Once you’ve validated your idea through research, the next barrier that you need to overcome is getting people to pay attention to you. This can be difficult because there are often a lot of internal blocks that you need to deal with in order to step up and step out in your business.  So here are four things you can do to step up and step out in your business.

1. Have a plan 

The first thing that most new business owners do when they start a new business, is rush to build a website and market their business.  Whenever a client tells me this I ask them a few questions to help them to see that in their excitement to get their business up and running, they’re missing out on a few important steps.  One of those steps is the planning phase.  

Here are some of the things that your plan should include::

• What is the objective of your business? 
• How will people be better off after working with you/buying from you?
• What skills do I currently have that would help me to run my business?  
• What skills do I need to develop as a new business owner
• How will my business be structured and what products and services will I provide?

Having a plan ensures that you are focused on the right activities, are considering the next steps to take in your business, and that you have a clear understanding of how those steps will lead you towards where you ultimately want to be in your business.

2. Have a clear message 

Not a lot of new business owners pay attention to their message when they start their business.  Instead they do things like build their website and post on social media.  But then they get discouraged because people aren’t engaging with their content on social media and no one visits their website.  The reason for this is likely because you don’t have a clear message.  But what is a clear message?  My definition of a clear message is one which says what you do and who you help in such a compelling way that it connects with the person reading it and leaves them wanting to know more about you.  

Let’s break that down.

What do you do

Most people when they talk about what they do simply just say their job title.  That’s a throwback to the days of working in a corporate job, because typically when someone asks you what you do, they’re really asking you for your job title. But in business, your job title doesn’t really convey what you do.  

Take me for example, I’m a Business Startup coach but it would be difficult to tell from that description alone exactly what I do as a Business Startup coach.  So instead when I’m asked what I do when I meet new people, I say I help new service based female entrepreneurs to identify the right activities to focus on in their business so they can attract clients, generate money and set their business up for success.  

That message clearly conveys the 'what' behind what I do and your message should do the same. 

Who you help 

In the example I gave above I included a description of who I help, in other words my target audience or my niche, i.e. a new service based female entrepreneur.  The reason this is important is because when people go to your website or look at the content that you post on social media they’re asking themselves can this person help me?  By including in your message who you help you’re answering this question.  This also helps you to stand out from everyone else who may just be targeting small business owners for example. The more specific that you can get the more you will stand out.  

Once you have a clear message, you can use it on your website to describe what you do, in your social media bio and at networking events when you’re introducing yourself to new potential clients or partners. Your message though is just the introduction.  The purpose of your message is to captivate the attention of those who are either reading your messaging or whom you are speaking to and encourage them to learn more about what you do and ask follow up questions.

3. What do you want to be known for?

One of the amazing things about being an entrepreneur is that you get to create your own narrative and not be bound by the narrative created by someone else.

The values that you have and the causes that you believe in make up who you are as the person behind your business, and help you to stand out from the competition.

Here are some examples of some of the things that you may want to be known for:

• Helping women to create a legacy for their families 
• Helping more women to be successful entrepreneurs 
• Eradicating poverty 
• Ending homelessness 

What you want to be known for could also relate to the way that you create your products. Maybe the products that you use are ethically sourced and Vegan.  

It could also relate to the way in which you deliver your services such as:

• A particular framework that you use to manage your clients social media platforms
• The cost of the service that you provide. Do you provide a budget friendly service and nothing that you offer costs more than £100?  

Spend some time thinking about what you want to be known for as the person behind the business, and that will help you to stand out from everyone else, because there is no one else that believes all the things that you do, in the way that you do and for the reasons that you do.  

4. Have a measurable result

I’m sure you’ve heard of the SMART acronym which is used for goal setting purposes.  If you haven’t, it stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.  

Being able to state the result that someone will get as a result of working with you will help you to stand out from the other businesses doing what you’re doing.  

You need to answer the questions:

• What will people get as a result of working with you?  
• Will they earn a certain amount of money?  
• Will they have a certain number of clients?  
• Will they get more engagement on social media?  
• Will they have increased confidence to go out there and talk about their business?  
• Will they have a step by step action plan which tells them the key things to focus on in their business? 
• Will they know how to find clients?

Following these tips will help you to step up and stand out as a new business owner. Once you’ve taken these tips, your next step is to let as many people know about you as possible.