I thought running an agency is going to be easy. You let the client sign a piece of paper, delegate the work to the right person, and collect the money. Well, it turns out it takes more than those things I just mentioned. I bring this up because this is what I learned from the courses I’ve purchased, and I gotta say they weren’t wrong about it. But some essential pieces are missing in that equation.
Real Business vs. Side Hustle
Even though it starts as a side hustle, you want to treat it as a real business. Have process plans, sales plans, marketing plans, and a business plan on hand so you can keep track of your progress. Your clients want to know how the process will be, how long it will take, and what the results will promise. You want to have an answer to all questions regarding your side hustle. It shows professionalism and seriousness. Therefore, it will help you to retain your current customer base.
My Process Plan
Having a plan of what to do is essential. It’s supposed to be common sense, but I realized it is not. I am coming from an employee world where hundreds of process plans have been established, and nothing had to be “invented.” Everything was already existing, and I was able to find minor tweaks and shortcuts to ensure more efficiency.
When you start your own business, you will notice that nobody will tell you what next step you need. It all depends on you and your process plan.
The Sales Plan
One of the things I have not thought of was cold calling. Cold calling is not just dialing a number and saying hello to the other end. You need to have a strategy in place to see what works and what doesn’t. My recent job as a Salesman was pretty easy because we had scripts we could work up and find our personal preference to work with.
Here is a list you need to do to close a deal. ( My experience with cold calling and my own company ).
- Find the number and key person
- Analyze prospect
- Reach out via E-mail
- Reach Out via phone and confirm e-mail
- Follow-Up ( as many as needed )
- Proposal of services
- (if rejected) Follow-ups
- Closure or Unsubscribed
Marketing Plan
I started out with a bit of a budget for marketing. I still have a slim budget for advertisements on social media channels. It could be fear of losing money or just insecurity of my capabilities.
I say that because I noticed, I am not the only one who does not advertise even though I have a Digital Marketing Agency. B2B is a little different from B2C. I currently build a brand for entrepreneurs to connect with like-minded people who take their health and fitness more seriously than others. If you want to take a survey, please fill out the 2 questions at www.movet-fit.com and have the chance to win a free pass for the community and two free resistance bands.
However, Marketing for a consumer is slightly more manageable, in my opinion, because you sell more out of emotions. At the same time, B2B has more to do with the data you can provide. If I am wrong, please drop a comment down below, and I’d be happy to talk to you.
My Take On Side Hustle Vs Real Business
There you have it. This is my take on Real Business vs. Side Hustle. It is more serious than I expected it to be. But in general, I am happy I took on the challenge.
See you soon
Niclas Haritos 
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