3 Business Scaling Secrets: What Coaches & Course Creators Need to Know
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In the world of entrepreneurship, it's easy to get caught up in the instagram echochamber of advice, strategies, and success stories... As someone who's building and scaling a business as well as intimately supporting many others to do the same, I've noticed a few sneaky ‘mistakes’ we all can make. Today, I want to take a deep dive into the three biggest ones I see people encountering when trying to grow and scale their businesses.
But before we do.. I want to first bring light to something that I think is so closely related to all three points: comparison. In our hyper-connected world, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of comparing our businesses to others we see online. Yet we often forget that we're only seeing a fraction of their journey, which is usually a highlight reel. It's rare to hear the ugly truth about running a business - the late nights, the failures, the moments of doubt…
I think that when we get caught up in comparison it’s easy to fall into these mistakes.. So with that in mind, let's dive in..
Mistake #1. Not Sticking It Out Long Enough
These days we’re so accustomed to instant gratification culture, where almost everything is a few clicks away and delivered the same day - we've been conditioned to believe that quick, big wins in business are the norm. Whilst sure these results are certainly possible for some, it's not the universal experience (and I don’t think it should be the aim either). If you're desiring to build a sustainable, long-term business with depth and substance, it’s going to take time - sometimes a lot of time to get to a place where things feel like they’re flowing..
The Reality of Building a Business
Building a business is not just about picking a trending offer, sharing it on insta and then hitting 10k months in a click of your fingers.. No, instead it looks like:
Taking messy action: Particularly in the beginning where you don’t feel prepared or like you have a clue what you’re doing..
Collecting + assessing data: So so so important and something early stage entrepreneurs often don’t see the importance in! You need to be gathering information about your market, your customers, and your own performance - the further along in business you are the more necessary this is to continue growing.
Seeing what works (and what doesn't): Not every strategy will work straight away. You need to test, iterate, and learn from both successes and failures (see point above re: data).
Constant refinement: As you learn and grow, you'll need to continually refine your offerings, your marketing, and your operations.
This process can feel sticky at the beginning and maybe even a little boring. It requires persistence even when you're not seeing the desired results straight away..
To Pivot or not to pivot…
Okay I’ve actually not watched friends but I know this scene well hehe - don’t hate me if you’re a friends fanatic.
One of the biggest mistakes I see coaches and course creators make is jumping ship too soon. They might:
Have shiny object syndrom with a strategy that seems to be working for everyone else without giving any single approach enough time to gain traction.
Switch business coaches or mentors frequently, never fully implementing any one person's advice.
Launch a new product or service, then quickly abandon it when it doesn't immediately take off.
This is going to stop you from gaining the momentum you need to truly grow your business. It's like planting a seed, then digging it up every few days to see if it's growing. You never give it the chance to take root and flourish.
How to Stick It Out
Set realistic timelines: With any strategy as a general rule of thumb you’re going to want to give yourself atleast 90 days before you throw in the towel and decide it’s not working.
Track your progress: Again see the above point about data!! Check in with your data and check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling implementing certain strategies..
Seek support: Hire a mentor to support you with creating and imeplemting strategies and to give you a pep talk when things feel like they’re not working..
Celebrate small wins: We’re often chasing the next thing in business, the next client, the next sale, the next income milestone but it’s so important to zoom out and look at all you’ve achieved and celebrate the small wins.
Mistake #2. Mistaking Discomfort for Misalignment
If there's one myth I'd love to debunk, it's the idea that running a business should always feel easy, flowy and aligned. While it's true that you can (and should) run your business in a way that aligns with your own values, goals and energetics, it's inevitable that you'll experience some form of resistance or discomfort along the way.
Most of us start our businesses because we're passionate about the way we support our clients. We love coaching clients, designing websites, or whatever our primary offering may be. However, running a business involves many other tasks that might not be in our zone of genius:
Accounting and bookkeeping
Marketing and social media management
Administrative tasks
Managing Team members
Operations and systems management
These tasks are likely not why you started your business, but they're a necessary part of it. The discomfort you feel when tackling these tasks doesn't mean something is wrong with your business or that you're on the wrong path. It's simply part of the growth process.
Distinguishing Between Types of Discomfort
It's important to distinguish between different types of discomfort:
Growth discomfort: This is the feeling you get when you're stretching yourself, learning new skills, or stepping out of your comfort zone. This type of discomfort is usually a sign that you're on the right track and as funny at it sounds you should want to feel this discomfort.
Misalignment discomfort: This is a deeper, gut-level feeling that something is fundamentally wrong. It might manifest as a persistent lack of motivation or a feeling that your work doesn't align with your values.
Temporary discomfort: This is the day-to-day frustration that comes with tackling necessary but unenjoyable tasks. This is normal and doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.
Strategies for Dealing with Discomfort
Reframe your perspective: Instead of viewing challenging tasks as obstacles, see them as opportunities for growth and learning.
Develop your skills: The more you practice difficult tasks, the easier they become. Invest time in learning and improving.
Create systems: Develop processes and routines to make uncomfortable tasks more manageable.
Outsource strategically: As your business grows, consider outsourcing tasks that consistently drain your energy or fall outside your expertise.
Practice self-care: Ensure you're taking care of yourself physically and mentally. A well-rested, healthy entrepreneur is better equipped to handle discomfort.
Remember, some discomfort is required to reach your goals. Don't mistake this necessary discomfort for misalignment..
Mistake #3. Trying to Go Wide Before Going Deep
In the world of online business, we're often bombarded with advice about diversifying our income streams and creating multiple offers and some coaches seem to be creating new offers more than they change their underwear. While this can be a solid strategy for a mature business, trying to implement it too soon can be a recipe for disaster.
You might hear that having an ascension model (a range of products at different price points) is the way to scale, so you rush to create offers for every point of your client's journey. This approach can be problematic for several reasons:
Lack of expertise: You might not have the skillset or knowledge to serve clients at all these different points effectively.
Diluted focus: If you haven't mastered your core service, you risk diluting your impact and message by spreading yourself too thin.
Overwhelm: Managing multiple offers can be overwhelming, especially if you're still in the early stages of your business.
Confused marketing: It can be challenging to market multiple offers effectively, potentially confusing your audience about what you actually do - and a confused buyer… well they don’t buy.
What to do instead
Instead of trying to offer everything to everyone, focus on creating a core offer that you become well-known for. This approach has several advantages:
Mastery: By focusing on one main offering, you can truly master your craft and become known as the go to gal in your field.
Simplified marketing: It's much easier to market one core offering effectively than to juggle multiple offers.
Clear client journey: With a single focus, you can create a clear and compelling client journey, from discovery to purchase and beyond.
Improved results: By pouring all your energy into one offering, you're more likely to get great results for your clients, leading to testimonials and referrals.
How to master your core offer
Identify your core offer: What's the one thing you do exceptionally well? What problem do you solve better than anyone else? What do your clients come to you for? What are you recognised for in your industry?
Refine and perfect: Continuously improve your core offer based on client feedback and results (this means you need to be PROACTIVELY collecting feedback and tracking results)
Become known for it: Focus your marketing efforts on becoming the go-to for this specific solution.
Stabilize your income: Aim to reach a consistent income level (like five-figure months or a six-figure year) with this core offer before expanding.
Listen to your clients: As you serve your clients with your core offer, pay attention to what else they're asking for. These requests can guide your future expansions.
When to Consider Expanding
Once you've mastered your core offer and sustained your revenue, you can start thinking about expansion. Here are some signs you might be ready:
Consistent demand: You're consistently booked out or have a waitlist that converts.
Client requests: Your clients are repeatedly asking for additional services or products.
Market opportunities: You've identified clear, unmet needs in your market that align with your expertise.
Operational stability: Your business systems and processes are running smoothly, giving you the capacity to focus on new offerings.
👀PSSST! Want to see what your scalability potential is when you introduce a strategic offer into your business? Get my FREE calculator below.
Conclusion:
Building and scaling a business is no small feat - especially when you’re doing so with intention and in a way that feels spacious enough that you can also enjoy your life.
I'd love to hear if this resonates with you. If you find yourself caught up in one of these pitfalls, or if you have strategies for overcoming them, feel free to reach out to me on instagram. Let's continue this conversation and support each other in building businesses that stand the test of time.