Are you working hard at building your business? Every couple of years, we survey small business owners and entrepreneurs to discover what their worst business problems are. Out of a list of ten common problems we often hear about, there are three that always place at the top of the list. The order they appear in may change from year to year, but these three are always among the Top 3 Worst Business Problems people face.
- I need more leads.
- I need to improve my cash flow.
- I need better brand visibility.
It’s common for two of those to tie in the survey results as they all vie for the #1 slot. This means that a fourth issue regularly makes it into the Top 3 as well:
- There aren’t enough hours in the day!
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
More startling Facts
The scary thing about those results is that almost half of our survey respondents have been in business for over 10 years. So these aren’t purely issues for people who are just getting started. These problems exist for people whose businesses are well-established too.
There’s one more statistic that’s relevant to this discussion. 88% of the people who responded to our most recent survey represent companies with 10 or fewer employees, and 55% of them are solopreneurs. As a result, there aren’t a lot of people chipping in to make the business work.
A single person or a small group of people are responsible for marketing and sales, as well as client fulfillment, customer service, bookkeeping and janitorial services. At the end of the day, there’s more work to be done than hands to do it.
Working Smarter
Many people might think, Well, they just need to work harder! But the answer really is that they need to work smarter. If they don’t, they’ll burn out.
One of the best tools we’ve found for building a business or brand is a strategically written, design and positioned book.
If you have a clear understanding of the major issues your ideal client is dealing with and write a book that helps them solve that problem, you’ve started the process of building rapport and trust. Don’t hold back. Give them everything they need to solve the problem on their own. While there will be quite a few people who do so, there will be others who will want your help to apply your solution to their specific circumstance.
Within the pages of a book, there are also opportunities:
- to let them get to know you better,
- to educate readers so that they understand your process (without taking your time to tell them),
- to help readers choose which opportunities suit their current needs best when it comes to working with you.
Perhaps they’re not ready for your high-ticket VIP sessions, but would benefit greatly from one of your courses or a group program. Or maybe they need time to be ready, but your free offers will help them get there faster.
The great thing about using a book to build your business is, it addresses all four of the most common issues we see small businesses dealing with.
When the #1 priority of the book is to bring significant value to your ideal customer/reader and your book is strategically designed to help you build your business, you will secure more leads and achieve greater brand visibility. That combination alone will improve your cash flow as you close more deals.
But since a book doesn’t need to sleep and can go anywhere in the world, it also serves as an effective sales and marketing tool. It works for you 24/7, freeing up your precious time.
Building Your Business with a Book Video Series
In the 4-part video series below, we share almost 45 minutes of content focusing on the tangible and intangible benefits of including a business-building book in your current marketing plan. We also suggest some of the best offers to include as bonuses for your book.
It’s important to note that these tips are suitable for both fiction and nonfiction authors. The main difference between the two is that a fiction author’s primary product is typically their book. But they still need to build a brand presence to market and sell their products/books.
When you incorporate a book successfully into your marketing plan, it will go a long way toward building your business. Yet it will also help you clarify your message and methodology while establishing your expertise as a thought leader.
If you’d like our help strategizing how to apply this to your book, contact us at Emerald Lake Books.
And if you enjoyed these videos and want to more, we invite you to subscribe to our channel on YouTube.
