This article discusses how you can go from an entrepreneur that struggles to one that is known as the go to person in their niche. It might sound like an impossible achievement, if you're struggling to make headway in this crowded space called the internet. This article will show you that it's possible to go from zero to hero when you follow the steps we've laid out.

When you're struggling to get started, it can impact everything. Your confidence might be low and that affects the way you approach finding new customers and people to talk to about your business. 

You may be depending on SEO (search engine optimization) to help your business be found in search results. SEO is a great long term strategy, but it can take a while to kick in. Waiting on SEO can be a challenge when you're ready to start earning now. 

If your approach is amateurish, building an audience, finding the right people to talk to about your business can make you feel desperate, despite your best efforts.  

You may be putting in long days and lots of effort while struggling to make a dime. 

Using the wrong approach can cause you to experience the sting of rejection over and over again. Who wants to go through that each day? No one. 

Making the wrong moves, moving in the wrong direction, can drain every ounce of enthusiasm you had when you decided to start a business.

However, if you're not getting results, it doesn't take long to come to the realization that without an audience, you have no business.  

Without the right tools, a little patience and consistency, a sense of panic can set in that causes you to start resorting to things that only make matters worse. You starting running people down, in an attempt to get an appointment. You become shameless, practically begging your friends, family (and anyone who will listen), to buy from you. 

Hopefully, it hasn't come to literally begging... But let's face it starting an online business from scratch can be frustrating. That is unless you have guidance and the right tools and resources to make it happen. 

So, if you're ready to make a few changes, it's totally possible to turn all of that around.  This article will give you some things you can do to stop spinning your wheels and get results.

It's Important to Stay Focused on Your Why

There's a reason you decided to start an online business. This reason, otherwise known as your "why", will help you stay focused when the going gets though.

Here are reasons that many business owners are recognizing they need an online business. Let's start here:

To Be Successful – In reaching your personal and financial goals, it's important to set yourself up for the best possible outcome.

You may be finding that the face to face method of building a business online is not working. You need something different.

Debt Reduction - If you’re like the average person, you’re drowning in credit card or student loan debt and falling behind on your bills from all the money you’re spending on your business.

Balancing Life Changes - The global crisis may have upended your way of living. You need a plan B or an additional way to earn to put food on the table. 

You’re Over It - You may be a conventional business person with a brick and mortar business who is trying to get your business online.

You, like thousands of other people, may be using outdated methods to build your business. You might be sick of rejection, home meetings, being made fun of by your family and so-called friends.

Flexibility - You may have a need for flexibility and more time to spend with the people who matter most in your life

Control - You’re tired of waiting on your boss to give you a raise or even a bonus. Maybe you’re ready to create your own pay increase by learning how to attract and retain the best  clients.

After spinning their wheels trying to build an audience using outdated methods, many entrepreneurs realize they need a system that sets them up as a professional and allows them to attract clients.

To reach your goals and stay on track with the results you need to achieve them, it's important to transform into a trusted resource and professional in your niche. 

How to Make the Transition from Zero to Hero

It all starts with client attraction and your ability to draw your ideal customers to your online business.  Client attraction involves creating a unique strategy for your business that attracts your ideal clients.

Here are a few questions that you should answer:

• How are you attracting your ideal clients to your business?
  
• Are you positioned as the “go to” person in your niche or industry?
• Are you being seen as a product pusher or a professional?

Your goal when starting an online business is to identify your ideal clients and create strategies that will make them aware of your business and how you can help them. Mastering client attraction creates brand awareness so that when people need what you're offering, you're the first person they think of.

Our Recent Podcast Episode: Season 1, Episode 8

Listen on the go to tips and resources you can use to build a thriving online business that can enable you to earn from home or any location. Hit the follow button and be notified when we release a new episode. 

The Methods You're Using for Client Attraction

When thinking about building an audience of loyal customers and raving fan, here are a few questions you should answer:

• How are you attracting your ideal customers to your business?
  
• Does your audience look to you as the “go to” person in your niche or industry? If not, why?
• Are you approaching people in a way that syncs with the way successful businesses are reaching potential clients today, or are you using outdated methods that end up repelling the people you're trying to reach?

Have you done research to see how top companies promote their products and services?

Of course you don't have the massive budget that a Fortune 500 company has, but does your advertising even resemble something they are doing?

For example, are Fortune 500 companies getting on the phone and calling consumers on the phone with sales pitches or are they investing their ad dollars into having an online presence and using ads on blogs and other platforms?

Things You Should Avoid

Here are a few things you should avoid when you are building an online business. 

• Making a list of all the people you know, including the mailman, your insurance guy and the guy who's behind you in the grocery line.
  
  Then calling those folks or reaching out to them on social media to see if they would be interested in taking a look at your business.
  
  Calling people you know, your warm market, can be somewhat successful, depending on whether you are already viewed as an authority in your niche or with whatever it is you're promoting.
  
  If you're not viewed as an authority in your niche or in your network, it may be a lot harder to convince people to buy or join you in business.
  
  Using the client attraction approaches outlined below to draw your warm market as well as those who know nothing about you (your cold market) to your business.
  
• Inviting everyone you meet to see “The Plan”, on someone else’s platform.
  
  Everyone is not going to be a good fit for your business, as a team member or as a customer. So showing the plan without qualifying someone first can result in frustration and a lot of wheel spinning. Check out the article, Identifying Your Ideal Customers. 
  
  Additionally, when starting an online business the goal is to brand your business and drive online traffic to it. To accomplish that goal, you should have a branded advertising platform that you own and control. 
• Having traditional home parties or constantly asking your friends to host virtual parties. 
  
  Traditional home parties are OK, If you set them up well they have the potential to help you build credibility as a go to person and trusted resource. If they are not set up well, they can help build you up as a product pusher.
  
  On the other hand, virtual parties can be leveraged to build your credibility and authority and as a way to supplement your business. But they shouldn't be the only way you generate income.
  
  At some point you may get tired of doing parties because they can be labor intensive. You may also find it harder to find people who are willing to host parties for you.
  
• Trying to recruit everyone you meet and talking people into buying your product or service. 
  
  The first rule of selling is that everyone is not your customer. You should qualify a potential customer to eliminate wasting time on people who are not a good fit for your business. For more information check out the article Identifying Your Ideal Customers. 
• Meeting people for lunch and trying to present "the plan" over lunch or dinner. 
  
  Setting appointments for face to face meetings, and even phone appointments can be costly, tricky and counterproductive.
  
  Unless you're a someone who presents for a living, or you are a seasoned salesperson this may be a little intimidating, especially if the meeting will impact your ability to put food on the table. That's a lot of pressure. 
  
  For example, if you have been the hunter, and you've practically run down the person to set up the meeting, you're already at a disadvantage. The reason is that they didn't seek you out. This saying is very true... people love to buy, but they don't want to be sold. 
  
  If you're hard selling or twisting arms to try and get someone to listen to your pitch or set up a meeting with you, the cards are not stacked in your favor. 
  
  If the person you're trying to recruit or sell doesn't show up for your meeting or they decide not to take you up on your offer, it can result in wasted time, frustration and most of all no income.
  
  Using the client attraction strategies in the next section may help you turn the tables and become the hunted, (not the hunter) when it comes to building an audience of raving fans. 

Resources

Here are the resources mentioned in the podcast episode and the article.

The courses are very affordable for most budgets and worth every penny in helping you reach your goals. 

Free Build a Blog in a Weekend Course - This course shows you how to build a self hosted WordPress blog in a weekend. You'll learn to build a blog, a lead magnet and set up an email opt-in form that will enable you to start accepting visitors in a weekend or less.

Free Video Playlist: This video series walks you through exercises that will help you find a niche based on your hobbies, skills and interests that will help you build a business you will enjoy running while reaching your goals and objectives.

Video Course - Create videos designed to attract your ideal clients to your business and establish yourself as an authority in your industry and niche.

This video training shows you how to create all kinds of professional looking business and product related videos. I've taken the course and it's an amazing resource for anyone who wants to excel at video. It even helps with how to make great videos when you don't want to be on camera.