When I told a few people that I was thinking about launching a consulting business that would focus on educating insurance agents and small business owners on how to best leverage social media to acquire and retain clients, the response was mixed.
Everyone was enthusiastic, but the follow-up to the initial enthusiasm was tempered by people reminding me about my “real” business (being an Allstate agency owner), and reminding me, lest I forgot, that I was a single Mom of two young girls.
(OK, I get it, my plate is full, and there is never a day when I am looking for something to do.)
Yet somehow, it all gets done, whether it’s because I wake up at 4:30AM to grab a few extra hours, or I outsource tasks that either someone else can do better than me, or an initiative that I don’t need to be the “one” to get it done.
The idea for the consulting business excited and thrilled me because there Is nothing I like as much as helping my fellow insurance agents and small business owners to become comfortable with the power of social media.
Social media has been a game-changer for me!
I admit that it took a while to start the business but once I did it took on a life of its own.
Here are the steps that I followed:
To begin, I created the plan for the training program, including the format, co-presenters, and resources to help me with the tech side of things. Right from the start I knew that I couldn’t do it all myself.
Once I had the game plan in place and felt confident that the idea had “legs, I started to promote the program to my fellow insurance agents and small business owners using the resources I have at my disposal, mainly social media and networking. I figured that if I was going to train people on how to leverage the power of Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, I surely should be using it myself.
And since I do a lot of videos, I wanted to make certain to cover the basics there as well.
The more that I put in place, the more excited I got and even though I purposely started slow and with a small group of participants, I knew that this was something that would take off.
I practiced diligently and made certain that everyone involved was prepared and ready for showtime because even though it was our first go-round, I wanted the first participants to become raving fans and be able to utilize the takeaways for their own businesses.
Was I nervous? You bet, and I still get butterflies before each new session. But it’s easier now, and I know it will get easier as we go along.
The entire endeavor took me out of my comfort zone and while I was initially apprehensive, I love the outcome and the confidence it has given me.
If you are interested in stepping out of your comfort zone and want to brainstorm please give me a call. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.
But do it, because if you don’t you’ll never know how much you could achieve!
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