Are you looking to start a business, but are apprehensive about what kind of business to start. Perhaps, you're a specialist, innovator, builder, or opportunist entrepreneur. Maybe you know what you want to start because you're the “specialist” of that field or you simply like “building” any kind of business in a manner that the business runs itself and you get paid. What if you're neither the “specialist” or “builder”, but rather the “innovator” of your field or some type of market want or need, and are setting your sights on launching that innovation. For all one knows, you may be an “opportunist” that simply wants to jump on the “next big thing” or turn a profit when you see an opportunity.
The purpose of this post is to identify the Top 10 Industries in 2015,
and from that identification provide you with the platform to
evaluate the industries as opportunities to starting a business in 2015.
“SageWorks compiled a list of industries that have Top 10 2both above-average revenue growth over the past year and typically low upfront startup costs”.
Mary Ellen Biery, Contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine, stated “SageWorks compiled a list of industries that have both above-average revenue growth over the past year and typically low upfront startup costs”. According to SageWorks the Top10 Growing Industries in 2015 include:
Electronic Shopping & Mail Order Houses ——————- 20.5%
Software Publishers ——————————————— 16.0%
Computer Systems & Designs ——————————— Â 15.2%
Investigation & Security Systems —————————– Â 14.4%
Services to Buildings & Dwellings —————————- Â 14.0%
Architectural, Engineering, & Related Services————– 12.2%
Employment Services——————————————- 12.0%
Specialized Design Services————————————- 11.9%
Advertising, Public Relations, & Related Services———— 10.1%
Keep in mind, just because industries are growing, doesn't automatically yield to a fruitful venture.
Depending on your situation, expertise, and drive to starting a business, the growth rates of the identified industries may confirm or disconfirm your desire to start a business. Whether or not the idea that you have falls within any of these industries doesn't necessarily impact the outcome of starting your business. However, if your idea falls within the scope of the identified growing industries, it may encourage you more to start the business in that industry to experience part of the growing trend. Keep in mind, just because industries are growing, doesn't automatically yield to a fruitful venture. The time and effort you put into planning, implementing, and rocking out your business concept can make a business in a declining industry even more successful than those in a growing industries. The industry growth rates are just additional “food for thought” in regards to starting a venture. Perhaps one of the industries would be a perfect fit for your idea, it may be a indicator that there is a want or need for that particular “idea” in that industry.
Research and analysis is a pivotal component for making big decisions, such as starting a business.
In conclusion, starting a business can be challenging. One moment you may be totally stoked at the idea of it, and another moment you may feel apprehensive. The apprehensive may cause you to research more information about growth rates and so on. The data that you find can be twisted in a manner to fit or not fit your intentions. The mind has a great way to talk you in or out of making a decision to start a business. Here, hopefully this data helps you to see the value of evaluating growing industries and lead to more research as to why those industries may be growing. The data shows the growth, but it doesn't paint the story as to why there is such growth. Investigating trends within those industries is an opportunity to evaluate factors that contribute to such performance, and it may even yield more details as to factors to watch out for within the industries. Regardless, research and analysis is a pivotal component for making big decisions, such as starting a business. It is encouraged to continue that analysis and do what you need to do to learn what you should before starting a business. Don't stop the learning and investigating process after you start a business, but rather create a proactive approach to staying informed and educated about things that impact your business idea or  venture.
by Katie Doseck, PhD MBA
Chief Visionary and Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 by Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD MBA | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
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Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, Infusionsoft Certified Consultant and a Mobit Certified Partner. We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Exercising your creativity is one of the most fundamentally important parts of being an entrepreneur. But even those people who are particularly adept at thinking outside of the box occasionally suffer from creative blocks.
So when this happens to you, how can you overcome the block and get your creativity back?
Copy-writing services. Beyond our regular sales and marketing services, we also offer full-scale copy-writing services to develop content for your website, blog, featured articles, emails or any other types of written content that you need. All you need to do is let us know your content needs and we will provide you with a quote. Our copywriters take care of the rest, delivering professional, high-quality content straight to you.
Here are a few tips:
Get a change of scenery. Donât feel like you have to be sitting in your office or designated workspace for your creativity to click. If you feel like youâre getting nowhere, get up and walk around. Sit outside, go to a coffee shop, take a break. Your brain might just need a short period of relocation to refresh itself.
Get some exercise. Lots of people find they get some of their best thinking done while on a run, a bike ride or a long walk. Itâs important to be getting enough exercise anyway, but you can also think of it as a time to exercise your brain rather than juts your body.
Be prepared for inspiration to strike at any time. Creative thinkers often find themselves coming up with ideas at random times throughout the day, even in the middle of the night. When inspiration strikes, write down your idea in detail so you can go back to it later and flesh it out even more. You donât want your great ideas to slip away from you simply because you werenât ready for them when they hit.
Think from a different perspective. Many times the creative blocks we encounter are set by our own previous experiences. If you can remove yourself from your own box and start thinking from another personâs perspective, you can overcome those blocks much more easily. You might even consider asking other people for ideas or input.
Sleep well. Itâs hard for the brain to operate at its highest levels when itâs spending all its energy just on trying to stay awake. Make sure youâre constantly getting enough sleep so your mind and body start every day feeling completely rejuvenated.
Get in touch with us at Viral Solutions today for more information about how to kick start your creative mindset.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Many small business owners have the tendency to obsess over writing the perfect email to their clients or employees, even if that email is just a few sentences long. But while you probably care more about being inspiring or setting the right tone, itâs the details that could really make a difference in the way others perceive your message. Just a few words could have a big impact on the overall tone of your communication.
At Viral Solutions LLC, we maintain the utmost devotion to every one of our clients. We make it our mission to craft personalized Infusionsoft solutions for you, based on your needs, experience and budget. Every single quote that we offer is tailored to your exact needs â we donât believe in âon price fits allâ situations! Serving you comes first with us.
Here are a few common words you should consider avoiding or monitoring in your business communications:
âAlso.â Using the word âalsoâ too frequently could make it seem like youâre asking too much of your employees or clients. Overuse of the word also makes you more likely to put together long, overwhelming lists of information that could be difficult for your message recipient to digest. This isnât to say you canât use âalsoâ or other transition words at all â just be mindful of the way youâre using it and how it affects the tone of your message.
âProbably.â The word âprobablyâ only serves to add a slight degree of uncertainty to what youâre saying, which isnât exactly reassuring for whoever youâre talking to. Donât say youâll âprobablyâ be done with a task by the deadline. Always be direct with your communications and leave no room for questions or concern. With deadlines, for example, the best philosophy is to under-promise and over-deliver.
âTry.â It might seem a bit trite to quote Yoda here, but in the business world itâs an apt slogan â âDo or do not; there is no try.â Again, âtryingâ adds a level of uncertainty and lack of confidence to your communication that doesnât exactly inspire your clients or superiors. You donât want people doubting your ability to follow through on a task because one word indicates you lack confidence.
âI think..â Usually this phrase is unnecessary and doesnât add anything to the message youâre trying to get across. If you say, for example, âI think weâre getting close to being done on this project,â the message would be far stronger if you just said âweâre getting close to being done on this project.â
The tone of your communications can have a big effect on the way others perceive you and your company. For more tips, contact the team at Viral Solutions today.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
You've worked hard on lead generation with your marketing automation tools. You've followed the guru Ryan Deiss at Digital Marketer and the like. Your optin forms that send out your pdf e-book with a follow-up sequence is educating your prospective customer. Top-of-the-funnel hats off to you my friend! Oh wait, you mean that first name and email address isn't cutting it? You need to know more?
As you progress your prospect through your funnel, from TOFU to MOFU (middle-of-the-funnel), you need that progression to be more than your newly acquired lead hitting the opt-out button! Opens and clicks only tell you they are engaged with your content, without a doubt that is valuable. But wait – you spent weeks and a few benjamins on building your perfect prospective customer's persona. As your prospect progresses from TOFU to MOFU you need to be qualifying them, not just quantifying them.
Afterall, the only way to grow your business is to optimize and maximize customer value. Let's make sure we are clear with this point first, then we will circle back to “going beyond first name with Infusionsoft“.
Many CRM initiatives have delivered disappointing returns because there is no framework or process in place to fully exploit available information. The information is there, but itâs not being used. Customer value cannot be optimized.
Why Customer Value Optimization Trumps Conversion Optimization
Customer Value Optimization (CVO) is the process we use for every business we start, acquire or consult. The goal is to create a sales funnel that allows you to outspend your competition to acquire and keep customers. The CVO
Strategic Planning. This service digs deep into your processes, your systems and your strategy. We make sure you have defined, rigidly and systematically, your perfect prospective customer. This definition must include the obvious demographics but more importantly the psycho-graphics. Then we test your willpower to prove that your approach, your tactics, your messages and your core offerings match what that perfect prospective customer is looking for. We require that you understand and can articulate your plan, your vision, your position statement effectively and with fire in your gut. With our strategic planning session your target customer will be redefined, your marketing tactics will no longer be in question, you will have a strong and decisive position statement, youâll know your strengths, admit to your weaknesses, relish in your accomplishments and learn from your mistakes.
process is what we use to grow revenue. Marketers and small business owners should understand it because it is how you create an unstoppable business.  Those that employ this process are impossible to compete with. With customer value optimization approaches in place, existing information resources will now generate the insights that drive more effective customer interactions, more targeted campaigns and more proactive retention activities â and ultimately, the profitability gains that have been so elusive. Customer value optimization requires the ability to access, integrate and analyze information from across the enterprise â creating a holistic view of customer behavior across products, channels, pricing plans, networks, billing and call centers. You have to bring all this data together â accounting for all factors associated with a customer â to assess and optimize customer value.
Gather Information Your Prospect is Not Willing to Give.
In this day of suspect internet security, many prospects are understandably unwilling to share private information. However, you need this information to fill out your Infusionsoft forms and keep in contact with them. How can you let your anonymous prospect remain anonymous, yet gather information that enable you to systematically advance the conversation, so that the anonymous prospect feels like you get their problems, have a solution the is actionable?
Ask questions.
Conduct surveys.
Make sure clicks correlate to a known interest.
Easy enough, right? Understand all of the above, has to weigh the value you gain versus the comfort of someone actually giving it to you. Huh? How do we do that?
First you have to have a well defined avatar, persona and perfect prospective customer. Secondly, we are assuming here that you know their pains, problems, wants and needs. Now, develop questions that seek information such as:
What's your role?
Those that ask questions to gauge a set of beliefs, with available answer you want and do not want. Think lead scoring.
Probe degree to make a decision.
Ones that seek an age range.
Determine the industry or economic sector they work in.
Region, state, zone or province they live or work in.
Level of higher education or certifications achieved.
Feeling finding questions. When you say X, they feel Y or Z.
When you incorporate these into your forms, make sure you are giving a higher degree of value, from the perspective of your viewer.  Remember, how you ask the question is critical to gathering it. Your MOFU prospect has to feel like they are not showing their hand. They have to feel like you cannot know who they are. All of this information will allow you to target your prospect better. Always be asking yourself and your advisors how compelling your offer is? Infusionsoft canât help you there â only you can make sure that you're offering your prospects a valuable trip-wire product or user experience in return for their information.
You've probed beyond first name and email address. Now what do you do with it?
Here is where your magic and potentially a huge white-board come into play. You need to map out your response. Meaning, when a certain question is answered, your response is sent accordingly. Think Infusionsoft decision
Why should I choose Viral Solutions for these services? While there are other providers for many of the services that we provide, at Viral Solutions we are completely focused on your needs as a business owner rather than our own success. Here are some of the greatest benefits that come with working with Viral Solutions:
diamonds.
Example, we developed a questionnaire for a ministry.Click here to see it in play. Three questions for someone seeking a personal prayer.
The first question asks how they feel, with appropriate dropdown answers.
The second question asks what their problem is, in a respectable manner.
The third question asks, what they seek as a resolution.
104 possible combinations. Delivers 104 video responses. The recipient feels like the Rabbi is there with them.
Todayâs sales and marketing automation software is amazing. Buying it is not the part that makes you and I amazing. Treating the tool like the chief in your business is how you really make them hum. We have used many CRM â SaaS â Marketing Automation software systems over the years. Yes â I even recall cold calling with a physical milk crate full of manilla folders in the passenger seat. That was my first CRM. Todayâs systems are incredibly powerful, they remember things we cannot keep track of. They can send out information on a schedule and even to a person you have segmented to receive it. These systems are life changing. They have greatly improved our business internally. Where would we be without this tool?
Answer, you can do all this without the tool. We have all done it in person for decades. However, the guru you follow cannot implement a plan for you and neither can the software you pay thousands for.
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC by Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100âs of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
You've worked hard on lead generation with your marketing automation tools. You've followed the guru Ryan Deiss at Digital Marketer and the like. Your optin forms that send out your pdf e-book with a follow-up sequence is educating your prospective customer. Top-of-the-funnel hats off to you my friend! Oh wait, you mean that first name and email address isn't cutting it? You need to know more?
As you progress your prospect through your funnel, from TOFU to MOFU (middle-of-the-funnel), you need that progression to be more than your newly acquired lead hitting the opt-out button! Opens and clicks only tell you they are engaged with your content, without a doubt that is valuable. But wait – you spent weeks and a few benjamins on building your perfect prospective customer's persona. As your prospect progresses from TOFU to MOFU you need to be qualifying them, not just quantifying them.
Afterall, the only way to grow your business is to optimize and maximize customer value. Let's make sure we are clear with this point first, then we will circle back to “going beyond first name with Infusionsoft“.
Many CRM initiatives have delivered disappointing returns because there is no framework or process in place to fully exploit available information. The information is there, but itâs not being used. Customer value cannot be optimized.
Why Customer Value Optimization Trumps Conversion Optimization
Customer Value Optimization (CVO) is the process we use for every business we start, acquire or consult. The goal is to create a sales funnel that allows you to outspend your competition to acquire and keep customers. The CVO
Strategic Planning. This service digs deep into your processes, your systems and your strategy. We make sure you have defined, rigidly and systematically, your perfect prospective customer. This definition must include the obvious demographics but more importantly the psycho-graphics. Then we test your willpower to prove that your approach, your tactics, your messages and your core offerings match what that perfect prospective customer is looking for. We require that you understand and can articulate your plan, your vision, your position statement effectively and with fire in your gut. With our strategic planning session your target customer will be redefined, your marketing tactics will no longer be in question, you will have a strong and decisive position statement, youâll know your strengths, admit to your weaknesses, relish in your accomplishments and learn from your mistakes.
process is what we use to grow revenue. Marketers and small business owners should understand it because it is how you create an unstoppable business.  Those that employ this process are impossible to compete with. With customer value optimization approaches in place, existing information resources will now generate the insights that drive more effective customer interactions, more targeted campaigns and more proactive retention activities â and ultimately, the profitability gains that have been so elusive. Customer value optimization requires the ability to access, integrate and analyze information from across the enterprise â creating a holistic view of customer behavior across products, channels, pricing plans, networks, billing and call centers. You have to bring all this data together â accounting for all factors associated with a customer â to assess and optimize customer value.
Gather Information Your Prospect is Not Willing to Give.
In this day of suspect internet security, many prospects are understandably unwilling to share private information. However, you need this information to fill out your Infusionsoft forms and keep in contact with them. How can you let your anonymous prospect remain anonymous, yet gather information that enable you to systematically advance the conversation, so that the anonymous prospect feels like you get their problems, have a solution the is actionable?
Ask questions.
Conduct surveys.
Make sure clicks correlate to a known interest.
Easy enough, right? Understand all of the above, has to weigh the value you gain versus the comfort of someone actually giving it to you. Huh? How do we do that?
First you have to have a well defined avatar, persona and perfect prospective customer. Secondly, we are assuming here that you know their pains, problems, wants and needs.
Now, develop questions that seek information such as:
What's your role?
Those that ask questions to gauge a set of beliefs, with available answer you want and do not want. Think lead scoring.
Probe degree to make a decision.
Ones that seek an age range.
Determine the industry or economic sector they work in.
Region, state, zone or province they live or work in.
Level of higher education or certifications achieved.
Feeling finding questions. When you say X, they feel Y or Z.
When you incorporate these into your forms, make sure you are giving a higher degree of value, from the perspective of your viewer.  Remember, how you ask the question is critical to gathering it. Your MOFU prospect has to feel like they are not showing their hand. They have to feel like you cannot know who they are. All of this information will allow you to target your prospect better. Always be asking yourself and your advisors how compelling your offer is? Infusionsoft canât help you there â only you can make sure that you're offering your prospects a valuable trip-wire product or user experience in return for their information.
You've probed beyond first name and email address. Now what do you do with it?
Here is where your magic and potentially a huge white-board come into play. You need to map out your response. Meaning, when a certain question is answered, your response is sent accordingly. Think Infusionsoft decision
Why should I choose Viral Solutions for these services? While there are other providers for many of the services that we provide, at Viral Solutions we are completely focused on your needs as a business owner rather than our own success. Here are some of the greatest benefits that come with working with Viral Solutions:
diamonds.
Example, we developed a questionnaire for a ministry.Click here to see it in play. Three questions for someone seeking a personal prayer.
The first question asks how they feel, with appropriate dropdown answers.
The second question asks what their problem is, in a respectable manner.
The third question asks, what they seek as a resolution.
104 possible combinations. Delivers 104 video responses. The recipient feels like the Rabbi is there with them.
Todayâs sales and marketing automation software is amazing. Buying it is not the part that makes you and I amazing. Treating the tool like the chief in your business is how you really make them hum. We have used many CRM â SaaS â Marketing Automation software systems over the years. Yes â I even recall cold calling with a physical milk crate full of manilla folders in the passenger seat. That was my first CRM. Todayâs systems are incredibly powerful, they remember things we cannot keep track of. They can send out information on a schedule and even to a person you have segmented to receive it. These systems are life changing. They have greatly improved our business internally. Where would we be without this tool?
Answer, you can do all this without the tool. We have all done it in person for decades. However, the guru you follow cannot implement a plan for you and neither can the software you pay thousands for.
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
by Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100âs of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Katie Doseck, PhD MBA | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
