I think we make it pretty clear around Being Boss that running an online business is da bomb. You make your own rules, sell what you want, and serve those who bring you the most joy. All with location-independence and being your own boss.

Awesome-sauce.

But that doesn’t mean that running an online business is a piece of cake. It’s hard work! Finding the intersection between marketing to gain customers, managing to make sure they maintain happiness, and administration to make sure The Man doesn’t come knocking on your door can put you in a place where you wonder how you’re going to get it all done.

Add to that the fact that we’re not all sitting around with MBAs in our pocket—and hello—overwhelm!

But, if there’s another thing we’re clear about around here it’s this: it’s all possible if you do the work.

Whether you’re just starting out, or just needing to take it to the next level, there are always some things you can be doing to boost business. Here are some of my favorites:

1 – Build Your List

Sometimes I feel like a broken record: build your list, build your list, build your list. But I only do it because I love you, and I want you to have a thriving online biz, yo.

List-building is an indicator of a healthy online business. Share on X

If you want to boost your business, you’re gonna need to focus on building your list. List-building is an indicator of a healthy online business, and by actively building it, you’re driving people to your site, investing some energy in future launches, and cultivating a community of people who think that what you do is rad.

To build it, share it on social media. Now. Schedule it to be shared later. Link to it at the end of every blog post you write. Capture emails from in-person events (only with permission, please). Get people to your site and opt-ed in. You’ll thank me later.

2 – Pitch Some Guest Posts

Getting your expertise in front of someone else’s audience is a standard for growing your own audience. Whether you take the easy way out and do some guest posting for a friend, or stick your pretty neck out there and pitch to the big boys, getting your smarts in out there is imperative for boosting your biz.

A couple of times, earlier in my business, some guest posts on Design*Sponge helped me boost my following and client roster. I know it works, so give it a try.

Because, here’s a secret: many big blogs are hungry for content, you just need to craft the right pitch email and blog post to catch their eye.

3 – Hire a Bit of Help

Whether you need a graphic designer, a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, or a full-on business coach, getting a helping hand to assist you with some of your daily grind can be HUGE for boosting your business.

Because when you’re not slaving away in your inbox, or have help creating badass social media graphics, or a push to try the next thing, you’re able to focus on doing more to improve your business, instead of doing the tasks that keep you from your genius.

You don’t have to hire a full-time expert (though there’s PLENTY of value in that); you can start small. Snagging an intern from a local university can be a great way to test out how to use some help, and foster a young’un in the process. You will see the value in it if you give it a hearty try.

4 – Get New Photos

On the web, your business is visual. As a web designer, I’m involved first-hand in the difference some great images can make for a brand on the web. Whether you’re showcasing product shots, cute on-brand vignettes, or rocking your boss-gaze in headshots, having quality photos can make or break an online business.

Having quality photos can make or break an online business. Share on X

Though I will always recommend a professional here, there’s also nothing wrong with some quality bootstrapping. Even I took all my own photos for my first online product biz and plenty of my first headshots. Hello, camera remote! But now, it’s always by a profesh. The point is to make them a priority, and invest where you can.

5 – Connect with Your Online Buddies

You never know what’s going to come out of a Skype call with an online business pal, but—chances are—it will be a boost.

By checking in with those in your circle for a little face-time, you’re opening yourself up to a world of someone else’s get-shit-done, connections, advice, and potential need for what you do.

I have had boss-chats end in being hired, collaboration projects, spot-on referrals, and kicks-in-the-ass to make moves in my business. Cultivating a pack of close bosses is a sure-fire way to boost your online business.

Cultivating a pack of close bosses is a sure-fire way to boost your online business. Share on X

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I know how hard it is to think this way when you’re head is down and you’re in it. So there you have it, a couple of quick tips (and hopefully a few kicks where it counts) to boost your online business.

 

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Emily is the co-host of Being Boss Podcast, helping creative entrepreneurs learn how to run their own creative business with the tough love they need to hear to do the work. She also owns Almanac Supply Co., a maker and retail business focused on creating and curating items to help you live closely with nature, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.