This week’s blog will be a partial inside look at the first meeting I would usually have with a client. My focus will be to lay out a few questions I’d usually pose in order to better understand my clients needs. I have completed this forum several times with others, customized questions based on their fields and even brain dumped time and time again personally just to get the ideas on paper. So, sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy my thoughts. Frustrated I sat at home on a rainy afternoon January 2017. I, being tired of the usual serving and working for tips, having my work ethic taken advantage of by undeserving managers, and working countless hours to still barely break even sat alone, upset, and slightly hopeless. I came to the conclusion, that if I were going to work as hard as I do, I was going to do it for myself. I refused to work 40-60 hours a week on someone else’s dream – at least without proper compensation – or so I thought. With this in mind, hope for my future, and a drive to learn and perfect new things I sat down and began asking myself the tough questions.
From that point forward I committed to being 100% transparent with myself. If I didn’t know the answer, I’d find it. If I wasn’t sure how to complete a task, I’d ask or I’d research the how. If I was insecure or unsure about something, I’d look into ways to become more comfortable; and I’d practice. Aside from being gifted, NOTHING beats practice. Summer of 2017, I founded Dream Catcher Industries. The focus of this company is to specifically target small business’ that have a passion for what they do and a drive to do it better. After countless nights of little to no sleep due to rehashing the “how’s” and the “why’s” in my head; I decided to go for it. I began looking into different types of business’ such as Sole-Proprietorships, Limited Liability Companies, Corporations, etc. and decided for me the best way to start was a as a sole entity. The questions that helped me come to this conclusion were:
Once I was able to answer these questions, I conducted countless online searches on topics like “How to Start a Business” and “What do I need to start a business”. I brainstormed and finally, met with one of my mentors to find out what questions I didn’t think to ask. While meeting with her, I rambled on about the need to order business cards and get a copyright/trademark for anything with my company name on it, I even when as far as to complete a “things I’ll need budget” which included a company car. She told me to pump the breaks. After several weeks of meetings with her and a careful audit of “why” I needed all of the things I needed, she sent me on my way with one very good question. She asked me “What do you NEED to start making money tomorrow?” My response “A client, and a bank account” she simply replied “then go get that”. After taking her advice into consideration and completing my own online searches, I had my list of “to-do’s” ready. My top three items to complete were:
I began looking at different sales and marketing strategies and articles on “how to get clients”, then in an attempt to secure my first client I went for it. Feel free to see my previous blog on how that went. In thinking about my clientele, I really had to focus. I had to think about almost every possibility out there. With my focus on consulting the information was endless.
In conclusion, take some time this week to answer some of the above listed questions. Inbox me or post your answers in the comments. Give suggestions and ask some of the questions that aren’t listed. And keep in mind, this boiled down process took me over a year to truly learn and implement into founding Dream Catcher Industries. Several other steps were taken that I’d love to further discuss with you over coffee and as always, I’m open to feedback. I love hearing from you and remember, no matter what your dream is, anything is possible.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|