How can we build a business that works for us AND without us being IN the business the entire time when we are so strongly attached to a personal brand?
In this episode, I show you how you can productise and start building a business brand that brings freedom. Plus create even greater transformation for your clients.
If you want to start creating a ‘proper’ scalable business and move away from the ‘one (wo)man band’ status then this is the episode for you.
Listen on the podcast player above or read the blog below.
How to Productise a Service-Based Business to scale
This is a topic that we cover extensively in the Elevate programme that covers 1-1 support and a group programme. You benefit from the hive mind to get your questions answered from different perspectives. We have a strong focus on building the best foundations for a scalable business. So that you start profitable and plan to scale. Beyond the foundational stage, we make your business even better.
One of my clients is a 7-figure market-leading coach in her space. We were discussing that she had enough of 1-1 work and wanted to move into the one-to-many space. Obviously, she has already done some of this work on this to scale her business to this position.
If you want to have a limitless way of scaling then you have to think beyond your capacity and the 1-1 model you have created.
There always comes a point that we outgrow our original business model. That we want to expand and grow beyond this. I was talking with my clients about some of the ways in which you can do this.
Problem with personal brands
But before I start, I want to make clear that when you are building your business, personal branding can be harmful. If you start to scale and get the business to work for you then clients will want to know where the value is if they do not get you. You need to look at the personal brand and business brand. So, you cannot scale if the business is focused on your time and your genius all of the time.
You need to separate yourself from the business so that potential clients can trust they will still get results without your being involved every step of the way.
It can be difficult to do this. Our ego can get in our way. We think that clients need us and they need us to be involved. If you want the freedom to step back and give your clients the best without you being there, that has to be the best thing for everyone. You need things in your business to work without you.
Look at your processes
How do you get your clients from a-b? What is the transformation you create? This is going back again to your niche. You need to look at the problem you solve, and how you deliver this. As well as where your client’s success point it. Plot all the stops that people take to get from their problem to their success with you.
Of course, there will be an element of bespoke if you are working 1-1. You can apply your process in a specific way to people. It is not about having a rigid plan moving forwards but you need the steps they need to take to achieve success.
For example, when I work with a client we look at niche and messaging. We make sure this is working well for your business and this is an important first step. Then I look at their business model. We work through stages to make sure it is tight. How long is spent on this depends on the business. But they all take the same steps.
Every client that I work through this with they think, “why didn’t I do this sooner?”
So, if you have clients at different stages of their journey, plot this out as well. You may not take someone through every step, you may miss some. If you map it out, you can see the process. This means you can put your name on the process and make it your own. It makes helping people so much easier. And it helps build credibility and trust with your potential clients. It becomes a proven process and a signature system.
When you do this, you may realise you can digitalise certain steps. Or whether you have been specific enough about your ideal client. It may also throw up that you have not got your niche as cracked as you think. It will help you make decisions about who you are marketing to and what their entry point is.
Create your products
You may want to give your products different names and that create different transformations. It could be that there are milestones as your clients work through each step.
Is your messaging getting mixed up as you go through these products and transformations. It is about creating a great business eco-system. You can have a client working with you time and time again as they work through their journey.
Systemise a product with trust
You do not have to step away entirely but you do need to step away from some it. This is about proving your signature system works without you. And that it works better.
My client has created a space for her clients. She has digitalised a lot of the content and used her signature system. It is a far more powerful environment than working with her 1-1. This is where we want to get to as it is better for your clients as well.
Position it as a powerful space of transformation. We need to help people understand this.
However, to create a signature system and proven process to productise your service-based business, you need to stop creating. You need core products that work all of the time. If you keep creating then you are always in beta mode. It doesn’t build the trust and credibility for people to trust the business brand. Plus, if you are always bringing out something new, then you need to be in the process.
You harm scalability if you keep launching. Work out what you core products are for your clients.
Grow a team
Once you have your system and products in place, you can grow your team. You can position your team as experts you have hired. Rather than your being the only person with the answers.
Don’t be the saviour, be the facilitator of transformation
You can only scale when you think like this.
Productise your USP
You’ve got your signature system and your business eco-system for how all those products fit together as part of your customer journey. Next you need to productise your USP so you can productise your service-based business. If you are looking to really stand out in the market more than scale, is by productising your USP.
What makes you different to all of the other options out there?
You have to productise the science as to why your business works better than the other options out there. This is not about squashing the competition. You have to think about what makes your business and process unique. Extract the USP as to why your methodology works so well for your ideal client.
The best question to ask yourself is this: why have they failed so far?
Think about why your clients failed themselves and what in your process helps combat that. Or what are the other options out there that are not ticking all the boxes. It may tick the box for some of the market.
Programmes work for some people but not others. In a market, there is a client that has a specific set of issues. How do you help this particular client where other services have failed them in the past? This is where you will find that sweet spot.
When you find this answer, this is your unique magic bullet. This is what Market Leader League is born on – creating these unique magic bullets.
Your new solution is always in you. It may be that you are unaware of it. You can dominate the market when you have a concrete reason as to why someone should buy from you. People start sharing your USP.
Productise your service-based business
Work through these to start creating a business that can work without you. Then you can scale to six and seven figures and beyond. If you’d like help to map this out and create the business model that gets powerful results, book a call today here.