the ONE blunder you make while starting a service biz

🤦‍♀️

I was on a call with a friend last week, and her one line stopped me in my tracks. She said:

“Shruthi, I’m planning to cold pitch to a couple of folks on LinkedIn to start my online coaching business.”

To give context, she was in a space where she had gotten sick of what she was doing and wanted to change streams. You could see she was at one of those life’s crossroads and deciding which path to take.

Now, why did her statement surprise me?

Because she already had an amazing community of people around her! She had a fantastic group of friends and well-wishers who trusted her for her work.

Aannddddd she was cold-pitching random strangers?

WHY???????

---

The one BLUNDER folks starting an online business do is think they’re starting from scratch. With nothing in their pockets. Nada.

You forget your past experiences, the soft skills you learned, and the relationships you’ve built throughout your life.

Especially the relationships you’ve built.

Why?

Because we tend to put people in boxes.

Let me give you an example. I’m working with my friend Javier on my health. We first met through the BIPM cohort and always spoke only about business and the creator economy.

He had no damn clue I needed help with my health UNTIL I asked him one day.

The point being? We often don’t know all sides of a person, the problems they face or who they know (their network) UNTIL we ask them.

Capitalize on your current friends/acquaintances first.

This is so so crucial. Because then:

• The transition becomes smoother

• You have already built trust with them. As a person capable of doing great work, whatever the field may be.

---

So the next time you think of starting your new biz, make a list of everyone in your “network”, approach them and let them know that you’re kickstarting a new venture.

A simple:

Hey, I need a tiny help from you, I’ve recently started my (XYZ) business and am looking for (ABC) clients/target audience. Do you know anyone who might need my help?

Will do.

They’ll either:

• Let you know that they need that help (this has happened so many times with me) or

• They’ll respond with names, and you can approach them as a referral or

• You can say, “Can you let me know if you come across someone later? It’d genuinely mean a lot!”

Approach 10, and I’m sure you’ll get at least 3 to 4 possible clients - which is enormous for someone just starting with their biz.

---

🌟A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT🌟

If you’re someone:

• Struggling to kickstart your online biz (or getting overwhelmed because there’s too much to do)

• Planning to / Just quit your 9-5

• Want to set up a genuine, long-term (1:1) business and work with amazing people

I still have 2 coaching spots left for the month, where I’ll be helping you with:

• Defining your niche, customer journey, packaging and pricing

• Meeting the right set of people to start your dream business

Interested?

Please book a FREE 45-min discovery call to discuss the details!

Not for you? Feel free to let your friends know if they need help with the above:)

---

Thank you so much for being with me on this journey!

Until next week,
Shruthi