The Four-Part Framework to Grow Your Business | Nashville Branding Photographer & Business Systems Educator Dolly DeLong Photography

Most new creative business owners are asking one question all the time — “How do I grow my business?”

We’ve all been there. Growing your business can feel overwhelming, especially at the beginning. That’s why I developed the T.A.S.K. Framework. This simple, four-step plan is exactly what you need to help you begin automating and systematizing your small business. And in today’s blog, I’m walking you through each of the steps so you can start applying them to your businesses — today.

Four Steps for Any New Business Owner

(T) Thinking

I know, I know… Obviously, you’re thinking about your business. But I don’t mean just letting your business be a fleeting thought that comes and goes in your day. I don’t even mean letting your business sit in the back of your head all the time (because like, of course, it’s in the back of your head all the time!)

I mean taking a step back and really thinking through the systems, processes, and workflows that are going to take your business to the next level. What does your customer journey look like from the moment a potential customer sees your Instagram profile to the moment they’re signing on the dotted line? How are you going to deliver the stellar work that you’re bound to produce? And what happens when it’s all over and you need to showcase your work and collect testimonials?

If questions like these have queued the heavy breathing and chest pains — I get it. It can feel overwhelming to think through all the details. But the reality is — thinking through the details is what’s going to help you accomplish your goals in the long run. If you’re at this stage in the game — ask yourself these three questions to get started:

• What systems, processes, and workflows currently exist in my business?
• What problems am I experiencing in my current system?
• What systems, processes, and workflows can I incorporate into my business to solve those problems?

Once you’ve journaled about those three questions, you’ll be on your way to accomplishing the first part of the T.A.S.K. Framework!

(A) Actions of Automation

Your creativity is what allows you to thrive as a small business owner. It’s what makes you clever, scrappy, innovative, and brilliant. But it can also become a limiting belief. Here’s what I mean.

Automation tools are the secret sauce that will help you get more done in your business and focus on the things you love. But most creative business owners write off automation as the “techy stuff” and disqualify themselves from the get-go.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Throughout my online course, I break down the actual automation tools that I use in my business every day. These tools have helped me scale my business, simplify my processes, and do more of what I love. And they’ll do the same for you, too.

You have something to offer that nobody else does. Don’t get bogged down by intimidation — learn automation tools, instead!

(S) Social Media & Systems

Social media should be in the toolbelt of every small business owner. It’s free advertising, easy to use, and a fantastic networking tool. But the problem is — it’s also very, very distracting.

If you’re manually uploading each of your social media posts one at a time, you’re losing precious time and energy. Instead, you can use automation tools that not only make posting a breeze but bring your social media to life.

 If you follow me on social media, you know how much I love Instagram and Pinterest and I’m always up to teaching you tips and tricks to automate your social media processes. These optimizations will give you your time back and make social media one of your greatest marketing assets.

(K) Knowledge

Life is busy, and entrepreneurship can feel exceptionally fast-paced. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of it all, but when you do, you miss out on one of the most important things — knowledge.

You glean an exceptional amount of knowledge from slowing down, thinking through the details, and focusing on your clients. We all suffer from “shiny object syndrome” and bounce from one thing to another, but the knowledge you can gain by pressing pause once in a while is unparalleled.

In Summary

How to take Revolutionary Steps Towards Building A Better Business

At the end of the day, here’s what I want to see: You — succeeding in business.

Yes, it is going to take time (you are most likely not going to be an overnight success).

Yes, it is going to take strategy and lots of frustrating moments (you will not figure everything out in one day).

Yes, you will be tempted to compare yourself with other business owners (that is a frustrating road to go down, my friend).

(and Yes to a million other things that will prevent you from fully being present to the moments of you growing your business) 

BUT, the fact of the matter is this: God has gifted you with a specific personality and you have so much to add to your industry with your business! Don’t give up on yourself! It will take a lot of courage to continue to build up your business, but you’ve got this! And this courage, my friend, is very revolutionary!

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Meet Your Friendly Nashville Branding Photographer & Business Systems Educator

Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based family & branding photographer and a creative business owner who educates on all things Pinterest, Dubsado, Lead Magnets & Email Marketing (aka pretty much all the fun automation stuff centered around those business systems)!  Dolly loves serving families, and business owners with her timeless, radiant photography.  She loves capturing the joy and emotion in both digital and film photos.

She also has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of tools like Pinterest, Dubsado, email marketing, and business systems with new creative business owners in an encouraging and supportive way because she believes that even muggles can become automating wizards!

Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s found in running a successful small business.

Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV (i.e. Survivor), loves eating way too many sweets, and listens to podcasts while running or walking. To work with Dolly DeLong Photography LLC, please email her at thedollydelong@gmail.com or fill out her contact form here.

Interested in learning how to best automate your small business but have NO clue where to start? Click here (or on the image below) to get started with learning the foundations of automating your business with Dolly DeLong Education!