Imagine a world where your product or service exists? How is your life better? But more importantly, how has your customer’s life improved? What problem have you solved; how do
Kate Toon, author of Six Figures While You Sleep
they feel; what would they say?
Forget chasing the elusive ‘big idea.’ As Kate Toon, a successful entrepreneur and copywriter, explains, the key to success often lies in the power of small, actionable steps. Toon, author of the acclaimed book ‘Six Figures While You Sleep,’ challenges the conventional wisdom of chasing grand visions.
Intrigued? Dive into this article where Kate dismantles the myth of the “big idea”, challenges the conventional wisdom of chasing grand visions and argues that focusing on practical, incremental improvements can lead to bigger results than you might imagine.
“I know that there’s a part of you that’s still waiting for your moment. Your 15 minutes of fame. That amazing idea that bubbles up in the dark of the night and makes you millions. And I’m here to tell you, it ain’t going to happen.
“While most business coach types will tell you to ‘dream big’ – I’m to tell you it’s time to face reality. No, this is not about pooing on your bonfire; I want to free you from the chains of having to be the biggest and the bestest, the most original and amazing.”
Kate points out, it’s often the seemingly insignificant ideas that lead to the most successful businesses. While there are certainly examples of groundbreaking inventions and overnight successes, the majority of thriving companies have been built on gradual improvements and innovative tweaks to existing concepts.
“As a copywriter, I was busy exchanging my time for money, working all the hours and never feeling like I was getting ahead. I was burned out, pissed off and fed up. So I decided to move from a one-to-one model to a one-to-many model and my life changed for the better.
It started with one template, a simple document I used to write the copy for websites; I decided to pop it on my site and sell it.”
“Not an earth-shattering idea. Not even particularly original. But since then I’ve sold over 3,000 copies and I’ve gone on to make 60+ more templates that trickle money into my business every single day.
“And from there I made courses, and then memberships and then masterminds, teaching copywriting SEO and marketing.
While Toon occasionally pioneered new territory, she often found success by building upon existing ideas. By identifying areas for improvement and adding her own unique spin, she was able to create something fresh and valuable. And you can do the same.
How do you find your idea?
“It’s likely your idea is already lurking somewhere in the darkness of your subconscious. It’s hidden in plain sight, part of your daily routine, something that seems too small to you to be significant.
Here are three ideas you can use to lure it out into the light.
Question 1: What’s the gap?
Toon emphasizes the importance of building upon existing concepts. By understanding what’s already out there and identifying opportunities for innovation, you can create a successful business.
“Offering an improvement on an existing product or service is a small idea, but it’s still a gap. Finding an idea that exists in one industry might not set the world on fire, but it’s still a gap. Perhaps they offer something for beginners, but yours is advanced.
Perhaps you can offer it at different price point, different inclusions, different brand.”
Question 2: What’s the frustration?
“Think about what frustrates you about how you work. Perhaps it’s being asked the same questions again and again, or how long it takes your clients to give you the information you need. Perhaps it’s the time you spend onboarding new people, or how difficult it is to justify your prices. There are gems in those frustrations.
“For example, if you’re frustrated by lots of questions, then the solution could be a community or FAQ bank where all those questions are covered. If you’re frustrated by onboarding struggles, then you could use a checklist of assets that need to be gathered and a tutorial on how to do it faster.”
“You can also think about what frustrates you about your industry. That was my approach. The SEO industry is kinda full of cowboys and those pretending that it’s some dark art or genius-level process that only gurus can master. This frustrated me, and I saw the
need for an honest, plain-English SEO course that normal humans could master. I did it, it worked, and made me literally millions.”
Step 3: Paint the future
“Imagine a world where your product or service exists? How is your life better? But more importantly, how has your customer’s life improved? What problem have you solved; how do they feel; what would they say?
“Take a minute to write out your dream customer testimonial. I know it’s a bit woo-woo, but it’s a nice exercise to give you the good feels. Even better, soon you’ll be able to compare that made-up testimonial to the real thing.
“The truth is that it’s often the pressure to come up with a big idea that stops us in our tracks. We’re racking our brains trying to think of something so new, innovative and revolutionary that it causes our brain to fog over, and we achieve nothing. It’s time to stop looking for the bread bun and instead focus on the crumbs. Often they are tastier when all is said and done.
“My business success is not down to one big idea, one big leap; rather it’s been a journey of tiny steps (and occasional missteps) that have build into a life of freedom, flexibility and financial security. So please, give up on your big idea – and go small.”
Kate Toon is the author of Six Figures While You Sleep, available from all good book retailers now. https://www.katetoon.com/
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