How many times have you said, “I want to launch my business but I just don’t have the time” or “If only I had a few extra hours in my day to commit to my side hustle, I know that would help it take off”?

Despite the chaos and uncertainty of the current pandemic we’re living through – you’ve finally been given the gift of time. 

That thing you’ve been meaning to get to ‘when there was an extra bit of time’ is ready and waiting for you to tackle it. 

You have the opportunity to launch your business, you can rebrand your website, you can plan out your content months in advance, you can read all the business books that have been sitting on your shelf for over a year, you can learn how to use Photoshop and InDesign…the possibilities are endless. 

Keep in mind that you can also use this gift of time for moments of rest and relaxation. Self-care is essential during times like these too, but for the sake of this specific blog post I’m going to be focused on helping you take strategic action in your business.

Here’s the thing, I know you want to make an impact. 

For those of you who haven’t yet taken the leap… I know the business idea that’s inside of you fills you with so much joy you feel like you’re going to burst. 

For those of you who have just begun… I know you get goosebumps every time you load your website, see a new email subscriber, or gain a new social media follower. 

While a majority of society mindlessly scrolls through Instagram liking the latest memes, checks up on what their favorite celebrities are doing, and zones out watching Netflix – you’re here. And while we all may indulge in the previous activities (myself included), during this specific moment you’re choosing to learn more, grow your business, and take action that will help propel you forward. For that, I am so proud of you!

Here are 3 tips to help you get started with your business:

1. Design Cohesive Content For Your Brand

Have you ever stumbled on a blog that has quality information, but you’re so distracted by the graphics surrounding it that you can barely digest what’s on your screen? If you don’t want your message to get lost in a sea of design-vomit, listen up. 

When choosing colors for your brand, make sure they work together. There are free tools out there that can help you pick a palette from photos you find aesthetically pleasing if you struggle with this. There’s even an Instagram filter when you’re posting a story that will create a color palette of the photo you just took! (TIP: If you want to use this feature and work these colors into your brand on places other than your Insta Story, save a photo with the filter, send it to your computer and drop it into Photoshop with the color dropper tool to get the HEX codes for future reference.)

Make it a point to stick to three main colors max with your branding plus a black or gray. Anything more, especially if design isn’t your forte, can lead to a serious unicorn-looking malfunction.  

2. Create An Email List

Social media is such a wonderful tool, but you don’t own the platform which means that if the platform decides to dissolve, so does your audience. On the other hand, you own your list of email subscribers. AKA you’re basically renting in the world of social media, but you’re a homeowner when it comes to your email list. Why rent when you can buy for the same ‘price’ (amount of effort)?

Once you start to build your email list, your subscribers will come to look forward to your weekly content and become your most loyal followers. Nurture these connections and your email subscribers will also be the first to purchase from you when you are ready to sell your product or service down the line.

3. Stay Consistent 

There is nothing worse than falling in love with someone’s content and waiting to hear more from their brilliant mind but all you’re left with is crickets. Stick to a consistent content schedule and be sure to post at least once a week on your blog and once a day on social media. If content creation leaves you feeling super overwhelmed, I created a free content creation guide to help you overcome this hurdle. 

In the guide, you learn how to streamline your content development process so you can easily create consistent, high-quality posts for your blog and social media. Plus, I help you plan an entire month of content in a minimal amount of time. 

What other obstacles are you currently facing while launching your business?

Tell me in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer all of your questions. 

PS: Please give yourself grace during this difficult time. Every achievement no matter how small is a win. Simply reading this blog post or pinning it to read later is something to be proud of.