launching online product

Make This Your Year: Commit, Do The Work and Ship!

Why not make this your year to finally:

  • write that ebook
  • finish that ebook
  • SELL that ebook
  • do that first webinar/telelcass/ Skype video interview
and the list goes on..

Whatever it is, make it your year!

Now that we’ve all made our resolutions for the year, it’s time to get into serious action mode and start working towards those goals and actually acheiving them.

So what’s it going to take to actually make them happen?

ACTION!

Now I don’t have all the answers but what I do know and see too often in the work that I do with entrepreneurs, is that there is often this tendency to want to do it all. And then somewhere along the way, overwhelm settles in and that awesome idea just doesn’t seem so great anymore.

Project after project gets abandoned and that ebook/ecourse adds to the digital clutter on your desktop.

So what’s the solution to making things different in 2013 and actually taking the leap and finally shipping that project?

Commit, do the work and ship.

For starters, take that ENORMOUS project/idea that you have and break it down.

Say you want to start your own video show, instead of producing all 25 episodes right off the bat..why not start with a few, and learn as you go?
Same thing goes for your upcoming digital business/diet/fitness/ program, does the first version need to have all those bells and whistles?

It’s amazing how many things we can add to something and lose sight of the core problem we were trying to solve.

Start With The Core and Build From There

I know what it’s like- I’ve been and worked with software developers for years and know how tempting it is to create and build something even when you may not need all the features.

In the software world, there is the concept of the ‘minimal viable product’ which has the basic features you could deliver to solve an immediate problem: no frills, nothing fancy. Figuring out your minimal viable product does take work (talking to people, surveying, testing) but the idea is that you are not creating the whole thing in isolation for months/years *and* then coming out with a product where there is no longer a market or any interest to begin with…

Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize!

What needs to be done now vs what can wait? Does your first online program need to be 10 modules or can you deliver a shorter version that is 3-5 modules?

Do you absolutely need transcripts for your videos or can that wait until you’ve established a larger audience?

And I say this not because I don’t believe that you can do it all but and this is a BIG but…there is SO Much that goes into creating and launching your first product beyond the actual creation..why not start small and build on it?

Accepting (Im)Perfection

It’s so easy to want to hold off hitting submit/publish or putting up that sales page until it’s perfect. Coming from the software world I know what it’s like to deal with bugs and customers calling in to report issues that I’ve developed a thick-skin and can appreciate ‘continuous improvement’ but I think this is something we all have accept if we want to commit to shipping work. You have to let go and acknowledge that your customer isn’t necessarily looking for a perfect solution but something that solves their problem.

Accountability & Support

And lastly, just because you are a solopreneur, does not mean you have to go at it alone. Having a group of like-minded entrepreneurs to support you and bounce ideas off of before you launch is so crucial. This can make all the difference between a so-so and a kick-ass launch!

I’d love to hear what you’re planning on shipping in 2013, please share in the comments below!

Do you need support shipping your work in 2013? I’m working on something that will help you do exactly that in 2013..and not in 6 months or 12 months but in ONE month!  Get on the early-bird list to be the first to find out!


{Launch it} 5 Tips To Getting That Product Out Of Your Head And Into The World!

Thinking of that product that you just want to launch but unsure where to start? Here are five tips that will help you get that product out of your head and out into the world.

product launch tips for solopreneurs

1. Think Big. Start Small.

If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you’ll know that I’m a big advocate of the K.I.S.S philosophy (Keep it Short and Simple)…and if you haven’t well then happy to have you here 🙂

Which is not to say you can’t have a BIG idea but for your first product you may want to take a SMALL bite out of that bigger  product. And then work iteratively, adding more to your product over time.                                            

I say this because launching your first product (whether it’s a course, ebook, webinar, teleclass,  blog, website) involves more than just creating the acutal product but the whole marketing aspect as well.

2. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

This is one of the lessons that was drilled into our heads first semester of Software Engineering. Build on top of and use existing solutions rather than starting from scratch.  While our profs were talking about coding, this can pretty much apply to anything!

For example, are you thinking of developing a membership site? You don’t have to get one custom developed but rather you can use existing plugins and platforms to  launch your membership site.

Too often people let technology, money and skills be a barrier to entry when it comes to starting their projects. But it doesn’t have to be!  You’d be surprised at how much is available out there to use and build on at no-to-low cost. And it’s a great way to start validating your ideas and once you start earning money you can invest in higher-priced solutions.

The same goes for your first website; you don’t need to shell out big bucks to have something that looks good and reflects your style. There are plenty of afforadable templates to choose from that can be tweaked and customized to reflect your needs. And then when you start making huge amounts of $$ and your products are selling out, reinvest and get that website you’ve always wanted 🙂

3. Work on your strengths, get help with rest

If transcribing is not your thing then get help to doing it! Logos, or ebook covers not your speciality? Use a site like Fiverr or Elance to get you started with outsourcing.

Trust me, I’ve wasted enough hours doing things that would take someone else more qualified in that area much less time.

Not to mention, it also opens the possibility to develop product ideas that you normally wouldn’t do because you think it’s outside your skillset. And you’d be surprised at how little you can spend and get quality work. Remember time = money and your time is valuable. And that you do have to spend some money to make money!

Alternatively, see if you can barter and do an exchange with someone in your network.

4. Pick a date and start!

It helps having a date to work towards and get you to start taking action. As simple as that. Put it on the calendar, tell your friends, post it on your Facebook wall but most of all, commit to taking action and start breaking down what you have to do into goals and milestones.

And lastly, adopt the mentality,

5. “Done is better than Perfect“

Sorry perfectionists, but you have to let go! Yes, you still want to provide a valuable product but you have to get out of the “it has to be perfect mindset”. You can tweak and improve as you go.

I’ve worked with too many people who are hesitant to hit publish on their first blog post, worried about what people may think and that it may not be their ‘best’ work. I have to remind them that it’s a process and that you won’t be getting tons of traffic to your site on day 1!

Finally, follow Seth Godin’s advice and “just ship it!”

Overcome those fears, and get that product out. And then do it again 🙂

Anything stopping you from launching your product? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Image Source: dorothyjeannegoods.com via Pinterest

Start Today

I’m reading “Poke the Box” by Seth Godin right now and although short (around 80 pages), it is filled with valuable insight.

As Seth puts it, it is a “manifesto about starting”, not just “thinking about it” but

leaping, commiting and making something happen

which got me thinking how often do people get stuck at the starting line? How often do we become our own barriers to starting? Or we put off launching something because it is not “perfect” yet? We come up with all these things we think we need to do before we actually start, get overwhelmed and then never end up doing anything.

A year from now you will wish you had started today -Karen Lamb

Starting is important. Your first blog post won’t be nearly as good as your 100th but you need to go through that process to get better and improve.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you first start something new but chances are you can break down your ideas into smaller pieces and chip away at them bit by bit.

The world is waiting for you! Get unstuck . Stop watching and start doing.

                                                                                        Source: google.com via Sandy on Pinterest

 

 

I’d love to hear what you’re starting and working on in the comments below!