I’m excited to share my story of transitioning from the hectic world of digital advertising to the more relaxed realm of online entrepreneurship, all unfolding in my forties and fifties. Join me as I take you through the ups and downs, the discoveries, and the triumphs of this adventure.

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#1 Set Your Foundation

Let’s begin by laying a solid foundation for your online coaching or service-based business, and that’s a specific and profitable niche and a clear brand message.

A niche is a segment of your potential customers. For example, instead of offering all kind of yoga styles, your niche could be pre-natal yoga.

Here the style of yoga is your niche, which is a common approach to niching down.

I know it can be tough to get clear on your niche, and sometimes we’re just too close to what we do to see it, what makes us really unique. This is where a coach can be really helpful.

I love working on this with my students. To figure out how it comes together, what makes them unique. How to package up their expertise.

#2 Build Your Online Presence

Once your foundation is set, it’s time to build your online presence.

You can pick a social media platform, for example Instagram, or Facebook , or LinkedIn, and start showing up.

Establish yourself as a thought leader by sharing great content. Embrace being a creator. Start posting. Experiment. Look at your numbers at least once per month and analyze your results.

You want to share content that’s thoughtful. Inspiring. Educational. Entertaining. Before you post something, always ask yourself if you would enjoy that post, if you would follow that person. Don’t be afraid to stand out, to be a bit louder. That’s how you build a strong personal brand.

#3 Create Your Irresistible Offer

The best way to get started for most of us is offering 1:1 services. For example 1:1 coaching, or consultations, or private yoga sessions.

The biggest mistake I see is people selling just single sessions. For a few reasons.

First, it takes the same amount of energy to sell a single 1:1 session for $150 than it does to sell a coaching package for $1500.

But you would need to sell 10 single sessions to make the same amount of money, which is a lot harder. And when you sell a single session, it’s more difficult to sell a specific result. I mean, how much can you achieve in a single session? Not a whole lot.

But when you sell a 3-month package, you can sell a much deeper transformation. Your clients actually will see bigger results in 3 months, and this is what you sell.

So set up your package, it can be 4 weeks, in can be 3 months, it really depends on your niche and topic. Think about how long it will take for your clients to get results, to see the transformation.

Add it to your website or summarize it up in a Google doc, save it in a PDF, and you have something to share with potential clients.

Next offer free discovery calls, you can set that up for example with Calendly, and link to the booking form in your Instagram bio, mention it in every post and every day in your stories.

One of my Mentorship students started by offering a free 30-minute consultation to discuss clients’ challenges. During these sessions, she demonstrated her expertise, providing valuable insights and strategies.

By offering a taste of her services for free, she then converted consultations into paying clients who recognized the value she brought to their life, and that’s how you sell your first 1:1 packages.

#4 Pricing Strategy

Pricing is a critical aspect of your business strategy. Initially, I and most of my students set our prices too low, fearing we wouldn’t attract clients with higher rates.

But you’re in this to make money. You run a business. You want to be able to pay yourself a sustainable income, that you can live on.

When you only have a small audience, and let’s face it, this is where most of us start, you just don’t have the numbers to sell enough at a low price point to make it worth it.

I’ve been there. For the first years in my business, I sold low priced online courses and created websites for less than $2000. And I struggled financially! I felt I was working my ass off with not a whole lot to show for it.

I’m not telling you that you should offer a 10,000 $ package when you’re just getting started, that’s probably not going to work.

But you can gradually increase your prices and start attracting clients who appreciate good quality and are willing to pay a premium.

Let’s look at your goal.

When you want to make $5k per month, that’s $60,000 in 12 months.

When you sell a $1500 coaching package that’s 3 months, and 2 calls per month, you need to sell 40 packages a year, or 3,3 per month.

It’s also 240 calls per year or 20 calls per month, or 5 calls per week. That’s doable!

Now when you sell a $5000 package, you only need to sell one per month to reach your financial goal. And you can grow much faster.

Let’s sum it up:

Create a package and start selling it with free calls and in the DMs.

Start showing up on one platform as a thought leader and go all in. You’re not going to see great results by posting one or twice per week. This is going to take time and energy. 1 or 2 hours per day.

How long it will take you to reach $5k per months repeatedly is difficult to say. Some will start and make that right away. Some of us will struggle with showing up, with being consistent, or with their niche and messaging before we get it right. And that’s okay too.

I probably made every mistake possible when it comes to building my business, but it still got me to where I am today.

Set yourself goals that are ambitious but still feel possible, for example to sell just one package in your first month.

As you start generating income, next you can start scaling your business. Invest in your website and start building your email list. Diversify your offers. Create a group coaching program. Invest in ads to grow and reach a bigger audience.  

It can be simple! It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t need to do all the things that you see others doing.

The biggest roadblock for most of us is our mindset. It’s the fear of showing up. Of being visible. Of going live, doing videos, all those things.

What helped me, is getting really clear on my vision. Always reminding myself, why am I doing this. Reminding me of my goal. I still do that every single day.

I write down what I’m grateful for, and I connect to my goals. To my vision.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you need to show up. Don’t stay stuck working on your brand and your website or your logo. Start showing up, start creating content. Start selling your services. This is also how you learn if people are interested in your offers.

Stay adaptable and keep refining your strategies as you navigate this crazy journey of entrepreneurship.

PS – Doors to the Blissful Biz Academy are open! 🎉

The Blissful Biz Academy is a 6-month, high-touch group coaching experience designed to help you create your six-figure offer and turn your passion into a thriving online business – without getting caught up in the hustle.

If you know deep down that you’re meant for more – more income, more impact, more momentum – consider this your personal invite to join us.

Want all the details? Go to susannerieker.com/apply

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