Is there such a thing as job security? Maybe Entrepreneurship is the only way to find it.
Whether you are unhappy in your job or were laid off, entrepreneurship is a great place to find job security for the future.
Your second phase is waiting for you!
Why are you showing up to a job every day that you hate?
Or, maybe, it’s even worse. Maybe in the year of layoffs, you were laid off too. If that happened to you, I’m very sorry. I’m sending you hugs and strength.
But, unfortunately, that is the reality we are living in. I think the number of people that lost their job in 2020 is around 3 million.
What does that tell us? That there is no guarantee of security when working for someone else.
So instead of being unhappy, or spending hours, days, weeks, and months looking for a new job, why don’t you create something of your own? You can!
Don’t Settle for Unhappy to Have Job Security
If you’re showing up unhappy at work, you are showing up unhappy at home.
Unhappiness with your work leads to unhappiness in every aspect of your life. You’ll be grumpy with the kids, grumpy with your spouse or partner, and grumpy about life in general. Being unhappy will also lead you to be unhealthy.
Not to mention, your anxiety levels will be higher, which can lead to a higher risk of depression and other health problems.
Did you know that in less than 6 months’ time, you could put all of that behind you and build a business?
If you are still working and haven’t been laid off, you can approach it as a side gig at first, if you need to. A side gig can bring in additional income and give you hope for the day you reach your goal and can take the side gig to full-time entrepreneurship.
Can’t Quit Your Day Job? Find Job Security in a Side Gig.
Even if you can’t quit your day job today, or next week, or next month or even next year because you need the benefits to keep your family secure, you can start and do it on the side until you are making enough money to walk away with full satisfaction and security.
People will tell you that you are crazy. They’ll tell you that you can’t do it, that it’s too much or not enough. But the nay-sayers will always have something to say. Don’t listen to them unless they have something constructive to say because they don’t know what’s best for you. Only you know what’s best for you and what your intentions are.
What’s Holding You Back from Creating a New Type of Job Security?
Maybe not having any idea what you could do or how you could help others is holding you back in addition to the security of the full-time job you’re miserable in.
But that’s just an excuse.
If you have lived, you have experiences that you’ve gone through that you can now help others with. There will always be someone 1, 3, or 5 years behind you that could use your help. Maybe through mentoring, maybe through coaching, or maybe through teaching.
You do not have to have a certification to be an expert at something. If you have been successful in your corporate roles and responsibilities, you can guide someone else to be successful too.
If you look back on the times you felt amazing about a job well done, or were given a reward, what were you doing? Can you use that expertise to create a business of your own?
Still don’t have any idea how you could apply your skills to create a side gig or start your own business?
Opportunity Can Be Found In Your Values, Visions, and Passions
Let me ask you this. What are you passionate about? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? What lights you up inside when you think about it? Do you have a hobby that you could turn into a profession?
What are your values? Do they align with your passion, or can you make them align with your passion?
What are your visions for yourself? What do you see yourself doing when you are daydreaming? Who do you see yourself working with when you are fantasizing about leaving your current job?
What About Money? Is Money Security?
If you don’t know where to begin, you’ll be wise to hire someone so that you don’t waste time, energy, or money on starting and doing things wrong. Sure, doing things wrong gives great learning opportunities, but if you hate your job and want to get your new business off the ground sooner than later, you don’t want to risk doing things backward, or not establishing a firm foundation for success.
It’s one thing to make mistakes along the way, but something completely different to not know what you are doing and waste time not getting clients when all you really want is to create financial security to move forward, whether it’s leaving your current job, or replacing the job you lost.
But, if you really can’t afford to spend a dime to start something, start anyway. I know you have a Google search bar, use it.
Action Can Create A Second Phase with Job Security
Google your idea and see what comes up. Has anyone else created something similar? If yes, research them. You don’t want to duplicate what they are doing, but by researching, you can identify the areas of their business that needs improvement. How can you build on your idea by improving what someone else in the same space is doing?
The goal is to continue creating in a way that will differentiate you from all others in the space while taking advantage of your unique skill sets and creative ideas.
Once your research is complete, you start building the business.
Some of the first things you’ll need to consider are:
Niche and Ideal Audience
Now that you’ve done your research and identified your area of focus, your niche, you must identify your ideal audience. You’ve all heard me say this many times before, you must know who you’re talking to or you’ll be talking to no one. Make sure that your niche and ideal audience align with your values, visions, and passions.
Learn more about niching down here.
Naming Your Business
Will you use your name or will you create a catchy name. No matter what you decide, invest in the URL with your name in it, if it is available. Then purchase the URL with the name of your business. You should be able to purchase URLs with privacy protection for around $40. I recommend SiteGround as a hosting platform and will include a referral link in the show notes.
Realizing you may not have the resources to build a website immediately, you should purchase the domain names so that you have them when you are ready. This will prevent someone else from purchasing them before you.
When naming your business think about your long-term goals. Are you building a business that you could grow and sell in the future? If yes, you will want a catchy name (no more than 4 syllables), something that will transfer with the business if it’s sold.
If ultimately selling the business is not your goal, then using your name is a great idea. Why? Because you can expand your business and add additional services as you grow. For example, if you use your name and decide to write a book, you can use your current website and add a landing page for the book.
Grab the URL’s Now
If you can’t afford a website upfront, create a business page on both Facebook and Instagram. Drive traffic to these pages and as you get clients ask them for reviews on the Facebook business page. You need a place to house your information and let people know you are legit.
I will never tell you that not having a website is the best way to proceed, but if you are on a tight budget, lost your job, or resources are limited because you’re starting a side-gig, at a minimum use Facebook and Instagram to build an audience and build the know love and trust factor.
The most important thing is to start taking action to build the business.
Creating a Logo
If you are on a budget and don’t have a lot to invest in your business upfront, do not create a logo. That may sound like a crazy recommendation, but it is sound. I promise.
Here’s why. Your logo is not your brand. A logo is part of your brand identity, but if you are starting out on a budget, invest in a professional headshot, and use that as your brand identifier. You will become recognizable and memorable faster, which is critical when first starting out. Read more about the 5 components of a personal brand here.
Being the face of your brand will pay off faster than any other investment you can make when starting a business. People buy personalities they trust so get out there and introduce yourself to the world.
Create Content
No one will find you if you aren’t presenting yourself to them.
Where to begin? As I mentioned before, having business pages on Facebook and Instagram are key starting points.
The Bio
Start with your bio, which I like to call you I help statement, on your social media platforms.
This statement should tell your audience who you are, who you serve, and the problem you solve for them.
For example, I help women create personal brands that stand out, attract more clients, and make money. Host of The Second Phase Podcast, and Headshot and Branding Photographer.
You are limited in character count, so you have to be creative to get your message across as simply and concisely as possible.
Educate, Entertain, and Inspire
Social media posts should be clear, cohesive, and consistent. Educate, entertain, and inspire. Always have a call to action. Invite them to ask you a question, remind them to download your lead magnet, and ask them to answer a question related to your post topic.
Your goal should be to build relationships that will convert to clients or become collaboration opportunities or referral sources.
Email Marketing
Another strategy is email marketing. Use your existing contact list and create an email marketing plan to announce your new business and let people know what you are doing, how you serve, and the problem you will solve for them.
It gets a little tricky because people don’t like to be added to an email list they didn’t subscribe to. However, your family and friends adore you and want to know what you’re up to so start with them.
The List
Create your list in Mail Chimp, Constant Contacts, or Active Campaign. I have an affiliate link for Click Automations if you decide to go with that platform – which is all-inclusive – one platform for all of your needs. The link will be in the show notes. But start with a free platform until your list grows enough that you need to start paying for a subscription.
Create an email announcement to send to your existing list. Introduce your business and give them the opportunity within the body of the email to unsubscribe if they don’t want to follow along with your journey.
This is how I created my email list 10 years ago and very few people unsubscribed. Most were curious and wanted to follow along with my journey and many are still with me today.
At the same time you are creating this list, create a lead magnet. This is a free gift related to your expertise that will drive traffic to your email list. People will gladly give you their email addresses if you create something that will solve a problem they have.
Lead Magnets
Lead magnets can be short and sweet, but they must solve a problem. Think about the Smart Phone Photography for Business eBook I mentioned earlier. People want to have great photos for their business, but they can’t afford to have a professional photographer at the ready. My ebook is a free gift that helps people create eye-catching photos for their social media feeds, brochures, etc.
You can offer a tip sheet, for example, a checklist, or your top 5 favorite products for your business, etc. View or download free resources I’ve created.
The lead magnet should showcase your expertise in your niche and help you stand out as an authority while also solving a problem for your audience.
A Website is Still the Best
You can literally start a business and build a brand using the tools I’ve mentioned. Do I recommend having a website and do I believe a great website will help you build your business faster and have more credibility, yes? 100%, but if you are starting with limited resources, start by following the steps I’ve suggested above.
Are you still struggling with where to begin?
Book a call with me to learn more about my coaching program which will guide you every step of the way to create a personal brand and business that stands out, attracts clients and makes money.
To learn more about your host, Robyn Graham, click HERE.
