7 Modes of Building a Successful Online Business

Where do I start? This is by far the most common question that I receive. Today my goal is to share a few answers with respect to where you should to start in your business, where to start with SistaSense training and what you should be doing right now based on what MODE of business you are in right now.

To best answer your getting started questions, one day I decided to sit down and write out my process of getting things done. It was during this process that I discovered the following truth: as entrepreneurs, we go through a business cycle. On any given day in my business I am immersed in one of seven modes; Idea Mode, Creation Mode, Launch Mode, Marketing Mode, Client Mode, Break Mode or Revamp Mode. When I took a closer look at these ‘modes’, I realized that some form of this cycle is currently being used by other entrepreneurs or can be useful to someone like yourself; an aspiring entrepreneur in need of direction. My hope is that within these pages you can find clarity, support and the right resources you can use to take your next big Small Business steps.

Idea Mode: Everything starts with a good idea. Maybe you have a business you want to startup or an offer (a product idea) you want to start working on. Maybe you want to jumpstart your business and get things up and running. Maybe you fell off track for a while and feel it’s time to restart after taking time off. Perhaps you want a fresh start in a completely new direction. Whether you want to startup, jumpstart, restart or fresh start your vision; the point is your mind is buzzing with ideas and you are ready to make something exciting happen. Idea Mode is all about the 5 Ws + 1 H – Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. In this mode, you are essentially full of questions and curiosity around who you want to reach, what you want to sell, where you need to be, when you can work on your vision and how you plan on putting it all together, so you can realistically make money and make things happen online. Now that you know what this mode is all about, it’s time to ask the most important questions. Are you in Idea Mode? If so, do you need help in this area? You can start off by watching my quick video on Monetizing Your Magic. For more detailed trainings I recommend my Map Out Your Masterplan Intensive and my Explorepreneur Guide as two solid places to start.

Creation Mode: As soon as you are ready to turn your visions into reality, its time to enter creation mode. This is the time when you work on building your website, creating products, developing digital content and packaging your services. If you’d like to start off by working on your website here is a great video on website essentials along with a link to learn more about my web design and graphics design services. Once you know who you want to reach and what you plan on selling, building your website is the next natural step. If you already have a website or are more focused on developing your offers you may want to schedule a clarity call with me, review my system to turning Content into Cashflow or use my EASY LPP guide to start creating your own Low Price Point products.

Launch Mode: Listen. Learn. Launch. Once you have turned your ideas into actual offers, its time to enter Launch Mode. This is when you start creating a Plan of Action (POA) focused around a specific offer and a target market. During launch mode you should be developing your marketing campaigns, creating promotional content like lead magnets (freebie opt-in offers) and webinar trainings. This is also the right time to work on setting up sales funnels, launch sequences and possible JV or Affiliate partnerships. This is the time to set your dates and deadlines. Now, based on what you are doing in your business at this moment, would you say that you are currently in launch mode? If you need help is this area, my Masterplan Intensive and SIMPLE Sales challenge are helpful training programs to start with.

Marketing Mode: Lights. Camera. Action. Once you start developing a Plan of Action, your marketing plan will begin to take shape. At this point you know what offer you want to promote, what you want to say and who you want to say it to; which essentially means you are ready to rock the web while improving your online marketing skills. This is the time when you’ll start blogging, touring, participating in interviews, teaching virtual trainings, hosting livestreams, leading webinars, advertising, sending out emails and building a community around your brand offers. Marketing mode is all about education and execution. This is the right time for you to focus on creating campaigns, making new connections and staying connected to your existing audience, as detailed inside of my 3 Step Marketing Plan. This is also a great time to get better at marketing, by focusing on boosting your web skills with respect to conversion marketing, blog marketing, video marketing, audio marketing and more as detailed inside my training on essential online marketing strategies for today’s entrepreneur.

Client Mode: New customers are great, but old customers are better. The key to creating a sustainable business is retaining your customers; getting them to come back for more and bring their friends along for the ride! When you are in Client Mode your focus is on customer satisfaction; creating the best experiences and providing the best offers for your current clients while building strong relationships with new clients through consistent engagement and valuable content. When you are in Client Mode you should invest more of your time into becoming a better seller. Is this where you want to focus your efforts right now? If so, I recommend my Savvy Seller Tool Kit to start. It is one of the signature training bundles that I offer around Conversion Marketing, Client Attraction and Sales. Email me if you’d like to learn more about other Client-Centered trainings that I currently offer and plan to release in the near future.

Break Mode: Everybody needs to take a break every now and again. It’s good to take a break after launching a new offer or working hard on client projects. Maybe you are a workaholic and your body needs a break or your mind needs to rest and recharge. Breaks are vital to your business and to your health. This time is essential when you need to unwind or unblock and regroup. If you are taking a break right now and could use some clarity, motivation or ‘Get Back on Track’ trainings to help you move forward, I recommend my Be Well Boss Guide, New Normal Life Design Guide, and Back to Business Virtual Conference series to help get you reconnect with your vision and get back into the right frame of mind to make your next move. Read my piece on Break, but Not Broken and be sure to watch my training on Fear, Fog and Fatigue or listen to my daily direction podcast on how to Take Control of Your Entrepreneurial Journey.

Revamp Mode: Once you get into the swing of things and start working on your business on a regular basis eventually you will find yourself in Revamp Mode thinking about how you are going to reinvent yourself, redesign your website, repurpose your content, refresh your brand, reactivate your list and other similar activities. If you are currently in Revamp Mode, its possible you may be in need of my website redesign or retainer services to help you update your image and get more things done. This might also be a good time to schedule a clarity call with me, so we can explore your new vision. Last but not least, this might also be a great time to dive into my GoPropreneur Guide and learn how you can create new offers like a membership website, magazine or eCourses to take your online business to the next level.

Now that you know all 7 Modes of Building a Successful Business Online, I encourage you to start where you are and do what you can with what you have. Once you create your first offers and website you’ll begin to go through the motions of web business building, immersed inside this process on a regular basis.

Get Extra Help: If you need ongoing mentorship, training, accountability and support services you might review my Inner Circle Mentorship Program. Alternatively, you can click here to learn more about my Fire and Focus 12-Month Program, the Fire Starter Circle Monthly Mastermind and the Insider Circle Mentorship Program. I hope this helps and best of luck as you continue along your path of success through entrepreneurship.

If you like this post, be sure to download your free eBook 7 Modes of Building a Successful Online Business.