building an online business manager business Archives

The rise of the intrapreneur

By Tina | March 12, 2019

I was talking with a friend recently about a role she was struggling to fill on her team.

“I’ve tried a few people already in this role and it hasn’t worked. You know who I really want? Someone who is tired of running their own business and wants to work with someone else… I feel like they would get it and have the drive I’m looking for.”

On the other side of the coin, I have another friend who has owned and run successful businesses for over 20 years and decided to temporarily shut down her business a couple of years ago to take a sabbatical.

In her words “I was tired of my business. Tired of the hustle. Tired of the grind. The thought of letting my business go felt like freedom to me, and so I shut it down and spent the next year as part of the executive team for another business.”

There is a middle ground opening up between having a job and having our own business. Between being an employee vs. an entrepreneur.

It’s the intrapreneur.

Put simply, an intrapreneur is someone who brings the characteristics of an entrepreneur into the work they are doing for another business. Talked about often in corporate circles, the intrapreneur has a lot to offer to smaller businesses as well.

Vision. Drive. Passion. Innovation. Ownership. Experience.

They can plug into the vision of the company and see the possibilities.

They have the drive to own a project and make it happen, with the ability to tap into the resources of the company they work for.

They can focus their energy on work they do best, vs. trying to get better at things they aren’t good at.

They take ownership of a specific project or division and have the freedom to create results in their own way.

And if they have the experience of running their own business, they bring a level of insight into ‘what it takes’ to make things happen.

The benefit to the intrapreneur – the ability to do their best work and create results, without having to carry the ‘weight’ of the entire business on their shoulders.

I’ve spoken with countless individuals over the past few years who are done with their business. They are tired of the hustle. Tired of the heaviness of total responsibility. Tired of the constant struggle to find or manage clients. Tired of having to jump in when a team member drops a ball. Tired of working too many hours for what often feels like a small return.

They are also lonely.

And yet – they can’t imagine having to go get a job. Having to fit into someone else’s mold. Being told what to do and when to do it.

What if having to ‘get a job’ wasn’t the only option for the disillusioned business owner?

The benefit to the business hiring an intrapreneur – someone who isn’t afraid to take ownership of a project/division and be responsible for the results.

I’ve worked with small business owners now for over a decade in hiring and building teams, and they are equally as tired.

Tired of trying to find good people. Tired of trying to manage and motivate people. Feeling like they are spending all of their time telling them what to do, how to do it and chasing them down to make sure it gets done. Having high standards of work that it seems no one can meet.

At times it can feel like the only option is to do it all themselves, even when they KNOW they need support to take things to the next level.

The number one request I hear from business owners is that they want to hire a ‘self motivated’ individual – someone who bring the intrapreneur characteristics of plugging into the big picture, seeing what needs to be done and taking ownership to make it happen.

I can’t help but wonder – what is possible when we each stop trying to ‘do it all’ and instead look to come together and bring our best in the pursuit of a common goal?

How much more successful could we be when we join forces? When both the risk and the reward are shared?

There are key shifts to be made on boths sides to ensure this kind of relationship works – if you would like me to write another article on these shifts comment below and say ‘more please’. I’m happy to write a ‘part 2’ if it would be helpful. 🙂

And in the meantime, may you know and own your brilliance… and marinate in the possibility of what is created when we come together.

3 ways to charge more for your expertise

By Tina | February 17, 2019

You’ve been in business now for a while and you KNOW you have more to offer.

Wisdom. Knowledge. Experience. Strategy. <– All of these are in HIGH demand and you would love to officially bring them to the table.

So how do you charge more for your expertise?

Here are 3 tips to make the shift:

#1 – Pick ONE THING

Many of us – myself included – are great at doing many things. And we may create a lot of success in the early days at being able to do ‘everything’ for our clients. (And they will love you for it!)

But if you are known to do ‘everything’ then you are known for nothing in particular.

The first step in being able to charge more for your expertise is to pick THE ONE THING you want to be known for. The one thing that you want people to say “So you need help with X? You need to contact … She’s the best!”

It can be challenging to narrow it down at first – especially if you have many things you love to do! – but narrowing your focus will allow you to be seen as the EXPERT in that area and allow you to build off that specific platform.

#2 – Charge for the RESULT and not the time it takes to do the work

One of the biggest shifts I work on with my clients is making the shift from charging by-the-hour or by-the-session for what they do (retainers, etc) to charging for the deliverable or result they help to create.

Time is our most important asset, and yet it’s the thing we get paid the least for. Why? Because it forces people to value us based on how long it takes to do the work – and they will naturally always measure us on how quick or slow we appear to be. And if you work quickly and are efficient, you end up making less money than someone who is slower… doesn’t make sense!

When you charge based on the RESULT you bring certainty and commitment to the table – the client knows exactly what they are getting, what they will pay and you are committed to making it happen no matter how long it takes. <– That’s the key!

CERTAINTY is worth more than time – it opens up the door to charge more for your services (often double, triple or more of what you would make hourly for the same thing. Oooooo yea)

#3 – Be a DECISION MAKER for your clients

“Tell me what you need and I’ll get it done for you” is no longer enough. Being good at what you do is no longer enough.

“Let me help you determine what needs to be done and the best strategy to get there” is what we want these days. We don’t have time to learn it all and figure it out on our own anymore – there is too much to do! Too much to know!

Someone who is willing to engage at a deeper level and make decisions FOR US that lead towards the objective <– THIS is something you can be paid top dollar for.

Making a shift in one – or all – of these areas can increase your value in the marketplace immeasurably, which gives you the freedom to start charging more for what you already have between your ears.

The world needs your expertise. #bringiton

Tina

How to Get Online Business Manager Clients

By Tiffany | October 29, 2014

“How do I get Online Business Manager Clients?”

I have to admit this is likely the #1 question I hear, both from those who are Certified Online Business Managers as well as those who are learning more about the industry. For this reason, Tina Forsyth created the Get Clients Mentorship Program, where we have walked dozens of OBMs through the process of landing their ideal OBM clients. From this I have learned a few key ‘must do’s’ in being successful to get online business manager clients.

The Law of Momentum basically states (paraphrased) that it takes more effort or energy to get something started than it does to keep it going. This is sooo true in business, specifically when it comes to landing that first client, or first ideal client. So what is person to do?

I would like to answer that question and give you 5 Must Do’s to Get Online Business Manager Clients. What I request is that you do not get mad at me about what I am about to say. 😉

#1 Must Do to Get Online Business Manager Clients – Only DO What Results in Clients

Stop everything else you are currently doing OUTSIDE of getting clients! Often I find the folks we have in our programs that do not get the success they desire are simply not taking the steps needed to be successful. When I ask how many calls did you make, emails did you send, comments did you leave on blog posts, or social media attempts to connect did you make, they want to tell me how they were doing all this other stuff. As a coach, I find this very frustrating, because it’s counterintuitive to what they really want. So if you want to get clients you must first stop doing anything and everything that doesn’t result in a CLIENT!

A few of these distractors could be:

working on your website (endlessly trying to get it perfect).
‘following’ folks on social media but never really making contact.
researching everything (you know who you are).
everything else in life but your business (you too know who you are).
working endlessly for clients you don’t really want to work with, but letting that be the excuse to not getting the clients you do!

Get these distractions out of your daily habits. Again, if the end result isn’t NEW CLIENT, quit doing it on a daily basis. Set time up in your calendar to be purposeful to connect with potential clients, to make calls, to send out emails… whatever it takes to get you on the phone telling someone how you can support their success.

#2 Must Do to Get Online Business Manager Clients – Know Your Ideal Client

Get 100% clear on who you want to work with and how you want to serve them. A biggie, because, if you are not clear on your languaging about how you want to work with clients, then essentially you will find yourself stumbling through the sales conversation without any real direction. You need to know exactly what that client will get by working with you. Exactly what problem you are meant to serve and who needs that service. You should be an expert of YOU at the very least to ensure you can connect your greatest assets to the clients who need you most.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a season to say YES to everything that can happen at the start of any business, when any work is better than no work. Any experience is better than no experience. But you always want to know exactly who is going to be the best fit for your services. You want to ensure that you can always connect with that person first, either through their writing, your qualifying process or the first few minutes of a call.

If it is an ideal client, but for whatever reason they don’t (or you don’t) feel that your current services meet their need, I encourage you to sell them something… anything! Here is why I say that… because if they are truly ideal for you, then even if neither of you are explaining your problem/solution very well, you will find it together and you’ll eventually be able to serve them at the highest level.

This is so important as an Online Business Manager. Say ideal client doesn’t exactly need an OBM at the moment that you speak or their business doesn’t have the revenue to support your retainer. You can still sell them a service, sell a 90-day package of setting up systems for them, sell a launch management package for their next launch… there is always something to be sold. But if you don’t know that’s your ideal client, because you haven’t figured out who your ideal is yet, then there is a good chance the opportunity is going to pass you right by.

#3 Must Do to Get Online Business Manager Clients – Go Where Your Clients Are

On some occasions your clients will find you. This often will happen once you have already established a bit of momentum. (Again, the Law of Momentum states that it’s easier to keep it going than to start it.) What happens is you will get that first client. Then they do a referral and now you have two clients. Or you are now more familiar with the problem of that ideal market and you begin to speak to them differently resulting in more conversations. But what do you need to do BEFORE that happens? Go Where Your Clients Are!

If this means getting out to events, then go. If you need to join a program where your clients are, then do it. I am amazed at how many virtual support professionals are surprised that they may have to invest in their own business, in creating a prospective client list or in traveling to where potential clients might be. It is necessary for you to be strategic to get in front of ideal clients. The good news is that you generally only need to get in front of a few, as most of us are not building businesses on volume but instead on 1:1 services. This means you won’t have to invest long. But to get started you may need to.

When we go to events, if there is an implementation company booth set up as a sponsor, that booth will be one of the busiest booths EVERY TIME! Why? Because at least 70% of folks at live events need a team, or they need a better team. They are in the decision making mindset to go forward in their business, and this is a great opportunity to get a commitment on a contract.

Ideal clients are not likely to land in your lap every time. They will sometimes though, so enjoy that when it comes your way.

#4 Must Do to Get Online Business Manager Clients – Look Professional

Clients do the first thing we do. They go to your website, your facebook page, your twitter page, your linked in, etc. They want to KNOW who you are, often before they even talk to you seriously about the position. If your facebook page is riddled with ‘woe is me, he did me wrong’ or cute little kitties, you are not exactly ‘looking professional’. If your twitter posts are all your favorite TV shows being commented on (and you might be surprised to find out how many people use twitter to connect with others over their favorite shows… strangely a lot) you are not coming across as a professional, internet-savvy, support person. As much as we would like to think living transparently online is completely acceptable, it may be the exact reason you can’t get that ideal client to return your email or phone call.

You have to look professional. Don’t have a blog on healthy food and then try and offer folks virtual support services. Clients won’t understand what you expect from them or what you can really offer them. If you have different companies or interests, great… brand each one differently and know where each has its place in your ‘professional profiles’. If you look like you are ‘too busy’ for one more thing on your plate, then that is exactly what your potential client will think. So read through your posts, check out your profiles, be strategic in how you represent yourself online and always ‘look professional!’

#5 Must Do to Get Online Business Manager Clients – Pick Up the Phone and Make the Call

Seriously, if you don’t ask you will never receive. The folks who rock out our Get Clients Mentorship and ALWAYS end up with clients are the ones who take every opportunity they can find to simply ask to work with the client. Really all of your to-do’s simply come down to this one… ASK for the SELL! But you can’t ask if you are not connecting with folks, if you are not making the opportunity happen, if you don’t make the call.

Earlier this month I challenged all of our Certified OBMs to make 30 calls this month to increase revenue. What I am most surprised by are how many folks didn’t bother to take the challenge. Not only did they not want to make the 30 calls, but they essentially didn’t want to WIN the challenge. Now I don’t know about you but if you give me a challenge, I want to WIN it! Regardless of beating anyone else, let me beat my own belief system. But many of our Certified OBMs didn’t see the value in this challenge and simply didn’t participate. I would love to say that I truly believed it was because they simply didn’t need clients. But I know that is not the case. They simply didn’t want to pick up the phone and make the calls.

You know what, though.. next month they will have that same story they had this month, of not growing their business, not getting clients and not making money. But I assure you those who took the challenge will have an entirely different problem in November: What do I do with these clients now that I have them? 😉