In this guide to personal branding for entrepreneurs you will find the steps I applied creating SBMarketer.
Developing a personal brand is an exciting time where your business vision starts to evolve & you begin to create a new identity.
The idea is to capture your passion, skills, & value in a unique way that builds credibility & inspires people to connect with you.
SBM’s High-Performance Marketing Websites system is perfect for new entrepreneurs.
If you’re undecided on a personal brand & business vision, these steps will guide you.
“It’s not about the goal. It’s about growing to become the person that can accomplish the goal – Tony Robbins.”
Ten Personal Branding Steps For Entrepreneurs
Here are ten personal branding steps that helped my transformation.
1. Create Your Business Vision
To create a business vision, list four skills & passions you have, then prioritise your favourites (1-4), & connect the first items.
The intersection of these could be the start of your new business vision.
Some examples:
- Your skill is using technology, & you love keeping fit & personal training—you build a PT business with membership & videos;
- Your skill is storytelling, & you love to write about business—you build a Ghost-writing business with a website & email list;
- Your skill is cooking, & you source foods locally—you build a sustainable food business with a recipe LM, website, & videos;
- Your skill is graphic design, & you love photos & concerts—you build a Photobook business with a shopping cart.
“The smaller you get with your dot (niche) the better, as your ideal customer is almost always you from before,” Dean Graziosi.
For example, if your business idea is coaching people how to become Internet entrepreneurs, & you’re me, that’s perfect.
Think about your deep Why for the business?
Ask why am I being pulled to a new identity? Am I looking to be a business owner or operator?
Remember owners build systems & delegate, which makes them more profitable.
Write down 7 reasons for your Why—so you can draw on these when facing opposition.
Try writing your new Business Vision (like below):
My name is “Troy Miller”, & I “help managers & tradies to become Internet entrepreneurs” with “High-Performance Marketing Websites.”
Next ask this question, “Is there a market need for my product or service?”
If you’re unsure, ask your family & friends, “Are there many people with a similar problem?”
That way you’re not in the 42% of start-ups that fail from no market need (Neil Patel).
Learn more about How To Start A Business.
2. Identify Who You Are
By identifying who you are, listing your goals, values, likes & dislikes, you can evaluate the types of businesses that match your personality.
People who are extraverted find sales work easier, while introverts like passive income.
“Think about your ambitions & goals, who you want to serve, & what skills are needed,” Troy Miller.
If you’re a people person, try coaching, or consulting, as you have people skills & like serving.
Or if you want to be a people person, start with a newsletter or digital products.
Either way, by identifying who you are, you’re moving closer to the goal.
Create an alter ego to motivate you mentally & put distance between you & challenges. Kobe Bryant used “The Black Mamba” for a boost.
David Goggins, named his alter ego “Goggins” & calls this out when facing challenges, because “Goggins” is the “Hardest Mother-F*ker.”
Kobe would visualise himself stepping out the cage as the Black Mamba to transform into a powerful state, or get back in as punishment.
Try Positive Stacking, a method by Tony Robbins to uplift yourself & make endorphins. Write down all the wins in your life & recall them over & over.
Ask what you want written on your gravestone, & work backwards (Ali Abdaal)? Things like good husband, father & coach works for me.
3. Identify What You Fear
Fear is like a repelling North Star that is pushing you away from something.
But if you lean into fear & say “I Must Do it,” then try it, you will get better & fear dissolves.
Think of driving a car in city traffic as a new learner driver. We all sweated bullets the first time, but after practice, it became automatic.
“Write down three things you’re avoiding or fearing?”
Did you grow up or work in an environment that supported or discouraged entrepreneurship?
I was lucky my parents were small-business owners, & they encouraged it, but I also worked in academia where it was discouraged.
In reality these factors don’t matter, if you make a decision with 100% certainty to chase a goal.
Use incantations like “No matter what happens, I will get resourceful & find a way.”
Stop limiting beliefs, “I can’t be an entrepreneur, my environment is too negative?”
If you catch yourself sabotaging, STOP GIVING POWER TO IT & change your environment!
Tony says, “You’re ready when you step up & make yourself do something.”
Just make the decision to get started with 100% certainty—& take a leap of faith.
“Turn uncertainty into action, allow yourself to feel the fear & what it’s telling you about your limiting beliefs—then take action,” Tony Robbins.
Do you fear coaching, or consulting, or business?
With the right amount of information, practice, & systems you can succeed in anything.
Money is one aspect affecting fear.
If you can fund your life for 6-12 months, you’re able to leave a bad day job without fear.
But without money, your best option is starting a side hustle business & slowly transforming.
Learn more The Top Ten Benefits of Being A Digital Nomad in Asia.
4. Build Your Gap Map
We all have gaps on where we want to be in life, especially aspiring entrepreneurs.
When you map it on paper, it helps to identify tasks needed & how to move forward.
“Change doesn’t happen until you’re honest, & you know you’re meant for more,” says Dean.
Try writing down your business vision & skill gaps.
“The skills & training gap from where you are now to where you want to be is the pathway to success,” Troy Miller.
You might be stuck in the corporate world or on a hard job site, but with a map on where you want to be in 12-months, you have a pathway.
Tip: Start by writing your business vision (who to serve) and mission statement (outcomes delivered).
“Get disturbed with inaction,” then take the right action & enjoy the journey,” Dean Graziosi.
Try These Actionable Tasks For New Entrepreneurs:
- Identify your Business Vision & Mission;
- Identify your Why, go seven levels deep;
- Create your Personal Brand & resources, e.g. logo, images & graphics;
- Create your Story, to attract similar people, build credibility & trust;
- Create your Online Resources, e.g. website, social media (X, LI, FB, IG, YT);
- Build your Business Model & System, e.g. Coaching & Consulting Services;
- Create your Lead-Magnet & signature offers;
- Build your Marketing System, e.g. automated email marketing in MBS;
- Build your Story Video, the best tool for attraction;
- Build your Online Portfolio, e.g. show project examples.
Draw an ascending timeline from where you are now (at bottom), to where you want to be (at top), then add in the tasks to get there.
Once it’s on paper, it becomes easier to visualise, & you can get to work on the tasks.
5. Identify Your Target Market
Get specific and take a look in the mirror.
“People like you, with your painful problem from a few years ago, will be comfortable choosing your solution,” Dean Graziosi.
“For new entrepreneurs, the target market is almost always YOU from before,” says Dean.
“Don’t think a ton of traffic to your website will work. It’s more beneficial to attract a smaller number of ideal people.” Neil Patel
Having a small niche is a good way to differentiate yourself from the competitors, & to build thought leadership with a small group.
Create fictional personas for your ideal clients, what’s their name, gender, occupation, & lifestyle, e.g. “Manager Mark” & “Tom the Tradie”.
Mike Place explains it well, “Go a mile deep & an inch wide, not the other way around.”
Starting narrow helps with locating your audience—ask “Where do my people hang-out?”
Being niche will help you generate referrals as you become known for your specialised expertise.
Tip: If you’re a frustrated manager or tradie, Troy will guide you on building an Internet businesses!
6. Build Your Offer
An offer can be the results you’ve achieved personally or professionally then split into a series of smaller offers, or related packages.
Ask & think what is your unique value?
I was fortunate to have skills & experience with websites & automated marketing systems.
“Inventing core offers can be simple with the right mindset—ask what is the client’s main outcome & simplify it?”
Start by developing low-ticket (LT) & high-ticket (HT) items, that work for the main outcome. Promote LT items first, as they start cashflow.
Low-ticket items = travel/service guides ($19), digital temps ($19), intro courses ($99), w/shops with upsells ($49 entry, $29 video), consultations ($49-99), & support memberships ($49/mth).
High-ticket items = consultations ($199-299), courses ($299-499), w/shops & masterclasses ($299-499), group memberships ($249), retreats ($499-999), & masterminds ($999-4999).
Create subscription products early to stabilise your income. This might be a $19-49 monthly support membership with Q&As.
Your end goal is Dean’s Value Ladder with offers across the range of LT & HT prices, for people in the beginning, messy middle, & advanced.
Creating a Value Ladder is how you’re able to scale your business & be profitable doing a range of LT (high-sales) & HT (low-sales) offerings.
Also think about how can I systemise & automate the processes as a business owner?
Try building Reforge’s four customer stages, Sign-up (eNews/LM), Set-up ($1 sale/trial), Aha (LT or HT sale), & Habit (recurring sales).
7. Develop Your Personal Story
People are drawn to stories—whether it’s inviting them on a journey as you become an entrepreneur, or how you escaped from a job.
I was working in corporate & NFP lottery marketing & had to exit two workplaces to leave the gaslighting & undermining.
In hindsight, taking the last role was a mistake as this behaviour is common in lotteries, & I could have started my business earlier.
Your story will help your ideal clients to succeed, avoid the same mistakes & get results faster.
“Ask yourself what is the power in your purpose, why are you here, what kind of people will you serve, & what learnings are in your story?”
I found following entrepreneurs like Justin Welsh, Ali Abdaal & Tim Denning helpful.
Try Justin’s 6-Steps To Persuasive Writing: 1. Problem (pain points & challenges), 2. Amplify (inaction consequences), 3. Story (Illustrate problem), 4. Transformation (solution), 5. Offer (introduction), 6. Response (CTA).
If you’re unfulfilled in corporate/NFP worlds, or tired of the job site, & working on someone else’s goals—start planning your escape.
The moral of my story is get out ASAP!
Leave while you still have the energy to go all in on a new business—as working for others is like holding a poison chalice, surviving on mercy.
8. Build Your Website
One of the assets you need as an entrepreneur is a website to display your online resources e.g. services, articles, videos, & legals.
Developing Services is where it all starts from new entrepreneurs, & productise them to be efficient.
Watch Tim Denning explain how it’s Services, not Low-Ticket items, that get the ball rolling for solopreneurs.
WordPress.org is perfect for Internet businesses, but you need a professional builder & theme.
And if you want to skip the WP set-up, start with a Website Launch Kit (WLK) from SBMarketer.
You can install it on your PC with LocalWP, then build pages, posts, & CPTs with a little practice, & customise or optimise with plugins.
“You can Leverage tech to grow faster with a high-performance marketing website.”
If you’re frustrated in corporate or too old for a trade, you can escape with an Internet business.
With my High-Performance Website Checklist & the “Fantastic Four” system (WP, Bricks, ACSS, Frames), non-techies can build a pro website.
I used this exact system to create SBMarketer.
It’s beginner-friendly, powerful, & designed to do the heavy lifting (HTML). Just follow my instructions—no guesswork & start building.
If you use MS Office, you can learn to drive Bricks builder, use Frames structuring & ACSS styling.
Start on Base Camp One (WP Blueprint) or Two (WP Wireframe) with a Website Launch Kit, & skip WP set-up, plugin wrangling, & wireframing.
9. Compound With Writing
Writing seems hard as first, but gets easier as you publish more articles.
Think of compounding interest, your articles become snippets for your socials, newsletters, videos & calls.
When I worked in academia, I started writing event & course emails, then moved up to research project articles for the Business School.
“Writing is about expressing your worldview, so add in your thoughts, experiences & perspectives to attract people.”
As an entrepreneur you will be writing all kinds of content, so you may as well add in your personality & some energy into your articles!
Build strategic topics using Hub or Pillar pages.
If you’re building authority for website marketing (the hub), add your spokes, e.g. content on web-tech systems, SEO, & marketing automation.
This Hub & Spoke method improves your search performance from related & interlinked content that builds authority on the Hub page.
I experienced this contributing to an 800+ page Franchising website with thousands of visitors.
“95% of your copy success is in the headline or hook,” Tim Denning.
The same goes for SEO, the primary keyword directs On-page SEO & informs SERPs on your page topic & intent.
Try Cole’s 4A’s – Actionable (tips, hacks, guides), Aspirational (lessons, mistakes, reflections), Anthropological (fears, failures, struggles), & Analytical (numbers & analysis).
If you like writing after ten articles, build a newsletter, & find online communities where you can blog, guest post, & answer questions.
10. Build Your Community
If you want to coach or consult, start building a community of engaged people on socials.
Write a Community Mission Statement:
“Accelerating Internet Entrepreneurs with high-performance marketing websites.”
Building a community goes beyond creating your profiles on the right channels & replying to comments.
Entrepreneurs like Justin Welsh, Ali Abdaal & Tim Denning have built loyal communities with their products, courses, & events.
Encourage discussion with members, & reward members who help others.
Tim says, “If there’s no shared goal in a community it feels weird for members to talk.”
Try to create groups of people to engage with a shared goal or challenge.
Use private Facebook groups & Telegram channels for events, challenges & attendees.
The Lost Creator Academy channel on Messenger has 4.3K members who have taken a course, attended events, or joined a mastermind.
The goal is to direct your leads, audience & customers into an App, to facilitate bi-directional communication & advocacy.
Apps like Slack or Telegram, can do this with user email addresses or phone numbers.
Try creating a channel for subscribers, then sub-channels for events.
Accelerating Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs
This guide to personal branding for entrepreneurs will help you create an Internet business that aligns with who you are.
Listing your goals, values, likes & dislikes, will help you assess the types of businesses that suit your personality & what to avoid.
Identifying what you fear is an important aspect to lean into, then you can start on your skills Gap Map to move into entrepreneurship.
Mindset is a key aspect that can accelerate you or hold you back. 100% Certainty is the key.
Try creating a powerful alter ego like Kobe’s “Black Mamba” to help you break through.
I use “Rampaging Roy” to break the barriers.
SBM’s Blueprints, Wireframes, & Starter Sites, are affordable & provide a flexible starting point.
When you buy a WLK, my instructions guide you on how to install & use it, & I can show you how to use AI (CoPilot/GG) for content.
Get my High-Performance Website Checklist to begin. Plus receive an email with my specials.
What are your thoughts on my steps for personal branding for entrepreneurs?
Let me know what helped you in the comments below.
