Welcome to "Confessions of an Entrepreneur's Spirit," the podcast where we explore the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and share valuable insights to help you on your own business journey. I'm your host, Raeann, and today, we're diving into an exciting topic: From Idea to Launch – Essential Steps to Starting a Small Business.

Starting a small business can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. But fear not, my fellow entrepreneurs, You've Got This! In this episode, I'll be sharing some essential steps to guide you from the initial idea phase all the way to launching your dream business.

In this episode we will talk about:

Step 1: Define Your Business Idea

Step 2: Conduct Market Research

Step 3: Create a Solid Business Plan

Step 4: Establish Your Brand Identity

Step 5: Build a Following

Step 6: Develop a Marketing Strategy

Step 7: Set Up Your Operations

Step 8: Launch and Iterate

Step 9: Build Relationships and Network

Step 10: Stay Resilient and Stay True to Your Vision

Remember, entrepreneurship is a continuous learning process. Stay curious, stay hungry for knowledge, and never stop honing your skills. Embrace the entrepreneurial spirit within you, and let it guide you toward your goals.

Being a business owner can be trying. Especially if you are not where you want to be in your business. I had hoped by now that my businesses would be funding our lives and our main source of income. But because of my inconsistency in promoting myself due to many reasons, which can be explained by many as just excuses, I'm not. And lately, it's been very disheartening and making things harder. Believe me, this episode is not a pity party - but I know I'm not the only one that can feel like this and I want to just share that you are not alone.

Every great podcast starts with a clear concept. Ask yourself: What is the main focus of your podcast? What topics or themes will you explore? Identify your target audience and consider what value you can provide to them. Whether it's sharing industry knowledge, inspiring stories, or practical tips, having a well-defined concept will help you attract and retain listeners. Use this time to write down the types of things you want to talk about, where you can show your expertise, and see if there is a common theme. That will help you develop the concept.

In today's digital age, small businesses need to leverage effective digital marketing strategies to stay competitive and thrive in their respective industries. With limited resources and budgets, it's crucial for small businesses to focus on strategies that provide the most impact. This blog post will explore the top five digital marketing strategies that can help small businesses reach their target audience and drive growth. We'll specifically highlight the importance of having a Google Business Profile and implementing on-page SEO techniques.

As a marketing agency, having a successful day requires a combination of organization, creativity, and focus. With so many moving parts to manage, it's essential to have the right tools and mindset to stay on top of things.

Creating a buyer persona is a crucial step in any marketing strategy. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on market research and data. It helps you understand your customers' needs, wants, behaviors, and preferences, which enables you to create targeted and personalized marketing campaigns that resonate with them.

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. And one of the most important factors in establishing that presence is search engine optimization (SEO). In this guide, we'll take a look at 9 ways to improve your SEO ranking and drive more traffic to your website.

Google Business Profiles, formerly known as Google My Business, is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including in search results and on Google Maps. It's essential for businesses to have a Google Business Profile because it helps customers find them easily and provides important information about their business.

In recent years, publishers have been relying heavily on social media platforms to drive traffic to their websites. However, this trend is starting to change. As reported by Digiday, many publishers are now moving past the idea of social media platforms as traffic drivers and are exploring new ways to engage with their audience.

Blogging is a powerful tool for businesses to improve their online presence and reach a wider audience. With the right strategy, a blog can help businesses improve their search engine optimization (SEO), generate leads, and build a loyal following. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of starting a blog for your business, the different platforms available, the SEO benefits of having a blog, and how to find keywords to target in your blog posts.

You’ve created your marketing plan…. so now what? This crucial tool for companies helps them achieve their desired results, and it is imperative that the plan is followed in order to be effective. In this article, we will discuss why it is important to follow a marketing plan and the benefits that come with doing so.

Once you have a potential customer interested, what will you do to convert them into a paying customer? Using methods like updated sales scripts once you get someone to talk to you in person or on the phone or using abandoned cart emails to entice browsers to come back can help your ROI exponentially. Sometimes it is along the lines of streamlining the checkout process, personalizing all customer touchpoints, or finding out why your potential client/customer didn’t move forward with a survey.

As there are so many details that can be included in a well thought out marketing plan, I thought it was best to break this up into multiple posts. And these week’s blog focuses on just ONE action of the marketing plan because it is the most detailed of any of the sections and can be much longer than the other ones. Take your time and think through the different questions or items below. And I think it helps to know that you don’t have to write it all at once. Instead give yourself smaller chunks to do at a time in order to keep the task at hand from feeling daunting. So happy writing!

Setting Your Pricing/Selling Strategy

This has ALWAYS been a touchy area for me. In my photography business, I always wanted to be the photographer that was in reach for ALL clients. But in reality, for anyone to take me seriously, I needed to be aligned with photographers that were in my community and were targeting my market. While I wanted to make sure everyone could afford me, I didn’t look “as good” by being cheaper. Instead I looked like a beginner, or someone that could not be taken seriously.

When creating a marketing plan, it is best to put it into writing…and I don’t mean on the back of a napkin like I do when out to dinner with my husband. I was recently reading a Forbes article that got me thinking that there was a little more information that could be provided to readers such as yourself to help make marketing plans not be as scary as the Big, Bad Wolf! Below I have outlined thirteen sections of a marketing plan over the next four blogs that will help you, your team, or anyone that will be financing your project understand your plan to market your business. Now, thirteen may seem like a scary number, but don’t fear. I will break them out, and NONE of them have to be a thesis paper. Some even may only need a paragraph or two! Take your time and remember….this is about YOU and YOUR business.

Cricuts….

A burning smell….

Smoke coming out of your ears….

A blank stare….

Do any of those things happen to you when you sit down to create your marketing plan? I’ll be honest, it happens to me all the time. I have great ideas while driving in my car, taking a shower, or cooking dinner. All inadequate times to be brainstorming if you ask me…well except my sister in law reminded me to use the voice to text function of my phone. Now only if I could remember that in the moment.