The summer is starting to wind down, and many of us are starting to think about what we want to do with with our lives and businesses next year. But if you're like me, the thought of taking a break from launching a new business or waiting to launch a new course until Q4 has likely crossed your mind. That way, you can take the rest of the summer off, right?
If you have been around in our universe for a while, you know that we don't sugarcoat. Although we really do believe in work-life balance, if you're planning on starting something new this fall, you need to start preparing at least 6-8 weeks in advance. That means, if you are planning a fall launch for your course or digital product, don't take the summer off--you should be spending it prepping for it instead!
Don't worry, in the spirit of getting our ish together, we are going to walk you through the steps to make launching just a little easier.
1. Make a Launch Plan
The first step to prepping for your fall launch is to actually put the ideas in your head onto paper. This is more than just your marketing (we will get to that next) but think about what steps you need to take before you are ready to launch. Do you need to create content for a course? Do you need to choose a digital course platform?
If you have a team, don't forget to consider them as well! Are you responsible for recording your own video and then handing it off to be edited? Pencil in those dates on your calendar so you know not only when the product/marketing material needs to be ready, but you also know when you need to finish your part so that your team can do their part successfully.
2. Plan your Promotion Strategy
The second step is to plan your launch promotion strategy, which should start now and carry through the fall. What are you going to do with social media? Run a giveaway or sale? Share some compelling content about what's coming up this fall for your business?
Think about what kind of content your audience needs from you NOW in order for them to be ready to buy in the fall. Do you need a new freebie or opt-in to get them on your email list? Do they need a little motivation to know their wildest dreams are possible?
3. Do you need to grow your team?
Don't wait until you NEED help to start to think about growing your team. If you are thinking about launching a new product/service, there are going to be at least some tasks that sit outside your zone of genius. OUTSOURCE THEM. And be mindful of not crossing the line between an independent contractor and an employee which we talk about more here.
If you are not sure if you'll need help, go back to step 1 and look a little deeper into your launch plan. Break down the bigger steps into smaller pieces and see if there are places it would be helpful to get support.
4. GET YOUR ISH LEGALLY SET
As you can tell, there's a lot of work that goes into any new product or service (regardless of the actual "work involved" creating it). Protect yourself by running a trademark search (and potentially filing for a trademark to protect your brand)!
You also want to make sure your website is compliant! Did you know that since July 2018, GDPR regulations are being enforced and any website not compliant can end up paying huge fines? At minimum you need a GDPR-compliant privacy policy, terms or service/use, a cookies policy and applicable disclaimers (like an earnings disclaimer if you are talking about money!). We get more into detail about all of that over here.
Starting a New Business?
The above steps are great if you are launching a new product or service, but if you are opening the doors to a brand new business there are a few additional things you'll want to have figured out. Make sure to head to our resources page and download our Set to Launch checklist and we will walk you through everything you need! You can also shop our contract templates and policy templates here so you can start your business off #LegallySet. We will be cheering for you!