Make a Great First Impression… …even when you have seventeen different and completely unrelated income streams!

My Story Taylor Made Time – since 2003 Virtual Assistant Email marketing specialist, Constant Contact Expert Presenter Marketing Consultant, Profit From Your Passions® Consultant Copywriter Hi. I’m Bonnie Taylor-Wachowicz and my business is called Taylor Made Time. I, like many people, have struggled with how to market my business because I know how to do so darn many things! How can I fit all that good stuff into a short meaningful little tagline? In fact, that single thing has been the hardest part of keeping my business alive, right from the start. I found it quite easy to learn all the skills I needed to be a Virtual Assistant, a speaker, a consultant, even a writer. But I’ve always struggled with how to present myself to a new potential client. Am I a VA? Or a writer? Well, I do copywriting, but I can also do email marketing, and since I have experience with a lot of different businesses, it helps me when I do consultations. Oh! And did I mention that I love quilting? And gardening? And camping? And that I have a cat that I write about because she is just so amazing? And I’m writing a novel about quilting. When I realized what the problem was, I knew I had to make a decision. I had to change my first impression.

My Story Bonnie Lots of hobbies…some of them are profitable Lifestyle Business vs Business Lifestyle Always learning! I created a business with multiple income streams because I wasn’t satisfied with just one thing. Even then, I had more interests than what my business could hold. Some of my hobbies have potential to earn income. Some of them will never be money makers, but they satisfy my need to keep learning and doing interesting things. I run a lifestyle business – I do not live a business lifestyle. My husband is retired, I am semi-retired. I fill my days with work, hobbies, friends, family, and of course I spend a lot of time with my husband and our cat. My business has to fit my lifestyle, not the other way around. But this is still kind of a radical idea. Most people think they have to fit into a business. They don’t understand that what I have to offer is just as good, maybe better, than more traditional copywriters and consultants have to offer. When I realized what the problem was, I knew I had to make a decision. I had to change my first impression.

Are You a “Scanner”? Term coined by Barbara Sher. A person with intense curiosity about a lot of different things. May also be known as a “multipotentialite”. Listen to Emilie Wapnick’s TED Talk for her inspiring description. People with many interests, many jobs over a lifetime, and many interlocking potentials. When I learned the term “Scanner”, it made complete sense to me. Of course, that was what my problem was! I didn’t actually have a problem…I was fine. I just didn’t know how to talk about my business without non-scanners thinking I was a complete nutjob. Since learning about scanners, also known as multipotentialites, or renaissance people, I have been learning about what we do wrong with our marketing. And what we do wrong when we create multiple income streams that are completely unrelated. If you’d like to learn more about scanners, I highly recommend you check out Barbara Sher. If you’d like to learn more about multipotentialites, check out Emilie Wapnick’s TED Talk. You’ll be glad you did – either for yourself or for those scattered people around you that make no sense sometimes.

My Definition of a “Scanner” Business A business with multiple income streams, at various stages of income generation. Each income stream has the POTENTIAL to generate income, and MUST feed your curiosity. If it isn’t fun, don’t do it. Unless what you are doing will support something else that IS fun…or you need to pay the rent.

Problem #1: CONFUSION Potential clients like to see just one offering. Or one main business stream. Like business coaching. Or flowers in a flower shop. Just. One. Thing. But you have twenty-seven different income streams. Most of them are unrelated. Limiting yourself to just. one. thing. would kill your soul.

Problem #2: UNCERTAINTY Potential clients want reassurance that you offer a very strong skill in just. one. thing. You have very strong skills in multiple areas. You may even use all those skills to enhance your skill in the ONE area your potential client wants from you.

Problem #3: PERCEIVED VALUE It’s difficult for people to understand the value of multiple interests, training in seemingly unrelated professions, or a string of short term enterprises. You learn by doing. You retain the skills and knowledge from each enterprise, and you apply that to every new enterprise, actually INCREASING your value.

Problem #4: CONNECTION How does a potential client connect to a business owner who doesn’t seem to understand that they have only ONE need? How does a Scanner connect to a potential client who doesn’t understand how all their skills come together to meet their ONE need?

There IS a Solution

To market successfully, you need to stick with one thing To market successfully, you need to stick with one thing. One product or service. One profession. One target market. A bookkeeper who works with small business owners. A housecleaner who cleans homes in the north-east part of the city.

NOT a flower shop owner who displays her handmade jewellery made from natural items found during her nature tours, which she runs while walking dogs for the visitors who are staying at her AirBnB.

Worst thing to do to a Potential Client? Give them too many choices. Confuse them with your income streams that don’t relate their problems. Talk too much about yourself.

Worst thing to do to a Scanner? Limit their options. ONLY listen to one aspect of their lives or their business. Tell them they are “scattered” – not professional. Refuse to believe they can be good at more than one thing.

What’s the Solution to Successful Marketing for a Scanner Business? Use your curiosity! Find out what people need BEFORE you tell them what you do. Find the common thread among your multiple income streams. Separate the income streams that don’t fit together.

I help Scanners make a great first impression even if you have 27 different income streams! A great first impression could be the key to signing a new client…or creating a brand new income stream. Visit www.TaylorMadeTime.com for more information.

Taylor Made Time Consultations Copywriting Discover your ideal income streams Create a marketing plan that works for you Copywriting Content that gives a great first impression. Content that keeps you - and your client - on track.