Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aprille Reed, Founder of Aprille T. Reed LLC, located in Decatur, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm definitely a multi-passionate entrepreneur who loves to create video content and design graphics. I also love to teach mindset and entrepreneurship. My business, Aprille T. Reed LLC, centers around helping spring entrepreneurs and small business owners grow a successful online business or side business, teaching what they know. I'm in a family of 6, and I understand the struggles of balancing running an online service-based business with the many commitments of caring for a growing family. So my strategies tend to be more simplified and manageable, especially for the busy mom, father, or parent.

Tell us about yourself

I've always been business oriented, but the birth of my 3rd child back in 2015 really showed it was time to get serious with entrepreneurship so that I could enjoy the benefits of having more choices and options for my family. My job at the time had me traveling more than I wanted to. I would leave my new baby at home with my husband and fly to another state, and I didn't want to do that anymore but felt I didn't have a choice because we needed the income. This started my journey to learning more about creating passive income, digital marketing, and how to market and sell things, skills I was already good at. And now I love teaching people how to make money doing what they know as well.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I love it when I can help an individual get unstuck or see their potential. I read somewhere that everyone has a million-dollar business idea at least once a year. However, most people do not act. A lot of times, people are stuck and don't know where to start or what their next step is. I love being able to help people see their potential, get unstuck, and make their dream a reality. Because I love serving service-based entrepreneurs, many people are getting the help they need, and the world is changing for the better.

I remember back in 2018, I opened five free coaching spots, and a homeless person took me up on my offer. I wasn't selling anything on the calls; it was genuinely free coaching on mindset. During the call, I mentioned the new marketing membership I had opened. Because it was barebones and nowhere complete, I was accepting founding members at a limited low price. After hearing about my membership, they wanted to join. Within two days of joining my membership, they had launched their membership following what I shared on the call and the lesson available in the membership, resulting in earning 2/3rds of their investment back. Here it took me six months (maybe longer) to launch my membership because I was afraid and didn't think the membership was good enough. Yet, someone without a home, creating all their video content at the local library, had launched their own membership in just two days and found their founding members. Like wow! I lost base with that person. I wonder how awesome they are doing now.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is having discipline. When you're an employee, a lot of times you are told when to show up and what to do on a daily basis, someone is holding you accountable, and there are weekly or monthly huddles, paid vacation, and a steady paycheck. When you have your business, there's no one to hold you accountable to make that sales call or follow up with that potential lead. There's no one really to bounce ideas off of. And unless you've set up a process and systemized your business, the paychecks aren't coming regularly. You can have a high income one month and then bring in absolutely nothing the next month. So having the discipline to show up in your business daily or at least setting up a process like a sales funnel is needed for the business to survive long term. And just to be clear, I'm only talking about showing up, whatever that means to you; I didn't say you have to hustle, hustle, hustle.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

The more clarity you have with your ideas and goals, the more confident you are. The more confident you are, the more action you take. A successful business comes from being decisive and taking the right action, plus a little luck. For anyone who wants to grow a successful business, you can acquire clarity from these three tips:

  1. Follow your passion. Do you need to follow a passion in order to make money and become a successful business owner? Short answer: No. Of course not. However, building a business is hard work, so it helps when your business is based on doing the things that you love. When you enjoy what you do, it will make it easier to overcome obstacles when they pop up and keep momentum.
  2. Address an "urgent" pain. Make sure your business solves an urgent pain for your clients or customers. I emphasize urgency because, a lot of times, people are content with their pain. It's easier to stay in it than to change. When you target people who feel their pain (or struggle or challenge) is in need of an urgent solution, those people are ready to buy like yesterday. They will not need that much convincing to purchase your solution. Therefore your marketing dollars and time used for marketing will be cheaper. Remember: People pay to get out of hell. They don't pay to get into heaven.
  3. Don't reinvent the wheel. A lot of times, new business owners want to be the first. The first idea. The first product. The first solution. Realistically, nowadays, nothing is really new in the business. Plus, it can be expensive to be the first. Find businesses already doing what you want to do and model what they are doing. To make your business stand out from the competition, be unique by addressing needs your competitors aren't meeting for their current customers. I could go on and on, but that's a great start for anyone wanting to start and grow a successful business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.aprillereed.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprillereed/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aprillereed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprillereed/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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