Welcome to the new blog category at La.Rue! The Business of Entrepreneurship, a category where I’ll share the best tips, tricks, and practices I’ve learned from running not one but TWO successful businesses. Everything I share will be knowledge I’ve gained from the last two years since launching the La.Rue brand. Today, we’re talking about tips to launch a successful business! Since launching the La.Rue Creative Studio, and a business coaching suite within, I’ve seen just how much tangible advice I have to offer that doesn’t require coaching. SIMPLE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, LIKE…

How do I file for an LLC?

Do I need a business bank account?

How do I start a podcast?

What social media platforms should I focus on?

Each time I sign a new business coaching client, we immediately dive into some of these fundamental questions. Your coaching hours are much better spent on the intricacies of YOUR business, not the basic knowledge you need to create one. I realized it was time to start a new category where I could share some really solid advice about running a successful business without paying TOP DOLLAR for coaching. It can be overwhelming to be bombarded on google with over a million results of “how to start an online service business” So, over time, I’ll begin sharing my knowledge on building a successful business. Take what resonates and applies to you and the business you’re building!

How to Launch a Successful Business

ONE | Do the Admin Work RIGHT AWAY

When you’re just starting out and beginning a business, the admin work can seem tedious and not an immediate need to launch your business. Let’s say you’re an entrepreneur with a service-based start-up. You’re looking to move into the service industry, providing copywriting and copy editing to other brands. Things like your website, social media, and doing free work to get testimonials seem far more important than creating your LLC or opening a business bank account, right? Wrong! Not only does getting this administrative/technical work out of the way set you up for success, but it also welcomes success. What if you launch and five people are ready to sign contracts immediately? You need to have a legal system in place to accept income, send invoices, etc. These things are IMPORTANT! Do not put them off until you think you might sign a client.

TWO | Give yourself a hard launch date

Without a launch date, we’re much more inclined to do things at our leisure. Whether you’re making this a full-time job or creating a side-hustle, give yourself a set deadline to launch. A few issues could arise when you don’t have a set date. You might end up arguing for perfectionism, continuing to edit things that are already perfect the way they are. If you continue making unnecessary edits, you’ll keep pushing off the launch. Without that hard date, you might also find yourself procrastinating on the work that’s not as much fun as content creation or marketing—like the aforementioned admin work. Once you pick your date, take the time to sit down and organize your pre-launch checklist. Which brings me to my next point…

Three | HAVE a pre-launch checklist

To launch a successful business, you have to be prepared. Once you’ve done your research and you know what you have to have pre-launch and what you’d like to have pre-launch, get your ducks in a row with your pre-launch checklist. Your checklist, combined with your hard deadline, lets you lay out a rough schedule leading up to that day. When you see the overview of tasks, it’s much easier to decipher a weekly schedule leading up to your day. Creating this checklist also determines (based on how close or far your launch day is) what needs to get done versus what you’d like to get done. This checklist will be your bible before your launch date. It creates needed structure and clarity in creating and launching a successful business.

Four | HAVE A solid brand identity

Let’s be honest, people are VERY into appearances. Aesthetics are in, and it’s critical to have a solid and recognizable brand identity. Your brand identity includes your brand kit (color schemes, fonts, and logo), your brand voice (mission, vision, and values), and who your ideal brand client is (who you’re trying to reach). Your brand identity is the essence or bread and butter of your brand, and it clarifies two things; one: WHO exactly you are for (because your brand is not for everyone); and two: WHY you’re brand is unique to those in your niche. Creating a solid and cohesive brand identity lets your ideal client know that you know exactly what it is you’re selling, why it’s valuable, and that this isn’t just a brand you “threw together.” If you’re looking for branding services, you know where to find me!

FIVE | GET strong testimonials

No matter what kind of product or service you’re launching, testimonials are critical to your success in actually selling whatever it is. At the beginning of your entrepreneurship career, there is a lot of bartering. Bartering is the exchange of products or services without payment. So, if you intend to launch a coaching service and want to set your beginning price point at $100 per session, you need evidence as to why it’s worth that price. Testimonials gained in bartering are what will let people know your services are worth the money. Something like coaching is easy to barter; people love getting free services in exchange for qualified coaching. If you’re selling a product that needs reviews or another kind of service, the best thing to do is hit up fellow entrepreneurs and exchange products/services with each other for testimonials.

I hope you have found some great value in this post! I am so excited for the launch of this new category! So often, I get requests for this type of content. With the recent launch of the creative studio, it felt appropriate to begin sharing this unique knowledge of creating and running a successful business.