Want to know how to grow your online business when you run into challenges? It starts with your mindset.
Today I’ll give you three powerful tips so you can meet online business challenges head on.
The video above was recorded in late 2021, when a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was building. But what I talk about applies to any online business challenge.
The big advantages of being an online business owner
Most online business owners have big advantages to begin with:
- You have the fastest internet connections you can afford
- You own webcams for virtual meetings
- You have a solid set of tech tools that allow you to reach customers just about anywhere
Related: How Can I Make Money Online in Midlife? Seven Challenges and Their Solutions
Related: How to Build a Money-Making Online Offer
Because you work online, you’re already accustomed to adapting to change.
Because you’re experienced in work and in life, you’re resourceful and resilient.
But there’s something that matters more than the tools you have — your mindset.
This article marks nearly two years since the global COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was a challenge no one was expecting.
So how to grow your online business in that environment?
Online business is growing fast
Take heart. This is where things start to look up because yes, a few things have changed in the online world, but some things have actually gotten better than they were before the pandemic.
I started my online business on January 1, 2010. When lockdowns started around 10 years later in 2020, one of the first things I said to family members who checked in on me was, “I’m fine.” Little did I know I’ve been preparing for this moment for the last 10 years!
Once lockdowns became commonplace, interacting, learning, buying, and generally doing business online became 100 percent acceptable. Before that, there was still a lot of skepticism around making money online — even though people had been running online businesses for years.
Now people have realized that online business in general has been one of the most stable ways to generate revenue during the pandemic.
In late 2021, online spending was up 56 percent compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
How can you can take the lessons learned in 2020 and 2021 into the future?
That knowledge can show you how to grow your online business — and meet business challenges head on.
There are three important mindset tips I want to talk about today.
But first, let’s focus on what’s remained constant. The mindset tips I’m about to share were all a part of our online business world before 2020, but they’ve taken on new weight and importance:
- Connection
- Flexibility
- Boundaries
1. How to grow your online business with connection
The first mindset tip is to harness the power of connection.
When you’re online, connection is key.
Start now to find ways to connect with potential customers and business collaborators on a personal level. Take it step by step, just like you would in real life.
How do you do that? Video is super important right now. It’s one of the reasons I started creating videos for YouTube.
Relationships matter. Lots of people are realizing that one of the most important aspects of social media is how it facilitates a place to chat.
What if social media became less of a place where we post incessantly about our businesses, and more of a place where we start conversations?
Ask yourself this important question: How can you foster connection today — real human-to-human connection — in your online business now and in the future?
Related: 5 Ways to Make a Genuine Connection with Your Virtual Community
How to grow your online business with flexibility
The second mindset tip is flexibility. People are demanding flexibility in the businesses and service providers they work with.
Make sure that your online offer gives this to them — learning flexibility, working flexibility, payment flexibility.
Life — and online business — is in a constant state of change. That accelerated once the pandemic began, because of restrictions, limitations, shortages.
In extreme situations, it feels like the ground is constantly shifting under your feet. This is happening to everyone — you, me, and the people we serve.
Your humanity and compassion have a chance to shine with the flexibility that you can offer your customers. Use your creativity, and welcome new ideas from the people you serve.
Ask your people, “What would make it easier for you to learn from me, buy from me, or hire me?” How can you offer more flexible ways to work with your business?
When you can answer that question, you will learn how to grow your online business in a way that delights your customers — who will recognize the value you bring to the table and happily pay you for it.
3. How to grow your online business with boundaries
Grow your online business with boundaries? That might be a surprising growth mindset, but boundaries are critical.
Your online business success is dependent on you, the person who’s running the show. That means that because of all this extra connection and flexibility you offer, you may feel more stretched than ever.
This mindset tip is to remind you to put healthy boundaries in place — and to model those healthy boundaries for your prospects and customers.
Boundaries are going to look different for everyone, but here’s an example of one of my boundaries: The only way to work with me personally is through my Offer Accelerator (OA) program.
The OA is a 12-month program where I work with people in mid-career to build profitable online offers, products, or services that generate consistent revenue in their businesses.
People in the OA have regular access to me. We have weekly coaching sessions, I do weekly reviews of their projects, and we have a private group where members can ask me questions — except on weekends.
Why are weekends off-limits? Because on weekends, I need to recharge and recover. If I’m going to show up at my best for my Offer Accelerator members and be deeply involved in their businesses, I’ve got to take time off.
That’s what I mean by boundaries.
Boundaries create structure, not obstacles.
- It means telling a client that you’ll get back to them on Monday.
- It means pushing away from your desk at a reasonable hour.
- It means prioritizing sleep, food, movement, and anything else that keeps you physically and mentally healthy.
This might not be the typical “how to grow your online business” article.
Tools and techniques will help you. But if you want to reach your full revenue potential, these three mindset tips are critical.
The best advice I’d give any coaching client on how to grow your online business is to prioritize connection, flexibility, and boundaries.
The right mindset means you’ll show up at your best — which means even more happy, loyal customers.
Ready to grow your online business? Apply for the Offer Accelerator!
