business

I’m surrounded by people starting businesses every day and the excitement is contagious.  You can sense the thoughts about world domination rattling around in people’s minds sometimes.

What’s not to be excited about?

When you start a business you have complete control over your life by setting your own hours and schedule.  You get to travel whenever and wherever you like, and people all around the world will know your name.

Launch Time

You launch your business and something unexpected happens.  The newly minted business owner has to figure out how to bridge the gap between his town of 100,000 people and the rest of the world.  A remote business is about being connected and known everywhere, right?

Become a Local Expert

When you start a business you can jump directly in and get your name everywhere, but it’s usually not the most effective strategy.  What if you could grab some low-hanging fruit and be profitable quickly, instead of doing a lot of work for little return.  The answer is to become a local expert before expanding into bigger areas.

But that’s no fun, right? Big businesses aren’t born in places like Sioux Falls, SD (population 157,000), Cedar Rapids, IA (population 128,000), or Warren, MI (population 133,000) after all.

The truth is that they really are.  You don’t need everyone in the world to know you when you’re starting out.  What you need to be is the best in the world at what you do; and by “world” I mean your world.  It’s your center of influence; the people who know and care about you.

Build Your Influence

You can build your influence locally by focusing on three very specific things.

1. Website
   Create a professional website that’s updated frequently, meaning more than once per week.  Install a blog and talk about things that you care about and are helpful to others.
2. Speak
   Hit up every group that will listen.  Nothing says “expert” like someone on a stage.  Back it up with real knowledge and connect with your audience.
3. Write
   Write a book, contribute to an article, do it on your blog, respond to newspaper columns.  You’ll be noticed as someone who knows what they stand for.  For extra points, bring copies of your book with you when you speak and give them away.

You don’t need to be everywhere in your business.  Start small and work your way up.  It might take longer, but you’ll learn a lot in the process that will make you and your business more successful in the long run.

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