An Interview with Louise Brogan Interviewed by Hannah Howe
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business? Do you have a business idea, but don’t know where to start? Fear not, for we approached Louise Brogan in search of answers. Louise helps entrepreneurs to build their business online. Whether you need help with social media, creating your first online course, email marketing, blogging, starting a podcast or working with clients and customers from all over the world, Louise’s goal is to help you.
network marketing business! Trust people you already know for advice. Don’t shell out tonnes of money for an all singing, all-dancing website if you only need a basic one.
I have an idea for a small business. Where should I start? Start with why - what will you get out of starting a business? Do you NEED to earn a living? How long will it take you to make the income you are happy with. Who are you going to sell to? How much are you going to charge? Will you have overheads/ costs? Sit down with someone who already has a business for a coffee and go through all these questions. Don’t jump into a business until you are ready! Will I have to invest a lot of money? This depends. If you are providing a service you might need qualifications. I have professional indemnity insurance in my service base business for example. If it is a product based business, then yes, you will have to invest in raw materials/stock etc. The one thing you should have is a webisite - do not build your business audience on a Facebook or Instagram account because you do not own that real estate online. Should I join a business group or a society associated with my business? Initially, find a local networking group that doesn’t involve paying a large fee to. My local council run free networking groups - and offer lots of advice to entrepreneurs. Down the line you can think about groups such as FSB or Enterprise Nation. What are the pitfalls to avoid? Watch out for people trying to recruit you into a
What role should social media play in promoting my business? Social media is a great tool for raising awareness of your business - groups online are a good source of research about what people do and don’t like. Choose one or two social media platforms that your ideal client will be on and don’t try to be on every platform. What are the most effective ways of promoting a small business? Word of mouth is still a fantastic way to get your small business noticed. Once you are up and running, creating your own blog/vlog/podcast will help. Guest blogging on others websites, participating in Twitter chats or Facebook groups; Start to grow an email list so you can reach out directly to your audience. Don’t forget your local newspapers - or if you are a local business, going to local networking groups and leaving flyers at the doctors office are still hard to beat! What are the most effective ways to locate an audience? Decide who you are trying to reach - do an Ideal Client exercise - what does the person you want to sell to, do online. Are they in Facebook groups? Do they hang out on LinkedIn? What are they interested in? Try running some free surveys using tools such as SurveyMonkey and see what they most want to know about your business. How should I go about building my brand? What does your brand stand for? Who are you trying to reach? Are you friendly, professional, kooky, offbeat? Branding is not about what colours you
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