5 Things Your Business MUST Have in 2019 & Beyond

As a Business Coach, I am often able to quickly take a look at a business and see specific areas of opportunity and weakness that if improved upon, can begin making a dramatic difference.

Many times, I am still surprised when I see that a business does not have some of the online basics that are now expected by consumers in 2018. The applications and technology readily available today has made it very simple to maximize your online footprint and impact in the business world, and not taking advantage is only going to leave you behind in the dust of your competition.  

The following are 5 things that I believe your business MUST have in 2018 and beyond to be competitive and relevant:

#1: Website. Believe it or not, there are still many businesses who do not have a website, but instead rely on a Facebook page only. What is the first thing you do when you hear of a new business? You likely Google it and try to find their website. What happens when you find out they don't have a website? My guess is you are then left with an uncertain impression about the reputability of the business. WHY wouldn't they have a website? Maybe perhaps they are an amateur or untrustworthy company? These are the thoughts going through your potential customers' minds when you do not have a website in 2018. With the simplicity of multiple website builder options out there now from free to minimal cost, there really is no excuse to not have a website, even if it's just basic as you're starting out. 

#2: Email List. Many marketing experts will agree, that the money is in the email list. The larger your list, the better. But, you do NOT just want to buy a list of email addresses, or just begin emailing people who never consented or signed up to receive your emails. This is spam, and it's against the rules and even laws to begin sending emails to an audience that did not agree or opt in. You want to build your email list legitimately and full of highly targeted leads who are interested and in need of what it is you offer as a product or service. Creating a lead magnet or downloadable "freebie" that's related to your business in exchange for a prospect's email address, is a great way to begin building your list the right way. 

#3: Social Media Presence. There are multiple different social media and social networking platforms and channels out there now, but the largest are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. It is great to have a presence across a variety of channels, however it is most important to focus on the specific platforms that are where YOUR customers and prospects hang out the most online. Social media is an excellent way to also give a behind the scene look at your business, your brand, and to just overall show transparency which creates brand, culture, community, and ultimately trust and relationship. 

#4: Quality Content. Consumers these days are often connected to their smartphones and in tune with what's happening in the social, online world. They expect to read and watch VALUABLE content that is beneficial to them in some way. It's often overwhelming with just HOW much information we have at our fingertips all day, everyday. This is another reason that as business owners, we need to be sure we'e providing value-driven content to our customers that's truly helping them with something upfront. If all you're doing is pitching your business, product, or trying to SELL the majority of the time, you're missing the boat. Provide the value and genuinely want to HELP your customers and prospects, and the rest will follow into place. This is the premise of Attraction Marketing, and is the focus of the type of marketing strategy that I help my clients within my coaching programs.  

#5: Source of Passive Income. This last topic is something that I strive to help all of my clients to achieve. Our time is HIGHLY limited everyday, and there is a capacity on how many people we are capable of servicing on a one-to-one level every day. This is why, I am a huge advocate of creating a source of passive income that utilizes a one-to-MANY model, and can exponentially increase the number of people you can help in a day. For anyone unfamiliar with how this works, most of the time you will be creating some type of digital product that you can then automate within sales funnels that will do the work for you, even when you sleep. 

If any of these 5 areas have you wanting some extra specialized guidance in, to determine how you can implement each to your own specific situation or business - reach out and I would be happy to help walk you through it all!