*I've committed myself to document my thoughts more often via blog posts instead of social posts. So these new styled posts will be bare-bones on the design side but chocked full of thoughts and opinions that are an easy read! It's my new way of blogging... I hope you'll adapt. 

I've been holding my tongue.

For a couple of reasons, mainly being that there was little data to support what I surmised, but also because I feel it's irresponsible to step out and try to teach or lead without clear evidence of your thoughts.

And the economy following Coronavirus surely isn't giving any real data right now! So I've stayed pretty quiet as it relates to what I'm best at... creating strategy around future outcomes.

So now... I'm ready to talk and I want to quickly lay this all out for you!

THE NUMBERS ARE IN - AND SMALL BUSINESSES WIN! 

I've been waiting for this past weekend for months now. I knew that the numbers that we saw would be a huge indicator of the things that are important to the post-covid buyer.

You see... in many of our small service or product-based businesses we are less at the whim of the stock market and more closely tied to the changing tide of buyer behavior.

In most cases, our services and products are still purchased when the problem they solve presents itself.

What changes, however, is how the buyer behaves around the purchase, what they prioritize, and what they believe is valuable.

This is the economic behavior I watch more than stock markets. Because buyer behavior influences sales MORE than stock market numbers.

And the numbers showed us that Small Business EComm reached 4.7 billion in sales this weekend. A 30% increase over last year.

This is HUGE!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

You already have a website - you are already an online company.

You are already meeting with clients online - you are an online company.

More and more of your business actions are moving online - you are an online company.

And therefore... in 2021 you must ACT like an online company!

As the tide turns and more buyers are shopping online it's going to be incredibly important that your business efforts focus on creating strategy that reflects small business ecomm.

It's not really a pivot. It's not really just considering passive income. It's creating a business structure that aligns with the way people are becoming accustomed to buying!

SO WHY AM I AT WAR WITH STRATEGY?

It's not that I don't believe you NEED a strategy for your business. You do.

But I'm SUPER OVER the conversation that your business will be fine if you use this 3 step program I created in 2019.

We all know 2020 has aged EVERYTHING 20 years! Especially your favorite sweat pants.

I'm not sure we're ever going to see people's buying behaviors change.

Online IS the new BLACK!

And not just social media posting and follower building. I'm talking about turning your service-based business into the product business it truly is!

Every strategy I have ever created for a creative business prior to 2020 will no longer work. It would have worked without Corona... but a HUGE shift in buyer behavior means that EVERYTHING about your existing business strategy has to change.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

Can I understand exactly what you sell from one picture and a short description... and can I read what other people think about it? If not, go change it.

Can I connect with your small business on a deep and meaningful personal level simply by reading the words you wrote? If not, it has to change.

Can I even find you when I type in the specific thing I need? If you're on page 4... it has to change.

Can I return it, exchange it, test it, learn it, and whatever I want with it - because I just bought it sight unseen? If that's not clear... you need to change it!

Is it so exciting, new, innovate, irresistible, or innovative that I HAVE to HAVE it? If not, you need to change that.

Are you catching my drift? Your business now has to motivate a couch surfing shopper to hit that button and take a step forward. If it doesn't... you have to change. There is no more time!

OLD STRATEGY DOESN'T WORK!

So if you're still trying to implement one of our courses from 2019... trash it. It doesn't work that way anymore. (Psst.... this applies to other courses you've bought too... #sorrynotsorry)

If you still think that your service-based business will survive on word of mouth referrals.... think again.

You can't just make a plan based on old buying habits and think it's going to work.

Ask Dominoes...

You have to watch buyer behavior. You are going to need to be watching how people behave on your site, in your inbox, in your cart, and even more... in the online spaces around you!!

Watch buyer behavior like a crazy person who is insanely curious why in-person Black Friday sales are down 56%!

You are going to need to follow what people are buying, when, how, and why.

NEW STRATEGY WILL WORK

I had a hunch this was going to happen. With small businesses being hit hard and the rise of ecomm.

I knew wedding pros in the future were going to have to diversify their businesses (not pivot) in order to survive. They are going to have to lean on their creative skills more than ever... even doing things outside of the typical wedding umbrella.

This is why I made the changes that I did.

I knew that as an educator I needed to position myself to be ready for these changes and able to support and empathize with the e-commerce focus of the future. So I've spent the entire year working and studying ecomm.

I didn't just change my offers to include tiny courses... I radically transformed what I did to expand my audience, align with my true story, and create a low barrier to entry. I created a specific and touching reason for purchasing... all with an ecomm focus!

Because I could already see what was coming... a focus on small businesses who cared and who provided something irresistible, meaningful, and timely!

If I hadn't... I'd be in big trouble financially right now! BIG trouble!

So please start re-thinking... look at your business and ask if you'd buy from you? If your offers were on Amazon... would you buy them? Would you know what they were? Would you have enough information?

If you're a service-based business... is your content dripping in story and relevance? Are your buyers called to a higher purpose when working with you?

To continue to thrive as a creative business... we have to toss away a rigid and tired old strategy and follow the buyer! Pay attention to them! And adapt to the changes in their buying behavior! And guess what... that's going to be a wild ride over the next two years!

That's the only way small creative businesses are going to survive and defeat Coronavirus!

The end. No more tongue biting.

Have questions... ask me below!

Or join the community Creatives with Purpose