laura figueroa-scott

I’ll admit it: I live a life of fantasy.

In my fantasy life, I am not a superhero, a celebrity of some type, or even fabulously wealthy.

I am a fantasy foodie. I am subscribed to all sorts of chefs on YouTube and TikTok. Through them, I am able to indulge as I never do in real life with rich dishes and decadent desserts.

When I watch them, I can imagine those kitchens are my own and I have those palates and skills.

The truth is that my diet is as bland and boring as low-sodium and gluten-free can get.

Today, a friend gave me some homemade pimento cheese with gluten-free crackers to go with it.

That cheese is glorious. To me, it is decadent and flavorful in ways I don’t normally allow myself.

I usually content myself with whatever is available at the local supermarket, even if it does not ever truly satisfy my craving.

And then I thought: that’s what happens in real life.

We settle. We accept difficulty as a sign that we need to stop whatever it is we began working toward.

We do not allow ourselves to do or continue to do the things that will satisfy the craving of our desires and ambition.

We buy the cheese that is available rather than making some for ourselves.

You want to make your own business rather than accept what has been offered to you?

Game on.

What sort of business do you want to start?

Let’s get this out of the way: it is OK to start small.

If you do not already have an idea, think about what you are good at and what holds your interest most. Write these down.

Then, list all of your skills, even those that you may not think too much of. You might be surprised at all you have learned to do in your life to this point.

If you are not going to utilize a skill you already have, get some training. The internet has many free training resources through platforms like YouTube and Udemy.

Make sure it is something that truly interests and excites your creativity.

Waitaminnit… this sounds like it could take some time.

Yup.

Making something of your own can take time and it’s totally worth it because it is your own.

No one else can take credit for what you are doing and building for yourself.

Develop your basic business plan.

Think of this as the compass that helps to guide you where you want to go.

It needs to include: 

• your business idea
• your target market or ideal customers
• what makes your product or service better than your competitors

This is a good tool to establish not only what you want to do, but what is needed to be able to get your business out into the world. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by what other entrepreneurs do and say and have. Your plan gets away from that and allows you to focus on what you actually need and can do with the time and resources you have available to you.

What kind of tools and resources will you need?

1. A website and domain.

You need a place that is all yours on the internet. It is available at all hours and gives people visiting your website a way to contact you or buy outright, if that is what is in your plan.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to begin at WordPress.com.

They have free and paid plans and easy-to-follow tutorials that give you a professional looking website with a blog feature, like the one you are reading now.

2. A social media platform to post on.

This is where you can find your target market, your ideal customers, so you can begin to interact with them to drive them to visit your website.

I have an article about how to choose which platforms would be best for you to find your target market, which you have already described in your business plan.

3. Content creation.

This is your social media and blog content online. This is where and how you talk about what you offer and why you offer it.

There are free tools to help you with creating eye-catching graphics and short videos easily using templates, even if you have never created graphics or video before.

Two of those tools are: Canva and CapCut.

You need those posts to drive people to your website so they can read your blog.

Your blog is one of the most powerful tools you have to:

• establish your authority,
• talk about your vision, 
• share your story,
• generate leads, 
• build a community, 
• and network with others in your niche.

Best of all, your blog can become a resource people come back to when they are looking for information about your product or service as it relates to your niche.

As you can see, you have more tools and resources to get your business out to the world faster than you might have thought.

Don’t settle for someone else’s business idea.

You have many tools to help you make your idea a reality.

As it happens, I am one of those tools. To talk about your bringing your business to life, send a note to laura@laurafigueroascott.me with any questions you may have.

And then, look for my answer!