???? How to Do an Annual Business Plan That Prioritizes Sustainable Revenue

For easy and joyful marketing approaches that energetically attract your ideal clientele, read the latest articles here at?Midweek Momentum .

The solstice is upon us, bringing with it a time of reflection and energy alignment, ideal for envisioning our business journey in the year ahead. As we discussed in our last Midweek Momentum issue , these darker days are a gift, offering us the clarity and focus we need to craft a business plan that's not just effective, but sustainable and joyful.

The Entrepreneur's Dilemma: Working In vs. On Your Business

?For many successful professionals and business owners who sell their intellectual property (IP) for a living, we face a continual struggle. It's the tension of figuring out how to transition from working in our business to working on our businesses. Robert T. Kiyosaki, the renowned author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad ," raises a compelling point – he argues that we cannot truly consider ourselves business owners until we have the freedom to choose to work on our business, rather than being required to handle day-to-day operations.

Understanding the Cash Flow Quadrant

Kiyosaki is well known for a model he calls the “cash flow quadrant” that he uses to illustrate the four ways you can choose to make money:??

• An employee: working for, and at the mercy of, someone else or a corporation ?
• Self-employed: you own a job, and your income disappears if you need to step away?
• A business owner: the owner of a system that can make money with or without you?
• An investor: you get money working for you instead of working for money?

Stepping Up the Ladder to Financial Stability?

In Kiyosaki’s view, being an employee is undesirable because your income depends on the mercy of others.

He is even less favorably disposed toward being self-employed because when you work alone, your income disappears if you need to step away from the business. Kiyosaki encourages people toward the last two options: Become a business owner, at minimum, and ideally, become an investor (or both!).?

Before a serious car accident several years ago, our Founder and CEO, Jill McAbe says she didn't understand the urgency of Kiyosaki’s advice the way she does now. I learned the hard way that we are not always in control of when we will and won’t be able to work. That is why building a business that prioritizes predictable revenue (with the additional goal of doing work that brings me joy!) became my priority.

Personal Revelation: The Turning Point

As it turns out, selling your knowledge and expertise can pose a significant challenge. A part of our businesses revenue still relies on Jill selling her time! Organizations hire her to teach, deliver seminars, facilitate strategy sessions, and individuals and entrepreneurs work with occasionally for VIP sessions. In the past working directly with people, while immensely enjoyable for her, kept her from doing the strategic work that was required to establish herself firmly in the role of Business Owner.

Her personal goal became to have a business she loved so much that she could choose to work in (because it’s fun), but that didn't need to work in. A true business.

Crafting a Business of Joy and Independence?

Today's edition is dedicated to helping you understand how to set up a business that you can work on, but don’t have to work in, especially if, like me, your business's success is intertwined with your unique expertise:?

We'll cover:?

• Three Essential Steps to Create Sustainable Revenue
• Choosing Your Next Strategic Project to?Create Sustainable Revenue
• A Mantra to Create a Business Owner Mindset

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Three Essential Steps to Create Sustainable Revenue?

There are several steps to follow to build a business that prioritizes sustainable revenue, and the good news is, it is simpler than you might think. If you've ever felt ‘stuck’ because a seemingly endless number of projects are vying for your attention, the following three steps will be the fix!

Why? Because when you follow the steps to building a business that generates sustainable revenue, you’ll gain the clarity, confidence, and momentum you need to go the distance!?Here are three critical steps: ?

• Step 1: Productize Your Service Offering
• Step 2: Build a Scalable Sales-System to Convert Leads
• Step 3: Drive Traffic to Your Sales System & Deliver Results

Using these steps as your guide, annual planning (and even monthly and quarterly planning) becomes simple. Focus on each step until it's scalable, and then move to the next.

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[This issue shares excerpts from Jill's bestselling book, It’s Go Time which teaches how to become a financially free business owner in more detail. You can buy “It’s Go Time” here or download a PDF version here .]

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Step 1: Productizing Your Service Offering?

The first step to transitioning from an IP service provider to a visionary business owner is to productize your expertise. This involves creating a system based on your knowledge that guides clients through a transformative journey. Such a system is more than just a service; it's a pathway that leads clients from their present state to a desired, more empowered one.?

The Importance of Naming and Visualizing Your System?

Naming your system is crucial as it gives identity and clarity to the transformation you offer. A compelling name makes the process tangible and relatable, turning abstract concepts into something concrete. Illustrating your system, perhaps through models or diagrams, further demystifies the journey, allowing clients to visualize their path to transformation.?

Foundation for Scalability?

This step is foundational for building a scalable business. When your expertise is packaged into a structured system, it transcends personal time constraints. Such a system can be replicated, taught, or even automated, allowing your business to expand its reach and impact. This approach shifts the value from the hours you work to the effectiveness of the system you’ve created, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth and increased revenue.?

In essence, productizing your expertise not only elevates the client experience but also paves the way for your business's scalability and independent success.

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[For over five years, our team has been dedicated to helping individuals, entrepreneurs and organizations like you productize their expertise and set up scalable sales systems with our True2Brand Methodology. If you’re looking to take this step in your business, we’re here to guide you. Visit our website to learn more about our services, Let’s explore together how we can fast track your journey to sustainable revenue.]

Step 2: Build a Scalable Sales-System??

Establishing a Converting Sales Process?

Once your expertise is transformed into a structured, marketable system, the next crucial step is to establish a sales process that effectively converts prospects into clients. This step is about crafting a sales system that resonates with your target audience and clearly communicates the value and transformation offered by your productized expertise.?

Creating a Compelling Sales Narrative ?

The success of this phase hinges on creating a sales narrative that deeply connects with your potential clients. This involves developing a website and sales funnel that are not just informative but persuasive and engaging. The goal is to create a journey for your prospects that leads them from initial curiosity to a committed decision, guided by content that highlights the benefits and unique features of your system.?

A Crucial Task for Business Owners?

In the quest to work 'on their business,' many entrepreneurs overlook a critical element: the development of predictable sales systems demands personal involvement. If marketing isn't your forte, the allure of hiring a part-time or freelance marketer can be strong. However, caution is needed. There are a broad array of specialities within marketing. Unless you hire someone with specific expertise in developing funnels and persuasive web copy, your marketing efforts might fall short of expectations.

Unless you hire someone with specific expertise in developing funnels and persuasive web copy, your marketing efforts might fall short of expectations.

To bridge this gap, it's essential for business owners to not only get involved and collaborate with specialists who have a proven track record in these specific areas. This synergy of your business insight and their marketing acumen can create a sales system that truly resonates with your audience and delivers results. By combining your deep understanding of your product and client base with their expertise in funnel optimization and copywriting, you can develop a sales narrative that's both authentic to your brand and compelling to your prospects.?

Remember, your engagement in this process is not just beneficial but crucial. It ensures that every aspect of your sales system is aligned with your business's unique value proposition and market position, setting the stage for sustainable growth and success.?

Step 3: Driving Traffic?

With a productized service and an effective sales system in place, the focus now shifts to driving targeted traffic to your offerings. This step is about implementing a marketing strategy that is not just broad but sharply focused on attracting the types of clients most likely to benefit from your services. ?

Enjoyable and Effective Marketing?

The key here is to make marketing an enjoyable and fruitful endeavor. By understanding your ideal client profile, your marketing efforts become more focused and efficient, targeting platforms and channels where your potential clients are most active. This targeted approach not only increases the effectiveness of your marketing but also makes it a more enjoyable process, as you see higher engagement and conversion rates.?

Using Mantras to Create a Business Owner Mindset: ?

As we embrace the principles of becoming a business owner with sustainable revenue, let's anchor these concepts with this week's custom mantra courtesy of Margarita Angelatos.?

"I joyfully create a plan and business that generates sustainable revenue ??"?

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Today's mantra reinforces the idea that our subconscious mind is a powerful ally in thinking like a business owner with lifestyle freedom. By repeating this mantra, we aim to align to a stress-free path to our objectives by leveraging our brain's innate efficiency.?

Reflecting on today's theme, "???? How to Do an Annual Business Plan That Prioritizes Sustainable Revenue," we've explored three pivotal steps:?

• productizing your expertise
• developing a converting sales system
• driving targeted traffic while scaling operations

As you embark on your planning journey, your greatest leverage comes from choosing one of these steps to be the focus of your strategic vision for the year ahead. Embrace this step as a key driver of your strategic initiatives in your business, and before you know it, you'll be the proud and joyful owner of a business system that predictably makes revenue with or without you! Thanks for reading! ?

Here's to every small step towards a big dream, ?

Jill McAbe and the True2Brand Team

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Join us next week as we continue to unravel the secrets of business planning that leads to financial freedom. ??

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Jill McAbe: Executive Director, Founder & CEO

Joel Baum: AI Director & Strategic Advisor

Margarita Angelatos: Marketing Director & Energy Healer

Trina Brooks: Client Success Director & Implementation Coach

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A special thank you for supporting Midweek Momentum by reading right down to the bottom! We are grateful for your attention. If you have any ideas or comments about this issue or suggestions for upcoming ones, we'd love to hear from you. You can reach out directly at [email protected] .