A Note From Colleen

Hi, friend.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

To be honest, holidays make me sad these days. You see, my sister was the ‘holiday’ one. She loved to cook. For months in advance she’d plan the menu. Her Pinterest recipe board was insane. Sadly, we lost her two years ago (#cancersucks). I miss her every day…

On a lighter note, I am enrolling students in my Pilot to Profit Startup School. Today’s the last day to join. If you’re interested in starting a simple digital business with support, this program is going to be as hand-holding, step-by-step and click-by-click as you’ll ever find. 

And, in this edition of Gumption Gazette I’m breaking down what my schedule looks like as an online business owner. Buckle up… it’s a bit here and there.

Thanks for being here.

Cheers,

Colleen Kochannek, Publisher

*This publication may include affiliate links and links to products I sell. If you click and buy, I may earn revenue and/or commission. 

BUSINESS BASICS

A Day In The Life Of An Online Business Owner

As a solopreneur, who wears all the hats, your schedule is never the same.  Below I’ve outlined the primary types of activities I do and then break them down by daily, marketing (its own category) and project-based activities.  I’ve also included a few notes for those of you in the beginning stages of launching your business.  

A Typical Week:

Mondays: 

• Mornings 9-2: Personal admin: dog to the vet, grocery shopping, application to renew passport, pay bills…

• Afternoons: 2-4 pm: Set To-Do list for the week, check calendar for upcoming meetings; add meetings

Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday: 9-4: Work, with lots of dog-walking breaks 

Friday: 9-12 work

Hours Per Week:

I average 20-25 hours per week, more during a product launch. It’s worth noting

5 Primary Activities Required To Run A Business:  

1. Admin

   1. Monitor numbers: ads, sales, email open rates, etc

   2. Bookkeeping

   3. Tech issues and management 

2. Product Management

   1. Teaching programs, working with students

   2. Updating current programs as needed

3. Marketing

   1. Lead generation: lead magnet promotion, paid ads 

   2. Email my list (at least 1x per week)

   3. The Gumption Gazette (1x per week)

   4. Social media management

   5. New product launches 

4. Product Creation

   1. New ideas and validation

   2. Product creation

5. Learning 

Not all of these activities are happening at the same time. Business is cyclical. There are periods when I am project-focused (creating a new product, launching a product) and times when I am focused on ‘regular’ business management. 

Daily Admin Tasks:

• Check email

• Handle customer service inquiries: lost passwords, questions

• Monitor numbers  

• Social media management

• Handle any tech admin needed

Marketing: Is on-going and the #1 priority in your business. 

• Lead generation (list building)

  • Lead magnet creation and promotion

  • Low ticket product creation and promotion

  • Paid ads (not on-going)

• Email my list  / customer nurturing (goal is to email 2x per week, it’s often once)

• Write Gumption Gazette

• Product promotion 

• Social media content creation 

Project-Based Activities: 

• New product creation

• Product delivery - For example, I am delivering my Pilot to Profit live during the month of April

• Seasonal product launches

Learning and Professional Development Activities:

• Check in with my business mastermind coach,  ask questions, and implement suggestions. 

• Learning - I am typically enrolled in a professional development program. I am currently enrolled in a year-long program, The Riveter School with Amy Nelson, to learn about using thought leadership. 

Over the years I’ve taken a variety of programs: email marketing, how to launch a membership, social media content creation, money and money planning programs. I love to learn and believe in investing in learning from experts for both personal and professional growth.

Quarterly Planning:

I plan by quarters. Any further out is futile for me.

• Significant dates: vacation, holidays, etc.

• How am I making money in the next quarter: get launches on the calendar (launches, on-going marketing campaigns)- ensure you’re not overscheduling yourself

Final Thoughts For Beginners:

• It’s worth noting I worked 40+ hours per week in the beginning when I was getting my business set up and learning all the things. If you don’t have 40+ hours to commit, just add time to your ramp up period. 

• Keep it simple in the beginning: one lead generation activity and one product (creation and promotion).

• Do your best to NOT over-schedule yourself. I struggle with understanding how long a task will actually take (it’s very different in my mind).

• Watch how you work and when you work best - schedule around this. I stopped trying to schedule anything on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons because it just never happened. I stopped fighting it.

• Focus, focus, focus - I try when I am working on a specific project to just work on it. It’s easy to get distracted (email, social media), but distractions add so much time to a project.

• Prioritize - we all have ‘the fun stuff’ we love to work on, but it can’t be at the expense of marketing and admin.

• Give yourself grace. Take on one thing at a time until you’re comfortable doing the task and understanding how to fit it in your schedule.

SPECIAL INVITATION

The Pilot to Profit Startup School is enrolling. Enrollment closes today.

What if you could learn how to make money online while making money online?

The Pilot to Profit Startup School is a step-by-step, click-by-click business launching experience - with me by your side to guide you: from idea to product creation to funnel setup (yes, the tech!) to marketing to first sale!

We start April 1.

Details HERE.

LIFE REIMAGINED

I’m reading a book titled: Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age, by Chip Conley

I’m still at the beginning, but I love that he starts with, “I have more life left than I thought”, which aligns with the discussion we started last week around - what do I do with all this time ahead of me that I didn’t think I would have?

How are you planning your next chapter? Do you have something big in mind (like going back to school or starting a new business); or, do you have quieter plans in mind? Hit REPLY and let’s chat about it.

QUICK WINS

I’m an android lady and have a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (I think it’s a 10). There’s a small pen that clicks out of the bottom and opens an app where I can write notes. It’s a game-changer.

In addition to my on-going grocery list I keep all sorts of notes to myself like what I need to mention to the vet at Trixie’s next appointment, book recommendations from friends and max measurements for a entry hall dresser I am looking for. I can’t imagine not having a writing app on my phone.

WTHWW - WHATEVER THE HECK WE WANT

THE SUGGESTION BOX

Questions and suggestions for admin or the Ask-Me-Anything section. Simple Hit REPLY to this email or email us at: [email protected]

COMING NEXT WEEK

How do you find customers in the beginning?