One of my main focuses are helping new herbal entrepreneurs start and grow a business from the ground up.
A common fear amongst everyone is the fear of day 1. Meaning, what will it look like and how do you even begin to start the momentum of herbal entrepreneurship?
These 3 rookie mistakes are easy to overlook if you aren't careful. So I'm spilling the beans because I want for you to be ahead of the gang so that you can kick that fear to the curb and start to build confidence in yourself and business.
3 Rookie Herbalist Fails
Rookie Mistake #1: I didn't start an email list
This is the number one thing that I tell my students to do even before they have a website. Not only will this be your main bread and butter once your list has grown, but it will also help you to validate your ideas from the get-go. You can then start to build your website and business around your findings. Man oh man, Cher's lyrics blazing "If I Could Turn Back Time!" I honestly wish that I started my email list on the day I decided to start a business. Day one, task 1: Start your list.
I started with Etsy and it never occurred to me to ask permission to email any of my newly found clients. I also didn't have an email marketing provider set up. Straight 2011 rookie mistake!
I currently use OmniSend for email marketing which is an app in the Shopify Platform. You can try Shopify HERE.
Rookie Mistake #2: Not Utilizing A Blog Correctly
I truly believe that every business should have a blog. Long-form content is an amazing tool to consistently drive traffic to your site on so many levels. You can repurpose a blog ten or more ways so that you can get traction to your site and other parts of your business. My big mistake was that I had a blog, but I was using it as a journal and less like a business platform to give my audience valuable information. I would write about my travels, take pictures of hiking, or create SoundCloud playlists (which I still do ;), but it really had nothing to do with my brand and I was using it more for personal information. I should have been strategic about my blog from day one, serving my audience with apothecary information, relevant recipes, and tools of the trade.
Let's say I post a blog, 5 Ways To Create Email Templates For Your Herbal Business. I can then repurpose this by:
1) using the information in a caption on social media
2) sharing it in my email to my subscribers
3) sharing it on Pinterest
4) pulling a piece of information from it and elaborate more on that topic in a podcast
5) creating a slideshow masterclass or webinar based on the information that links back to the blog
6) building an infographic
7) creating a mini series and save it as an ebook
8) creating a downloadable freebie related to the information
9) sending it off as a guest post
10) creating a video series and upload to youtube or as an email sequence
The lifespan of a blog post lives on and on. Once you have repurposed that one piece of content, refresh it, create a new post, and do it all over again. Make sure you have a blog like WordPress or other and get writing! A quick tip is to use google docs and on a mac hit, "command+shift+S" and start voice typing. yep. It's a thing- try it. Huge time saver!
Rookie Mistake #3: Assuming My Audience Wants And Needs
After you have built a community and have a clear idea of your ideal client avatar, it's time to ask questions and poll them. Just because you have an idea that you think people will want, doesn't mean that they will. I learned this the hard way, I assumed that my audience wanted a course on only herbalism 101 and so I created an earlier download without the business content. I quickly learned that people were able to get this information anywhere and what they really wanted to know, was how to start an apothecary business vs only recipes. This included branding, social media, finances, tech, and how to start their list.
I didn't think to ask my audience. I didn't ask them what they wanted or needed I just assumed. Assumptions won't get you anywhere nor will they be profitable. Ask questions in your Instagram captions, add them in your stories and live feed, send out an email asking your subscribers to reply with answers you have supplied, or create a survey and give your audience incentives for completing it. Test the waters before you decide to dive headfirst or invest money in ads. The best way to get clarity is straight from the source.
In Summary
Avoid these 3 rookie mistakes I made as a new herbal entrepreneur. I'm giving you the tools and information to head straight towards your goals because I wish I had someone that would have done the same for me. Not to say that these are the only three mistakes I have ever made because let me tell you, that list goes on and on. But these are the main ones that I could have benefited from early on that ultimately hurt my business results. So learn from me friend, and avoid these at all costs.
Thanks For Tuning In…
Want more Herbal Business Insight? Check out this post: The Benefits of Starting Your Home Apothecary
