1 Reason You Aren't Making Money In Your Business

I was never a follower. I consider the facts but I eventually always think for myself. It’s a tricky lesson to learn—and an even trickier balance to strike, especially in this autopilot age. With that out of the way…

SHAKE THE COCK N BULL STORY

When it comes to making money in your business, Google Trends, Answer The Public And Ubersuggest isn’t the magic formula for believability. Your believability is validated by what’s influencing how you operate differently and that's an experience. Writing about positioning, and claiming knowledge of branding tactics when you don’t even believe in ideal clients and have zero proof of ever branding anything is an unbelievable story for example.

INSTEAD, USE YOUR STORY TO AUTHENTICATE YOUR BUSINESS'S UVP.

SKINLUV doesn't believe sulfates and parabens are necessary for healthy skin or hair.
Cru Nonpareil doesn't care how big your feet are. They don’t believe you have to wear the shoe box.
KKBeauty’s pedi services don’t believe callused feet are beyond restoration.
TheBrandTUB doesn’t believe you need to be in business long or have a large or engaged audience, put Google ads on your website, or even do free work to attract and convert good clients to make money.

Having 1 customer, 2 clients, approximately 23K in savings, and an extra $6000 TTDS to invest in my business with no social media presence in the middle of a pandemic taught me many things. But it happened again while vacationing in Tobago in 2022. 15K with no social media presence. The person "connected with the vibe on my website." Late last year, she returned for more work with no website up! Care to take a stab in the dark at the cost of the project?

Local salespeople want you to show up to the party in the same industry dress. They would have you believe believability and consistency look one way—to fit the status quo or make you feel bad that you don’t. The greatest gift the pandemic gave me is knowing how to dance to the beat of my own drum—and knowing why it works for people like me. Would a large audience fill the gaps between sales? Possibly, but could more work also overexpose me and turn me into a workhorse? Absolutely.

Read: The #1 Basic Time-Wasting Activity For A Small Service Business

That said, I’ll never advise someone prioritizing other things in their lives while busting their butt to turn their dreams into reality to hang 'why someone should work with them' on something they’ve never lived because it would work against any believability they are trying to create.

Here are a few weird thinkers who took my advice. They aren’t giant corporations with endless resources. Just normal people who made strategic moves that changed their business trajectory.

FORMERLY EBEMPIRE:

KKBeauty had stars in her eyes selling her services on IG for under $100.00 to people who kept ghosting her. This 1-man show needed a plan that said if I went out of business, life wouldn't go on comfortably for you guys! When she launched her branded pedi-services with its new prices, she booked 10 new clients in one night, ghosting became a thing of the past and her services sold for $300, $800, and $900.

She now teaches her pedi-technique for $900 and $1500.

CRU NONPAREIL:

This nobody business with 1 client and 187 followers on IG needed to make money straight out the gate!

*Gasp! I know, I know the absurdity—what will the market think?

Within 1 month Cru Nonpareil was booked out and within 1 year (and in the middle of a pandemic), he had 17 clients (one of them being me), 3 of which were government officials, earned a LOOP and Express feature and according to him, 16K in his business account. He now tells me the owner of BLUE WATERS is now among the people he provides his services for.

His shoes range from 2K-3K.

SKINLUV:

2 years prior to launching my visual design agency, this young cottage-based business, according to one of its founders, got into Pennywise Cosmetics in part because of the look and feel of her packaging.

SKINLUV had a modest customer base (myself included among them) because the product delivered on its promise (and still does). But on a shelf with brands from around the world, its packaging left little to be desired. So I was tasked with what I was already doing 3 years prior, upgrading its visuals.

Her products were always around $45-100 TTD’s, and her gift baskets were $500 and up!