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Original poster

I started a business from scratch as a single mum in debt and have made over £2.5m in revenue in 5 years AMA

172 replies

Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 06:26

Hello

I was asked to do a AMA on another thread and have a day off today so thought it would be a good time to do it.

I’ve started various businesses some worked some didn’t but then I started teaching what had worked for me (using LinkedIn to get clients) and it just took off in 2017/18.

I’m now a business coach and help other people to start and grow businesses online very often mums especially those who don’t want to return to work (why I started my business) or want to make additional money usually from what they already know and without spending lots of money on retraining or expensive set up costs.

if I can answer any questions or help anyone with their businesses I’m around all day

OP posts:
Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 02/08/2023 08:25

Can @mnhq shut down this thread, it stinks of an MLMer hawking her wares to the unsuspecting and naive. I wish people would realise these coaches are just peddling unrealistic ideologies and that copy pasting tips and tricks will not make your home run small business become multinational.

BrainFrazzled · 02/08/2023 08:26

Apologies if I have misunderstood this, but in simple terms, your business is coaching other people (e.g. Ann, Bob & Charlie) how to use the internet to find more clients.
Ann, Bob and Charlie's businesses are also about coaching other people (Dan, Emma & Fred) to do well in their business or general lives.
?

Is there really that big a market for coaching people? I don't think I know anybody in real life who uses a life coach / business coach.

CurlewKate · 02/08/2023 08:27

Pyramid-oops,sorry-MLM. I mm happy to sell anyone 12 of my special patented barge poles. You can sell them on to your friends and family, then they can buy their own barge poles and sell them on their family and friends and......

isthatmyage · 02/08/2023 08:28

OP loving this thread and the bitter jealousy.....you go girl and congratulations...hard work really does pay off 😊

flutterby1 · 02/08/2023 08:31

Be careful mums netters.

CloudyMcCloud · 02/08/2023 08:33

Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:09

Sales Nav is great if you have a very specific search term and want to connect with very specific people for sure. It’s very cool and you’re right there’s tonnes of great videos on LinkedIn and YouTube about how to use it.

I don’t recommend it for most people though as I teach growing an organic audience through daily connection requests, putting out content for your ideal clients and engaging publicly not privately in the DMs.

I also teach how to write your headline and profile to attract and convert your ideal clients.

Paying for sales navigator, sadly, doesn’t do this.

I do have hundreds of hours of free training available though like I keep saying people buy my programme for the community and the calls as well as the training

Show quote history

I also teach how to write your headline and profile to attract and convert your ideal clients.

Where does this knowledge come from? Is it related to working in SM marketing or from somewhere else?

SquirrelSoShiny · 02/08/2023 08:35

OP I'm not sure why you're getting such a pasting but good luck!

flutterby1 · 02/08/2023 08:35

The best place to see PYRAMIDS is in Cairo, Egypt.

BrainFrazzled · 02/08/2023 08:36

If there are 2000 people who have signed up in the past, and all are still entitled to continued lifetime support, how can you possibly keep track of them and have a genuine awareness how how their businesses are going or what their business needs to do to improve next?
If you spoke to each person only twice a year that would be roughly 12 a day. To give any real help you would need to spend an hour chatting about what they have done or could do.
I know they probably don't all get in touch now their own businesses are successful but I still don't get the numbers.

Whatswhatwhichiswhich · 02/08/2023 08:37

I joined a MLM once, this is exactly the language they used. I spent hundreds trying to be successful, following their teachings and wondering why I was failing. They use the same statistics too, saying 20% smash it, change their lives beyond recognition, if you can’t do that it’s your own fault. This sounds like a linkedin scam.

Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:38

Milk2SugarsAndAShotOfYourFinestValium · 02/08/2023 07:38

Ooooh I need this! My business partner and I have an IG based business but we have struggled to shift it from just IG (individual clients) to IG and LinkedIn. How do we grow on LinkedIn? Is there a posting formula? Do you contact individuals? Or target posts and hope for shares? Should we get a pro account?

We are a niche coaching business. We both have significant qualifications and experience but are rubbish at SM. (There are so few of us that if I post the specialism it would be outing 🤣).

Any LinkedIn usage advice SO welcome! It’s quite a confusing concept to us after building 12k on IG (we find IG harder to monetise).

Thanks!

Hello! What a username!!

OK so this is great you’ve built up IG!! And are used to socials because it’s not massively different in a lot of ways but has nuances.

Heres some general advice without knowing what you do:

Write your LinkedIn headline and profile about your ideal client not about you. So have a headline that says Helping XYZ (your ideal client) achieve XYZ (the outcomes they get) by XYZ (how you do it) then write your profile like a love letter to them - all about their problems and how they’re feeling and then talk about who you are and your programme / product / service.

Thats the biggest thing I teach - make it all about your ideal client and be super clear on what it is you’re selling, how much it is and how they get it. Sounds obvious but most still use LinkedIn as a CV.

Theres a few other bits and pieces like having a header image with a call to action and getting recommendations etc but that’s the main thing.

Then do 3 things a day

  • Ask to connect with 15 potential clients but don’t send them a personal connection request or DM them anything
  • Post every day - a mix of stories, videos, social proof and call to action (sales) posts don’t worry about likes or engagement (it’s not IG, people are in work mode)
  • Comment on the posts you see in your feed every day, not about what you do but supporting what they’re doing.

Thats it really. Seems so simple but honestly people get the most amazing results. Mind blowing. But they stop doing it or don’t do it because they don’t get instant feedback so it’s a long game, consistency wins. Just get on and do it every day. Takes about 6 weeks to start working.

Use your personal profile not a business page
You don’t need premium of any kind
Anything you post on IG can be posted on LinkedIn but lose the hashtags or just use a couple
Mix of business and personal stuff
Dont DM people unless they message you
Dont need ads
Dont need to use groups
Don’t worry about what time to post

literally do the 3 things a day every day.

your clients will come to you when they’re ready

I’ve got a tonne of free training but obvs can’t post links (already accused of self promotion!) but if you want anything send me a DM

good luck with it, you’ll love it (when you stop hating it because nothing happens for ages!)

OP posts:
SoulCaptain · 02/08/2023 08:38

OP thank you for starting this thread, I'm sorry you're getting so many negative comments.

I'm about to go freelance - selling my professional skills but working for myself for the first time. What would be your top tips? Any pitfalls to avoid or basics to get off to the best start?

Crikeyalmighty · 02/08/2023 08:40

The thing is @Whitecup24 - we turned over around £14m in 5 years- only about 5% is profit to us as it involves proper products, distribution , etc- it's high volume but relatively low margin.

The fact is if you have made money at it, then great, but if people expect to do this and then go on and do the same as you it's all getting a bit 'hitch hikers guide to the galaxy' (older mumsnetters will know what I mean) so many people going round coaching each other to be coaches etc-

I can't see that if you are dealing in 'stuff' and 'products' or even generic services then linked in is much use, Facebook works way better however due to the amount of marketing on it - it's not as effective as it was either.

Whinge · 02/08/2023 08:41

@Whitecup24 After that last post my question is why would anyone pay you for advice when you've just given the information for free. Confused

Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:42

Newbutoldfather · 02/08/2023 07:40

How do you know you are helping people to make money?

Of course, if you are taking enough fees to generate money to live a comfortable life, you must have lots of clients. And, statistically, some of these would have been successful anyway.

Do you do any research on how much value you have added (I know this is hard)?

Sorry to be sceptical, but this does sound a bit like Andrew Tate’s ‘Hustler’s University’……

Ahaha never been in the same breath as Andrew Tate!

I know because they tell me. I’ve got over 4000 testimonials and pieces of social proof, messages, posts, DMs etc. People also post in the group all the time with their wins. Every time I’m on a podcast or do a free training or am in the media I get DMs saying thank you, they’ve taken my advice and made £££ or sometimes it’s that I’ve said the right thing at the right time and they feel better about something or they are taking a leap of faith because if I can do it (very normal, middle aged, unspectacular mum) then they can too.

In the programme I have staff who are paid to keep in touch with people and support the community and we have regular check ins as well as live calls where I speak to people directly and they tell me. We also survey them regularly and hold clinics for people who ‘haven’t made their money back yet’ so I can help them more.

OP posts:
Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 02/08/2023 08:45

I see OP has posted a beefy how to guide there as a free sample for those wanting to see how she could potentially help you achieve your goals of growing your hobby into a global conglomerate for a fee of course 🤔🙄

@mnhq is this allowed?

Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:46

YourOpinion · 02/08/2023 07:40

Why be so horrible ?

People are always on here with work/career related issues or needing to work out what they can do to increase their income ? This thread could be helpful yet almost immediately jealousy rears it’s ugly head and we get bitchy comments.

Show quote history

Well this was my thinking. Maybe someone will get some advice and make some money if they need to. Not sure how that’s a bad thing. I was so broke I would have wanted all the help I could get. So I’m always trying to help people for free and then a small percentage do buy from me. It’s literally help as many people as I can all day every day. I mean I’m not Mother Theresa and I have made loads of money which is great, but I’m always that broke person inside. I felt like I’d truly made it one day when I realised I wasn’t watching the petrol pump filling up. Felt like a millionaire that day!

OP posts:
Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:49

ZenNudist · 02/08/2023 07:45

You seem to be avoiding the questions about how much profit are you making. Why is that? I'd like to know how your revenue grew and what it translates to as profit. It doesn't seem like a business that would have much in the way of costs.

I’m answering them as fast as I can. I spend a lot on FB ads (750k approx) over the years so that’s a big chunk of profitability but it was essential to scale and get in front of more people. I get a lot of hate on those ads!

OP posts:
schnauzerbeard · 02/08/2023 08:49

Will all the questions you're asked on here not have the same answers though? 'You can find out once you purchase my £1500 How to be a Millionaire course'?

GoodChat · 02/08/2023 08:51

I’ve got over 4000 testimonials

How have you got 4000 testimonials from 2000 clients?

Also, how do you effectively work with that many people while running another business, practically?

Hoppinggreen · 02/08/2023 08:51

Do people pay you directly for your service or do you charge people for your “secret method” - which is usually how to sell the service to other people.
If you do what I think you do there are many of you on LI and it’s a poorly disguised pyramid scheme

Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:54

Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 02/08/2023 07:59

Without coming across cynical this thread reads like you're touting for business, I hope people are wise enough to to not DM you asking for advice.

I follow an art business ‘coach’ on Insta and a few of her clients mainly to see how not to operate and it’s very telling when you see them all applying the same formulas trying to sell their ‘art’ (which is often amateur/ average at best and not of a standard to ever be a viable thriving business).

I see a classic tactic is saying how much your business is worth or its revenue to entice people. It’s always vague and has elements of exploitation along the same lines as MLMs. A successful business owner in my opinion can not be coached to hit the big time they need to have a natural flare otherwise the wheels quickly come off.

You’re totally entitled to your opinion. If I want business though I run ads and do free training and then convert a % or I get them organically from LinkedIn (obvs), I don’t spend 3 hours in bed answering questions from cynical mumsnetters.

if someone came to me and said ‘how can I get business today’ the last thing I would suggest is go onto an anonymous forum and answer questions for hours.

Like I said, I’m off today, I posted in another thread about making money the other week and someone said would you consider doing an AMA.

I knew I’d get flamed but seriously I would have like the opportunity to ask questions of someone who has scaled a business when I was starting out in business or considering doing so.

I agree not everyone has got what it takes to build a 7 figure business 100%. But I do believe with support and a strategy and a decent offer most people can make £100k and not go back to work and live a totally different life.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:56

GoodChat · 02/08/2023 07:59

Fair play OP! It sounds like you're smashing it!

Thank you! I’ve amazed myself frankly I dropped out of uni and expected to live an average life so it’s come as a bit of a surprise

OP posts:
Original poster
Whitecup24 · 02/08/2023 08:58

JMAngel1 · 02/08/2023 08:06

Gosh people are horrible on here - I smell jealousy and it isn't pretty.

Well done OP for being so successful.

Thank you. I get it, it’s easier to look for ways to ‘catch me out’ than actually ask a genuine question I was expecting more like ‘how does it feel’ ‘what’s the best thing’ ‘what have you treated yourself to’ ‘what does your family think’ stuff. It I’m happy to answer anything and the nasty comments don’t bother me, I was expecting them. I hang out in AIBU on the regular

OP posts:
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