I recently came out of what were probably the two worst months of my business, followed by the very best month in my almost five years working as a coach. Here's the spill...

First, let's recognize we are going through a recession. My world involves talking to business owners, and the story is the same everywhere: it's been tougher to close deals, and people are more conservative with their spending (though the market is slowly trending upwards again). So, if you've been struggling with sales, don't be too hard on yourself.

With that, here are a few things that supported me in thriving for 4.5 years in business despite the market fluctuations.

Best strategies for building predictable income as self-employed

Building a solid marketing engine

One thing that allowed my business to be sustainable and profitable from day one was building a solid marketing engine that consistently does three things:

Attract new people and expand my audience,
Nurture those relationships and build desire, and
Sell, convert, and retain clients.

Because this engine is always running, I was able to step away from the marketing side of my business for a few months during my separation and cross-country move while still consistently bringing in new clients.

Creating long term programs

Another strategy that has supported the financial health of my business is building long- and medium-term programs that allow me to better predict my revenues. For example, I host my Business Builder Mastermind program twice a year, in February and August, and that program runs for four months. So, I know I have a minimum revenue guaranteed for eight months out of the year, and anything that sells beyond the Mastermind is a bonus.

My 1:1 business coaching program also starts at four months, but without a set start/end date. Still, I can input those sales into my monthly projections and know exactly how much I'll be making each month.

Diversify your marketing channels

One last strategy that has supported consistent income is diversifying my marketing. I rarely get two clients in a row who come through the same journey or marketing channel. This past week, I closed four new clients, each from different sources, including Google (organic traffic that came to my website), Facebook groups, speaking engagement, and networking.

That's $10k in sales that I closed in seven days, all from different places. That's why I always say, and keep repeating, you must diversify your marketing!

Riding the entrepreneurial rollercoaster: the lows

Despite having a solid system that has supported me since I became self-employed, I know there is some seasonality, and sometimes things get scary.

The first business scare happened in December 2021, the year I quit corporate to dedicate full-time to my business. I quit in May that year, with my last day at work on July 31, 2021. I ran my Mastermind from August to November, and when December came... crickets.

No sales, no leads. It felt scary. The thought of returning to corporate crossed my mind, but I immediately replaced it with something new to me that has been one of the best tools I've learned as a business owner:

Trust and surrender
Keep showing up and taking action

I started doing daily meditations and listening to affirmations to boost my confidence (if only I knew EFT Tapping back then!). Even though I wasn't fully trusting it at first, I made it a habit until I started believing in it.

Meanwhile, I kept doing the work: showing up on social media, sending email marketing, sharing content on Facebook groups, etc. December was uncomfortable, but January rolled in with a huge surprise. I made it! This is a post I did on Instagram Stories on January 6, 2022, when I reached close to $7,000 in sales on the first week of the year, more than I used to make in one month in corporate.

This challenging month taught me an important lesson that I still share with all my clients: ups and downs will always exist. Take a deep breath, and remember that this too shall pass. As you navigate it, trust that everything is happening exactly as it's supposed to. You are exactly where you need to be. The Universe is conspiring in your favor, and despite the discomfort and doubts, just keep showing up and taking action.

This lesson became the root of the MindREset for Abundance program that I later launched with my friend Kelli Kanashiro (aka Japa Yoga). PS: we will be hosting another cohort of this online program in the Fall. Click here to join the waitlist and be the first to know about it.
This approach has supported me through many challenging times in my life and business. Fast forward to summer 2024, I was faced with another period of revenue fluctuation and uncertainty. After finishing the last Mastermind group in June, lead generation went dry. I kept doing the same marketing, but again, crickets. July was uncomfortable, but I kept showing up, even with self-doubt peeking through.
Now, I'm ending July like this: 114% increase in revenue over the last 30 days.

What started as the worst month in business turned out to be one of the best.
**For transparency, the values shared here are just for revenue and don't show the full picture, expenses, payment instalments, etc. But it illustrates well the point that I want to show: I went from that desperate limbo of self-employment to thriving within weeks. Also a good reminder that everything can change with just one phone call. It doesn't need to take long and it doesn't need to be hard.

How to apply this to your business

I'm writing this with a full heart because I know it's not easy to play this game. It requires a lot of inner strength. Each new year in business is a celebration for me because it means another year of funding my life by doing what I love. Supporting others to achieve the same brings me immense purpose.

When I built my Business Builder Mastermind program, the goal was to support women solopreneurs in growing their businesses by learning the ins and outs of marketing. This program has grown into something much bigger, covering the entire foundation to grow a sustainable business with predictable revenue, adding some mindset and self-care work while at it.

I see people investing in pieces of the puzzle, like taking a sales course or hiring someone for Instagram posts, but the reality is, without a solid foundation, there's no way to win this game.

So, here's my invitation to you: I am hosting my very last Business Builder Mastermind starting August 12, 2024. I will be retiring this program in 2025 after running it for 4.5 years. If you'd like to be part of this incredible group and gain access to my formula for building and growing a business, this is your chance. You can book a free discovery call here to learn more and see if this is a fit for you.

And you can read two case studies from previous Mastermind students to see what other people are achieving through this program: learn how Michelle went from zero clients to fully booked and how Rubi launched her Marketing Studio and reached her first $10k month while still at the program!

From worst to best month in business: Navigating the ups and downs of self-employment