We Need a Future We Can Believe In – Unpacking the Power of Aspirational Design℠

As we reflect back what’s happened so far in 2020, it’s hard not to think about all that’s changed. Grocery shopping, sports at every level, and certainly school look different. Very different. Let’s just say when the year began, supervising home-based learning was NOT part of my plan.

There have been just as many changes to the ways in which we do business – some equally unwelcome. Pivoting the ways in which we offer our products + services has been challenging – almost as challenging as relearning + then teaching 5th grade math!

The good news is that challenging times provide opportunities for greatness. You + your company can thrive + be a force for change.

This is your time to take the lead in your community + be part of the positive changes that are needed.

Now is the time to dream – with strategy + practicality firmly in mind – of who + what you want your business to be going forward. That’s what I do for businesses like yours every day. Strategy is my superpower. Together, let’s envision the future!

When everything changed, your brand changed, too.

As our everyday starts to settle into something not quite normal, but at least a bit more predictable, it’s time to look for the positive. Actually, it’s time to BE the positive.

Not sure how? I’ve got some suggestions.

Bring meaning to your community.

Your work is meaningful. And by giving back, your business can bring meaning to your community. It doesn’t have to be something big. Sometimes even the smallest gesture can make a huge impact.

• Contribute to an organization that is supporting local small businesses.
• Host a community event – like a food or coat drive – to help those in your town who are struggling.
• Showcase others + build community by using your social media accounts to shine a light on local businesses.
• Take the time to connect with your customers + other business owners in your community.
• Give your customers your best – every day.

Provide for your family + others.

Strong businesses are a key ingredient of strong communities. By providing jobs, they allow people to support their families. During this time, look for ways to keep your business healthy + plan for its growth.

Now is the perfect time to give your business a “wellness check.”

• Do you have systems that need to be updated?
• What can you do to raise the bar on customer service?
• How can you provide the best online buying experience?
• Is there training your employees need to be better at their jobs?

By making your business stronger, you’ll be able to continue supporting your family + help your employees support theirs.

Playing small won’t help your family or the economy.

When life gets uncertain, it’s tempting to hold back + play it safe. I understand these feelings, trust me, I do….. however, to avoiding risks and not taking action, I say, “No Bueno.”

As businesses + leaders in our communities, playing it safe won’t get it done. By showing strength + confidence in challenging times, you give comfort to those looking to you as they navigate their own way through uncertainty.

There are actions you can take right now to show strength + give hope to your family, your team, and your community.

Invest in professional development for your + your team.

We’ve all spent a lot more time at home over the past several months. Many put this unexpected time to good use. Home improvements have been BIG. So have learning a new hobby or rediscovering an old one.

What can we as businesses learn from the home improvers + bread bakers? Now is the perfect time to look around your business for the things that need to be improved + skills that will add value. Now is the time to invest in yourself + your team.

Here’s the thing: by building skills + improving team culture or leadership, we prepare our business for continued change + uncertainty. More importantly, we increase our positive impact on the world.

The great news is that there are nearly endless sources for professional development online. Your team can learn safely + comfortably from the office or from home.

Launch a new product or service.

The world needs more of what you do – and so does your community. Think back to the beginning of 2020, before the world turned upside down. Was this the year you planned to launch a new course? Were you going to expand to a new location or into a new market? Was growing your team on the list?

Maybe you decided to put those goals + dreams on hold. You might have even considered closing your doors, whether physical or virtual, to wait things out.

The world needs you + your ideas – right now. Your community needs you to lead by example – to show them you believe in the future of business in your community and that they should, too.

It’s time to dust off those plans + get started on those goals. Today.

Build + improve your brand.

This is the perfect time to dive deep + work on your brand. Now that you’ve remembered the goals + dreams you had earlier this year, imagine where you want your business to be in 3 years.

What does it look like? Have you introduced new products or services? Are you in new markets? Have you grown your team or your stature in the community?

Once the picture of your future business is solid in your mind, turn your attention to your current brand. It’s a near certainty your brand as it is today doesn’t match that future vision.

It’s time to pivot and refine.

Pivot your business + your brand to respond to the changing market around you.

Refine your brand to align it with where you want to go in the future, not where you are now or (yikes!) where you’ve been in the past.

Wondering how to go about refining your brand? No worries. I’ve got your back.

Design the future – starting with your website.

Your website is one of the most valuable tools in your toolbox. As the online storefront for your business, it needs to captivate customers + generate leads.

Your website has another very important job – and it has to do with hopes + dreams.

We’ve spent time talking about your vision for your business – imagining it 3 years from now. Now, I have an important question:

If I visited your website today, would I be able to guess what your hopes + dreams for your business are?

If you answered “no,” don’t panic. I’ll show you how to align your website with your new vision.

Make your website the digital face of your business.

Your website shares your big vision with the world. It must reflect your personality + passion.

Your website needs to inspire others to take action.

As the front door into your business, your website has to welcome new clients, give them what they’re looking for + keep them coming back for more.

This is called providing a great user experience.

What if you’re starting to suspect your website falls short? You’re likely wishing someone would tell you how to improve your website’s user experience.

Wish granted!

I’ll take you through simple ways you can improve your website right now! For bigger fixes book a call and we’ll sort it out together. I’ve got your back.

Be the change you want to see in your business.

Do you want to have a bigger impact in your market + industry? Do you want to build your audience + expand your impact?

Your brand needs to reflect the new vision you have for your business. The 3-years-down-the-road, hopes + dreams vision.

You need to elevate – your messaging + your website design. That’s Aspirational Design℠ – bringing your website + marketing in line with where you want to be in the future.

Make it easy for people to get excited + take action.

Why do most websites include a freebie or contact box? People want to connect with causes + businesses they believe in.

You need to make your website the best marketing tool in your toolbox.
With planning + intentional design, your website can act as a lead generating machine attracting more clients. And more clients means more revenue.

Now is the time to ask yourself if your current website is doing enough to persuade visitors to give you their email addresses. Will it attract the types of customers + clients you want? Or would a brand refresh help YOU generate more leads?

Elevating your online presence elevates your brand + your business. It furthers your position as not only the leader of your business but a leader in your community.

Use your business to give back.

As people continue to struggle financially, emotionally + in nearly any other way you can imagine, you may be looking for bigger, more concrete ways to make a positive impact in your community. For that, high-fives all around.

You are needed. Your leadership + positivity are needed.

Let’s get practical + talk about three areas in which you, as a business owner, can make a positive impact.

Show community support.

You have a passion for your business + a passion for your community. Using your business to give back to the community you love is a total win-win.

What giving back could look like:

• Make financial or time contributions – offer help to those in your community who need it.
• Give growing children what they need – consider running a food or clothing drive.
• Devote time + resources toward sprucing up areas in the community that need it.
• Put smiles on people’s faces – host events whose only purpose is to spread joy. Get creative!

Provide economic support.

I already talked about how now is not the time to play it safe. Now is the time to own your position as a leader in your community. It’s time to grow + become even stronger.

Being seen as a positive force in the community – a provider of jobs + skills – that’s giving back, too.

Commit to supporting other small businesses in your community by shopping + sourcing locally. Pulling together + championing each other will result in bonds that will last long after this crisis has ended. We’ll get there in the end – together.

Inspire through creative support.

Entrepreneurs are the most creative people in the world. Every day, they take ideas and turn them into viable businesses that provide services + products people want + need. They also provide jobs for members of their communities.

When your business is doing well, direct some of that creativity + hard work toward your community. No doubt there are areas needing attention, creativity + the out-of-the-box thinking entrepreneurs are known for.

Now is the perfect time to take your creative genius + put it to work to benefit those with whom you already work and play. 

As a successful business, you are in a position to give back. That is a privilege. It’s also an opportunity to leverage your success to expand your impact in the world – especially your own corner of the world.

Use design to bridge the gaps in business + in life.

Your desire to build the life you want + give back to the world around you drives you to keep moving your business to a higher level.

While you’re changing things inside your business, are you also adjusting your website to reflect those changes? More importantly – are you using branding + web design to simplify your business + bridge gaps for your customers?

Let’s talk about what I mean by this and why it’s important.

Design makes complicated things seem simple.

Potential customers + clients will judge your business based on how they experience your website. A confusing or frustrating user experience rarely leads to a sale.

An effective website makes even the most complicated process seem simple. That is what Aspirational Design℠ is about. The focus is on the customer. I look at your processes from the customer’s perspective and make sure you’re giving them the answers they need. The result? A prospective customer who feels informed + confident – and ready to move forward with you.

Aspirational design℠ makes it easy for customers to work with you.

No one needs extra steps or additional things to remember. Take a good look at your processes + your website and ask yourself some important questions:

1. How easy is it to work with you?
   Aspirational Design℠ means making it easy + enjoyable to work with you. You want prospects to be excited to work with you – with smiles already on their faces.
2. Do your customers + clients know exactly what to do to buy your products or hire you for your services?
   Aspirational Design℠ means navigation that is well-thought out with the customer in mind every step of the way. It means clear branding + design that communicates your message clearly – eliminating opportunities for confusion or frustration.

Branding builds bridges of trust between you + your clients.

Your customers want to feel like they’re in the right place. Right now, more than ever, they crave peace + security. The kind that comes with confidently trusting a professional to take their mess + make it better. Your brand has the power to give customers and clients this feeling of confidence – if you’re communicating it clearly + effectively.

It’s time to start building that bridge.

Aspirational Design℠ connects your business + your customers with a better future. It bridges the gap between the craziness of right now + a successful future. People want the help you provide – but they need to trust you in order to get it. Your website – when it’s designed with a better future in mind – bridges this gap.

Move toward the future with the confidence to lead + give back.

As you continue to move toward your future vision + dreams for your business, you’ll be able to focus on giving back to your community + the world around you. Truly something to aspire to.

Got a vision for a better future? Let’s make sure your website is up to the challenge. Book a call.