We are so excited to introduce Episode 015 of With Grace and Gold: The Podcast – a business education podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. With Grace and Gold: The Podcast features 5-minute episodes with clear, actionable steps to guide you toward successful small business ownership. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify, or elsewhere!

3 Signs You Need Clarity in Your Business

Being a small business owner often means your small business feels like an extension of you. There is a heart behind your business — which, on one hand, allows you to create a really personal business. On the other hand, creating a personal business may push you to say “yes” to questions you should probably say “no” to. 

For example, it can mean saying “yes” to offering products and services you don’t currently offer or don’t want to offer, or saying “yes” to working with more clients than you have the availability or desire to work with.  Summed up, it can cause you to bend your products, services, and business in many directions — all at once.

We believe that when you say “yes” to the wrong projects in business, you’re really saying “no” to the projects you created your business to do. And the more you say yes, the farther your business goes from the vision, goals, and purpose you had in mind when you first created your business.

Today, we want to share 3 signs you need to find more clarity and focus in your business — and 3 ways to find that clarity and focus decision by decision. Because when you do, you’ll not only begin a season of purpose in your business — but you’ll also be able to serve your clients well, with the products and services you are gifted in providing. 

With more clarity, your audience will have more clarity in what you do, too — and you’ll give your business an opportunity to become the go-to business in your field. 

Welcome to Episode 15: 3 Signs You Need More Clarity in Your Business

When you say “yes” to the wrong projects in business, you’re really saying “no” to the projects you created your business to do. It can lead to a lack of clarity, direction, and focus in your business. What does a lack of clarity look like in business? Here’s what we believe:

Number 1: When you lack clarity, it’s challenging to clearly, succinctly explain who you are, what you do, and who you serve. It’s challenging to communicate your business’s “elevator pitch.” You might offer an extremely wide variety of diverse services within your business (like photography, event planning, and web design) — or you might offer many services under the same umbrella (logo design for business owners, stationery design for couples, custom web design for creatives, podcast art design for podcasters, and so on…)

Number 2: When you lack clarity, you may receive inquiries from prospective clients asking you to complete a service you don’t actually offer. A lack of clarity within your business can sometimes mean a lack of clarity is being communicated externally, too. Prospective clients should be able to clearly and easily gather the exact products and services you offer — so receiving inquiries asking for products and services beyond your offerings or outside of your wheelhouse, could be a sign of disconnect between what you do behind-the-scenes of your business and what you’re showcasing through your marketing.

Number 3: When you lack clarity, you feel like a jack of all trades. You can’t quite put your finger on what is “off” about your business, or why it isn’t yet running like a well-oiled machine. It might be hard to create a clear structure or well-designed processes, because there are simply too many products and services being offered at once. It might be hard to earn revenue or book your Ideal Client. You might feel like you’re working ALL the time, but not really moving your business forward. All of these signs could point to a lack of clarity, purpose, and direction in your business.

So, if you can relate to one or more of these signs, what’s your next step? How do you find clarity in your business and move forward in a purposeful way? It’s time to decide what you want your business to look like — how you want to serve people through your gifts and talents. 

Step 1: Write down a complete and comprehensive list of what you’re good at — the skills and talents you have, whether they’re professional or personal. Then, cross of anything that can’t be monetized — the skills and talents you can’t make money from, or don’t want to make money from. Then, cross off anything you’ve determined there isn’t customer demand or a customer need for. With what’s remaining, circle just 1 or 2 of the skills and talents you’d like to create a business around. Choose the skill or talent you want to be most known for. When you envision your career, or being the go-to business in a specific field, which skill or talent do you hope to offer? How can the skill or talent be made into a clear product or service?

Step 2: Create a clear, succinct elevator pitch. Who are you? What do you do? Who do you serve? At With Grace and Gold, we are a creative studio dedicated to providing purposeful brand and web design for creative small business owners. In one clear, succinct sentence, we share who we are, what we do, and who we serve. Create your elevator pitch so you can clearly summarize what your business is all about — for yourself, and for your audience.

Step 3: With your elevator pitch in mind, create only 3 packages for your services — or a curated collection of your products. When you do, you can ensure that every service or every product is carefully aligned with what you’ve chosen to offer through your business. When you’re asked to offer a service or product beyond what you’ve chosen to offer, allow yourself the freedom to say no — so you can say yes to doing more of what you created your business to do.

Finding clarity in your business means:

• Knowing exactly who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
• Acknowledging only few or one of your skills should become your business so your business can become the go-to business in your field.
• Knowing you can be a multifaceted person with lots of gifts and talents, and that your business can be separated from your personal hobbies.

When you know who you are, what you do, and who you serve, and you say ‘yes’ to the projects aligned with those decisions, you can begin a season of purpose in your business and serve your audience well doing what you love most! 

Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.