WPATX Deep Dive Discussion — 2017 WordPress Freelancer Business Checkup
We are going to start the New Year with a focused look at what is working in your Freelance WordPress business, and who, or what might be holding you back.
This Deep Dive Discussion was an interactive workshop that was structured to help our Freelancers build a purposeful foundation for their business in 2017. Whether we just talked it through with a friend, wrote it down in a business plan, or scribbled it on post-it note — we all had a personal driver to start our Freelance WordPress business.
Do you still have the clarity of purpose that convinced you to become a WordPress Freelancer? Or, have you lost your “WHY” in pursuit of the “HOW”?
This WPATX Deep Dive Discussion workshop was developed help you discover or rediscover your ‘business sweet-spot’ — the confluence of your skills and your passion.
Attendees did some short exercises to re-discover their personal WHY. Then we discussed how to use our newfound clarity to become the go-to person within your chosen niche. Our goal for this Workshop was to help our WPATX Freelancers attract better quality clients who value our work, respect our processes and who are ultimately more profitable for our businesses.
You work IN your business every day — It’s time to set et aside time to work ON your business.
START WITH WHY
There is nothing new or groundbreaking about this process. These exercises are all inspired by many business authors who knew to ask the most important question any Freelancer will ever answer, “Why do you want it?” Once you have that sussed out you personal and professional WHY — identifying and serving your ideal client gets easier and more profitable.
Here is a list of the books that I used as inspiration and source documents for the 2017 WordPress Freelancer Business Checkup Work Sheets.
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
- Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One by Jenny Blake
- Duct Tape Marketing Revised and Updated: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch
- Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers by Seth Godin
- Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
- Success Principles by Jack Canfield
- …and just about any TQM book I ever read that focused on developing a clear Mission and Vision Statement for every project
WHY TAKING TIME TO THINK IS AN INVESTMENT
- When was the last time you really took the time to think about what you are doing and why?
- We can’t give you a cabin in the woods, but we can give you an hour and a half to explore your WHY
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE to BE A WORDPRESS FREELANCER?
- Making money with your business is a given—
- Each of us could easily get a JOB with a regular paycheck
- What are you trying to achieve?
WHAT IS YOUR BIG WHY?
- What are you really good at?
- What are you passionate about — What gets you up in the morning!
- Don’t build a business you hate — Been there – done that — don’t recommend it!
YOUR WHYS CAN EVOLVE
- Your Why can and will change over time
- Get clear and stay clear about your WHY
- Business decisions become easier when they concur with your WHY
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE
- Each of us has a personal ‘secret sauce’ — that skill that we can bring to a job or situation.
- What are all the things in which you are skillful?
- Consider all your skills, not just those relevant to your business
WHAT YOU GOT HERE THAT’S WORTH LIVING FOR?
- Understanding how serving something bigger motivates you to persist as a WordPress Freelancer
- Who do you want to Inspire
- What do you know can be done better
- What Passion do you want to bring to life
FINDING YOUR “FREELANCER SWEET SPOT SERVICE”
- The overlap of your skills and what you love to do is your ‘Sweet-Spot- Service”
- Understanding and exploiting your personal Sweet-Spot-Service is your “Pivot’ to profitability
GETTING CLEAR ON WHO IS “YOUR” PERFECT CLIENT
- What type of client would benefit the most from your service-sweet- spot-services?
- Are you wasting time chasing the wrong type of client?
- Clients who most benefit from your sweet-spot-services are the most appreciative
- Your ‘Perfect Clients’ benefit from the ‘sweet-spot-services’ you offer and happily pay you a premium for value received and refer you to their like-minded business associates.
2017 BUSINESS CHECK-UP WORKSHOP EXERCISES
- No What / No How
- Just Brain Storm Your WHY
Suggested Reading for the Month: Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Workshop Exercises Handed Out To Attendees
I hope these class notes helped. I have included a link to my Slidedeck below. I’m sorry if the transfer from Keynote to PowerPoint format sometimes does odd things to the headers and some images. We look forward to seeing you at an Austin WordPress Meetup soon. Drop by https://www.meetup.com/austinwordpress/ for the class schedule.
Follow me @sandi_batik / @WPATX Contact me at: handsonwp.com https:// MyLinkedIn -www.linkedin.com/in/hsandrachevalierbatik
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