At the end of the day, running a successful business is all about being able to solve problems. Think about it — you started your business because you had an idea that could help your potential customers address the issues they face. Your offers solve the challenges they face in their lives.

You also solve problems every day in your own business. Whether you’re working on your marketing, developing new offers, figuring out how to lead your team, or going through your financial statements, problem-solving happens on a daily basis.

But even though you have so much practice overcoming challenges, sometimes you need to call in some reinforcements. One of the things that my co-coach Yasmine and I do all the time in the Your Best Business Mastermind is help members solve those sticky business problems that feel overwhelming. 

Here are some recent examples that I’m particularly proud of.

Business Problem #1: Unreliable revenue 

Meredith Collie Paper offers beautiful stationery, cards, and other paper goods. Despite having an established website and Etsy store, however, Meredith had been seeing big swings in her revenue lately. 

The issue was even more frustrating because it seemed to be completely random. Some months showed sales numbers wildly different from the same month in prior years. In other cases, sales would spike dramatically but fall again just as quickly.

What was going on?

After some investigation, we figured out that the main culprit was Etsy and its ever-changing algorithm and policies. Even though Meredith’s business has its own website and online shop, many potential customers first discover the brand on Etsy. But because that platform is always changing things, it’s difficult for business owners to design and implement marketing strategies that are effective for long periods of time.

So we helped Meredith find a solution. First, we coached her through Etsy’s algorithm changes so she had a better understanding of what was actually happening behind the scenes and how to adapt.

We also helped her realize that she was trying to do too many things to compensate for Etsy’s unreliability. She was selling via her Etsy shop, Minted, and her own website, plus running an additional Etsy shop for digital downloads — not to mention managing her social media and content marketing. It was too much. (I’m exhausted just reading that.)

Inside Your Best Business, we helped her narrow down what she really wanted to focus on to reach her audience. We analyzed all her offers and strategies to see what worked best and created a feasible game plan to help her invest her time and energy in those places.

The result? Meredith isn’t running in 100 directions anymore so she can focus on doing the things that will impact her revenue the most.

Business Problem #2: Promotional slow-downs

Misty owns The Makers Resource Shop, which helps creatives ensure their products are legally safe (think recalls). Along with working with her to increase her rates so she was actually making a profit, we helped her work through some challenges with her last promotion.

Misty’s October promotion hadn’t performed as well as expected. Even though this particular promo had shown excellent conversion rates in years past, it didn’t do very well last year. The approach and the emails were the same ones that had performed so well in previous years — so what went wrong?

We started by digging into the emails themselves along with the analytics. We analyzed open rates, click rates, and the copy in each message to see what wasn’t working. And we found the problem — one that was actually a side effect of successful list-building.

Misty had worked hard to grow her email list prior to the October promotion, and she had been very successful. The problem was that many of these new recipients didn’t have as much background in the brand or the promotional offer as long-time audience members. So even though the promo emails had converted well in previous years, they didn’t work for most of the newer people who weren’t familiar with the offer.

So we made a plan to do things differently for this year’s Black Friday sale. We analyzed each email and built a framework to revamp them for better conversion. Now, Misty has a plan to ensure that each email can reach everyone in her audience — new and long-time members alike. 

Business Problem #3: Inefficient operations

We’ve been working with Kim for several years, ever since we first helped her launch her Canva brand template kits. These initial products offered business owners done-for-you branding solutions that were easy to customize. 

Over the years, however, her audience expanded to include many people who wanted to create their own products and designs. Kim responded by founding The Creative Lab, a membership with resources, challenges, and tutorials for aspiring creators. This membership program included many moving pieces, and we helped Kim nail down essentials like her refund policy and payment plans.

Despite the success of her business, Kim was feeling scattered and stressed. In addition to her website and membership, she was also getting ready to launch an Illustrator course, hosting the Creative Spark Summit, and offering her graphic design services to private clients. With all those different irons in the fire, it’s no wonder Kim was feeling overwhelmed.

How did we help? We spent the time to talk with Kim and help her decide how she wanted to prioritize her projects. Once she knew that, we worked on creating a structure for her days so she could make the best use of her time.

This new approach allows Kim to fully engage in each project and do her best work. Since she isn’t trying to do several things at once, she can use her time more efficiently and feel confident that she can get everything done.  

Want expert support to solve your business problems?

It’s been so satisfying to help Meredith, Misty, Kim, and other YBB members overcome challenges and find better ways to run their businesses. I love working with every single member of the Your Best Business Mastermind to develop new strategies— there’s always something new to learn and a different challenge to solve. Plus, it’s amazing to watch everyone support each other and offer unique perspectives and advice on the issues that we all face as entrepreneurs.

If that’s the kind of community you want to be a part of, come join the Your Best Business Mastermind. Whether you’ve got some specific problems you want help with or are just looking for some inspiration and new strategies to make your business run better, we’ve got you covered with advice, encouragement, and accountability when you need it.