Scaling Simplified: The Power of Doing LESS to Make MORE in Your Business

In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, the mantra "more is more" often takes center stage. However, what if I told you that the key to scaling and growing your business lies in doing less, not more? Welcome to the realm of focused growth, where honing in on your core offer, putting systems in place (automatic and general processes), and simplifying the business becomes the game-changer.

The Pitfalls of "More is More"

1. Dilution of Energy and Focus:

Juggling multiple offers or programs, conversion events and content can spread your energy and focus thin. It's like trying to water a hundred plants with the same watering can – some get neglected, and none flourish as they could.

2. Complexity Overwhelms Your Audience:

When your business offers a multitude of services, or even micro offerings, it can be overwhelming for your audience. Simplifying your offerings creates clarity, making it easier for potential clients to understand what you do and why they need it.

3. Time-Resource Drain:

Introducing new offers demands time and resources. From marketing to product development to back-end set-up, each additional offering or event pulls you away from perfecting what you already have.

The Power of Doing LESS

1. Focus on Your Core Offer:

Instead of diversifying and trying to chase either the shiny, sexy marketing of new things, channel your energy into growing and perfecting your core offer. This doesn't just make your business more efficient; it positions you as an expert in your field, attracting customers seeking specialized solutions.

2. Streamlined Marketing and Messaging:

A focused approach allows for more targeted marketing. Your messaging becomes clear and resonates with your audience, leading to higher conversion rates. You build brand authority by being known for that core offer. Quality over quantity becomes the guiding principle.

3. Time and Resource Optimization:

By concentrating on your core offer, you optimize your time and resources. This efficiency not only improves your bottom line but frees up space for innovation and strategic planning for future growth.

Prioritizing Your Time, Energy, and Focus

1. Time Management:

Prioritize tasks that directly contribute to the growth of your core offer. In addition, re-arranging and managing your schedule in a way that serves you both in life and business is essential to showing up well and avoiding burnout. If you’re constantly trying to put new things out there, you’re going to find your time stretched thin. This focused approach ensures that your time is invested where it matters most.

2. Energy Alignment:

Channel your creative and strategic energy into refining your core offer. This alignment not only enhances the quality of your product or service but also positively impacts your mindset. In order to sell, your energy plays a huge role. If you’re constantly stressed, your audience will feel that in your marketing. You want to show up in both your marketing and your container in a way that energetically attracts people to you. 

3. Strategic Scaling:

Scaling can be done in a way that does not require extra TIME, ENERY or EFFORT on your part. There’s a few ways you can scale strategically with your core off. Maybe you can separate your core offer into a smaller, self-paced offer for those to enroll in passively before your full-program. You can also always increase pricing, add additional support contractors or coaches to support the growth inside the program, or turn your program evergreen (with launch support) to enroll more people throughout the duration of the year. 

Also, scaling doesn't always mean expansion. Sometimes, it's about scaling up the impact of what you already do exceptionally well. Perfecting your core offer positions you for sustainable, long-term growth.

Conclusion

In a world that often glorifies the hustle and the pursuit of more, scaling through simplicity emerges as a refreshing alternative. By focusing on doing less and growing your core offer, you not only streamline your business but create a pathway for sustainable and impactful growth.

Remember, it's not about doing more; it's about doing what truly matters exceptionally well. Embrace the power of less, and watch your business reach new heights of success. Need support in scaling your business? Learn more about my signature 1:1 program, streamline and scale here.

My name is Katelyn Hamilton. I am a strategic business consultant with experience working in the backend of multi-six and seven-figure entrepreneurs for the last 5 years. I have a vetted marketing background and the knowledge of the best systems and processes to help your business scale to the next level. 

And it’s my job to help you run your business efficiently, generate more revenue and work less. Simply put, I help you Get Your Sh!t Together.

I went from a thriving marketing and PR professional working in the agency world to unemployed and to launching my own business. I spent five years working as an online business manager (OBM) in the backend of very successful businesses learning the ins and outs of how to operate and scale a business to the next level.

I’ve worked side by side with today’s millionaires to help them strategically grow their businesses, without experiencing burnout, feeling organized and empowered as they work less but generate more revenue with a simplified plan and clear strategy as they reach the next level they feel called to.

Because when you are supported in your business, your life is a lot less chaotic. And a lot more profitable. 

Book a call here to see how I can support you as you scale.

Mastering the Art of Launching: Strategies for Your Biggest and Best Launch Yet

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the thought of launching, even if your previous launches have been wildly successful? The truth is, the process can be draining. But don’t stress! Elevate your next launch with expert strategies that have been honed through years of experience.

Launching is not just a task; it's an art and a refined skill. With over 5 years of guiding clients through 50-100 launches, along with managing my own, I've distilled key strategies to ensure your next launch is not only successful but also leaves you energized.

1. Warm up Your Audience:

Before the launch, ensure your audience is more than just acquainted – make them feel like old friends! A cold audience won't easily buy in. Build genuine connections by sharing valuable content and creating anticipation. Offering a free download or a masterclass provides quick results and starts building trust, establishing you as the go-to expert.

2. Beyond Problems, Be the Solution:

Shift your focus from merely addressing problems to becoming the BE ALL END ALL solution! Craft launch messaging that not only highlights your program's uniqueness but also seamlessly resolves your audience's pain points. It's not just a game-changer; it's a transformative journey toward success.

3. Proactive Planning is Essential:

The energy you bring to your launch is a critical conversion factor. Proactively plan every detail to exude confidence and positivity. Organization is the secret sauce to a magnetic launch. From content calendars to outreach strategies and backend tech setups, meticulous planning ensures a seamless process, allowing you to show up energetically and make a memorable impression.

Ready to make your next launch your biggest and best yet? 🚀 Follow these simple strategies, and watch your revenue soar! ✨ If you crave more support on the intricacies of a successful launch, shoot me a DM on Instagram: @katelynehamilton, and let's chat through your sticking points! 

My name is Katelyn Hamilton. I am a strategic business consultant with experience working in the backend of multi-six and seven-figure entrepreneurs for the last 5 years. I have a vetted marketing background and the knowledge of the best systems and processes to help your business scale to the next level. 

And it’s my job to help you run your business efficiently, generate more revenue and work less. Simply put, I help you Get Your Sh!t Together.

I went from a thriving marketing and PR professional working in the agency world to unemployed and to launching my own business. I spent five years working as an online business manager (OBM) in the backend of very successful businesses learning the ins and outs of how to operate and scale a business to the next level.

I’ve worked side by side with today’s millionaires to help them strategically grow their businesses, without experiencing burnout, feeling organized and empowered as they work less but generate more revenue with a simplified plan and clear strategy as they reach the next level they feel called to.

Because when you are supported in your business, your life is a lot less chaotic. And a lot more profitable. 

Book a call here to see how I can support you as you scale.

The Cost of “Big Ideas” without a Strategy and What You Need to do About It

As the strategic expert, I often find that a lot of my clients have brains that work in opposite of mine, as in they are the “creative” ones. One thing I love about my clients is all the big ideas they have for their business, but consequently, one of the things that actually trips them up is ALL THE IDEAS THEY HAVE FOR THEIR BUSINESS. It’s common for them to want to launch a new offer, program, workshop, event, etc. every other week, but in all reality this actually is what’s holding them back from that next level.

Oftentimes, what I find is that they want to execute / put out into the world that new idea RIGHT AWAY as they fear losing out on capitalizing on their energy of that offer. It’s kind of like shiny object syndrome in a way. They get distracted by the next big idea or thing and want to jump ship vs. implementing a strategy that can truly support their big idea. It's a common misconception that acting quickly is always the best course of action. In reality, taking a step back and slowing down can actually help you make more informed and thoughtful decisions that will ultimately move your business forward faster.

When it comes to the fear of missing out (FOMO), it's important to remember that not every opportunity is right for your business. By rushing into something without fully considering the right audience, funnel and timeline to implement, you’re doing yourself, and your potential clients a disservice.

When you act quickly, and without forecasting this idea into your larger sales plan, or identifying if it’s even an offer that your audience wants or needs, and then priming and prepping your audience for this offer, you’re actually costing yourself money. Think about all that goes into launching a new offer — a sales page, copywriting in forms of sales page copy, emails, social media posts, as well as design elements, program build out, tech and operational tasks behind the scenes, energetics and time devoted to this launch… it’s a lot. And if not done strategically, there’s often a let down when it doesn’t convert like you *THINK* it should.

Ultimately, this offer COULD actually be just what your audience needs. It COULD fit perfectly into your sales plan and offer funnel. But what you need is a strategy for launching this offer. It needs a runway. You need to properly identify what audience this is for, how it solves their problems, what you will do to warm them up and prep them for this offer, execute on drawing them in, and then launching it with the right systems and structure set up to support both the launch and execution of the offer. 

By taking the time to develop a strategic plan, you can maximize your chances of a successful launch. In my experience, this typically looks like an 8-12 week timeline. In this timeframe, you draw your audience in with some sort of lead magnet or free offer, nurture them, host a live “event” of some kind, and then launch. All while perfecting the right messaging, systems and tools on the backend to deliver a high-quality, premium experience to your audience throughout this journey.

This is what I do with my clients whether it be in an intensive, or 1:1 coaching. We map out each new offer — and EXISTING offer and strategy from a birds eye view, all the way down to the nitty gritty details. Nothing is missed, and all you have to do is come with the idea and we talk out the rest. What do you walk about with? Clarity and confidence to support your idea, knowing it will land with your audience and a process you can trust to convert. If you are an ideas woman, but need the strategic support to bring them to life — in a way that will benefit your business and not leave you burnt out and constantly hustling, let’s chat! 

How Your Client Experience (or lack thereof) is Effecting your Client Retention Rates

We live in a world of immediate gratification. Whether right or wrong, people don’t seem to have much patience anymore. Which is ironic because I believe that having patience and being committed to your business for the long-haul is where you will see the hard work pay off, but so many people quit early BECAUSE THEY LACK PATIENCE.

But I digress, because irregardless of if I think the world needs to adopt a mindset of more patience, Amazon Prime has effectively ruined this for all of us. People now expect things to be done quickly and with ease.

What does this mean for your business? 

It means you need to have a smooth onboarding, program management and off boarding experience set up for your clients to make sure they have easy access to what they need, a positive experience inside your container and make sure that all of the processes tied with their experience from the first time they connect with you to the time they off board is quick and seamless.

What are you doing wrong?

You’re more than likely focusing your time, energy and effort on creating the offer, creating content for inside the offer or to promote the offer, and selling said offer - but little to no time on the “next steps”. Oftentimes I find clients are manually doing so many of these processes, and not efficiently I might add, leading to human error and mistakes along the way leading to unhappy clients. There’s a gap between the marketing of the program and the actual delivery.

How do you fix this?

Make sure you have sound onboarding processes in place. Things to think about: once someone purchases your offer, what’s their next step? This should typically include some sort of welcome email that guides them through that process. Is it a link to book calls, a link to a slack or FB group, automatic enrollment / access to their course hub, information on start date, call times. etc. Then, when in the program, how are you checking in on clients? This obviously depends on what your offer is. If it’s 1:1 are you in the DMs with them or Voxer frequently? If it’s a group program, do you have a check-in form or support coaches? If it’s a course, are there emails that go out asking them about their progress and giving them a space to ask any questions? When they’re ready to be offboarded as their time comes to a close, are you upselling them to another offer of yours or asking them to “resign” with you? Do you ask for feedback and/or recommendations? Do you have automations in place to alert you or them regarding their time left in the container? Is there any sort of celebration for their work? These are all super important things to have in place to make sure your client experience is seamless from start to finish.

Your goal should be to remove the “thinking” or “decision making” from your client’s plate. Make it so easy for them to engage with you and get the info they need in order to get the most out of your work together. Because too many times, I walk into a business where the client has an amazing offer, but their clients are “lost” along the way because they don’t have access to what they need, don’t know about the things they get access to, and there’s not a clear path laid out for them for next steps.

This is ultimately costing you revenue. If you serve your clients well and give them a clear path to continue working with you, they will naturally follow suit (assuming they like you and had a good experience inside your offer). 

In short, people like to be guided on what to do next - but they want it to feel like a natural, easy solution. If you can provide a smooth experience and deliver on what you say you’re going to deliver on, I can promise you that your client retention rates will skyrocket and you’ll not only build a business of long-term clients, but this will cause a ripple effect of referrals they send your way too. 

In order to do this, you need to:

1. Create the strategy for how you want to funnel clients in your biz

2. Define the steps in each process for onboarding, during program and offboarding

3. Put the right systems in place to support you (automations and any needed manual check points)

I work with my clients to smooth out these processes to ensure all of their clients have a positive experience working with them all around. Because you could be the best coach or service provider, but if your client experience is meh, your clients will go find someone else. If you need support in creating the most kickass client experience, let’s chat. I’d love to support you and your clients in generating that recurring income and keeping clients in your funnel for the long haul.

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

The Biggest Myth About Content Creation [Debunked]

When you see your favorite coaches putting out livestreams, podcasts, blog posts, YouTube videos, Reels, IG feed posts, etc. and it feels OVERWHELMING. You mind goes straight to:

HOW do they put out that many pieces of content!? 

How do they have that much time to create it all!? 

Because all you can think of is, “I need to write my social posts, my emails, connect with potential clients, handle the fam, do the LIFE thing… And I canNOT add MORE to my plate!”

I’m letting you in on a little secret… they don’t create that many pieces of content!! 

The Biggest Myth In Content Creation

The biggest myth about content creation is that you have to create a million pieces of content to be considered “legit” in this industry.

You have to be on ALL the platforms. Every day of the week. 

But those coaches you see that do that have a “secret.” 

One that makes content creation EASY and FAST.

They get their teams to help them REPURPOSE their content - yes, I’m talking ONE piece of content. How do they do that? Keep reading…

Can you create ONE piece of content each day?? YES. Yes, you can. 

Optimize Your Content Creation

Here’s how your favorite coaches get it done and make it feel like they are everywhere all the time: They decide what to create, how they’re going to create it, then they split it up and use ALL formats of it.

For example, in order to maximize YOUR content creation, you would: 

• Step 1: Decide

Decide your primary content delivery method - is that a podcast, YouTube video, blog post, etc?

This will be your grand piece. It will be a bit longer in form so you can get more out of it. (This is key)

• Step 2: Create
  
  Create the content.
  
  Now, say, for example, you decide your main piece of content will be a podcast episode. Rather than simply turning on your mic to record an audio episode, go live and broadcast it via Facebook or Instagram while you do it - OR turn on your camera and record it on video to be shared later.
  
  By recording that video you’re multiplying your content usage by three! Now, instead of needing to record a podcast, then go live, and create a blog, you now have video that can be stripped of the audio, as well as transcribed so you can use the text as well.
  

• Step 3: Transcribe

Transcribe the audio using Sonix or Otter and then have someone on your team clean up the transcription, remove the transitions/pauses/etc. to turn it into a blog post. 

You can then take that blog and extract bits for social media teaser bytes and value add posts! This creates MULTIPLE pieces of content from just ONE content type.

• Step 4: Share
  
  Now that you’ve created a podcast, a blog, a video, and social tidbits, SHARE them in all the places. Inside Facebook groups, in your email newsletter, on social media, etc.  It gives the illusion that you’re showing up EVERYWHERE, creating all this content, but really it’s all pulled from ONE content piece and then being maximized to its fullest potential.
  

BAM! THAT’s how ONE piece of content extends its life online and makes us feel like the people we look up to are everywhere and winning! 

Bonus Pro Tip: STORE all this content in a content bank in my favorite platform, AIRTABLE, to be REUSED/REPURPOSED later, down the line as well. 

So, now that you know your favorite coaches’ secrets, you can make yourself seem like you’re everywhere, all the time, too!

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

The 3 Mistakes New Business Owners Make

Being new to business means you’re going to make mistakes (and hopefully LEARN from them), but some mistakes can be deadly. 

The earlier you learn these mistakes from someone who has made them (ahem…not saying *I* made them *wink wink*), the earlier you hit the levels of success you know, deep down, you’re capable of.

Mistake Number 1: Adopting the Everywhere Method

Trying to show up “everywhere” spreads you thin and keeps your ideal clients from finding you because your content can’t come from a place of inspiration, but rather it will come from a place of “OMG I still need to post here and here and here!” 

If you want to double down on your marketing and get real results, instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall, do your market research and focus on ONLY 1-2 platforms where your ideal client hangs out.

Show up in those 1 or 2 places consistently and deliver massive amounts of value with each post and you’ll make a bigger impact on your ideal client.

The social media game is never won by someone who is trying to be everywhere all the time.

Mistake Number 2: Chasing Things That Don’t Concern You

Being distracted by Shiny Object Syndrome (yes, we all want that first 5K month, then 100K year, the new Tesla, weekends in Europe, etc etc etc…). 

But you don’t have to “live that life”, so to speak, to show your “success”. Don’t go chasing the things you see other people flaunting because you think you have to. 

Stay focused. 

Keep your head down and your eyes on the small celebrations along the way so you don’t end up frustrated, thinking you should be further along than you are. Because the moment you let that distract you, in that way, it can all fall apart. 

I know because I was once there. 

Coaches were flaunting their shiny things everywhere and I was like, “Oh! I need to do more of that!” And I fell down the rabbit hole of trying to do what they were doing, the next thing I know, I was in a slump so deep, I almost quit.

Then, I realized that I had not paid a bit of attention to what I HAD done for and with my clients. I didn’t realize I was ALREADY a success. 

When I got my head out of my a$$, my performance picked back up again and before I knew it, I was back to where I truly wanted to be with my business.  

Mistake Number 3: Playing the Diva

New business owners who are not willing to do the “grunt” work (aka the shit you don’t want to do) before they hire a VA or other niched hire often go into debt or even out of business because they try to skip over the heavy lifting at the beginning. 

You actually have to do the shit you probably don't want to do sometimes. 

I always say you have time or money at your expense, and in the beginning, it’s usually time. So that means you have to wear many hats before you, then, outsource some of it.

Of course, if there are things you cannot bring yourself to do or you’re not good at, I’m all about outsourcing, but just don’t be “too good” to do the not-so-fun shit, too, we’ve all done it.

It All Comes Down To You

Do the best you can. Focus on one platform and OVERDELIVER value on it. Focus on becoming the best that YOU can be without being swayed by everyone’s highlight reels. And lastly, focus on making the most of your money as a very precious resource by doing what you can and not outsourcing more than you need to in the beginning. 

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

The Truth Behind Running a 6-figure Business

There is a truth to running a 6-figure business that not everyone talks about. 

Sure, you see the images of the vacations, the time off, the smiling marketing shots, which is all amazing, and not “untrue”...

But what you often don’t see is what MAKES that 6-figure business what it is. There’s actual work that goes into building that business, as well as a team of support that helps you get there. I’m all about pulling back the curtain and truly showing you the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly parts about running a business. Because it does *get* to be easy, and it does *get* to be what you want it to be, but I think it’s incredibly misleading to show people the perks and make it seem like it’s all fun and games when really there’s a lot more to it than that. Let’s chat about that, shall we? 

Different Hats

Many business owners at the 6-figure level do have some support in place, however, they also still wear a lot of different hats. And wearing a lot of hats means carrying a lot of responsibility.

Sometimes that hat changes from DOING the admin work to overseeing the results of the admin work. So, there’s still a level of responsibility there that doesn’t go away just because you have support. 

And the more hats you wear, the more stress you carry. But don’t get me wrong, that help does help, but as the CEO you’re still the one in charge of the final outcomes.

It’s Still Risky

When your business hits that 6-figure mark, you’ll still have to take risks. Whether those risks are in who you hire, what programs/people you invest in or putting out a new offer. And you feel that danger in each one. 

If you hire wrong, you could completely create chaos and stress for yourself that, then, impacts your business performance, your energy, and your results. 

If you put out the wrong offer, you could negatively impact the whole of your success by creating months where you have a marked reduction in sales that impacts your year-to-date revenue. 

Risks are inherent at all levels, and are so necessary to grow and scale - but you still *feel* them at the 6-figure mark in business. There’s not a point in business where taking risks stops and you don’t feel that fear and anxiety, you just get used to that feeling and have the past truths and success to lean on to reduce those fears.

“Unsexy” business 

Oh yeah, you see the Insta-worthy shots and think, “That’s what I want!” You see the manicured hands, the nannies, the well-put together look. It’s all fabulous and made possible by doing “the work”. 

But what you don’t see is the “unsexy” side of that work. 

You don’t see the stress holding up an empire puts on a business owner. You don’t see the daily overflowing task list. The things that bleed from one day to the next because there is ALWAYS more to do.

You don’t see the pressure of decision-making (and decision fatigue) that goes on. The systems and processes, organization and structural support that have to happen to keep a business running. You typically don’t start a business to do those sorts of things - they’re not fun and sexy, but they are necessary for success.

Sure, you get to work with clients you love AND you get to be somewhat more creative in your business. But you also have to take the unsexy with that if you want to keep the ball rolling. 

Day-In & Day-Out

Those 6-figures are a direct result of the consistent, day-in and day out-actions you take - and making sure those are business building activities vs. nonessential tasks. 

That’s right. If you are bored with the day-in & day-out of running a 5-figure business, don’t expect it to go away just because you’re making more money. You will still have to be the face and driving force behind your marketing and showing up.

You will still have to review the day, see what went right and what went wrong. 

You will still have to flesh out new plans for the future. 

The list goes on. Do you have help? You do. But you are still…the owner/operator. And these things still fall on your shoulders. 

Now, I know this post makes it look like I’m bashing 6-figures, I’m SO not. It’s AMAZING to have a 6-figure business. But, it’s easier to have IF you know what to expect. Because I don’t want you to give up. I want you to know that you were made for this, and it’s SO worth it. Just think of this as a whole-picture assessment that helps you walk in with a more attuned sense of awareness.

---

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

How to Get Organized with a Project Management Tool

A project management system is THE most powerful backend tool in your business. 

It is the CORE hub of your business...and it’s where you must run your ship from. Everything you do has to be mapped and tracked inside that hub.

With the right project management system you will have:

• Better planning and scheduling of products, programs, and launches

• Improved collaboration with team members 

• Effective delegation of tasks

• A central place to share files and other media

• A flawless means of training for new team members

• Overall increased productivity for you and each team member

And even if you’re the only one on your team, for now, you can (and SHOULD) build into the vision you ultimately have for your business. By beginning to build the foundation of a project management system, you’ll get used to using the tool, stay organized and easily build this hub for seamless integration of new team members as you scale and grow. 

Whether you choose to use Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Notion, or another project management tool of your preference, the most important part is getting it set up in a way that makes it insanely easy to run your business, from anywhere at any time. 

Below, you’ll find some of the tips and tricks that I recommend to all business owners, whether you are just starting out, or bringing in 6-figures or more. 

Your New Headquarters

Create sections for each part of your business so you can easily and quickly find any task, any procedure, any training, or upcoming plans in one place.

A good list to start with is:

• Business Plan
  If you are releasing a new program or product...or are planning a full-blown launch...you’ll want to know what pieces you need to put into place - before going out to build them - so you miss no email or call-to-action or or or.
  
  Because, as you know, when you are releasing anything out into the world, there are tons of moving parts that need to be taken care of; so mapping that out ahead of time is important to make sure you give yourself enough time to get everything done. 

• Operations/Admin
  Unload all of your operations and admin duties inside your project management tool and free up your brain space for the more important tasks you need to do.
  
  Set up a place to organize your daily backend tasks, such as managing your inbox, managing/communicating with clients, creating newsletters, SOPs for all tasks, and even new team member onboarding.
  
  Because really utilizing your project management tool is like having an assistant that is always on duty. 

• Clients
  How many clients are you trying to keep up with? How many tasks for each client do you need to keep sorted? How do you know what’s due next and what you’ve already completed? What can you set up as a recurring task each week/month?
  
  By allowing your right hand, your project management tool, keep track of it all for you! See how AMAZING it is to have that tech at your fingertips to help you show up like a boss??
  

• Courses & Programs
  As a business owner, you likely provide courses, programs, and/or services. And a project management tool is a MUST-HAVE to help you get those out into the world with as few hiccups as possible, as quickly as possible.

  Create a spot to map out upcoming launches, as well as your evergreen programs and any tasks that take place on a daily, weekly, monthly time frame.
  

• Marketing
  And finally, use your project management tool to help you maintain a system that streamlines content creation and distribution so you don’t get bogged down in the “I don’t know what to post” that keeps so many business owners STUCK.
  
  I also highly recommend a tool like Airtable to store all your content, but you can map out your marketing plan and needs through your PM tool.  

These are my suggestions. Of course, you can adjust as you grow or as you note your own needs.

Make It Easy to Repeat

You have things that you do every single day, every single week, and every single month. Put all recurring tasks into your PM system, as this will make sure nothing is forgotten, even if you *think* it’s something you will always remember.

Because as you grow and expand, those things will become harder to remember, and why not free up some brain space with those recurring tasks to make room for more creativity. Now, the next step, once you get all those recurring tasks assigned in your PM tool, would be to hire an assistant to manage them all for you! 

Standardize It All

Your new besties, templates & SOPs, will help you streamline project and team management. And you can create a template to help make it easy to get new projects underway.

You get access to 5 Asana templates in my course Pocket OBM for projects that you’ll repeat often, such as a masterclass or workshop or course or program launch template.  So you can easily duplicate these templates, saving you time and brain space for each launch. In each template you can pre-assign each task to the person who will be responsible (i.e. your copywriter to write sales page copy for your new program), and add any details you can ahead of time to the description (i.e. locations in the drive for your programs, SOPs for how to create a new product, etc). 

Time Management On Steroids

Manage team deadlines and workloads with ease. Without a ton of back and forth emails, you can easily communicate about projects and questions inside each task. It’s also a great way to check on each team member’s tasks to make sure they’re hitting their deadlines or to make sure they don’t have too much on their plate at once. Boss of the Year awards coming your way!

There is NO time like the present to prepare for the tons of success you crave. And having a project management system as the HUB of your business is exactly what you need to help you create the revenue you want with repeatable systems and documented training that makes life and business smooth sailing.

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Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

Secrets to Preparing Your Backend for a Spectacular Launch

Launching CAN feel stressful. There’s so many moving parts, from pre-launch events to content to promotion to sales pages to purchasing to delivery. 

And if you don’t have a proper strategy and a simple, yet effective, process in place, I guarantee you’ll feel the weight of the load amplified by the deep overwhelm that is inherent in launching your baby...not to mention the very important things that are inevitably forgotten when you are sending your new ideas out into the world. 

How about we make sure you launch with EASE? So that your launch goes off as flawlessly as an airbrushed model on the cover of Vogue.

Planning Is Everything

The first step in making sure your launch runs smoothly, is to map out the details of your launch & create a timeline. Then, you will  reverse engineer from your launch date everything that needs to happen from end goal to start date (yes, this feels backwards ;)). This gives you the clarity to ensure you don’t forget any detail. 

Make sure you also build in some time for review and revisions for each step of the process. For example, I always plan to be done prepping 1-2 weeks before the actual launch date. This gives me time to recover from the rush, time to do an extra round of proofing & revision as needed, as well as time to make sure everything works (and who knows, sometimes I get a little crazy and throw in a couple extras as well). 

Use a PM Tool 

Use a project management tool such as Asana to assign all tasks to your team. 

Once you have it mapped out you gotta “put pen to paper” and set actionable deadlines according to your timeline. Make sure you’re giving all details inside each task to make it easy for your team to execute. I highly recommend having a spot at the beginning of your project titled “Key Info”. This includes the objective of the launch, the details about what you’re launching, copy direction, what the problem you’re trying to solve is, and any other details in your head that will help your team support you in this launch.

My launch planning template available in Pocket OBM outlines every step for you over an 8-week launch process + a bonus pre-launch event template. 

Talk Talk Talk

Make sure your systems talk to each other. There’s nothing more frustrating than launching and then things crash because the software you use isn’t set up to communicate. Depending on the platforms you use, some can talk to each other directly, while others need a third party to facilitate the discussion. 

If that’s the case, you need to make sure you have automations set up via Zapier. This software lets you connect almost any programs to each other for near seamless integration without the worrisome interruptions that may occur without it. 

TEST and Retest 

As you may have noticed, sometimes links get broken. Automation sometimes glitches. Or deliveries don’t go as planned. If you want a flawless launch, plan to do a test and then do a retest closer to launch day to make sure all is well in the land of tech and the backend. I always recommend running through the entire process as if you were a customer/purchaser. This ensures the best user experience and usually finds a kink or two along the way to workout prior to launch day.

Launching doesn’t have to be as painful as most business owners make it. With a little time, patience, organization, and execution, you can pull off even the toughest of launches like a pro!

Not sure you can get all of this done and not have to SWEAT through your next launch? Then grab the Pocket OBM to help you pull off a beautifully supported launch...every time you launch.

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Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.

What It DOESN’T Mean When You Hire An OBM

There seems to be an epidemic in the OBM community where business owners onboard them and then ghost them or expect them to figure out the path to success. 

Newsflash: Hiring an OBM is not a permission slip to peace out your biz. It’s not a mark of “I made it.” 

You STILL have to show up as a CEO. You STILL have to make decisions. You STILL have to invest in doing what only you can do (aka your craft). 

Your OBM is there as a partner, team player, not the coach, nor the team, itself. With an OBM onboard, you now have the ability to have a “partner” in your biz and continue to grow and expand your ideas with someone who is all-in on your biz, just like you. They are an added strategic voice, but not the ultimate decision maker. 

The Driver

Think of it this way, when you hire an OBM, you’re essentially hiring a driver. 

And when you hire a driver, you can’t just get in the car and go. You have to tell the driver where you want to go (i.e. your business goals), give the driver directions (i.e. what you’re launching, who will benefit from it, and what the results will be), and check in with the driver to make sure there’s enough gas to get there without stopping, and the road is clear, etc. (i.e. team meetings to assess and adjust).

Your driver gives you the luxury of time to not focus on getting from point a to point b to point c. They allow you the ability to sit in the back and get 7x more work than you would alone. And the work you’re able to get done while your driver is driving is the work that only you can do in your business.

But this is not about productivity. This is expansion.

And expansion can’t happen if you don’t give your driver directions, they could end up “lost” along the way. 

Ultimately, you have to step more into the CEO mindset. 

Give the direction and vision to the OBM to work. Let them, then, come back to you, along the way, for feedback and approvals. This way, you’re working together as a team...not your OBM doing everything while you simply check out. 

Commit. 

Commit to still showing up. Commit to sharing goals. Commit to the path to success. Together. 

Don’t force the load on your OBM and expect them to be driven and motivated to do BOTH your job and theirs. 

Give your driver their directions and let them go do their thing...while you go do yours.

What IS your job? Strategy. Figuring out what your people need. Discovering what you best bring to your clients. Becoming the best at what you do. Being the face of your business. Meeting people. Every. Single. Day.

Connect. 

See eye-to-eye on the vision. Share the passion for making it happen. Inspire each other to carry out your roles together. 

Because as a team, there’s nothing more important than the shared vision of success and the road to get there (see what I did there with the driver analogy??). 

Check-in daily for immediate to-dos. And weekly to set the course heading for your journey for the week ahead, as well as to assess how the journey’s gone so far. 

You Are the CEO

In the end, you are STELLAR at what you do, which is why you hire an OBM to do the things that you are not as proficient at. And, together, the two of you can make an unstoppable team that skyrockets to success, if you’re both focused on doing those things you do best. 

Now, go forth and accept your role as CEO, make the decisions, and do your share of the work to see your business explode.

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Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.