(1) You have to love it.

(2) You have to be good at it.

(3) It has to provide value.

It seems that the THIRD element is the one that most people struggle with. It’s where many could-be entrepreneurs get stuck and decide to give up!

Don’t give up! I’m going to help you

The simple answer is that your product or service needs to be of VALUE to other people.

In other words, people buy things that make them FEEL the way they want to FEEL.

Yes, my friend. Business is all about feelings!

(This is one reason why women are ROCKING it in the world of business these days, because people are in desperate need to CONNECT with other people on a real, deep, personal level. If you’re a people person, you’re going to do just fine in the business world).

Makes you feel rich, successful, cared-for, beautiful. Other people have them. Status. It makes you feel like you are where you want to be in life. You can feel like a celebrity or like Audrey Hepburn. Live a luxurious life and have everything you want.

Has less toxins and more nutrients, yes. But that’s not the REAL reason people buy organic. People buy organic because it makes you feel healthy, energized, like you’re taking good care of yourself, smart, worry-free. Makes you feel a part of something bigger — a movement towards healthy eating. Powerful. Like you’re younger than you were yesterday and can do anything you want!

On the surface, I sell words. But there’s lots of copywriters out there. What makes me different? I DON’T REALLY SELL COPYWRITING. I sell confidence. Fun. Enthusiasm. A reignited flame to be 100 million bajillion percent passionate about what you do. I makes people feel less frazzled, confident that their business will be able to sell more, give business owners time to focus on their strengths. I help them to stop lying awake at night worried that they’ll launch their services but won’t book any clients. I show them how to do this online in a genuine, happy, soul-filled way.

It’s not JUST paint. It makes you feel pretty– a small pleasure that almost everyone can afford to splurge on.  It gives you boost of happiness! When you wear nail polish, you feel “polished”.  You’ll feel more confident at your job interview. Your friends (and more importantly, strangers) will compliment you on your unique nail color. It makes you the center of attention!

hey’re selling a feeling, a SOLUTION to a problem. A better life.

Why do you think so many millions of women around the world are obsessed with Kate Middleton?! We all want to FEEL like princesses. She makes us think it’s possible.

GIVE THAT TO PEOPLE AND THEY’LL PAY YOU AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.

So how does that help you RIGHT NOW?

(1) WHY WOULD PEOPLE BUY THIS?

(2) WHY DO THEY CARE?

Example: Yoga for entrepreneurs (from the comment that miss Jacqui left)

WHY WOULD PEOPLE BUY THIS?

Because they are stressed out and yoga will help them.

WHY DO THEY CARE?

Because yoga makes you feel more relaxed and helps you to tap into your creativity. You’ll be able to get more work done in less time and feel more energized.

When you answer these questions, you begin to get at the root of what you’re REALLY selling. You may think that you’re selling Yoga for entrepreneurs, but people don’t really care about the YOGA as much as they care about WHAT THE YOGA WILL GIVE THEM.

These are called the BENEFITS of your offer.

The FEATURE is Yoga.

The BENEFIT is increased creativity and energy to work. A sense of calm. An ability to handle the harried, stressful, walking-into-oncoming-traffic life that is entrepreneurship. In short, Jacqui’s business idea will make entrepreneurs feel more POWERFUL.

Again, if you do this, there’s no limit to how much money you can make. And you’ll be offering a beautiful service to the world– using your greatest strengths to help other people live their dream lives.

Pretty cool, eh?

(Acht. I’ve been in Canada for too long. Forgive me ;))

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

• Don’t re-invent the wheel. You don’t have to create something that’s never been created before. If other people have proven that X service works, why change it? The way that you’ll differentiate yourself is by how you do it, not by what you do. Copying someone’s idea isn’t stealing as long as you change the way you deliver it.

• Know what people are already paying for. This goes hand-in-hand with the first tip, but it’s important that you understand what kinds of things people pay for. When you ask them this question, make sure to ask them about the FEATURE and the BENEFIT. In the case of the above example, I’d ask entrepreneurs “Would you pay for a yoga service directed towards helping busy, creative professionals like yourself to have oodles of energy and feel a sense of focus and calm over your day so that you could get more done in less time?”

• Save people time or money. If your service does this, you’re golden. (Your service doesn’t have to save people time or money, however most things do. FIND A LINK.)

• Know what problem you’re solving. Is it a problem that people are willing to pay to have solved? Remember to look for the REAL problem. How is their life going to be more beautiful? More happy? More ideal? How will they have more energy? More ideas? More organization? More inner peace? What will their life look like AFTER they use your product/service?

• Do your research. Nothing substitutes for getting out there and asking questions. Interview your prospects. Ask them what their problems are. Go online and see what kinds of services people are already offering. Most people won’t do this. If you do, you’re roughly sixteen lightyears ahead of the game.

• Pick a business model. This should be obvious, but based on the amount of people who have told me that they dream of being “bloggers” I feel obliged to make this point. Blogging is great, but it’s not a business model. Figure out where the money is going to come from first. Worry about your website second. (Yes, it’s totally fine to start a blog first and then monetize it later (that’s what I did), but eventually you will have to bite the bullet and offer a service or product. I recommend doing it off the bat so that you can get over the fear!)