Small Business Startup Essentials

Podcast Episode Outline:Introduction:Tom introduces the episode and guest, Kristina Green, discussing the theme of transitioning from a long corporate career to entrepreneurship.Segment 1: Corporate Roots and the Drive for ChangeTom: Discusses Kristina's extensive corporate background in healthcare administration and asks about the moment she decided to leave.Kristina: Shares her 23-year journey in healthcare, aiming for a COO position before realizing her true calling lay elsewhere. Describes the process of self-reflection that led her to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the desire to work more directly with people and make a significant impact.Segment 2: Family Influence and Entrepreneurial SpiritTom: Inquires if entrepreneurship runs in Kristina's family and how that might have influenced her decision.Kristina: Reflects on her family background, mentioning her father's entrepreneurial ventures in the entertainment industry and her mother's stable 9-to-5 job. Explains how witnessing both parents' paths helped shape her views on work and stability.Segment 3: Challenges of Corporate Life and TransitionTom: Asks about the specific challenges faced in the corporate world that pushed Kristina towards entrepreneurship.Kristina: Discusses the mental and physical toll of her corporate job, including dealing with various leadership styles and how these experiences honed her values and decision to pursue a more fulfilling path.Segment 4: Stepping into EntrepreneurshipTom: Queries about the logistics of Kristina's transition from a secure corporate job to starting her own business.Kristina: Describes leaving her job to consult in healthcare and gradually building her career strategy coaching business. Emphasizes the importance of leveraging her existing network to secure early clients and the initial struggles with imposter syndrome.Segment 5: Managing Business ChallengesTom: Discusses the unpredictability of entrepreneurial income and client management.Kristina: Offers strategies for managing financial instability, such as planning ahead and setting clear boundaries. Highlights the importance of passion in overcoming low periods and maintaining motivation.Segment 6: Ideal Client and EmpowermentTom: Asks Kristina to define her ideal client and how she assists them.Kristina: Focuses on mid-career women looking to pivot or advance their careers. Discusses her role in helping clients recognize their value and navigate career transitions effectively.Segment 7: Overcoming Imposter SyndromeTom: Seeks advice from Kristina on dealing with imposter syndrome when entering new roles.Kristina: Shares personal coping strategies and the importance of focusing on internal affirmations rather than external doubts.Conclusion:Tom: Wraps up the interview by thanking Kristina for her insights and asks how listeners can contact her for coaching or advice.Kristina: Provides her contact details and expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share her story, hoping it inspires others in their entrepreneurial journeys.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Accelerator CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Episode SummarySegment 1: Debunking High-Cost MythsTom addresses the common misconception that expensive tools are necessary for success.He shares his perspective on why starting with high-cost solutions like ClickFunnels and HubSpot might not be the best approach for beginners.Segment 2: The Low-Budget AdvantageExplanation of the benefits of starting with more affordable tools.Tom discusses how these tools require more creativity and effort but are financially sensible before making significant profits.Segment 3: Essential Tools for Starting OutTom introduces his personal list of critical, low-budget tools and functions that have proven essential in his business journey.Discussion on the importance of each tool and how they contribute to business efficiency and growth.Tool Highlights:1.    LinkedIn Pro:Importance of the 'Who Viewed My Profile' feature for networking and business development.Tips on subscribing to the job seeker level to save costs. 2.    Custom Email:The necessity of having a professional email linked to your domain for credibility. 3.    ChatGPT Pro:Benefits of faster response times in the Pro version to save time and enhance productivity. 4.    Canva Pro:How Canva Pro offers high-quality graphic design templates and tools, suitable even for those without a graphic design background. 5.    Loom Pro:Advantages of the Pro version of Loom for creating longer, more professional videos.6.    Elementor Pro:Features of Elementor Pro for advanced web page building and the added functionalities like form redirections.7.    DocuSign:Importance of DocuSign for professionalizing client conversion processes.8.    Yoast SEO Pro:The value of the Pro version for enhancing website SEO and driving organic traffic.9.    Wordfence Pro:Discusses the security features of Wordfence Pro, emphasizing its role in protecting websites from hacking and malware.Segment 4: Practical Application and AccessibilityTom explains how each of these tools fits into the day-to-day management of an online business.Tips on how to effectively use these tools to maximize their potential without prior IT knowledge.Conclusion:Tom encourages listeners to consider these tools as part of their foundational setup for an online business.He emphasizes the importance of starting simple and scaling up as the business grows and revenues increase.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Accelerator CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Introduction: In this insightful episode of the "Solopreneur Success Path" Podcast, Tom Clairmont dives into the unconventional path of becoming a Solopreneur, highlighting why deviating from the norm can be a formidable yet rewarding endeavor.Discussion Points:1.     Challenging Norms: Tom discusses the traditional job pathway—securing a stable job, progressing gradually, and aiming for retirement—as the accepted norm in society. He contrasts this with the Solopreneur's journey, which is inherently filled with risks and driven by personal dreams and ambitions.2.     The Catalyst for Change: Tom shares his personal tipping point which pushed him towards entrepreneurship. Faced with frustrating corporate changes and unfulfilling job prospects, his move was sparked not by a positive vision but from a desire to escape a negative work environment. This, Tom explains, is a common trigger for many who venture into Solopreneurship.3.     The Reality of Starting Out: Initial challenges are abundant—working without pay, enduring setbacks, and slowly building credibility. Tom stresses the importance of identifying a target audience and refining a business offering, which are crucial for gradual success.4.     Achieving Success: Over time, with the right strategy and persistence, solopreneurs can start seeing substantial income, altering the perception of friends and family who might have once doubted their path.5.     Community and Support: Tom emphasizes that although being a solopreneur might feel isolating, there is a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who offer support, guidance, and validation. Networking within these groups can provide essential strategies and clarity.6.     Advice for Aspiring Solopreneurs: Concluding the episode, Tom advises listeners to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams with a clear plan and strategy. Learning from others' mistakes and successes can significantly streamline one's journey towards becoming a successful solopreneur.Conclusion: Tom reassures listeners that stepping out of the conventional career path to start something of their own is not just about financial gain but fulfilling personal growth and achieving freedom. While it might seem daunting initially, the journey of a solopreneur is one of transformation and profound personal achievement.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Accelerator CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Episode SummaryIn this episode of the Solopreneur Success Path, host Tom Clairmont delves into the top five challenges (your list might be different) that solopreneurs face in 2024. Drawing from his extensive experience and conversations with numerous solopreneurs, Tom offers insights and practical advice on navigating these common struggles.1 Failing vs. Being Wrong: Tom emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between failure and making mistakes. He encourages solopreneurs to adopt a positive mindset, learn from their mistakes, and view setbacks as opportunities for growth.2 First Year Success: Tom addresses the myth of immediate success for first-time solopreneurs. He shares his own journey, highlighting the importance of adjusting expectations, being patient, and embracing the learning curve during the initial year of business.3 Short-term vs. Long-term Decisions: Tom discusses the balance between making short-term gains and building a solid long-term foundation. He advises solopreneurs to be mindful of their decisions and to focus on establishing a sustainable business model.4 Wearing Too Many Hats: Tom acknowledges the overwhelming nature of managing various aspects of a business alone. He suggests practical solutions like hiring part-time help or retaining specialists to alleviate the burden and maintain focus on core strengths.5 Maintaining a Positive Mindset: Tom underscores the significance of a positive outlook in overcoming isolation and uncertainty. He shares his personal strategies, such as regular meet-and-greet sessions and daily walks, to stay motivated and inspired.Tune in to this insightful episode to gain valuable tips and strategies for overcoming the common struggles of solopreneurs in 2024.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Accelerator CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Summary: In this episode of the Solopreneur Success Path, host Tom Clairmont welcomes Kayla McGuire, a seasoned strategic advisor and project management coach based in Bentonville, Arkansas. Kayla is the founder of Kayla McGuire Consulting, where she has dedicated over 15 years to helping entrepreneurs launch and scale their startups.Kayla shares her journey from being a project manager in a tech startup to becoming a successful freelancer. She discusses the pivotal moments that led her to start her own consulting business in 2020, including the challenges she faced and how she leveraged her skills to overcome them.Tom and Kayla dive into the essentials of project management, emphasizing the importance of communication, collaboration, and leadership. Kayla highlights how modern project management tools and AI are transforming the industry, allowing project managers to focus more on strategic and human-centric skills.Kayla also talks about her contributions to the book Executing Excellence, co-authored by ten project managers, and how LinkedIn has been instrumental in her career. She provides insights into her approach to coaching aspiring project managers and entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the complexities of freelancing and business growth.As the episode wraps up, Kayla shares her vision for the future of her business, aiming to expand her coaching services and continue supporting small business founders. Listeners are encouraged to connect with Kayla on LinkedIn or through her website for further insights and guidance.Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn more about the dynamic world of project management and the path to becoming a successful solopreneur.Kayla McGuire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylamcguire/Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Accelerator CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Summary:Welcome to another episode of the "Solopreneur Success Path" podcast!Today, we're joined by Ami Hendrickson, a renowned author coach from Southwest Michigan.Ami specializes in guiding thought leaders through the intricate process of writing books that truly resonate and reflect their expertise. With a background in ghostwriting, screenwriting, and stage play writing, Ami has shifted her focus towards empowering new authors with simple, effective strategies for crafting polished manuscripts.Throughout her career, Ami has helped numerous clients become bestselling authors. Her approach demystifies the often overwhelming process of writing, making it an enjoyable journey for aspiring authors. Whether you've been told you should write a book, or have a burgeoning idea you're eager to manifest on paper, Ami is the expert you'd want to guide you through this creative expedition.In today's conversation, Ami shares her transition from writing and teaching to becoming a mentor who teaches others to excel in writing. She delves into the philosophy that teaching someone to write allows them to create indefinitely, rather than continually depending on ghostwriters. Ami's passion for teaching shines through as she explains how empowering others to write enriches their understanding and ownership of their work, making every word authentically theirs.Join us as Ami discusses her unique path from personal writing projects to becoming a beacon for those looking to make their mark in the literary world. Her insights are invaluable for anyone standing at the threshold of their writing journey, hesitant about the first steps but eager to tell their story.Why You Should ListenIf you're on the verge of writing a book or have contemplated it for a while, this episode with Ami Hendrickson is a must-listen. Her expertise not only simplifies the complex world of book writing but also inspires with practical tips that turn daunting tasks into manageable projects.Ami's approach helps listeners understand that with the right guidance, the journey of writing a book can be as fulfilling as the outcome. Tune in to demystify the writing process and discover how you can start penning down your thoughts with clarity and confidence today!Ami Hendrickson Contact Info:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ami-hendrickson/Tom Clairmont Contact Info:Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

SummaryIn this compelling episode of the "Solopreneur Success Path" podcast, host Tom Clairmont has an insightful conversation with Saarim Asady, a standout LinkedIn strategy coach.Saarim shares the intriguing tale of how he pivoted from running a marketing business to mastering LinkedIn, emphasizing techniques to maximize its use without costly tools like Sales Navigator or paid ads.Saarim's entrepreneurial spirit shines through as he recounts his journey, starting with his early business ventures at just nine years old and evolving into a passionate digital marketer by his university years. His story is filled with candid moments of challenges and breakthroughs, offering listeners an authentic glimpse into the life of a persistent entrepreneur who transformed setbacks into learning opportunities.Listeners will find great value in Saarim's practical advice on leveraging LinkedIn to gain clients and grow a business effectively. His approach is not just about professional networking; it's about creating meaningful connections and content that resonates with his audience.Saarim's narrative is not only motivational but also a testament to the power of believing in oneself and relentlessly pursuing one's goals. His personal anecdotes and professional tips combined make this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to enhance their LinkedIn strategy or seeking inspiration to pivot in their career path.Saarim Adady LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saarim-asady/ Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/solopreneur-success-path/exclusive-content

Overview:In this episode, Tom Clairmont talks with Susan Shier, founder of Shier Impact, which focuses on back office administration and organization for small businesses. With a career spanning nearly four decades in administrative roles, Susan shares her journey from working in large corporations like IBM and Hewlett Packard to launching her own venture that helps business owners streamline their operations.Key Discussion Points:Background and Experience: Susan details her extensive background in administrative roles within major corporations. Her career is marked by a passion for creating order from chaos, which she has seamlessly transitioned into her own business, leveraging her skills to provide clarity and structure for small businesses.Transition to Entrepreneurship: The pivotal moment in Susan's career came when she was laid off from Hewlett Packard. This setback prompted her to reevaluate her career path and consider entrepreneurship. Initially, Susan took on small, part-time jobs to make ends meet, which eventually illuminated the potential of turning her skill set into a full-time business.Business Evolution: Susan's business, initially named "Peace of Mind Assistance," started with a focus on lifestyle management but eventually shifted back to her roots in administrative work. She discusses the evolution of her services and the realization that her core competencies in back office tasks were most valuable to her clients.Challenges and Adjustments: Navigating the shift from employee to business owner was not without challenges. Susan discusses the mental and emotional hurdles she faced, including dealing with depression and anxiety. The support from a life coach and a strong personal network helped her gain the confidence needed to push her business forward.Future Plans: Looking ahead, Susan is content with the current scale of her business but is open to developing digital products to reach a broader audience. Her goal is to continue providing high-level executive assistance while possibly expanding her educational offerings through online courses.Conclusion: Susan Shier's story is a testament to the resilience and adaptability required to transition from a traditional corporate role to entrepreneurship. Her journey underscores the importance of leveraging personal strengths and experiences to fill a niche in the market, providing valuable insights for anyone considering a similar path.Susan Shier's Contact Info:LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanshier/Website: https://go-simple.me/Tom Clairmont Website: www.tomclairmont.comSolopreneur Success Plan Online CourseReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Overview:In this episode, Tom Clairmont talks with Jacqueline Ndong, a former corporate support manager at Citrix who transitioned into a career coach based in Milan, Italy.Jacqueline shares her journey from the corporate world to launching her own business as a career coach specializing in empowering women to achieve professional success.Key Discussion Points:1.    Career Background: 2.    Jacqueline recounts her time as a support manager at Citrix, where she excelled in her role but felt limited in opportunities to help her team grow. Despite enjoying her job and achieving success, she experienced a growing dissatisfaction with the corporate restrictions on employee development. 3.    Transition to Entrepreneurship: 4.    Her pivot to career coaching was driven by a desire to focus more on people rather than technical aspects of her job. Jacqueline wanted to assist other women in navigating the challenges she faced in a male-dominated industry. The decision to leave Citrix came after the company underwent a merger, providing her with a natural exit point. She meticulously planned her departure, including financial preparations and leveraging company layoffs to negotiate a favorable exit package.5.    Building a New Career:6.    Jacqueline detailed her strategic approach to becoming a career coach, which involved saving money, obtaining necessary certifications, and hiring a coach to guide her transition. This preparation allowed her to leave her corporate job confidently and start her coaching business with a clear focus on aiding professional women.7.    Challenges and Adjustments:8.    Starting a new business brought challenges, including managing work-life balance and overcoming self-doubt. Jacqueline emphasizes the importance of having a support system, particularly highlighting the support from her husband, which was crucial during her transition and ongoing entrepreneurial journey.9.    Advice for Others:10. For those contemplating a similar move, Jacqueline advises thorough self-assessment to understand personal motivations and unhappiness in current roles. She stresses the importance of planning and not rushing the transition, highlighting that understanding one's strengths and having a financial safety net are vital.Conclusion:Jacqueline's story is a testament to the power of strategic planning and the pursuit of passion. Her experience underscores the importance of preparing both financially and emotionally for significant career changes and the value of support systems in navigating such transitions.Her journey from a successful corporate manager to a fulfilled career coach offers valuable insights for anyone looking to make a similar shift.Jacqueline Ndong on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinendong/Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Episode Summary:Overview: In this engaging podcast episode, the host, Thomas, deviates from his usual format of interviewing individuals who have left the corporate world to start their businesses. Instead, he introduces Gabor Stramb, a program manager from the UK who is in the process of building his exit from his current corporate role in the oil, gas, and telecom industries.Key Discussion Points:Gabor's Background and Current Role: Gabor works as a program manager and in his spare time, helps individuals prepare for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam. He has developed a significant following through his newsletter, boasting 7,000 subscribers.Journey to PMP Certification: Gabor discusses his challenging path to obtaining PMP certification, which took three years and multiple attempts. His experience of failing the exam initially and then successfully devising a method to pass within eight weeks has led him to mentor others through his unique approach.Developing the Side Hustle: The conversation explores how Gabor began his side business unintentionally, which blossomed as he started to teach others how he passed the PMP exam. His approach emphasizes efficiency, promising certification preparation within eight weeks.Newsletter Growth and Strategy: Gabor elaborates on how he grew his newsletter audience rapidly within a year, highlighting his impressive open rate of 47%. He credits his success to targeted content that resonates with project managers and aligns with professional standards, rather than pursuing a broad, unfocused approach.Balancing Corporate Life and Side Hustle: Gabor and Thomas discuss the challenges of managing a demanding job and a growing side business, emphasizing the importance of structured time management and strategic planning. Gabor's method involves meticulous scheduling and prioritization, ensuring he maintains balance across his professional and personal life.Future Plans and Exit Strategy: Looking forward, Gabor shares his aspirations to eventually transition fully from his corporate role to his entrepreneurial venture, aiming to establish himself as a trusted authority in project management. He plans to leverage platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube to expand his influence and subscriber base.Conclusion: The episode closes with reflections on the personal and professional transformations that come with building a side business. Both speakers share insights on the potential and pitfalls of such endeavors, providing listeners with both inspiration and practical advice on navigating their paths from corporate roles to independent business ownership.Gabor Stramb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabor-stramb/Online Calendar: https://calendly.com/gabor_stramb/Tom Clairmont's Website: www.tomclairmont.comReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Episode Summary: Today, I'm excited to dive into a topic that's been on my mind lately: why I decided to hire a LinkedIn coach. You see, I've been on LinkedIn for years, but I never really tapped into its full potential until recently.It all started when I realized that despite my tech background and knack for DIY, there were certain areas where I could use some expert guidance. After researching various LinkedIn experts, I stumbled upon one whose content really resonated with me. I booked a free strategy session, and after chatting with him and seeing his track record, I was sold.Now, I'll be honest, the cost gave me pause at first. But after weighing the potential return on investment and consulting with my wife, we decided to take the plunge. And let me tell you, it's been one of the best decisions I've made for my business.Since enrolling in the coaching program, I've seen incredible growth in my LinkedIn presence and overall business. The personalized strategy, ongoing support, and practical guidance have been invaluable.So, why am I sharing this with you? Because I want you to know that seeking expert help isn't a sign of weakness—it's a smart business move. Whether it's LinkedIn coaching or support in another area, investing in specialized guidance can supercharge your growth and open up new opportunities.So, as you navigate your own entrepreneurial journey, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Trust me, it can make all the difference. Thanks for tuning in, and until next time, keep chasing those business dreams!Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, Tom Clairmont dives deep into the vital topic of client acquisition and the essential systems for achieving it. Focused on streamlining processes, Tom shares his insights and personal experiences in incorporating effective systems into his business, aiming to guide listeners toward more efficient client acquisition strategies.Tom begins by demystifying marketing funnels for newcomers, explaining the "know, like, trust, try, buy" process. He emphasizes the importance of flooding the top of the funnel with targeted prospects to ensure a smoother transition through the funnel stages, detailed by the acronyms TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU. Tom stresses the need for a client attraction system, client conversion system, and client nurturing system, intricately woven into the business's foundation, to facilitate this journey.Highlighting content creation's critical role in attracting clients, Tom insists on a clear understanding of the target audience to ensure the marketing funnel is filled with qualified prospects. He shares practical tips on website design, leveraging SEO with the Yoast plugin, and optimizing LinkedIn profiles to enhance visibility and attract the right audience.Tom provides a detailed walkthrough of his strategies for LinkedIn, including profile optimization using Canva Pro, engaging posts, and targeted connection invites based on event participation. He also discusses leveraging webinars, podcasts, and email marketing to funnel potential clients into the engagement process.As listeners move through the middle part of the funnel, the client conversion system comes into play, aiming to transform observers into potential clients. Tom shares his approach to building trust and authority through complimentary Zoom calls, offering a glimpse into his training program and onboarding process, facilitated by tools like DocuSign to streamline the signup process.Finally, Tom addresses the client nurturing system, focusing on delivering exceptional value to create "raging fan customers" and encourage referrals, thus bypassing the traditional marketing funnel. He outlines options for clients to engage with his services at various levels, from online training videos to comprehensive training programs, with opportunities for upgrades and continued engagement through monthly retainers.This episode is not just a guide but a comprehensive blueprint for small business owners and solopreneurs aiming to establish or refine their client acquisition systems. Tom encourages listeners to reach out for his ebook or connect with him directly for more in-depth insights and assistance.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur Success PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

I just wanted to explain why I'm doing a slight rebrand for the Show and how I wanted the front line image to reflect better with the content of the Podcast.The core aspect of the Podcast will stay the same. Thanks for listening and your continued support and encouragement along the way.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, host Tom Clairmont delves into the critical aspect of income goals in the entrepreneurial journey. Here's a summary of the key points and insights covered in this episode:Importance of Clear Income Goals: Tom emphasizes the significance of setting clear income objectives in the entrepreneurial journey. These goals serve as essential markers to measure progress and prevent complacency.Mindset of Proactive Growth: Setting income goals is not an act of greed but a proactive mindset for solopreneurs. Success in business requires continuously pushing forward and adapting to an ever-changing landscape.Avoid Complacency with Stable Income: While stable income is an achievement, Tom cautions against complacency. Solopreneurs should not rely solely on a single substantial client for their income, as it can lead to vulnerability if the client's circumstances change.Continue Striving for Growth: Solopreneurs should maintain their drive and urgency to secure new clients continually, even when they have stable income. Tom encourages a mindset of ongoing growth and expansion.Consider Hiring a Virtual Assistant: To free up time for strategic activities and avoid over-reliance on a single client, Tom suggests considering hiring a virtual assistant. Delegating lower-level tasks can enhance efficiency and business growth.Embrace Holistic Growth: Growth should encompass various aspects of life, including emotional, health-related, and overall well-being. Solopreneurs should continuously review, modify, and improve their goals, remaining in a state of continuous learning.Invest in a Virtual Assistant: Despite the challenges in finding the right virtual assistant, Tom believes that this investment is instrumental in maintaining momentum and achieving consistent progress in a solopreneur's journey.Avoid Self-Sabotage: Tom's powerful message to solopreneurs is to avoid self-sabotage and keep moving forward. Constant growth and momentum are essential, even during periods of financial success.This episode serves as a reminder that success in entrepreneurship is not solely financial but encompasses various facets of life. Solopreneurs should strive for growth in all areas, continuously adapt to change, and remain proactive in their pursuit of success.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, your host, Tom Clairmont, explores the challenges of being a solopreneur and the constant quest for making business operations easier without compromising quality. Tom introduces a lead magnet he created called "The Tools We Use," which provides valuable insights into online tools he personally uses in the business startup process.Tom acknowledges the perpetual need for new tools, especially in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. He shares his recent experiences with using Chat GPT, highlighting how it's become an indispensable tool for generating content and fulfilling various roles within his business.Tom goes on to discuss specific scenarios in which he has utilized Chat GPT. From transforming podcast transcripts into engaging summaries to crafting website content, generating lead magnet ideas, and even exploring children's book concepts, Tom showcases the versatile applications of AI-powered content generation.Additionally, he emphasizes the growing role of virtual assistants, made more efficient by AI tools, in small businesses. Tom encourages listeners to leverage these technologies to streamline their operations and enhance productivity.Throughout the episode, Tom emphasizes the importance of embracing AI tools, such as Chat GPT, as valuable resources to simplify and enhance business processes. He invites listeners to share their own experiences and questions related to AI tools by emailing him at tom@tomclairmont.com.As the episode concludes, Tom leaves his audience with a sense of empowerment, reinforcing that AI is a valuable ally in the entrepreneurial journey, simplifying tasks and expanding possibilities.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this podcast episode, Tom Clairmont takes on the myths and misconceptions surrounding launching an online business later in life, sharing valuable insights and debunking common misconceptions. Here's a summary of the key points covered:·       Age Is Just a Number: Tom emphasizes that age should not deter anyone from pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. Regardless of age, there's ample time to achieve success, and opportunities are not limited by a narrow time frame.·       Risk and Financial Stability: Tom challenges the belief that starting something new later in life is riskier. He argues that having financial stability and resources accumulated over the years can actually reduce the risk associated with launching a new venture.·       Tech Savviness Isn't a Must: Tom dispels the myth that one needs to be a tech guru to succeed online. With the abundance of tech resources, courses, and virtual assistants available, lack of tech expertise should not hold anyone back.·       Cost of Starting: Tom highlights that starting an online business or podcast doesn't have to be costly. There are affordable options, including freelancers and AI tools, making it accessible to those on a budget.·       Building Speed: The speed of building a business depends on available resources and goals. Tom emphasizes that it's possible to start small and grow over time, dispelling the notion that it will take too long to establish a business.·       Action and Decision-Making: Tom encourages taking action and making decisions, emphasizing that the fear of making the wrong choice shouldn't deter aspiring entrepreneurs. Mistakes are part of the journey and provide valuable lessons.·       The Right Mindset: Tom acknowledges that not everyone is cut out for entrepreneurship. It requires motivation, decisiveness, resilience, and belief in oneself. Without the right mindset, success can be elusive.Listeners are left with a clearer understanding that age should not be a barrier to pursuing entrepreneurial dreams. Tom's insights challenge common myths and offer a fresh perspective on starting an online business later in life.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, Tom Clairmont reflects on being 60 years old and facing the timeless struggle of having numerous ideas and dreams but limited time and focus to pursue them.He recounts a recent conversation with an old coach who shared similar struggles. Living in a land of opportunities and embracing capitalism can lead to the belief that success in one area can lead to success in all areas, which isn't necessarily true.Tom discusses the overwhelming influx of creative ideas and the challenges of being a solo entrepreneur with limited hours in a day. They touch on the fear of missing out when witnessing others' success in different areas.Tom emphasizes the importance of strategic prioritization, taming the creative mind, and focusing on one venture at a time while keeping other ideas in a journal for future exploration.He encourages listeners to enjoy the journey, recognize that success goes beyond wealth, embrace patience, and stay open to new opportunities. The key takeaway is that mastering one venture before moving to the next is often the path to genuine success and life fulfillment.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

We're talking about the crucial first step in building your online business foundation: having a clear vision. But you know what's equally important? Turning that vision into a reality.Why This Information Is So Important:Look, starting a business can be thrilling, but it's also packed with challenges, especially when you're taking the plunge later in life. Your vision is like your guiding star, but transforming it into a workable plan can feel like navigating uncharted waters. That's why this episode matters.Why You Should Absolutely Tune In:Setting Clear Goals: You'll discover why it's essential to break those big, audacious goals into manageable steps. I'll share how to prioritize them and even add a bit of urgency to keep you on track. Trust me; this can make all the difference.Overcoming Procrastination and Distraction: Who hasn't battled procrastination and distractions? I've been there too. I'll reveal some strategies to tackle these productivity killers head-on so you can stay focused and get things done.Lack of Planning: Planning is your roadmap to success. But not just any plan; it needs structure. I'll talk about why having daily and weekly goals, plus a to-do list that's actually doable, is crucial. Keeping it simple is my mantra, and I'll explain why.Information Overload: We're in the age of information overload. I recently did a little test with Google, and trust me, it can get overwhelming. I'll share how to cut through the noise, find reliable info, and avoid drowning in data.Maintaining Motivation: Let's face it, motivation can be sky-high when you start, but it often fizzles out. I'll talk about finding your "why" and keeping that fire burning, even when the going gets tough. It's all about visualizing your success.So, if you're thinking about launching a business, especially if you're a bit further down the road of life, this episode is your go-to guide. It's packed with real-world advice and solutions to help you navigate the tricky terrain of turning your vision into a thriving reality. Don't miss it!Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Hey there, it's Tom Clairmont, and welcome back to the Small Business Startup Essentials show. Today, we're diving into a topic that's becoming increasingly challenging in the digital age: maintaining focus and productivity, especially for home-based businesses like mine.If I'm grappling with these distractions, chances are, you are too.As time goes on, we're bombarded with more and more distractions. Our phones, the internet, and social media are just a few culprits. I've found that to stay on track, I have to power down my phone or put it out of reach.I even have to close my email and limit TV time to meal breaks. Otherwise, productivity takes a nosedive, and my to-do list goes haywire, especially on Mondays.Social media deserves special mention because it's designed to be addictive. Even though I'm not a fan of many platforms myself, I know people who struggle with constant social media engagement.With a home-based business, discipline and focus are vital to staying productive because time flies, and if we're not careful, we'll wonder where it all went.I've started incorporating exercise into my routine, which, while great for health, adds an unexpected layer of fatigue to my day. But there are other reasons distractions creep in.When you work from home, there's a built-in distraction—the comfort of your surroundings. It's easy to get lost in the view or other non-essential tasks.Working from home also means less external structure and accountability. Procrastination can creep in, and it's tempting to put things off. Meetings with clients can sometimes spiral into unproductive discussions, and self-accountability often takes a back seat.It's not meant to be discouraging, but I wanted to share my struggles because I believe in keeping it real.Recognizing these challenges upfront can help you prepare better and establish the discipline and structure needed for a successful home-based business.Let's tackle these issues head-on because they're not likely to get easier in the future.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Today I have with me author, co founder and Chief Technology Officer of Yembo, Zach Rattner. Zach recently wrote a book called Grow Up Fast.I recommend this book to anyone that's thinking of launching a startup or maybe already launched one and need some guidance on how to navigate through the process.Zach currently lives in San Diego CA with his wife and family and has some good insight for us on making that transition out of the Corporate environment to having a successful business.Author's Playbook Online Course Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this powerful podcast episode, Tom passionately addresses the common barriers that hold people back from pursuing their dreams and taking action.He urges listeners to overcome the habit of waiting for the "right" conditions, such as the perfect time or economy, and instead emphasizes the significance of embracing the present moment.Tom explores the negative 'what if' thoughts that often plague individuals, such as fear of failure and lack of support, and provides practical insights on how to shift towards a more positive mindset.By challenging listeners to be their own biggest fans and advocates, Tom empowers them to break free from self-doubt and gain the confidence needed to take decisive steps towards their goals.The episode is especially important to listen to because it highlights the value of individual uniqueness and the importance of sharing one's experiences, expertise, and talents with the world.Tom emphasizes that there is no need to compare oneself to others, as each person possesses something special to contribute.Furthermore, Tom emphasizes the sense of urgency in taking action, given the increasingly chaotic state of the world. He encourages listeners to step up, speak out, and make a positive impact, even if they don't feel fully prepared or confident.The message is clear: the time to start is now, and there is an abundance of resources and support available to help individuals along their journey.In conclusion, this episode serves as a powerful motivational call-to-action, inspiring listeners to shed their inhibitions, embrace their unique abilities, and start making a difference in their lives and the world around them.It instills a sense of empowerment, reminding listeners that they have the capability to achieve their aspirations and contribute meaningfully to society.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this podcast episode, Tom delves into the challenges faced by new entrepreneurs when seeking advice from various sources in today's information age.He highlights the diversity of perspectives and the lack of a one-size-fits-all formula for success. Tom emphasizes the importance of trying different approaches and learning from failures, as well as the subjectivity of what constitutes the "right way" to do things.Tom discusses the allure of high-priced online marketing tools and platforms, citing examples like Kajabi, Hubspot, and Clickfunnels.He acknowledges their potential benefits but cautions against diving in without a solid foundation, as many entrepreneurs may not be fully prepared to use these tools effectively from the start.The episode offers a low-budget alternative for entrepreneurs interested in marketing their products or services. Tom advocates for setting up a landing page through MailerLite, a cost-effective option that includes email integration.He underscores the importance of putting in the work, whether through a self-driven process or with the assistance of others, to achieve success.Listeners are encouraged to take a slow and steady approach, as Tom draws from his over two decades of business experience. He emphasizes the value of patience, dedication, and the willingness to learn, offering guidance to those who are looking to navigate the entrepreneurial journey with careful consideration and practicality.Why You Should Listen:This episode is essential for aspiring entrepreneurs who are seeking advice on starting a business and navigating the complex world of online marketing tools. Tom's insights shed light on the potential pitfalls of rushing into expensive platforms without a solid plan in place.By sharing his perspective on taking a calculated and budget-friendly approach, Tom empowers listeners to make informed decisions, build a strong foundation, and avoid potential financial risks.The episode provides valuable guidance for individuals who want to embrace a methodical and sustainable path to success in their entrepreneurial endeavors.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, Tom explores the concept of retirement and why he personally has no intention of retiring.The episode delves into various perspectives on retirement and its meaning, particularly in the context of self-employment and entrepreneurship.Tom questions what retirement truly entails, raising the point that retirement often involves ceasing formal work and potentially filling one's days with leisure activities.Drawing from personal experiences, observations of others, and anecdotes, Tom highlights different motivations for not retiring, such as:Financial security and the desire for additional income.Passion for work and the sense of purpose and fulfillment it brings.Continuous professional development and staying relevant in one's field.Social interaction, connections, and networks.Mental stimulation and preventing boredom.The episode emphasizes that some individuals use their retirement time to start personal projects, like podcasts, that align with their hobbies and interests.Tom also addresses the fear of the unknown that retirement can bring, with many people uncertain about how to fill their time once formal work concludes.Why You Should Listen:This episode offers valuable insights into the multifaceted concept of retirement, particularly as it pertains to entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals.By sharing personal experiences and observations, Tom provides listeners with different perspectives on retirement and encourages reflection on their own views.Entrepreneurs and individuals contemplating retirement can benefit from this episode by:Gaining a deeper understanding of the various motivations behind retirement decisions.Exploring how passion for work and personal projects can shape one's post-retirement activities.Recognizing the importance of social interaction, networks, and continuous learning.Overcoming potential fears and uncertainties associated with retirement.Listeners are prompted to consider their own thoughts on retirement and its implications, fostering a thought-provoking conversation about work, purpose, and life beyond formal employment.Whether you're an entrepreneur, a professional, or simply curious about the concept of retirement, this episode offers valuable perspectives and insights to think about for your situation.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, Tom reflects on a crucial decision he made two decades ago that has significantly impacted his financial success.The episode delves into the importance of making informed decisions within the business realm and shares a personal example to illustrate the potential benefits.Tom discusses how he ventured into the world of web services and sought a structured approach to selling products and services online. He highlights his choice to become a reseller through GoDaddy's reseller program, which provided him with an independent dashboard to offer a range of web services and products to clients.This decision allowed Tom to establish his own web services business, offering everything from domain names and hosting to SEO services and SSL security.The episode emphasizes the concept of passive income generated through renewals of products and services. Tom explains how he earned tens of thousands of dollars over a decade by providing clients with ongoing services that required regular renewals.He also explores the idea of affiliate programs as an alternative source of passive income, encouraging listeners to consider such options to enhance their revenue streams.Why You Should Listen:This episode offers a valuable real-life example of how a single decision, in this case, becoming a reseller through GoDaddy, can lead to substantial financial gains over time.Tom's insights highlight the potential of passive income through product and service renewals and affiliate programs, showcasing how individuals can create additional revenue streams that contribute to their financial well-being.Entrepreneurs, business owners, and those interested in generating income online can benefit from this episode by:Gaining insight into the world of web services and reseller programs.Understanding the concept of passive income and how it can provide ongoing financial stability.Exploring the possibilities of affiliate programs as a means of diversifying revenue sources.Learning from a real-world example of a decision that had a positive financial impact.Listeners are encouraged to consider the potential of making strategic decisions that can lead to long-term financial success and to explore avenues for generating passive income within their own business ventures.Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration for building a sustainable and profitable business.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Welcome back to another thought-provoking episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast.This episode's title, 'Wanting Less,' might seem contradictory to the recent episode titled 'Wanting More,' which discussed the benefits of achieving greater financial success and using wealth for societal good.However, in this episode, titled 'Wanting Less,' Tom delves into a different perspective – the mindset of simplification and the advantages of desiring a simpler, less cluttered lifestyle.Tom explores the concept of wanting less and how it applies to the entrepreneurial journey. He emphasizes that 'Wanting Less' isn't about financial gain but about embracing a minimalist approach to business and life.The episode focuses on decluttering both physical and mental spaces, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what truly matters and find clarity amidst distractions.While running a business offers excitement, it also presents challenges, including the potential for distractions. Tom acknowledges the temptation to expand and hire more staff as a business grows, but he shares his personal belief that simplicity is key to happiness.Maintaining Solopreneurship and incorporating streamlined processes and systems can provide freedom and flexibility without unnecessary burdens.Tom guides listeners through striking a balance between building a business and keeping operations lean. He encourages entrepreneurs to embrace systems and procedures to optimize limited time and resources, ensuring efficient task management.The episode underscores the importance of learning to say no to distractions that do not contribute to the core function of the business.Why You Should Listen:This episode offers a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship and business growth – the notion of wanting less to achieve more.Tom's insights shed light on the benefits of a minimalist mindset, emphasizing simplicity and intentional decision-making.Listeners stand to gain:An alternative viewpoint on success, focusing on balance and core functions.Practical strategies for simplifying business operations without sacrificing growth.Guidance on setting up systems and processes to optimize time and resources.Inspiration to reassess priorities, say no to distractions, and stay true to the ultimate goal.Entrepreneurs seeking to enhance efficiency, reduce stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance will find valuable takeaways in this episode.Tom's perspective encourages a mindful approach to business, offering a path towards success through intentional decision-making and a minimalist mindset.Well friend, I really enjoy hearing from you. It's encouraging to hear how this Show is making a difference in people's lives. If you haven't reached out to me yet, I'd really like to hear from you too. Links:Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Welcome back to another inspiring episode of the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast. In this episode titled 'Wanting More,'Tom takes us on a journey through the realm of aspiration and ambition. He explores the idea of pursuing greater fulfillment, making an impact, and achieving personal and societal success through entrepreneurship.Tom opens the episode by prompting listeners to reflect on their desire for something more in life – a burning longing for a meaningful purpose, a craving to make a lasting impact, and a yearning to break free from the mundane routines.While the title may seem in contrast to a previous episode, 'Wanting More' dives deep into the mindset of expansion and how having a business can serve as the gateway to achieving more.The episode challenges the misconception that wanting more is solely driven by greed or profit. Instead, it presents a perspective that wanting more is about pushing boundaries, embracing courage, and nurturing a willingness to dream big.It's a radical yet refreshing take on using entrepreneurship to elevate life's experiences.Tom emphasizes that having a business empowers individuals to chart their own course, shaping their ventures according to their passions and values.He acknowledges the challenges and opportunities that come with this autonomy, highlighting the importance of maintaining focus amidst limitless possibilities.The episode underscores the multifaceted nature of wanting more – it's not only about personal fulfillment and financial freedom but also about making a positive impact on society.Tom shares his experiences of contributing to nonprofit organizations and community initiatives, illustrating how wanting more can lead to giving more.Why You Should Listen:'Wanting More' offers a thought-provoking exploration of the ambitious entrepreneur's mindset and the potential of achieving greatness through business. Tom's insights inspire listeners to:Reflect on their own desires for personal growth, purpose, and impact.Rethink preconceived notions about wanting more, understanding its multifaceted nature.Embrace entrepreneurship as a means to push boundaries, challenge fears, and achieve dreams.Discover the power of giving back to the community and leaving a lasting legacy.Listeners seeking a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship, personal growth, and societal contribution will find valuable insights in this episode.Tom's narrative challenges listeners to reevaluate their ambitions, redefine success, and embark on a journey of growth that extends beyond themselves.LWebsite: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In the episode titled "Who Should You Learn From?" on the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, host Tom Clairmont provides valuable guidance on how to navigate the overwhelming abundance of learning opportunities available in today's digital age. Here's a summary of the key strategies and insights covered in this insightful episode:Define Your Learning Goals and Budget: Tom emphasizes the importance of clarity in setting specific learning objectives and determining a budget. While cost often correlates with value, he advises against equating higher expenses with guaranteed quality.Conduct Detective Work: Tom encourages listeners to research potential mentors and experts thoroughly before making a commitment. This involves examining their expertise, credentials, and track record. Additionally, Tom suggests looking for individuals who consistently create and share valuable content.Seek Authenticity and Relatability: Beyond expertise, Tom highlights the significance of authenticity and relatability when selecting a mentor. It's important to connect with mentors whose journey, challenges, and experiences resonate with you on a personal level. Openness about both successes and failures fosters a genuine connection.Engage with Their Content: Tom recommends immersing oneself in the content produced by potential mentors. This can include listening to podcasts, watching videos, reading blogs, and following their social media posts. Engaging with their content allows you to gauge their communication style and teaching methods.Trust Your Intuition: While research is crucial, Tom acknowledges the role of intuition in decision-making. Listeners are encouraged to trust their gut instincts when evaluating potential mentors. Personal connection and alignment with their teaching style are essential for a successful learning experience.Take a Leap of Faith: Tom advocates for taking a leap of faith and committing to a learning path. He shares the value of trying out short-term options and exploring coaching sessions. Tom recounts his own positive experiences, such as joining a group coaching program and reaping unexpected benefits.Through Tom's expert insights, listeners gain a roadmap for selecting mentors and courses aligned with their aspirations. By applying these practical tips, listeners can confidently navigate the process of choosing the right sources of knowledge for their personal and professional growth."Who Should You Learn From?" equips individuals with the tools to make intentional and impactful learning choices, ensuring they receive genuine value from their chosen mentors and resources. Whether you're seeking business growth, personal development, or skill enhancement, this episode offers actionable strategies to guide you in your learning journey.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In the episode titled "Can an Introvert Be Successful in Business?" on the Small Business Startup Essentials Podcast, host Tom Clairmont conducts a thoughtful exploration of the potential for introverts to excel in the entrepreneurial landscape. Here's a summary of the key points covered in this enlightening episode:Introvert Doubts: Tom begins by acknowledging the common doubts and uncertainties introverts might have about their potential for success in business. He addresses the misconception that business success is reserved exclusively for extroverts.Unique Introvert Qualities: Tom debunks the myth that introverts are hindered in business by highlighting the unique qualities they bring to the table. He clarifies that introversion isn't synonymous with shyness or social awkwardness but involves drawing energy from within and excelling in focused solo work.Strengths of Introverts: Tom identifies several key qualities that introverts often possess, including deep thinking and focus, strong listening and observational skills, thoughtful decision-making, effective communication in writing, the ability to cultivate meaningful relationships, stamina for solo work, and creativity and innovation.Comparing Introverts and Extroverts: Tom dispels the notion that extroverts automatically have an advantage in business. He encourages introverts to recognize their strengths and unique qualities, emphasizing that success in business is attainable regardless of one's introverted or extroverted nature.Influential Introverted Figures: Tom cites examples of influential introverted figures like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Wozniak, showcasing their significant impact on both business and society.Embracing Introverted Qualities: In the motivating conclusion, Tom urges introverted individuals to view their tendencies as strengths and confidently pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations. By embracing their innate qualities, introverts can confidently navigate the path of entrepreneurship and make their mark."Can an Introvert Be Successful in Business?" offers a fresh perspective on the potential of introverts in the business world. Through practical examples, relatable anecdotes, and an encouraging narrative, Tom empowers introverts to embrace their strengths and confidently pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Whether you're an introvert seeking to unlock your potential or someone interested in understanding introverts in business, this episode provides valuable insights and inspiration.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In the episode titled "Why the 'Just Get Started' Advice Is Bad Advice" on the Small Business Startup Essentials Show, host Tom Clairmont engages in a thought-provoking discussion that challenges the conventional wisdom of blindly jumping into business endeavors without a well-defined plan. Here's a summary of the key points covered in this captivating episode:The "Just Get Started" Advice: Tom begins by acknowledging the common advice to "just get started" when embarking on entrepreneurial journeys. He questions whether this advice is truly golden or whether it could lead to missed opportunities and wasted time.The "Launch and Learn" Approach: Tom distinguishes between the "launch and learn" strategy and the potentially problematic "just get started" mentality. The former involves progressing with a basic plan in hand, even without all the answers, and adapting as you go, while the latter suggests blindly leaping into action without thoughtful planning.Personal Reflection: Drawing from his personal experience, Tom reflects on his early entrepreneurial journey. He highlights the importance of having a basic plan in place, even if it's not fully detailed, using his own example of starting in the IT industry and gradually building upon that foundation.Pitfalls of the "Just Get Started" Mindset: Tom discusses the pitfalls of the "just get started" mindset, likening it to sailing without a map or compass. He explains how it can lead to unnecessary setbacks and roadblocks, emphasizing the concept of a "reverse launch," where entrepreneurs backtrack to address foundational issues that should have been resolved from the start.Value of a Well-Thought-Out Plan: Tom underscores the value of a well-thought-out plan as a personal roadmap. He recommends using concise business plans, such as the Business Model Canvas, to guide entrepreneurs through essential categories like customer segments, value propositions, channels, and more.Balancing Planning and Action: Tom emphasizes the balance between planning and action, reminding listeners that experience and data will inform adjustments after the initial launch. He mentions his online course, the 'Solopreneur 90 Day Launch Plan,' as a resource to help entrepreneurs lay a solid foundation and address critical issues.Conclusion: The episode concludes with a call to invest time and effort in creating a robust plan, viewing it as a compass that guides decision-making and ensures clarity in the entrepreneurial journey. Tom encourages listeners to embrace a strategic approach, striking a balance between preparedness and action, and leveraging resources like mind mapping to visualize their path forward."Why the 'Just Get Started' Advice Is Bad Advice" challenges a common narrative in entrepreneurship and offers practical insights and guidance to empower aspiring business owners to make informed choices and navigate the complexities of the entrepreneurial landscape. Whether you're considering launching your own venture or refining your existing approach, this episode provides valuable perspectives on the role of planning in entrepreneurial success.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In the episode "Do You Have a Higher Calling?" from the Small Business Startup Essentials Show, host Tom Clairmont delves into the profound concept of a higher calling and its potential to reshape your entrepreneurial path. Here's a summary of the key points covered in this captivating episode:Exploring a Deeper Purpose: Tom addresses that deep, unshakable feeling within us, suggesting that there's more to life than just the daily grind. He paints a vivid picture of a higher calling—a purpose that aligns with your values, ignites your passion, and allows you to leave a meaningful impact on the world.Defining a Higher Calling: Tom breaks down the concept of a higher calling without being preachy, drawing from his Christian roots and personal experiences. He emphasizes that it's about embracing a purpose that transcends personal gain and resonates deeply with your core beliefs.Creating a Movement, Not Just a Message: Tom's enthusiasm shines through as he discusses the difference between merely sharing a message and igniting a movement. He aspires to start a movement that's larger than life, driven by unwavering passion and capable of influencing the world on a significant scale.Inspiring Lasting Change: Tom encourages listeners to consider whether their message has the potential to be a catalyst for lasting change. He shares his dreams of launching a movement that brings about transformative effects, emphasizing the importance of making a meaningful impact.Recognizing Your Higher Calling: Tom provides relatable insights into recognizing a higher calling within yourself. He encourages listeners to identify ideas and causes that resonate deeply and compel them to take action.Amplifying Existing Ideas: Tom dispels the notion that creating a movement requires entirely new concepts. He illustrates how great leaders often amplify existing ideas with unwavering dedication, creating movements that shape history.The Potential for Transformation: Tom concludes by emphasizing that the potential for a movement lies within each individual. He invites listeners to become a force for positive change, whether by launching a full-fledged movement or by making meaningful contributions in their unique way.This episode offers an inspiring and empowering exploration of purpose, passion, and the transformative impact that individuals can have on the world. Tom's down-to-earth approach, personal anecdotes, and heartfelt encouragement make it a must-listen for anyone seeking fresh perspectives on their entrepreneurial journey and a deeper sense of purpose.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Today, we're diving headfirst into a topic that might leave you scratching your head: "What do you do when there's just too much opportunity to choose from?"Imagine you're at an all-you-can-eat buffet, with a gazillion dishes to try. It's like that in the business world too, with opportunities flying around like crazy. So, let's talk about how to pick the juiciest options without getting overwhelmed.Alright, let's break it down. Picture this: you're in the U.S. – or anywhere really – and there's this smorgasbord of choices spread out before you. It's like a giant theme park of chances and it's both exciting and confusing, right?Here's the thing: we all have different talents and interests. Maybe you're a whiz at multiple things and you're tempted to juggle them all. But hold up, because trying to do everything at once is like spinning too many plates, and sooner or later, they're all gonna crash.I've been there, my friend. I took a pause from podcasting to focus on writing a book. Why? Because I needed a clear lane to sprint in. It's like pressing pause on a game to plot your moves before you jump back in.Guess what? My buddy Mike Kim shared this cool trick with me. He's like the Yoda of business stuff. He told me about this Venn Diagram thingy – three circles that overlap.First, we got the "What gets your blood boiling?" circle – the stuff that really ticks you off. Then there's the "What pulls at your heartstrings?" circle – things that tug your emotions. Last but not least, we got the "What massive problem do you wanna solve?" circle – your superhero mission.Where these circles meet, that's where the magic happens. It's like finding a treasure map to your focus. It's cool because it also gives you the power to say "no" to certain things. Skipping an opportunity isn't a waste, it's like skipping fries to save room for the burger.Here's the deal: the internet's noisy, like a crazy busy market. So, the trick is to stand out in that chaos. How? By zooming in on just one or two things. It's like becoming a champ in a single sport rather than being just "okay" in a bunch.Remember, having lots of interests is rad. But when it comes to business, it's like being Batman – having a few well-chosen gadgets instead of trying to carry every tool in your belt.So, if you're stuck in an opportunity overload, this episode is like your superhero guide. It helps you see through the clutter and pick the gems that'll light your path to success. Keep rockin' on your journey, my friends!Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, Tom Clairmont discusses the common problem of feeling stuck and getting little results in your business. He provides valuable insights on how to overcome this challenge and make significant progress in your entrepreneurial journey. Here are the key takeaways:Evaluate Your Approach: Take a step back and assess your daily routine. Are you simply going through the motions, checking off tasks without a clear purpose or strategy? It's essential to maintain focus on the bigger picture.Avoid Spreading Yourself Too Thin: While ambition is admirable, trying to accomplish too much too soon can lead to burnout and subpar results. Consider the quality of your work rather than the quantity of tasks.Take Breaks and Maintain Focus: Don't underestimate the value of taking breaks to refresh your mind. Sitting in front of a computer all day can diminish your ability to concentrate and produce high-quality work.Set Realistic Goals: Instead of creating lengthy to-do lists, focus on setting smaller, more achievable goals. This can lead to better results as you'll have the energy and focus to complete tasks effectively.Delegate and Outsource: If possible, delegate tasks that others can perform just as well, freeing up your time to concentrate on areas where your strengths lie. Consider hiring an administrative or virtual assistant to handle routine tasks.Repurpose Content: Maximize your efficiency by repurposing content. For instance, create long-form content like podcasts or blog posts and extract smaller pieces for social media, email marketing, and videos. This saves time while maintaining consistency.Prioritize Strengths: Focus on building your strengths rather than attempting to excel in areas where you lack expertise. Leveraging your strengths can lead to more significant results and personal fulfillment.Maintain Efficiency: By optimizing your daily routine and freeing up time, you can invest your efforts in activities that yield better results, such as building relationships, engaging with your audience, or refining your core offerings.Remember that building a business should be an enjoyable journey. By working smarter, not harder, you can achieve better results and maintain your motivation along the way. Consider seeking support through coaching or mentoring if you need help in fine-tuning your approach.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Imposter syndrome is a common and often paralyzing feeling that many entrepreneurs experience at some point in their journey. It's that nagging voice in your head that tells you that you're not good enough or that you're a fraud, especially when you're doing something new or making a significant pivot in your life. The key is to recognize that imposter syndrome is just a feeling, not a reflection of your true worth.Here are some strategies to overcome imposter syndrome and unlock your true potential:Acknowledge and Recognize It: The first step is to acknowledge that you have imposter syndrome. Many people go through it, especially when they are starting something new or outside their comfort zone. Ask yourself why you're procrastinating on tasks you know you should be doing.Believe in Yourself: Confidence is crucial. People with confidence do what they need to do and say what they need to say without struggling. Understand that you are not alone in your journey, and self-doubts are temporary.Prove Yourself: As you gain confidence and expertise in your field, your imposter syndrome will fade. Prove to yourself that you can do what you say you can do. Engage in conversations, offer advice, and see the positive feedback you receive.Celebrate Small Wins: Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. These small victories add up and help boost your confidence. Over time, you'll accumulate evidence that you are indeed capable.Challenge Negative Thoughts: Stop the negative self-talk and challenge those self-doubting thoughts. Remind yourself of your skills and expertise that got you this far.Continuous Improvement: Understand that everyone is a work in progress. You don't need to have everything figured out from the start. You're on the path to progress, and that's what matters.Test the Waters: Find small opportunities to test your abilities. These moments will provide tangible evidence of your capabilities, helping you overcome imposter syndrome.Visualize Success: Imagine yourself succeeding and achieving your goals. Visualization can help build confidence and reduce self-doubt.Positive Self-Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to counteract negative thoughts. Repeat statements that reinforce your abilities and worth.Seek Support: Talk to mentors, friends, or colleagues who can provide encouragement and perspective. Sharing your feelings of imposter syndrome can help alleviate them.Remember that imposter syndrome is a hurdle that many successful individuals have faced and overcome. By recognizing it, challenging negative thoughts, and continually proving your abilities to yourself, you can move beyond imposter syndrome and embrace your true potential.Ultimately, your journey as an entrepreneur is about growth, and imposter syndrome is just one of the challenges you'll encounter along the way. Stay encouraged, follow your dreams, and don't give up. You have what it takes to succeed.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Starting as a solopreneur can be both exciting and overwhelming. When you initially embark on this journey, it's easy to fall into the misconception that you have to do everything by yourself. However, this "solo" mindset can lead to stress and unanswered questions, especially for someone new to the business world.Here are some key points to consider as you navigate the path of a solopreneur:Seek Support: You don't have to go it alone. Consider joining networking groups or organizations like Business Network International (BNI) to connect with others in the business community. These relationships can provide valuable insights, support, and even potential partnerships.Outsource or Delegate: Recognize that you don't need to handle every task yourself. If you lack expertise in certain areas or feel overwhelmed by daily tasks, consider hiring professionals or virtual assistants to help. If you're on a tight budget, you can explore opportunities to work with interns seeking experience.The Ultimate Goal: The concept of being a solopreneur doesn't mean you must handle everything independently. The goal is to have a small, manageable business that you can run from anywhere. This flexibility allows you to create content, connect with clients, work on projects, and develop courses or webinars from any location.Ownership vs. Collaboration: While there's a sense of ownership and control in running your own business, don't let this mindset hinder your progress. Collaboration and seeking assistance can lead to more significant growth. Focusing solely on tasks that matter most for sales and business development is essential.Knowing Yourself: The military training concept of "knowing yourself so you can lead yourself" is valuable for solopreneurs. Self-awareness, including understanding your strengths and weaknesses, can help you make informed decisions about how to run and grow your business effectively.Personality Tests: Consider taking personality tests like Myers/Briggs, DISC, or the enneagram to gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses. This self-awareness can guide you in choosing tasks and roles that align with your natural tendencies.Evolution and Improvement: Keep in mind that personality traits can evolve over time, and you can work on improving different areas. The goal is to leverage your strengths while addressing areas that may need development.Thriving Business and Lifestyle: Ultimately, the aim is to have a thriving business that enhances your life and lifestyle. Your business should provide fulfillment and allow you to live your best life.Remember that the journey of a solopreneur is about finding the right balance between independence and collaboration. Seek the support you need, delegate tasks when necessary, and embrace self-awareness to lead yourself effectively on this entrepreneurial path.If you want to delve further into creating a portable business, you can explore episode 44 of this podcast, which covers the products you'll need to develop for your business.To get started on your online business journey and receive guidance through the process, you can explore options such as the "Solopreneur 90 Day Launch Plan" online course or direct coaching from the speaker. These resources can help you establish a solid foundation for your business launch.In conclusion, stay encouraged, follow your dreams, and persist in your solopreneurial journey. Success awaits those who are determined and adaptable.Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, I was able to interview a long time LinkedIn favorite of mine, John Nemo.I first came across John three years ago and was a regular for his 'Noon with Nemo' webinar sessions.After buying a couple of his books on taking LinkedIn to another level and how to improve my marketing tactics, I started to see real results with my LinkedIn experience and productivity.When people reach out to me and hire me because of LinkedIn, I know that I'm doing something right, and I owe that to John Nemo.So listen in to this episode and get to know John yourself.You can check out his website at: www.nemomediagroup.comLinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirejohnnemo/3:00 The start of his entrepreneurial journey6:00 The mindset issues John started to conquer that were keys to unlocking his success9:45 How he tripled his revenue in one year13:00 How he made his first dollar online14:45 How he started using LinkedIn to build his business16:15 2 tips on how the average user can take LinkedIn to a deeper level22:00 The dead end of LinkedIn groups24:00 The benefits of having LinkedIn Pro26:30 What's next for his writing and possible e-Books28:00 Why he's so big on creating webinars for his marketingWebsite: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.The Author's Playbook online author development course from Dennis Geelen (highly recommended by Tom)www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, we're going to hear from Danielle Jefferson, from Jefferson James Consulting about her transition out of her Corporate job and into having her own business.Listen in on her journey through the ups and downs of the transition and how she worked out a plan for success that works for her but can also work for you as well.8:15 The next step was to take sales training through a course10:45 Why she changed her business model11:50 The mindset stuggles from leaving her job to having her own business13:15 The structure of her online courses that includes personal Coaching15:20 How she obtained her first client16:30 The future of her business18:45 Why she didn't need to pick a niche20:45 Her advice to someone thinking about starting a business Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.The Author's Playbook online author development course from Dennis Geelen (highly recommended by Tom)www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

In this episode, I talk to Dennis Geelen about his journey from working in the Corporate realm to finding himself without a job and creating a new path for his life through starting his own business.3:00 The start of his entrepreneurial journey when he was laid off from his job6:00 The new mindset of ‘What if this works?'9:45 How he was able to get his first clients with his new business12:10 The need to switch the niche until he found something that was a better fit14:30 The transition to becoming an author and how to differentiate themselves16:30 How to pick that specific niche for yourself18:50 His thoughts on volunteering your services to test the niche21:00 His advice for older entrepreneurs on how to promote the business on social media23:50 His influencers through coaching and courses that helped him develop as a business owner/promoter26:35 What's next for Dennis for his businessWebsite: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.The Author's Playbook online author development course from Dennis Geelen (highly recommended by Tom)www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Friends, today, I have with me someone that I find very interesting that I came across on my favorite platform, LinkedIn. Michael J Penney. Michael J. Penney is a proven, battle tested leader.Michael is a combat veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan. He served in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years through 2 wars. But then In March of 2016 he presented at TEDxRaleigh, “What's Your IED: How to Add Value During Life's Explosive Situations”, combining military and personal experiences in an effort to bridge the lives of veterans and civilians.He's also the founder of 5Paragraph.com where he uses his military training and skill sets to help small to medium sized businesses improve their workforce efficiencies through better leadership.You can see Michael do a multi-stream live reading of a classic book from time to time or when he's just trying to make the world a better place and discuss a topic that he's passionate about.You can go to www.5paragraph.com to see his training or coaching information there.·       Michael explains his transition out of the military and going back to school in Boston MA and how Mentors and a business development program helped him with his pitch for his patent and initial product·       Michael explains the development of the concept of using the 5 paragraph operations order and how he made it successful in the business environment.·       He then explains why he started the live streams and his book writing venturesWebsite: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.The Author's Playbook online course (highly recommended by Tom)www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

Friends today I have with us Marc Miller, the best selling author of Repurpose Your Career a Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, Podcast host of the Repurpose your Career Podcast and a huge advocate for assisting older adults to make that later in life transition into a better place for themselves.Marc has a long history of personal career pivots, after his long history with IBM and found that after helping people with their career changes, he found his own passion as well…to start his own business.You can easily find his books on Amazon, but you'll also see him on LinkedIn as well.3:00 How Marc worked through his transition from having a job and being burned out to a ‘half step' into a better place over and over again.5:00 Started his own business ‘Career Pivot' and hired a team5:45 He created a false image of being an extrovert6:15 Rule #1 ‘Know Thyself'7:30 Knowing the balance of what you're good at and what you're not.8:20 Having that personality assessment through Birkman and the benefit of knowing how you behave and how you want to be treated.10:00 Making a lot of money doesn't mean that you'll be happy with what you're doing12:00 Knowing the difference between what you really want to do and what you can do13:00 Getting help through hiring a Coach to reach a higher level of achievement15:45 Getting started by pushing the ‘publish' button for creating content.  16:45 3 tips for success 1- If you're going to fail, fail fast, 2-Always have a Plan B 3- Always learn something from it17:10 How to transition into something totally different21:00 His exit from IBM and taking risks22:00 How he helped assisting those transitioning out of the military27:00 How he helps those that are either close to retiring or already retired but want to continue to be productiveMarc Miller's Website: https://careerpivot.com/Website: www.tomclairmont.comOnline Course: Solopreneur 90 Day Launch PlanReceive weekly tips and perspective emails from Tom on having a professional online business HERE.www.tomclairmont.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-content

I came across mind mapping years ago and it's always helped me to see an overall plan in a great visual way. Always.If you're not familiar with mind mapping, what is it?Well, if you've ever drawn out a diagram on a napkin or piece of paper, that's what I'm talking about, but now, it's in a more modern, computer generated sort of way.A Mind Map is an easy way to brainstorm your thoughts and plans and allows you to visually structure your ideas so you can see from a different angle how your plan will play out.This is great for those that don't retain things well from just black and white print or from reading a business plan.I've also just recently learned that mind mapping is great for those with dyslexia because it's more of a graphical representation of a plan, then textual. The Mind Map is a diagram that visually represents tasks, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central concept.A Mind Map can turn a long list of boring information into a more colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram that works in line with your brain's natural way of doing things.Enter in the Main Topic, Brainstorm your idea or other topics and Create main branches to your topic. Don't worry about the order of the topics.Create Sub-Topics. Elaborate on your topics by creating sub-topics. Make sure to use very short phrases or even single words.And when you use software to make your mind map, you don't run out of “space”, as you tend to do with larger mind maps on paper.Some commercial mind mapping software tools enable you to export your mind map to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Project etc. without re-entering information.You can even use it for better visual presentations or video recordings too. I use Loom to record my videos, and if you use mind map software, you can record the screen as you go over the different sections of the mind map and make your presentation more interesting, instead of using the same old boring PowerPoint.I recently watched a webinar by Ray Edwards and he did this. Just zoomed in to the different branches of his mind map in the video and it made it the webinar a lot easier to watch.So, how else can you use mind mapping.Well, for starters, I use it for pretty much the same topics in my business plan, but in a visual way.The central theme is my business, NET Essentials, and from there, I have all of the main branches of the business:·       Website·       Podcast·       Coaching·       Webinars·       MarketingAnd then, from each one of those main topics, I've got branches of sub-sub topics on the overall details that relate to that topic.For webinars, I've got free and paid webinars (some of this is in the works). But it lays out the plan for the future and I get to move things around.I was just in one of my mind maps a little while ago and I renamed a coaching program that I have because the original one in the mind map didn't work out so well.And if you're into marketing funnels, then mind mapping is probably already part of your marketing plan.You can map out the customer experience and the path you want them to take. Throw in some details about how you want them to feel, through their customer journey if you want.But also, in the marketing realm, you can map out each marketing funnel as well with a diagram for how you're going to move people through the ‘know/like/trust/try/buy' process.Putting it in a mind map using software is a great way to quickly move the details around without the need for 50 color coded sticky notes on the wall (I've done that by the way).And hey, if you're into the 3-4 colored sticky notes and you like the old fashioned way of how you can write on them and move them around on the wall, then that's great. Some people like the old fashioned way. Go ahead. Have fun.But if you're looking for a better way. A more modern way, then there's more than a few software options for you to pick from.I'm sure that if you search for mind mapping software you'll get a lot of results, but just to save you a little time and effort, I'll mention some of the top rated options for you and leave the links in the Show notes as well.I didn't start with Mind Meister, but that's the one I landed on for the last couple of years. After checking out some other competitors, they're basically all pretty much the same when it comes to functionality. The thing that stands out the most is the pricing.90% of them have a free option for you to start with that'll give you 3 mind mapping ‘boards' so to speak. After that, you'll have to upgrade to a paid version.That can go anywhere from $100-200/year.Your needs will vary, but if you really get into using mind maps and share them with your team, then you'll need to get off of the free plan and onto a paid plan.So, Mind Meister's paid plan is $100/year. You can go to www.mindmeister.com Again, I'll leave a link in the Show notes for all the ones I mention here.But other than Mind Meister, you can check out Lucid Park at www.lucidpark.com. If you're into using sticky notes for doing this stuff in the past, this is the place for you. You can put one thought on each virtual sticky note and rearrange them as you'd like. Their upgrade price for an individual is also $100/year, but when it comes to using this for a team, it's about $10 for each team member.Mural is also another option for you. It has a little different look and feel than the others, but you'll just have to check it out for yourself to see what you like or don't like about this option. Their website is www.mural.co and beyond the free version, it's also $10/month per team member.So, I'm really not going to get into the long list of options for you with online mind mapping software. There's just too many of them out there. My intention with this episode was to just get you introduced to the topic if you weren't and to just let you know about what you're looking for with pricing from some of the top options you'll have if you decide to start mind mapping for your business or future plans.Now, do you need this as part of your startup launch? Well, that's up to you, of course. As you already know, you need a clear launch plan. And if doing a mind map helps you to clearly see what the plan is, then go for it.Some people may find that it's a waste of time and others may think that it helps get their thoughts and plans organized better.If you're new to the concept, just take about 30 minutes to check one of these out and see for yourself if it's right for you. Be careful, though, because it could end up taking a huge chuck of time out of your schedule, so only do it if you need to. Only get into mind mapping if it will help you to actually SAVE time or money, somehow.I get nothing out of this if you click on the links and get their services. I have no affiliations with any of these services.If you have questions about mind mapping, send me an email at tom@tomclairmont.com I'll answer the best I can.Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingSign up for Tom's Tips each week through email HERE.Do you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

We all have a past, right? Not something we can forget about or ignore, even if we try. And it's always a mix of all the ups and downs in life. We've probably got more of the downs than we'd like to remember, but, that's life. Some good things. Some very good things, and some not so good things as well. But we can learn from the past. We can take all the good and the bad and use it all for what we want to step into for the next chapter in our lives. Now why would I have this as a topic under the umbrella of starting an online business? How does this topic fit in to that overall theme?It fits (in my opinion) because, as I'm sure you know, in order to start something new, we need to take what we've learned from the past and make our future better.  We can become better people with all that we've learned in the past. We can try things that we've never been able to try in previous life situations or relationships. We have choices on what to do with our past.Your entire past, your actions, results and feelings are all available if we choose to tap into them. So, what can we do with our past? We can:·      Study it·      Replay it·      Generalize it·      Release yourself from it·      Reframe it·      Use itStudy it. Studying the past can be rather difficult for some. Especially if you've had a very rough past. But you're not studying the past to relive the good or bad experiences you've had, you're studying the past to build a mental file of tools and approaches that will help you make new, more informed and yes, even wiser decisions in the future.I did this a few years ago when thinking about how I launched my business back in 2002 and all the struggles I had. This helped me to pivot into a different direction with my business. Replay it. Now, be careful with this one. Replaying a situation is different than just reflecting on it. Try walking back through the situation like you're reliving the situation, (only if it's a healthy one), but now, with the knowledge and perspective that you have after the fact. This replay is going to give you a new perspective and new insight to help you think how you might do something different or better the next time a similar situation happens. For me, on this one, I rethink when I had spent a year as a so called ‘partner' for someone else's business. He was full of lies and tried to rip me off for all he could. I'll never do that again.  Generalize it.The situation in your past might never occur in exactly the same way again. But that doesn't change the value in looking back. By reflecting on the past, we can find common threads…maybe a pattern of behavior that we can learn to avoid for the future. Release yourself from it.There are some things in your past that you may regret or feel guilty about, or wish you would have done differently. I know I have a bunch. But the fact is, however badly you feel, however desperately you wish you could change it, it's in the past. The page has turned. This may mean to forgive others or yourself. Let go of pain or guilt and give yourself the freedom to move forward. Living in the past will keep you stuck in the past. These podcast episodes are to help you to move forward with your dreams. And in order to do that, you'll need to believe in yourself. You won't be able to do that if you're stuck in the past about negative things. Reframe it. Reframing the past is something we can do with the perspective that comes from replaying it and releasing ourselves from it. While we can't change our past, we can reframe the situation to serve us better in the future. Was getting fired a failure or a great learning experience? If could be both, or either one (I can certainly attest to that). The fact is – if you were fired, you were fired. How you frame and use that experience makes all the difference. This isn't about denial or lying to ourselves, but a conscious approach to use our past to help us move closer to our dream of having a successful business.Use it. All of the reflection, study, replay, generalization is of only intellectual (or maybe emotional) value until you do something with the lessons. In the end, the way to “productively learn” from the past is to put those lessons into practice now and in the future. You have a past – all of the events, feelings, emotions and results are sitting in that treasure chest of your brain. I used my trials of starting a business 20 years ago to revamp my current one and to offer coaching and done for you services that will make it easier and faster for others to get started in theirs. And you can do the same. You're a different person than you were then. You know more. You can do more. Use what you've learned to help you move forward. The treasure is there, but you gotta look for it.Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Friends, there are times in our lives when we have to make a decision. We can think about stuff all day long and put things off, but eventually…eventually, we somehow come to the point of ‘I've had enough of this. Something needs to change.' Right?I don't know what it is, sometimes. I don't have a formula for why this happens to me or anybody. But it does.We sit on the sidelines and watch. We listen to others succeed and we wait. We have these thoughts of how we want things to be but we don't act.Why is that? Why do we act this way? Why do we think this way?We're either a player in the game or a spectator.For me, I'd rather be in the game but a lot of times talk myself out of it. So…I end up being a spectator.And sometimes I just over think things. I convince myself that either I can't do it or I shouldn't do it. So, I don't.But then looking back, there are times when I ‘pulled the switch' so to speak. I didn't talk myself out of everything. There are times when I took some risks.I reached a point in working a certain terrible job and I quit. But as you've probably heard in episode 1 of the Podcast, I quit without a plan. And that was a mistake.I should have had a plan in place, not just ‘I don't know what I want, but I know what I don't want' perspective.But for some, planning is part of their psyche. Planning is what they do. That's how they think. That's who they are. My wife and I are making vacation plans again, right now. She's a planner. Research is part of her psyche. She enjoys it.She spent years doing physics research when she came to the US and had that as her identity. But then she found that after assisting in the classroom, her new love. The love of teaching. But she never would have found out if she hadn't tried something different and left her comfort zone.I love doing this Podcast. But a few years ago, I never would have thought that I could do such a thing and that it would take off around the world the way it has.But I stepped out of my comfort zone and bought a USB low end professional grade mic and gave it a shot.Why was this out of my comfort zone? I didn't like the way my voice sounded and didn't think that it was good enough.But, after seeing and hearing what others thought of the Show, I kept going. And I'm glad I did.Did I wing it this time? No. I worked out a plan for the Show. I did some research.·       Target audience·       Show name·       Logo·       Content·       Hosting·       Hardware·       Software·       PromotionYou get the picture.And I found that it was very doable on a low budget. Whatever I didn't know, I could learn.So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and stepped into a new direction for my business that I didn't anticipate when I revised my business plan 2 years ago.But if I had just sat on this idea and only thought about it, I wouldn't have a thriving, growing, influential Show like I have today.If I had just stopped with the planning process, all I'd have was a good plan. What good is that?And I keep bumping into people that are really into planning. They're really good at it. But they stop with that. And they can't get past that.They don't use the plan.What good is a plan if you don't use it?And I was just talking to someone recently that had this problem. He was stuck in the planning stage. He knew what he wanted and he had a vision for his future and how he wanted his life to be, but he has a hard time implementing.I don't know if it's a fear of failure or a fear of success. I can't figure it out.But planning feels like you're doing something productive, right?Planning is actually doing something. And we feel safe planning. We don't have to commit to anything when we plan.But this episode is about ‘Doing Something Now'. It's about taking action. And I'm just going to refer to this as DSN for short.You see, far too many people are stuck in planning mode and they're not implementing the plan. So you have an idea. And that's great. And you have a plan, and that's great. But what's the date for implementing the plan? When is it going to stop being just a plan.You know you want this ‘thing' that you're planning. Maybe it's an online business or a Podcast. Maybe it's something else. You know you want it. You say you want it. You think about it all the time.So when is the date?DSN is hard sometimes, isn't it? It's a new path. A new direction. But also possibly a new future. A better future. If you want that gift, you have to reach out and take it.Take control. Take control of the plan and stop letting the plan control you.Take a risk. And..is it really all that big of a risk after all? Are we talking up and move and quit your job sort of risk? Is it an ‘all or nothing' sort of risk where if it fails, you have nothing?Probably not. When it comes to your plan and they type of risk you're facing, I would guess that it's not really that big of a risk. In most cases.So maybe it's time to give uncertainty a chance. Maybe not knowing how things will turn out is really not that big of a deal. We never know how things are going to turn out. How many things worked out exactly like the plan said?In my case, never. There's always some sort of twist on what happened and what I expected. And that's ok. That's just life.Be active in your future, not passive. Be the one in charge of the plan you have.You see, ideas won't launch your business, launching will. The plan won't grow your business, starting will.Feel a bit stuck? Get unstuck. It takes action. It takes forward motion. Rethink failure. It's not so bad to fail. If something doesn't work out, you're now wiser because of all you've learned and can either do a restart with a better plan or do something else that's totally different.I was on LinkedIn yesterday and I read a post from someone that said he started a bunch of little ‘micro businesses' with these ideas that he had and they all flopped.But he didn't let it stop him, he moved on and tried something else and it seems to be sticking.And that's the way being an entrepreneur works.Try something. See the results. Make a decision. Move forward or not. This is the normal process of testing your ideas.DSN friend. Do something now! Stop waiting for permission. It's not coming. You decide when. You decide how. You decide who to do this plan with. Take control. Take charge. Stop trying to figure out how to have zero defects in the plan. The plan doesn't have to be perfect. You don't have to be perfect.And doesn't all this planning and thinking about all the ‘what if's' driving you crazy after all? Doesn't it just make you exhausted constantly thinking about it but not doing it?Isn't it emotionally draining to have this dream that you're not pursuing?If you're still not sure what you want to do, then listen in on episode 24 of the Podcast for ‘3 Critical Steps to Gain Clarity'. In that episode, I talk about the 3 questions you need to ask yourself and how the answers can be quite revealing for the direction you should take.Friend, expand your resolve. Be determined to succeed. Step through fear and make a bold move.What your business needs is someone that isn't afraid to fight for what they want. Your business needs you.DSN. Do Something Now. Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. And I think LI is fantastic.But I see a lot of people's profiles that totally miss the mark on the message it sends. Too many people still have that old mindset of trying to lift themselves up and put themselves on a pedestal.All the things they've accomplished. How many degrees they have. Me, me, me. Look at me and how great I am.Friends, if you're on LinkedIn or Instagram, or whatever platform you're using, and you're using it to try to get clients, you might want to think about how to maximize your profile so it actually works for you instead of against you. So..what does a social media profile have to do with creating a USP? I'll get there and connect these dots. Just stay with me for a bit.When people have a problem they need to solve, they're looking for a solution from someone that knows how to help solve the problem and from someone that wants to help.My whole sales approach comes from the ‘I can help you with that' perspective. The people that get their business are those that have a very different perspective. They give. They serve. They have a natural ability to focus on the needs of others. Not to just put the spotlight on themselves.And I'm speaking from the perspective of being a client here as well. I give my money to those that have proven themselves worthy of my money.They pour out content that helps solve problems. I contact them because they've already given me some great advice (for free) and I want to take it further.They get my money because they've been able to communicate what they do, the problem they solve and how I need them.This is the foundation of a great USP. The unique selling point.  What is a USP?It's the distinct and appealing idea that sets you and your business, favorably apart from every other generic competitor.Now, I think a great USP answers the following questions:1.    What's in it for me?2.    Why do I need you?3.    What makes you unique?4.    Why should I pay you? And in order to answer those questions, you'll want to:·      Keep it Simple (because attention spans are short)·      Keep it Short (because attention spans are short)·      Show the benefit (how it solves a problem)·      Address an emotion (because even though we'd like to think we look at things from different angles and use our intellect to make decision, we really buy on emotion)·      Make it memorable (say something that stands out..how I end each Podcast episode)Now, in your USP, Is your product or service:·      Easier·      Faster·      More widely available·      Simpler·      Cheaper·      Have a better guarantee·      Prettier·      More efficient·      Smaller·      A better value·      A better design·      Of higher quality·      Cutting-edge·      More time-tested?What's your message? Have you figured this out yet? Can you sift in a little story in your pitch? Do you have a pitch? If you need help with a pitch, look up Martin Barnes on LinkedIn. He started Pitch Club and he's been helping people with their pitches for many years now.To answer the question: Why do I need you? This is where you'll be addressing how you solve a specific problem in the pitch.To answer the question: Why should I pay you? There are a lot of people doing the same thing that you're doing, but if you've proven that you can provide real value for doing that ‘thing you do', AND if they like you (because personality has a lot to do with getting new business), then they'll pay you..and gladly pay you.When my business coach sent email offers for products and services he was selling, I gladly pulled out my credit card and bought e-products as well as 6 months of coaching on a specific topic. Why? Because I liked him.And that can be you as well. Be helpful. Be likeable. Be a servant leader.Another way of looking at a what a good USP consists of hinges around: ‘what you have that competitors don't.' Now, that can be a little tricky because as I said before, there's a lot of people out there doing what you do and offering the same thing you're offering. But this is where your uniqueness comes in. This is where your personality shines through.Why do we pick one professional athlete as ‘the best' when there's always someone else out there that's just as good? Because we like them.And that needs to be you. You need to shine through with who you are, even in your USP.What's my USP?  I help people get their personal brand business launched faster, so they can be more profitable quicker. Why? Because when I started my business 20 years ago, I could have used someone to help me launch in a more efficient way instead of just ‘winging it'.So, I created ‘The 7 Basic Building Blocks to a Successful Online Business' course that I coach people through. What are the 7 basic building blocks? 1. Vision- where you want to go and how you want to get there2. Website- Open for business. Who you are and what you offer.3. Product/Service- How you can help people solve their problem4. Marketing- Opening the relationship with your target audience5. Email list- Building the relationship further6. Branding- Your verbal, visual and values identity7. Copywriting- The words you use to sell stuffNow, all this is great information to know, but I can make your launch easier and faster by tying all the initial tech together for you. I can either coach you through it, or do it for you. That way, you can just move on to doing ‘that thing you do' and not have to worry about the foundation of your online business and all the frustrating techie stuff that goes along with it.That's my USP.But how can someone take this and figure out if I'm their guy? By my content that I post in social media and in over 100 episodes of my Podcast.By being on my email list and getting those emails where I build the relationship a little more each time.And by walking people through that ‘Know/Like/Trust/Try/Buy' process I keep talking about.So my USP just states the facts of what I do and how. My online content helps people to see who I really am and for them to either like me or not. That's their decision.So I hope this helps, friends. I hope I could help you think through this topic of what is a USP and how can I use it to my advantage?It's real important for you to get this figured out. I can tell you this, that your competitors are figuring this out. But as we all know, it's a big internet world out there. Find out what your edge is and run with it.So, getting back to the social media profile you're using, put the key point of your USP in your SM profile, or banner image so people just glancing at you will know what you're about.Friends, if you'd like to talk about this further, I'm here for you at tomclairmont.com/coachingPersonal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

You're Not AloneIf you're in the planning stages of starting a solopreneur type business, or maybe you already launched one, you'll more than likely be having the same thoughts and questions that all the other solopreneurs have.Questions like:·      How do I start?·      What should I focus on?·      How can I possibly get all this stuff done?·      What about all that techie stuff that I'm supposed to know and do?Well, first of all, I'd just like to say, ‘You're not alone.' This is the kind of stuff we all think about and dwell on, every day.But I've found that having the right mindset of an entrepreneur, or solopreneur will go a long way for you and will help you to focus on the right things at the right time, so that you can manage your time better and increase your chances of success. And this is why I created several mindset e-books that talk about how we should transform our thinking and actions and how to push through challenging circumstances.My mindset E-books cover a wide variety of topics, like:·      How to Turn Failure into Success·      How to Overcome Trying Situations by Changing Your Mindset·      Developing a Present Moment Mindset·      How to Overcome Challenges·      Developing Your Strengths·      Developing the Confidence to Go After Your DreamsAnd, friends, I've been through a lot in my day. I've had my share of ups and downs, and let me tell you, my low points have been pretty low. So when I talk or write about how to overcome challenges and turning failure into success, it's from personal experience, the hard way. The ‘mindset reset' way.So I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about the proper perspective we all should have when running and building a business.First, we need to take control. We really need to know how to say yes to certain tasks and how we spend our time and no to the mountain of distractions and how we shouldn't spend our time. There are a lot of distractions, every day and we're not going to get much done if we give into them.Another part of the mindset makeover is being able to push past the things that we assume will limit us. We can accomplish so much more if you have a bigger view of what's possible.You can have a worldwide business. You can have worldwide influence and impact all around the world. You can be a very successful business person. If you have a book you'd like to write, you can write that book. Or, maybe it's creating a course to sell. You can create a course that will make you a lot of money. You can learn the things you need to learn. Push past the limiting beliefs and expand your comfort zone. Learn how to have reachable goals and then reach them.How? By just having steady improvement and not expecting huge, immediate results. Now do I want results? Yes I do! And I expect results. I expect to make good money from my business. But at the same time, I can reduce a lot of frustration and discouragement by having realistic expectations for those results. It's sort of like winning a baseball game with singles and doubles.Now, some, and I know 2 people just recently, said they'd rather try to win the game by hitting home runs and not messing around with singles and doubles. So if that's the way you want to play ball, then go right ahead.If you have a $500 product or service and a $5,000 product or service, what would you rather sell? The $5,000 product or service, right? I get it. Some may choose to try to ramp up their business by selling a handful of the $500 product and build up a client base, but others may say that they'd rather have one or tow clients a month on the $5,000 product.Either way, just make sure that whatever course of action you're taking, you have reasonable goals and reasonable results. This will help with your mindset of having success more often instead of always being disappointed and discouraged.Turn your goals into daily habits (what do I have to do every day to make my goals a reality? The short to-do list). Routine = momentum (routine doesn't have to be boring) The more you can routine-ize your processes, the more momentum you can pick up. Ex: drip email marketing will work for you on auto-pilot once you have the initial work put in, in advance.Another solopreneur mindset reset challenge is to embrace obstacles, instead of trying to find a way around the obstacles. I've found that usually the best way to deal with the obstacle is through them (book ‘The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan Holiday) In the book, Ryan says “It's not just: How can I think this is not so bad? No, it is how to will yourself to see that this must be good-an opportunity to gain a new foothold, move forward, or go in a better direction. Not ‘be positive' but learn to be ceaselessly creative end opportunistic. Not: ‘This is not so bad. But: I can make this good.”The next challenge of the solopreneur, is how to achieve more with less. You see, when you have a job, you have people around you that can do things. You have a structure in place for how to get stuff done. But when you're alone, you have to have what Ray Edwards calls, a ‘low cost essentialism' sort of mentality where you can focus on just the essentials of what you need. Typically, you need less than you think you do. You don't need to buy a lot of software/hardware. You don't need a team of people, typically, when you're just starting out. Now getting a virtual assistant, might be a good idea, and maybe start this person part time at first to see how it goes and if there's enough tasks for this person to do.But I don't normally recommend building a team of people around you and build up your overhead. The last thing I'd like to touch on in this episode of the challenges of being a solopreneur, is self discipline. Now, when you're working a job, with someone over you telling you what you need to do and how to do it, and when it needs to be done, you can get a lot of work done during the course of any day.But when it's just you and you're the one with the dream of having your own business, and you're the only one that's pushing you, how much are you really getting done? You're now ‘working' for yourself. It's not that you don't know what to do, but you're not doing what you know.You know you need to be motivated. You know you have this to-do list of your top priority tasks. You know you need to turn off the TV and to not go to the refrigerator every hour on the hour.But because you're probably working from home, you're finding that without that external push from others to get things done, that things aren't getting done as fast as you were expecting.So, in times like this, let your dream be your motivator. How soon do you want that dream life, or the thought of quitting your job, how soon do you want those things to happen?You need to go back to ‘What is your WHY?' When you lose your ‘why' you lose your motivation.  So, the challenges of being a solopreneur are many. Did I even scratch the surface with what I was just covering here? No. I had a very long list of things that I originally planned on talking about, but it would take all day.Is it easy being a solopreneur? No. Is there a certain freedom you now have because you're your own boss? Yes. Absolutely. But in this freedom, comes a certain aspect of self discipline and self motivation that you'll need to have.If you're in constant learning mode, and if you can focus on the small wins you have each day and not get caught up in all the negative thinking that comes so easily to us humans, then you'll be able to press through the challenges and push through the obstacles you'll be facing.Because they'll be many. There's a never ending supply of obstacles. So check out Ryan Holiday's book ‘The Obstacle is the Way'. It's available on Amazon. It helped me and I'm sure it'll help you as well. Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In the last episode, I covered the topic of ‘should you create a webinar for your business'. I did an overview of the process and how much is involved in making a webinar so that you can decide on your own if you have enough time or money to have one done and if you think it's right for you.But what I didn't cover was the topic of effectiveness, so I have some stats on webinars today that I think will help you as well so that you can make an informed decision.Now, I know that stats can be boring at times, but I think these are necessary in how they function and the people that they reach, but also when to promote it and when they're viewed the most so you'll know when to launch one, if it's being run live in real time.Are you wondering whether to include Q&As at the end of your webinar? The answer is a resounding yes. So stay with me for just a little bit as I go over some winning statistics you should consider if you want to host a successful webinar.Webinar StatisticsMost marketers see webinars as a vital part of the business plan. Webinars are a treat for marketers, with a total of 95% of respondents seeing them as important for their marketing efforts. On a scale of one to five, marketers rate webinars at 3 points in relation to how important webinars are to their digital communications.Customers rank on-demand viewing as the most valuable addition to webinars. When it comes to making the decisions for configuring the webinar on the back end before it goes live, this is an important one.When I created my webinar, I made sure that the ‘just in time' scheduling was enabled. This will allow the person that registered for the webinar to see it in the next 15 minutes from whatever time zone they're in, but it also gives multiple time options as well. Great feature.More than half of marketers rely on webinars for promotion. Research shows that 58% of marketers use webinars as a promotion tool. Studies show that between 2% and 5% of webinar attendees eventually make a purchase at the end of the webinar. Is that a fantastic number, not really, but if you're doing a pre-recorded webinar that just sits there and runs on its own, then all you need to do is drive traffic to it and let the process run on auto-pilot. 89% of marketers believe webinars outperform other channels in creating qualified leads.Entire industries use webinars for generating leads. The pharmaceutical industry leads the way but education and consulting are in 2nd and 3rd place.93% of webinar participants prefer desktops with only 7% favoring mobiles or tablets.The average cost of webinars ranges from $3,500 to $5,000.There are several key factors impacting the budgeting of webinars, including software, cost of equipment, promotions, and the labor involved. I know from personal experience that it can be a labor intensive experience because there's a never ending list of things to tweak. In any case, if you are on a tight budget, the least you could do is invest in good webinar software if you're going to do the DIY method. As I said in the last episode, I compared the top vendors and chose WebinarKit. When is the best day for registrations? 24% of all webinar registrations happen on a Tuesday. It's not a tremendously high number, so do with this stat what you wish. Lure them in on a Tuesday but don't even think about bothering them with registration emails on weekends. Saturdays and Sundays, as you can imagine, rank poorly.What's the best way to promote the webinar? Well, email is rated as the most effective webinar promotion tool. And why wouldn't it be? Emails are free and are a great way to promote any event, including webinars. Recent surveys show that solicitations through email account for 73% of webinar signups. Webinar attendance stats also show that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media could get you up to 15% of webinar registrations.But what about same day registrations? 33% of registrations occur on the day of the webinar. If you want to increase attendance, you should definitely send a reminder email on the day of the event. Sounds like a no-brainer, but planning reminder emails on the day of the event can be overlooked.On that note, webinar stats suggest that the best time of the day to send your promotional emails would be between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. If your goal is to score, aim for 9 a.m. which is the “happy hour” of webinar registrations with a 14% success rate. This is where drip email marketing would be a great resource so you can plan a specific time of day to release the promotional email.Just under half of attendees sign up more than a week before the webinar.The best time for webinars to be announced is two weeks before the official date or even earlier. The greater the promotional cycle, the better the results. Webinar effectiveness statistics show that 47% of attendees register at least eight days before the webinar date, while about a quarter (24%) sign up more than two weeks earlier.Thursdays are the best days for webinars. Mondays are generally busy days at work, so that's probably not the greatest day of the week to host an event. Thursdays are ranked as the most popular days of the week for organizing webinars with 19%. Wednesdays are a good choice since they are ranked lower than Thursdays by only 1%. Basically, webinar attendance statistics suggest that any day between Tuesday and Thursday will potentially get you the traffic you need for your webinar. 2, 3, and 4 p.m. are the prime times for hosting a webinar.What makes webinars amazing is that you can connect to people from coast to coast and even participants from across the globe. Setting the best time to host a webinar, can be tricky, especially if you have participants from different time zones. Afternoons are considered to be the prime time to accommodate viewers from various time zones, webinar stats show. But as I said in the last episode, the ‘just in time' viewing setting is a no brainer because it'll let them see it on their terms when it's most convenient for them.What's the best length for the webinar? Well, 60-minute webinars attract more attendees than 30-minute webinars. While the general belief points to an hour as the optimal length of the webinar, some reports suggest that the longer the webinar, the bigger the crowd. In essence, 90-minute webinars are more suitable for sharing presentations with attendees who want to broaden their knowledge. That's going to be more of a training style of webinar.Webinars with videos rated at 7.8 out of 10. Integrating videos in your webinar will make it more compelling and more engaging which will ultimately scale your viewing time. Good, right? Unfortunately, 32% of hosts that don't use videos in their webinars say they lack the skills to integrate them into their presentation and 27% see this undertaking as too expensive.So how are you supposed to drive webinar attendance the best way? There's several things that you can do to boost your webinar attendance rate. Webinar statistics show that promoting a live webinar early enough (around two weeks prior to the event) could boost signups, and so does opting for an email to announce the event and sending out timely reminders.Now, let's get right down to it. Are webinars really effective?Well, the marketers sure seem to think so, with as many as 95% seeing them as important for their marketing efforts. Stats further suggest that more than half of viewers are likely to engage with the company after, by watching extra content, downloading attachments, or even requesting a demo from the sales department.So friends, I think I've just about covered all that I need to on this topic. If you were on the fence about whether or not you're going to do a webinar, then maybe this episode will help you to finally make the decision either way.Again, they're a lot of work, but if you're doing a pre-recorded one where people can view them on their terms, then it'll just sit there working 24/7 for you because it doesn't matter what time zone they'll be in. That, I think was one of the top reasons I went with WebinarKit. The price was good, and it was a one time payment, but not all software options have that ‘just in time' viewing setting.If you've got some questions on this topic of webinars and the pros and cons of it all and you'd like to talk about it further, just book a free 30 minute initial coaching call through my website at www.tomclairmont.com1:1 or group coaching at www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Webinars seem to be the new rage lately, right? More and more, we're seeing them pop up all over as a source of providing information by video for a wide spectrum of industries and businesses.And for good reason, I think. If they're created with great, informative and compelling content that meets a real need, and done with professionalism…and then add in the on-demand option so you can watch it anytime, and you have yourself a winning webinar.But there are certain aspects of webinars that turn people off as well. Is there a strong sales pitch at either the beginning or the ending?Is the content weak, leaving you scratching your head as to why you just spent the last hour watching this video?Was there an issue with the video or audio quality so that the webinar lacked professionalism?Unfortunately, after we've been constantly exposed to high quality webinars, we can now spot a lower quality webinar immediately.But let's take a little time to think about the purpose of the webinar and the overall goal of putting in all the time and expense in having one created.I just created a free webinar on the topic of ‘Starting a Podcast', so let me break that down for you on the steps I took to get it done. Someone once said, “Don't start something before it's already finished.”Well, what on earth could that mean? Because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, does it.You see, when you do a Webinar, and when you think of the purpose of the webinar (to help people, yes, but ultimately to generate sales), then you have to take care of a number of things that will work in the background for you, when the webinar visitor finishes it and sees your CTA..your call to action.So if, in your CTA, you have something like my offer.“Click on this link and download this product for free when you enter in this code. “ or “Go to this website page for more information on what I just talked about.” There are a number of different CTA's that you could have, but in order to make the best use of the webinar, you'll have to have all the background structure in place, in advance so that you can maximize the webinars effectiveness.Ok.. let's break that down a bit. So what I had to do first, was:·       Create a product or service (I have both)·       Price the product and service·       Pick a platform to sell the product or service·       Enter that product into that platform with an image and a compelling description (that's where my copywriting courses kick in)·       Create a discount code for that product (special gift for watching the whole webinar to the end)·       Create a landing page for the webinar registration·       Configure all the background settings for the webinar platform that you're using (I use WebinarKit with most of the upgrades offered and friends, there are a lot of available settings that you can turn on or off in WebinarKit) but now is not the time to go over those things·       Link the buyer's email to an email marketing account that I created in advance·       Create a drip email campaign for anyone that gets put into that specific email marketing account and have it automatically configured to have those emails sent to them over time that will lead them through the ‘Know/Like/Trust/Try/Buy Process'And friends…that's just the things that I needed to do in advance for just the CTA.Ok..so when I considered doing a webinar, I worked the process backwards. I took care of all the background tasks and functionality first, that way, when it's time to create the copy text and the video itself, all the structure is in place in advance.So that's what I mean by the saying “Don't start something before it's already finished.” I had the background structure in place before I started the video and created the content.Is it a lot of work? Yes, absolutely. But in my opinion, it's the best way to have an effective webinar.Things to consider:·       Purpose of the Webinar·       Desired outcome·       Webinar content·       Marketing funnel·       Video creationo  Loomo  Zoomo  Personal computerWebinar style·       You on video·       You in window of screenshare·       Just screenshare·       Video editingo  Loomo  Power Director·       Audio editing·       Text added to video·       Webinar software·       Creating a marketing funnel·       Special offer at the end of the webinar?If yes,·       What will you offer?·       How will you offer it?·       Settings and links to offers·       Call to action·       Time limit to special offer?·       Email drip marketing structure in place, in advance?As you can see, there's a lot of things to consider for what you want to have and how you want to have it.So..What does a good webinar look like?Unfortunately there isn't a simple answer. Your success will depend on a few factors:● What does ‘good' mean to you? And are you shooting for good, or do you want to have a great webinar?Rather than focusing on creating a ‘good webinar', make your primary goal to create an effectivewebinar campaign for your audience.Creating content to generate leadsOne of the primary goals of webinars is to generate more leads. There's two types of content that you should create as part of your webinar campaign to attract more leads.1. Content that raises awareness2. Content that convincesContent that raises awareness should introduce your company through storytelling that reflects your company's values. Focus on educational content that draws attention to the issues or opportunities your audience is facing, and how your product or service can benefit them. Content that convinces focuses on building trust with your audience. Let your audience know that you understand their needs and clearly state how your business offers a solution. Video, infographics, imagery they're all a great way to grab people's attention and explain complex concepts in digestible ways.Targeting your audienceNext, a few words on the marketing funnel. The best way to illustrate how webinars can help youeducate and convert leads is by looking at it from a sales and marketing perspective using aMarketing Funnel.The Marketing Funnel consists of three main categories:● Lead Generation● Lead Nurturing● SalesWebinars tend to take place during the Lead Nurturing stage, but can be effective at all stages.The marketing funnel you create should have the webinar helping people through the ‘Know/Like/Trust/Try/Buy' process. I keep saying this a lot, but only because it's so important.Now, earlier, I mentioned that there's a lot of configuration that's needed for the Webinar and that you need to make a lot of decisions in how it'll be viewed, when it'll be viewed and how it'll function overall:·       Watch times·       Registration page content and settings·       Thank you page content and settings·       Replay page content and settings·       Will you have a poll at the end?·       Will you have any handouts?·       Confirmation email content and settings·       Reminder email content and settings·       Merging with email integrationThese are just the highlights of how to configure the webinar.But, if I don't talk about how to promote the webinar, I'd be seriously neglecting a very important topic.So..after all the work you put into just the creation of it, how will you promote it? Typically, there are 3 main ways that people promote webinars.·       Website·       Email list·       Social mediaNow, for 2 of the three options here, you'll need traffic. You put it on the website? Great. Will anyone see it? That's up to you and how you generate traffic to the webinar page.Post it on SM? Fantastic. Are your SM posts getting views and producing results? All the work you put into the webinar could be for nothing if you don't get traffic or results.And from what I've seen, the average cost of having a webinar created ranges between $3,000 and $5,000.Now, you probably know by now, that I have an IT background and all the techie stuff comes easy for me, so I created and edited the video, I came up with the copy content, I added the video effects to the webinar and other supporting videos, I created the entire background structure to the CTA and the website landing page, I even purchased a dedicated domain name and created a two page website to have a landing page as well. www.diypodcastlaunch.comInitially, it's just about getting the free, jam packed 50+ page e-book that I created, but then, after you put in your email address to get the e-book (and get added to my email list) it automatically redirects to another page where you can download the e-book but shows that I have the webinar on the same topic as well, if they're interested.So…should you have a webinar created for your business? Well, that's for you to decide, but this episode was just all about taking a ‘peak behind the curtain' so to speak and to help you get a better understanding of all that's involved in doing a webinar.Do you have a great, compelling topic?Do you have the time to do it? Or..Do you have the money to hire someone else to do it?This is not for the faint of heart friends. Creating a webinar is not like playing softball. It's definitely a hardball game.Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and view the webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

I don't know about you, but there are times in my life when I think I need to make a serious course correction. Sometimes it's about personal things. Sometimes it's about my business and whether or not to keep going in the same direction or to make some course corrections along the way. And when life happens to us…things that we can't avoid or control, and we need to make these serious changes, it's good to have a great book in your hands to read that will help you to sort through the mental part of what to do and how to do it. Because making a serious life pivot first starts with our mindset and the decisions we make that are based on the emotions we have. So I'm doing this book report for you on Adam Markel's book Pivot because when I read it, I was going through this time of ‘life version 2.0' as I like to call it. And I'm finding that, more and more, I'm coming across people that have gone through either the same sort of situations as I went through, or something very similar. And that's when life throws you a curve ball. Or, more like a knuckle ball, if you know anything about baseball in the US. In other words, it's a very hard to hit moving target.And sometimes, this curve ball is voluntary, like me quitting my job 20 years ago because the management after the 4th buyout was terrible, or it's that the job quit you with staffing cuts for one reason or another. Or maybe you find yourself needing to make a serious shift in your life for other reasons. There are plenty of other reasons, so I'm not even going to try to figure that all out. So are you ready for a serious change in your life? Then you need to get and read this book. This book shows you how to get in touch with your real self and helps you to decide who you are and what you really want. During a time when most people are focused on reality at best or survival at the very worst, Pivot is a game changer with stories of people just like us that changed their lives by making those different choices. So, let's dive into this book a little bit and I'll go over some of the highlights that stood out for me. The IntroductionIn the intro, we hear about someone that has those nagging thoughts about wanting a better life, but can't seem to shake them. Those thoughts go away for a while and they come and go, but there's that reoccurring theme of ‘something's not right'. And if you ignore those thoughts, they'll ‘eventually drown you. You're tolerating your own, slow, agonizing death.'For Adam, he was forced to reinvent his life because as an Attorney, he found the stress unbearable and almost had a heart attack. But for you, ‘The goal is still the same. To reinvent the parts of your life that aren't working, so that you can live a life that brings you fulfillment.'Every pivot requires two things:1. Clarity- changing what you believe (or how you view yourself)2. Momentum- forward motion without quitting Gaining clarity is the internal change that we need. Momentum is the external change that we need. And in chapter one, he outlines the 6 steps to take to gain clarity:1. Unbelieve the myths we hold on to that holds us back2. Release the past and the pain that keeps us in the past so that we can focus on the present and aim for the future3. Face your fear and get out of your comfort zone4. Being comfortable with changing your identity5. Envision your new future and get comfortable with how you want your new life to be6. The Big D-making that decision to change your life to the point of no returnSo, getting back to number one, he covers a handful of myths that people have a tendency to hold on to. Myth 1 Pivoting is for other people. ‘Those who pivot aren't extraordinary, they become extraordinary when they decide they will not tolerate the circumstances of their lives for one moment longer.'Myth 2 It's too riskyIf you're telling yourself that it's too risky to pivot your life, be aware of the real risk. Watching your dream life drift away until it's so far gone that you can no longer see it. ‘The real risk of change isn't that you might try and fail, it's that you might not try and you'll regret it.'Myth 3 You have to burn the shipsPivoting isn't about sudden, radical change, it's about:• Envisioning a realistic way to change your life• Preserving parts of your life that serve you• Creating a clear plan and making a sustainable change. Creating a plan B and working on shifting your life to move toward plan B where eventually, plan B becomes plan A. Myth 4 I have to wait for…This is the thought process that keeps you holding back from doing anything. If you want to have your own business someday, do you have to quit your job today and start a business tomorrow? No. ‘Pivoting is a process and you get to control the process. You can pivot in the smallest baby steps over whatever time period you want. But you cannot just wait.'Now, that was just some highlights of chapter one, but I think one of my favorite chapters was number 9, Pivot People that addresses the questions ‘Where am I going and who is coming with me?' Because no one pivots alone. Change is a team sport. ‘To pivot successfully means to involve others.' Whether it's through mentors or peers, chapter 9 helps you to get the help you need so that you're not trying to do it alone. Friends, you hear me talking a lot about making changes in our lives and getting out of our comfort zone. Taking risks and the fear of failure as well as the fear of success. But there's something about getting a good book to help you methodically work through the thought process part of making a serious change in your life. And a large part of having a successful personal brand business isn't in the how-to's of running the business, it's in the mindset of the business owner. You can't reach for the stars if you're never looking up. And you can't move your life forward if you're still living in the past.  These are all mindset issues. And that's a huge part of small business success. That's why I have so many E-books on mindset issues beyond the how-to's of launching a business. So check out the book Pivot by Adam Merkel and let me know what you think. I'm positive you won't be disappointed. It's one of my favorite books and I think it'll be one of yours as well. I'd really like to get your feedback on this type of episode…doing a book report. I'm thinking about doing more of these and hearing if this was helpful to you or not would let me know if I should do more of them. So, feel free to shoot me an email at: tom@tomclairmont.com with your thoughts. I'll put in a link to the Pivot book in the show notes.  And when you shoot me an email, let me know what some of your favorite books are. I'd like to know. So..as always…stay encouraged, follow your dream and don't give up!Book: Pivot by Adam Merkel1:1 or group coaching at www.tomclairmont.com/coachingDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book and webinar I have for you www.diypodcastlaunch.comCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Personal brand business or Podcast launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

We live in a time where information and influence comes as easy as breathing. Whatever we want to know or learn about, we can pursue it and either read or watch videos on it. No topic seems to be untapped.But because we have all of this information at our fingertips, we can easily get information overload. And with all this information, get lost in the process of what to do with it.Now, I'm a process and procedure sort of guy. I like to have things done in a certain order so that I don't waste time going backward and fixing things that should have been done the right way the first time.I just recently launched two new Podcasts and find that having the structure of good checklists and supporting tools that I use, really helps to make my time more efficient.But I came up with these tools..these checklists.. because I worked out the processes and procedures in advance. That way, when it comes time to launch a Podcast, I have a certain order of events that I need to work through, not only with what I need to do, but the Podcast owner as well.You see, I worked out a strategy. A plan. A process. And I was able to do this because I've launched other Podcasts before. I knew what I was in for.  But when it come to launching an online business, some people, because they've never done it before, try to go through the business building process with:·      Little to no strategy·      Little to no planning·      No accountability·      And little to no support And when they go through the process this way, it's easy for them to be either misled or misdirected.The results:·      Feeling overwhelmed·      Feeling over worked·      Poor decision making·      Poor output·      Wasting money·      Wasting timeAnd just for the record, in my early days, I successfully did all those things that I'm telling you not to do. That's why my first Podcast episode after the trailer episode is about learning from my mistakes. It was originally called ‘Don't Do What I Did', but I changed it to have a more positive tone to it instead of the ‘do as I do and not what I say' sort of tone.I felt overwhelmed. I felt overworked. I made poor decisions. I wasted money…and time..a lot of time. Why?Because I didn't have the right plan for me. I didn't have the right support that I needed, like a business coach.Now, granted, I was able to have a decent business and I certainly made good money, and quite a lot of passive income as well, which I still have, but I made those mistakes because even though I had some information (and a lot of great contacts), I didn't know what to do with the information that I had.So, I still made money, but I could have made a lot more, if I had a better plan in place, I'm sure.So, I ‘winged it' as we say in the US. And, because I have a growing listener base outside of the US, if you're not familiar with this phrase, it just means that I went forward without a plan, even though I had a business plan.You see, it doesn't do much good to have a business plan if you ignore the business plan. Right?Are you sort of getting a better picture of what ‘winging it' means now?But I guess, it's easy to ignore a business plan that was created out of almost 100% speculation anyway.Why take the business plan seriously when it's just some fantasy plan anyway with a pretend income stream and a made up strategy based on wishful thinking?But I've come a long way since then. I've learned a few things in the past 20 years that I think now, can help a lot of people. And that's what I intend to do. Help a lot of people.That's what this Podcast is all about.In March of 2021, I did a Podcast episode (number 26) called “Starting a Business From Zero- 7 Core Building Blocks You'll Need to Have.” And that particular episode is one of the more popular ones, usually leading the list each month for downloads. And in that episode (I'll leave a link in the Show notes) I went over, just as an outline, the framework that I created ‘7 Basic Building Blocks for a Personal Brand Business'.Now, this framework does not focus on ‘how to brand yourself', but provides the platform…the foundation, if you will, for the business.What are the 7 building blocks?1.    Vision- where you want to go and how you'll get there2.    Website-you're open for business. Who you are and what you offer.3.    Products and Services-how you can help people solve their problem4.    Marketing plan-opening a relationship with your target audience5.    Copy-the words you'll use to sell stuff6.    Email list-building the relationship further7.    Branding-your verbal, visual and values identityNow, there's no right or wrong to the order of the list, although I would say that the first one, vision, should stay first. And it's not meant to be a timeline for the way they're numbered either. It's not like website should be the second thing you work on because it's number two.These building blocks are all intertwined. They work together.You'll need good copy for everything you create. The website copy, the promotional material for the product or service, the email list, course material, even the branding. And there is a right and a wrong way for writing copy, as I found out. So that needs to be solid. But having these 7 core building blocks will help you to lay a solid foundation for the business so that you can build up and out from something that's stable.And I get into more detail with episodes 30-36 later on as I briefly touch on the 7 building blocks, so I recommend downloading those episodes when you can.And these 7 building blocks to your online business are what my 1:1 or group coaching is all about.Now, for some listeners, they haven't even started yet and they're just still in the ‘I'm thinking about what I'm going to do' phase. And for some others, that may have launched a business already but they're still trying to work out how to make some decent money, they may be missing one or more of these building blocks, as I like to call them, but that can be fixed.It's not an all or nothing game here. And keep in mind that these 7 building blocks is my specific framework that I developed over the years and you're probably not going to hear it put this way from anyone else, as far as I can tell.And that's ok. There's plenty of other very smart people out there that have their take on what core elements you should have, and I deliberately don't get into the finances of what you should do, because that should be between you and an Accountant as far as I'm concerned and that's a completely different topic.But as far as dealing with the chaos of starting a personal brand business, I think that by having these 7 building blocks as soon as possible in your launch, (vision, website, copy, marketing, products and services, email list and branding), it'll help to keep you focused and on a better trajectory toward a profitable business.It's worked for me. I'm sure it'll work for you as well.So, how to avoid chaos in starting a personal brand business? Lay a good foundation. Have a solid plan in place. Have a timeline.This way, you're not just reacting to whatever the problem is for that day. You'll be more focused. You'll have more purpose in the things you're working on.It worked for me. I'm sure it'll work for you as well. Book: Pivot by Adam MerkelDo you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book I have for you 'Starting a Podcast Mini-Course'.FREE Podcast Launch Webinar https://www.tomclairmont.com/podcast-launch-webinar/Need help getting your online business or Podcast started? Book a call with Tom's Online CalendarCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Small business launch coaching: www.tomclairmont.com/coachingFree Resources: www.tomclairmont.com/resourcesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasclairmont/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What Is a Personal Brand?Well friends, I'm sure that there are a lot of people that already have this personal brand stuff figured out, but there may be some of you listening that need a bit more clarification to what all this ‘personal brand' stuff is and how they should think of it.Because for me, when I started out, the meaning has sort of shifted a bit over the past 20 years and to be honest, I really like the way the definition evolved over time.And just to be clear, when I started my IT business in 2002, I didn't start out with a personal brand. I thought it was a good idea to have sort of a corporate identity and had this more corporate name and logo to make it seem like I'm more professional and maybe bigger than I really was.I started out as Net Essentials Inc. and had the domain name and website to match and I really didn't know too much about the personal brand image and what I should even do with that sort of identity.And when you Google the term now, you'll get a lot of different perspectives on this but really it all comes down to your personal identity and how you present it.Since it's a personal brand, it's all about you. Your:·       Ideas·       Expertise·       Reputation·       PersonalityBut when I say it's all about you, what I don't mean is that the messaging for your personal brand needs to be all about you, because that would turn a lot of people…probably everybody off and they'd run away from you as fast as they could.There needs to be a perspective in place with your messaging that takes your ideas and expertise and your reputation and personality but you're presenting yourself in such a way that you're showing people how you can help them with the problem they have..through your ideas and expertise and your reputation and personality.Your personal brand is both all about you, but all about them as well. ‘Them' being your target audience. How you can help them.So let's talk a little about your personal brand identity and how it can be both all about you and all about them at the same time.There are 3 V's that I like to use when explaining this ‘identity' part of the definition. Your:1.     Visual identity2.     Verbal identity3.     Values identitySo let's talk about this for a bit.Your visual identityThis goes along with how your presenting yourself on your website and social media. How are you being perceived? And I always recommend that you think this through when you're putting content on the Internet because sometimes some questionable content could come back to haunt you.And the spectrum is very wide for this visual identity. I'm not advocating that every bit of content needs to always be professional and that people shouldn't see your personal side, and then on the flip side, it you're too personal and not professional enough that sort of content won't help to grow your business either.But there needs to be a balance of both personal and professional content that you put on your website and social media accounts.When people first land on your website or social media account, what's the first impression that they have of you? What's your visual identity and does it invite more people in to see more?Or is it turning some people off? Verbal IdentityNext comes the verbal identity. Now, when I use the word ‘verbal' it doesn't necessarily mean ‘what you say' exactly, but more about ‘what your message is to the world'.What's your message and how are you presenting this message? What's your content and how is it helping people solve a problem? Because remember, a little bit ago, I was saying that there needs to be a ‘I can solve your problem' perspective in the personal brand image.So when it comes down to your content, you can develop better content by always having your target audience in mind and by presenting your message in a way that makes them feel like you're talking to one person. Just them.You're being personal to someone that you don't even know yet. And that can be a little tricky at times, but if you're sincerely trying to help people solve a problem, just present it in a way that makes them feel like they're sitting across the table from you.This will be your verbal identity.Now last in the 3 V's is ‘Values'.What do you believe and how you weave that into the content. Now, I'm not talking about religious beliefs per se, but if that's what your personal brand is all about, then yes, go for it. Tim Tebow is a great example of that. His personal brand is all about his faith and how he helps people to make their lives better.But for the most part, your values identity will shine through as you present who you are and how you do business.For example, I posted something on LinkedIn this morning that referred to how I can help someone that wants to have copy written for their website, landing page, lead magnet or email marketing. But when I referred to writing the copy, I put in parenthesis ‘ethical' copy. Because the copy that some people use, crosses the line of good ethics and either misrepresents or lays a huge guilt trip on you that you don't need to try to make you buy their ‘thing' that they're selling.So when you're putting content out there in your website or landing page or email marketing…or whatever…you're always giving people a glimpse of who you are as a person and the values that you have both personally and professionally as well.So those are the 3 V's. Visual, verbal and values. Do You Need a Personal Brand?But what if you're still trying to decide if you actually need a personal brand? Am I saying that everyone needs to have one? No.You may be in a situation with your business where you don't actually need to have that personal brand image.There are plenty of examples where someone started an online business but used a more corporate model. Prudential Insurance, for example. Since it has ‘insurance' in the name, we know what it's about and what they offer.‘The Family Foundation' is a non profit organization, but you can tell by the name, that they're into solving problems that have to do with the family unit.So if you're not going to have a personal brand image, then I would recommend that you include the purpose or type of business in the name.·       Richmond Real Estate·       Advanced Auto RepairYou get the picture.What to name your personal brand business?But if you're thinking about a personal brand, then I usually recommend that you call it after yourself. That's what makes it personal. Because, really, when I was Net Essentials Inc, I didn't want people to think of me as ‘the president of Net Essentials Inc.', but I wanted people to say ‘hey, call Tom', or ‘we need to get Tom Clairmont over here to help us with this.' That's what I wanted. I wanted them to think of me, or to refer me, not ‘you should call Net Essentials Inc. They'll help you with that.' Because there was no ‘they'. It was just me anyway.So, if it's just you in this picture, then use your name. But be aware that the Internet has a memory. A long one. So if you're using your name, you're putting yourself out there for everybody to see. Friends, family, potential clients, potential employers…it's all visible.Now, just as a side note, so you can see a little bit more of where I'm coming from, I, of course, registered the domain name www.tomclairmont.com, but I also bought the domain name www.thomasclairmont.com. Why? Because if there was a Thomas Clairmont out there in the world that wanted to have a website and give the world a totally different message and image as to what I was presenting, then it would totally confuse my target audience. So for a few dollars a year, I own both domain names so that I can control my personal brand image better and protect that image better. OK? So I hope that this helps to clear up some misconceptions that are out there on this topic and that this episode will help you to form your own personal brand…or not. But either way, if you do pick a personal brand or you want to have a more corporate name, you'll have at least thought it through a little better.Does all this sound good? I recommend you spend some time thinking this through because if you decide to start a personal brand business or if you think it's time to switch, like I did, you'll need to make some changes to the business plan and how you're going to market and promote yourself.Because when you do make the switch, from a corporate brand to a personal brand, you're now claiming a new identity in a way. Yes, your clients and prospects probably already knew that your business was just yourself, but now, after making the switch official, you have to turn off the corporate image and promotion and turn on the new personal brand you in all your documentation, social media and email marketing. It can be a big deal, depending on how many marketing and promotional tools you already have in place.So think this through. You'll be glad you did.Do you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book I have for you 'Starting a Podcast Mini-Course'.FREE Podcast Launch Webinar https://www.tomclairmont.com/podcast-launch-webinar/Need help getting your online business or Podcast started? Book a call with Tom's Online CalendarCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Website: www.tomclairmont.comFree Resources: www.tomclairmont.com/resourcesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Is there a ‘right' time to start a business?Hello again friends, I have a topic here today that is a very popular one for sure. When should you start a business?Is there a right time, a right opportunity, a right situation, a right…answer?And if you go to Google trends and type in ‘the right time to start a business', you'll see that over the past 5 years, the results, in the US, and around the world, shows that this topic has been gaining steam since around May of 2020.Why? Well, starting a business has a lot of advantages. And when people need other options for income because of internal or external forces around them are either failing or just not meeting the need, or if they just want more opportunity in general, then starting a business is a good idea.But there are a lot of details that we need to go through when we start a business, right? There's a lot to think about. And that's part of the big picture for me here in this Podcast as a whole, is to help people think through the mountain of topics that there are around having your own full or part time personal brand business.So for today, in this episode, we'll be talking about the right time and the wrong time to start a business. But keep in mind that this is my perspective on this and my advice for you and that you'll be getting a lot of different advice from probably everyone you talk to on this issue of ‘when'.So, let's start off with flipping the coin here and talk about not necessarily the right time, but the wrong time. Because the signals for the ‘right' time are harder to see than the signals for the ‘wrong' time.    When is the wrong time to start a business?So, when is the wrong time to start a business? My first answer is…Tomorrow.Well, for starters, tomorrow was the first thing that came to mind. Now, am I literally talking about ‘tomorrow'? No. I'm talking about the ability to put things off…for tomorrow. And then the next day. And the next.You know how it goes, right? I'll work on it someday. And then someday never comes. Because ‘someday' (you might have heard me say this) someday is just code for ‘never'.So if you're saying to yourself that you'll get to it soon, ask yourself the next question. How long have I been saying ‘soon'?When you can't get your message straightGetting your message straight is huge. What do you do? What problem do you solve? Why should anyone pay you? Why are you better than someone else?If you don't have your message straight, then you'll be wasting a lot of time. Maybe years. So spend time on your message in advance.I've said this before in episode 57 of my Podcast that you need to have 3 critical stories for your personal brand business.·       Personal story·       Professional story·       Client storyGet your 3 stories down to as short as it needs to be and at the same time, as long as it needs to be. So listen in on this episode to hear how I explain in more detail how to use those three critical stories to build your business.When you don't know who your target audience isIf you don't know who you're selling to then how will you sell anything? You may have heard it before, but if you're trying to sell to everybody, then you're selling to nobody.Work on who your target audience is in advance so you know how to shape all your content around that audience.You can look at your target audience in two different ways.1.     Demographics-the stats about a particular type of person and what the data shows about their particular situation and buying habits so you can sell a product or service to them easier2.     Psychographics- who they are as a person and the knowing the struggles they have so you can meet their needs through a product or serviceI can think of my target audience from the demographics angle by saying ‘Joe is an upper middle class married man, age 48, that is looking to get out of the corporate rat race and start an online business using his current investment or retirement savings as seed money.Or, I can look at my target audience from the psychographics angle like this: Lily is a stressed out teacher that has had enough of all the politics and political correctness of teaching, wants a better work/life balance and would like to gradually supplement her income with online courses and eventually have a full time business through tutoring and online learning so she can be home with her family more and not be stressed out grading papers until 1 am in the morning.    When you're not doing well emotionallyStarting a business requires a certain amount of mental strength and clarity. You're playing for the long game, not short term results. You need to be in a good place emotionally and mentally as well. Trust me, I sort of know what I'm talking about. I've been doing this for awhile.If you're not in a good place emotionally, then wait until you are. Otherwise, you'll be burning yourself out real fast.If you can't commit to some time each dayThink about the structure of your day right now. Are you exhausted just thinking about it? Are you trying to be that ‘super mom' or ‘jack of all trades' guy?Are you really doing this for the right reasons or just trying to impress someone?Hey, I want people to reach after their dream, but I don't want to see people start something and then fizzle out after a few months because they really didn't have the time to commit to this venture.You need time each day to focus and get specific things done.You need structure.You'll need a plan.How much time? That really depends. I can't answer that. Just know that you can't get a lot accomplished in an hour a day. It takes time just to wind down and to stop thinking about everything else that's on your mind.If you can commit a block of time each day, then great. Otherwise, wait until you can stop doing something that'll open up some extra time for you to focus on this dream of yours.If you're getting resistance from a close relationshipThis is important because I don't recommend that you start something that will cause a lot of friction in the relationship. Starting a business isn't worth a divorce or losing someone important to you. There's usually a different approach you can have.If you don't have strong support, you'll not only be struggling with the normal aspects of starting and growing a business from external forces, but you'll be struggling with all the internal resistance as well.It's not worth it. Enjoy what you do. Otherwise, what's the point?The right time to start a businessSo.. when is the ‘right' time? How do you know how to interpret all the signals of the economy and society?Well, I recently read something that showed how major, profitable businesses were formed out of the US great depression of the 1930's BECAUSE of the bad economic times. Business leaders that didn't know what the future held, just made the best decisions for the present time and were able to reap great financial benefits even though most of the country was struggling financially.And it's not like people got rich because the poor became poorer, businesses created new products and industries that were in demand.So friends, if you're waiting for the right time, you'll be waiting for a long time. The right time is now. Why? Because you're motivated now. You've got the energy now. You've got the skill and the will now.So get started now. Create something new now.There's a lot of people that need your product or service. They just don't know you yet. So get yourself out there and get started today.You'll be glad you did. Do you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book I have for you 'Starting a Podcast Mini-Course'.FREE Podcast Launch Webinar https://www.tomclairmont.com/podcast-launch-webinar/Need help getting your online business or Podcast started? Book a call with Tom's Online CalendarCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Website: www.tomclairmont.comFree Resources: www.tomclairmont.com/resourcesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

If you've been listening for awhile, you may have heard in episode 58 titled ‘the tools we use', I briefly went over some of the software tools I use to run my business and why I use them.I even created a free download of a pdf on this very same topic with the links to click on to get them in order for you to save some time. And that's what this is all about for me here in doing these types of things…saving you time and money and helping you along the way by learning what works for me so that you don't have to go through the hassle of trying to figure this stuff out.Now, I get it, we all have our personal favorites when it comes to software tools and my favorite tool might not be yours and that's just fine. But if you're looking to skip the research part of the process because you're more interested in launching your business sooner, rather than later, these types of episodes are for you.So, in episode 58, I went over the following tools: • SiteGround• WordPress• Elementor Pro• MailerLite• RedCircle• Fiverr• Audacity• Canva• Headliner• SmartMockups• Zoom• Loom• Gumroad And I think I covered the basics pretty well on these tools, but now, I'd like to get into some other tools…and just assume that when I use the word ‘tools' I'm talking software tools.So, in this episode of ‘The Tools We Use' part 2, I'd like to say a few words about these tools (and I'll have links in the show notes for you as well, if you want to get right to it faster):·      Easyprompter·      Google Trends·      Calendly·      Unsplash·      Udemy·      Mindmeister.com·      Google Drive·      Premiumbeat.com EasyprompterSo, for the first one, EasyPrompter, I picked this tool because I needed a better way to do longer videos and be hands free as well. This tool came recommended to me from another business pro that does a lot of longer videos.With Easyprompter, you can just enter in the text you'll be using for the video, adjust the font size and speed you want the text to scroll up on your screen and press play.Why do I think I need this? Well, without using this, I have to look at the screen and keep one hand on the keyboard down arrow or mouse and keep scrolling down as needed to the pace I'm going at.With this tool, I can know, in advance, how long it will take to read the script (EasyPrompter tells you) and be totally hands free when I'm doing the video.Why do I need to be totally hands free? Well, when doing videos, part of the way we process information on the receiving side is to look at the hand motions of the people giving the information.And you'll see this from a lot of other people as well when you're watching videos. They use both their hands during they're message. We don't normally think of this, but subconsciously, we need and expect hand motions when we take in information.And, some people have done research on this topic. I won't get into the details of all of that, but when it came to people doing TED talks, this is what I found.The least popular TED Talkers used an average of 272 hand gestures during the 18-minute talk.The most popular TED Talkers used an average of 465 hand gestures—that's almost double!Using your hands when talking helps to increase the effectiveness of the non-verbal form of communicating. So, when I'm making videos and my hands might be in view, I try to use both of them as much as I can. You see, we're born to talk with our hands. And we learn from a young age to use our hands when talking, so why stop when it comes to presenting important information through our videos.Since I want my videos to be the most effective use of my time, I want people to remember what I'm saying and to be able to process it better as well.Thus, the use of EasyPrompter. There's a free version that works just fine, or an $8/month version that gives you more options, but I think the free version will work for most of you just fine.Google TrendsNext, is Google Trends. Now I know that a lot of you may already know about this tool, but I'd still like to cover it for those listeners that may not be as familiar with it and why they should use it.Google Trends helps me in a couple of ways. With the use of Google Trends, I can do some quick research, in advance for what topics people are searching for and how important (or trendy) it is in both the US an around the world.In other words, I use it for content ideas. Here are 4 ways you can use Google Trends to create better content as well:·      You can find relevant topics that are trending·      Do better keyword research·      Use it to create a meaningful content calendar·      Improve your branding effortsBut there are other reasons to use Google Trends for your business as well:·      Understanding Keyword Search Volume·      Identifying Seasonal Trends·      Avoiding Temporarily Popular Keywords·      Optimize Your SEO Strategy.·      Enhancing Your Video SEO StrategyOverall, plenty of reasons to use Google Trends. And when I created the ‘Starting a Podcast' E-book, I included screenshots of how I used it when I created this Podcast.CalendlySo now, the next tool I'd like to talk about, is Calendly. This is a great tool for anyone who has a website and needs a professional-looking booking tool to take appointments. No surprise that there's a free version and a paid one that, of course offers more options, but for the most part, you'll probably be ok with the free version.I've been using it for awhile and I love it. Plus, when you book on someone else's Calandly feature, it automatically takes that time slot out of yours so that you don't get a double booking of your time.You can customize your availability as you choose in advance for a couple of months and you can add the link to a button on your website so that the whole world will see when they can book a time with you.Using this tool helps to avoid the hassles and delay of going back and forth through email on what times work for both parties involved. Check it out. I'm sure you'll like it as much as I do. UnsplashNow for the next one, Unsplash, I've seen first hand the huge problems a website owner can have when they (or the people that build them) don't take the extra effort to use royalty free images. Legal issue can happen, and I've seen it first hand. You could potentially lose thousands of dollars because you just right clicked on an image that you Googled.You see, sometimes people place markers in the images that can be traced. And why would they trace them? For situations just like this. To get easy money.Unsplash has quite a variety of images to use, but keep in mind that others know about Unsplash as well and you just might come across some images that you use on someone else's website or promotional material. You're going to have to be ok with that. You can set some search parameters in advance to help you get what you're looking for quicker, like orientation and topic. Check out Unsplash if you haven't seen them yet. You'll be glad you did.UdemyNow, this next one, is a little different. It's not really a particular tool but a resource. I go to Udemy to learn stuff a lot faster. They have a huge list of topics and you can get full blown courses for not a lot of money. I took a copywriting course with over 11 hours of instruction that was on sale for about $45. A lot of courses go on sale for only $10-15.Now, there are other websites you can go to that'll offer the same thing as Udemy but this site is my favorite. And I have no affiliation with them. I get nothing out of promoting them, but my goal here is to just let you know what I use so that you can just jump right into launching your business faster. That's it. So, I hope you get a lot out of Udemy.   Mindmeister.comNow for this next one, Mindmeister.com, I use this to map out a plan that will give me a visual scope of a particular topic. If you want to map out a website plan or a marketing funnel plan, this website is for you.Take your big idea and create a ‘mind map' as they're called and put it in a visual format. I like to see a bit plan this way. Some people are more visually oriented than others and like to see the plan all laid out in one of these mind maps.Yes, there is a free and paid version, so you can start using it and save a few maps to get the feel of it.Google DriveNow for the next one, I'm sure that most of the listeners are already familiar with this one, and I won't spend much time on it, but just in case, I use Google Drive to upload large files and share them with others.And in my ‘Done For You' podcast launch program, I help others launch their Podcast and actually edit and prep the first bunch of episodes for them, but I need them to record those episodes first and get them to me. Google drive is the way to go.  Premiumbeat.comNow, the last one on the list, is PremiumBeat.com. This is the resource that I use and recommend for quality Podcast background music. If you have a Podcast, or are looking to start one, check out this site for a great selection of audio tracks that you can purchase for $50. You get the rights to use this audio track on one site only but you can slice up the full version of the audio track any way you want for your intros and outros, or if you have a midroll clip in your Podcast as well.For season one, I used a different audio track than season two. Did I have to? No. But I just thought it would be a good way to separate the seasons that way. Well, friends, I hope that this additional list of tools will be helpful to you so that you won't have to spend so much time figuring all this stuff out. That's the goal here in the Podcast to help you launch quicker, with a plan, so that you'll be more profitable quicker.I'm just trying to help you launch whatever it is you're trying to launch. A personal brand business, a website, a Podcast. Whatever it is, I'm here for you.So check out the show notes for the links because it'll get you to these tools a lot faster. Do you want to start your own Podcast? Download the FREE E-book I have for you 'Starting a Podcast Mini-Course'.FREE Podcast Launch Webinar https://www.tomclairmont.com/podcast-launch-webinar/Need help getting your online business or Podcast started? Book a call with Tom's Online CalendarCheck out my FREE, E-book of the Month Club that deals with a lot of the core issues that small business startups can have.Website: www.tomclairmont.comFree Resources: www.tomclairmont.com/resourcesProducts: www.tomclairmont.com/storeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasclairmont/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/small-biz-essentials/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands