundreds of marketing tactics at your disposal. However, if you don’t prioritize based on your business, what you’re selling, and who you’re selling to, you can end up spending a lot of money on marketing without getting many sales in return. It’s best to start by picking the marketing strategies you want to focus on.

🎉 Congrats! If you’ve completed all the sections of The Business Blueprint, you’ve successfully transformed an idea into a plan that you can start turning into a business today.

At this point, you’ve completed developing a solid business idea, found competitors, and a variable target audience. You’ve narrowed down products to sell, determined the break-even point for your business, as well as marketing opportunities for continued growth.

Now, you can look forward to the year ahead and set some goals broken down into a few phases:

Phase 1: Finding your product market fit

• Your first sale to a complete stranger

  Making that first sale to someone not in the family photos is a significant milestone. Use the first sale opportunity as a way to forge a bond with a real, bonafide customer.

• Your first store visits from web search
  
  

  There’s no better proof of product-market fit than someone searching the web and finding the products you’re selling.

Phase 2: Scaling what works

• Selling from paid advertising
  
  

  One of your first goals should be to discover a repeatable and profitable approach to marketing, such as paid advertising. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook allow you to scale success as you continue to refine your target audience.

• Positive ROI from your organic marketing channels
  
  

  Social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing often make up a sizable amount of total marketing spend but should attract quality traffic to a website in return.

• You start seeing consistent orders
  
  

  You’ll know you’ve nailed product-market fit when you receive a steady stream of orders, whether that’s once a day for low-ticket items, or weekly for higher-ticket items.

Phase 3: Taking your business to the next level

• Outsource a business-related task

  When you first start working on a business, you often have to do everything yourself. But as your business grows, consider hiring professionals to help with marketing, design, and even product manufacturing. That way, you can focus on growing your business and not just running it.

• Your first shopping spike

  Take advantage of shopping surges from flash sales, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and other seasonal events. Just make sure you’re prepared for the increased orders, supplies, and customer support required during these periods.

• You take a vacation
  
  

  You’ve put your absolute all into starting your business, and you deserve an opportunity to rest before jumping back in. Self care is really important to keep you and your business at your best. Make sure to take breaks and recharge regardless of what phase your business is in, this will ensure you can come back stronger.

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