One of the struggles I see over and over again with small business owners is the struggle to build a dedicated audience. Often, folks show up without any kind of an audience at all. Or, if they’ve started a list, perhaps they have just a handful of friends and acquaintances on an email list.
It can feel daunting to start building a list, especially when you don’t want to be pushy. Or if you’re swirling in low self-esteem looking out into the world of 10 gazillion blogs and email newsletters. What does yours matter?
Let me tell you that it does. As human beings, we tend to congregate into tribes. It’s wonderful when those tribes intersect and learn from one another, but we tend to like to be in smaller groups, mostly.
We’ve all been raised on mass media and the idea that 100,000 people is a ‘small town’ and you don’t get into big city numbers until you hit the millions.
But, let’s think about this for a moment: all over the world people make a living in very small communities- small towns and villages- and have for thousands of years. I’ve seen the same phenomenon in my business and in others.
One of my favorite bloggers, Chris Garrett, in his post How to Beat the Long Tail, pointed me to a new-to-me blog by Kevin Kelly, and his post 1,000 True Fans. And they both have found the same thing.
You don’t need a huge list to make a living.
One of the participants in my Opening the Moneyflow Course, Lisa Hunter, has started a new business that combines her past experience as a successful touring folk singer, and her passion for supporting go-getting entrepreneurial women. And having just spent three days with her at the recent Sacred Moment Seminar, and having heard her sing in person, especially what she does when she sings your essence, she’s an amazing person to have at your back.
Since she’s just starting a new business, and doesn’t yet have the large fan base from her previous career, with a very small list- under 50- she gained two new clients in a week.
Now, a list that size won’t sustain her. But, it’s growing at a nice rate, and will continue to do so as she applies what she’s been learning in the course.
The real message here is: don’t overwhelm yourself thinking you need to have a huge, huge list of people. Just those 1,000 true fans, and you can make a great living doing what you love, and helping people in profound ways.
Of course, once you have 1,000 true fans, who knows where you go from there…
And you? How are you doing nurturing, caring for, and growing your true fan base? What’s been your experience?
