Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lindsay Sacco, CEO of Forza Collective, located in Arlington, VA, USA.

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

Forza Collective is a boutique market research and marketing consulting firm helping online business owners innovate by finding & filling the gaps in their industry with offers their dream clients actually want! We help new and established entrepreneurs eliminate the guesswork from their business so they can use data-driven decision-making to scale faster, pivot more effectively, and launch successfully the first time around. We work with bold & brazen CEOs who build businesses to stand out and make an impact - CEOs who aren't afraid to solve their client's biggest problems with innovative, ground-breaking solutions only THEY can deliver.

Tell us about yourself

I'm obsessed with the art of launching businesses, and I jumped at the first chance to start my own. I started my career in policy & government affairs in Washington, D.C., where I truly learned just how powerful positioning and messaging are when building a movement and solving large-scale problems. I got my MBA from the Carlson School of Management, a top marketing school in the U.S., which truly shaped how I look at solving business problems. It was there that I discovered the art behind market research and collecting effective, past-the-surface level data to reduce the risk of making bold business decisions. It wasn't until I started consulting for small business owners who didn't have access to the same MBA knowledge I had that I realized most online business owners were guessing their way through building a business, struggling to feel confident in their decision-making, and wondering why their launches weren't successful. That inspired me to do my own market research and discover just how large of a gap there was in the online business space. Thus Forza Collective was born.

What motivates me most is giving CEOs a newfound sense of power and confidence. With data and knowledge, they have the power to take bigger risks, take more decisive action, and waste fewer resources as they replace guesswork with intentional and directed action. I truly help freelancers and solopreneurs step into a whole new level of CEO power when they embrace data-driven decision-making.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

For me, client results will always be the way I measure my success. Bringing new solutions to my dream clients and hearing them tell me that no one has solved their problems as market research has is a major accomplishment. Waking up to messages and D.M.s telling me just how much they lean on market research to make their decisions tells me that my audience isn't just using the data to solve one problem but is activating a lifelong skillset that'll serve them as long as they are in business. I recently got a message from a client who is on her 4th round of market research and has made more in this quarter of business than she has the entirety of last year.

THOSE are my favorite accomplishments. And every single person I've worked with within market research has shared huge wins in making more money, feeling more confident, and gaining HUGE amounts of clarity after working with me. There's nothing more satisfying than that.

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

People are ever-changing, complex beings. So marketing to them, creating for them, and selling to them can be super challenging. The online business space, in particular, boasts a lot of "overnight successes," but just because you've managed to strike gold once doesn't mean it'll last forever. I think the most difficult thing about being a business owner is constantly innovating and keeping a pulse on your audience so that you consistently know how to attract dream clients and add enough value for them to want to purchase from you.

The best solution to that is market research, and even I (someone who literally does market research for a living) struggle to keep up with that in my own business. Keeping up with your dream clients and constantly having a finger on the pulse of what they need isn't something you just do once - it's a constant in entrepreneurship. Mastering that skill is one of the hardest things in business...but also one of the most important.

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

People who follow me know that any top 3 tip list will inevitably include market research...but there's a reason why I eat, sleep, and breathe this skillset!

  1. Take the time to do the research - skipping this step will only waste your time & money! Whether you're new in business and looking to launch for the first time or you're a seasoned multi-6 figure business owner looking to expand into new niches & client bases, you've got to know what problems you're solving, what gaps your audience needs filling, and what your audience needs to feel and know before they're ready to trust you with their money. Don't assume you know all the answers, especially when your clients are just a conversation away. Stop making your life so much harder!
  2. Dare to innovate - People are starting businesses at record rates, and with more people comes more saturation. Standing out in the online space can be difficult when you're solving the same problems, in the same way, with the same messaging as everyone else. Run your own race by seeking new problems to solve and providing unique solutions that light your audience up!
  3. Focus on collaboration over competition - The biggest leaps I've made in my business have come from strong collaborations and partnerships. The best ideas come from a diverse array of perspectives, so take time to build your network of trusted CEOs who see your genius and who inspire you. Find ways to collaborate, create value together, and share ideas. That's where the innovative magic happens.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Nothing that comes to mind! I didn't upload a photo of my service simply because it doesn't have a visual component, but I'm happy to upload other brand images as needed for the article. Let me know what kind of images you need!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://forzacollective.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forzacollective/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaysacco/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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