Appendix D

Launch Cheat Sheet

Launch Checklist

Use the checklist below to keep track of the steps you've taken as you build your new practice, prepare for going to market, kick off your marketing activities, and head out the door to land your very first client. Hey, if it was easy, everyone would be making fat six-figures working in their pajamas.

Chapter 2—Building a Foundation

1. Choose my company name: ___________________________________

2. Choose my business structure: ___________________________________

Sole proprietorship

S Corporation

LLC

C Corporation

Other: ___________________________________

3. Get business insurance:

Property

Liability

Other: ___________________________________

4. Create business plan (start now—finalize at end of book):

Did it myself

Used One Page Business Plan

5. Create my brand:

Rough draft mission statement: ______________________________________________________________________

Design brand logo/image

Protect my brand:

LegalZoom (or)

US Patent & Trademark Office

6. Stock up on supplies:

Computer

Printer/Scanner/Copier

Business Cards

E-mail

Letterhead & Envelopes

Brochures:

Digital (and/or)

Physical

Phone line:

Voicemail

Conferencing capability

Answering service

Headshot photos

Webinar service

7. Establish my Internet presence:

Build website (and link to my social media outlets)

Open social media accounts:

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

Set up my blog:

Submit it to all blog registry sites

8. Open my merchant services banking account

9. Open my office:

Home-based (or)

Rent office space

10. Get software programs:

Accounting software

Scheduling/Calendar software

Project management software

CRM software

11. Define my role:

Complete the strengths profile:

i. Top 5 greatest strengths:

ii. Top 5 greatest weaknesses:

Complete the CEO Bucket List exercise

Outsourcing list:

i. Duties & name/s to outsource to: ________________________

Chapter 3—The Money Side

12. Determine my true hourly rate: $ ___________________________________

13. Choose my preferred fee structures (as many as I like):

Hourly: $ ___________________________________

Per Diem: $ ___________________________________

Retainer-based (TBD—case by case)

Project-based (TBD—case by case)

Contingency:

Set reward fee (TBD—case by case)

Set percentage fee (TBD—case by case)

Equity-based (TBD—case by case)

Chapter 5—Choose Your Target Audience

14. Choose my target audience:

Niche #1:

i. Industry: ___________________________________

ii. Ideal prospect title: ___________________________________

Niche #2:

i. Industry: ___________________________________

ii. Ideal prospect title: ___________________________________

Niche #3:

i. Industry: ___________________________________

ii. Ideal prospect title: ___________________________________

15. Fill my tool bag (what I will sell): ______________________________

16. Write my Unique Value Proposition: ___________________________________

17. Add my UVP to website and final mission statement

Chapter 6—Seek Only to Give

18. Create my first EBM article

19. Select your marketing vehicles:

a. Articles:

Title: ___________________________________

Submitted to online sites

Submitted to associations

Linked to my social media outlets

b. Blog:

Title: (Same as above since I'm repurposing)

Submitted to online blog sites

Submitted to associations

Linked to my social media outlets

c. Lecture:

Venue: ___________________________________

Date: ___________________________________

Who am I inviting: ___________________________________

Associations targeted

Free or Fee: $ ___________________________________

d. PowerPoint Presentation:

Title: (same as above since I'm repurposing)

Submitted to online presentation sites

Linked to my social media outlets

e. Video:

Title: (Same as above)

Submitted to online video sites

Posted to my YouTube account

Linked to my social media sites

f. Podcast:

Title: (same as above)

Bought:

Audacity

Encoder

Host

Submitted to podcast sites

Linked to my social media sites

g. Workshop:

Title: ___________________________________

Virtual or Live

Venue: ___________________________________

Invited attendees/Promoted

Registration link on my website

Handouts ready

h. Book:

Title: ___________________________________

Sales page on my website

Sample chapters on sales page

Traditional publisher route:

i. Found literary agent: ___________________________________

ii. Submit proposals to publishers

Self-publishing route?

Selected publisher: ___________________________________

i. Drip campaign:

Autoresponder: ___________________________________

Campaign e-mails written

Squeeze page created

Connected to article/blog/video and running

j. Partners:

1st: ___________________________________

2nd: ___________________________________

3rd: ___________________________________

4th: ___________________________________

k. Networking:

i. Locations/Groups: ___________________________________

ii. Number of times: per week_______per month_______

l. Research:

i. Industry: ___________________________________

ii. Topic/Power Source: ___________________________________

iii. Research Partner/PhD: ___________________________________

m. Press release:

Write my press release

Submit it to entire list of press outlets

n. Social media:

Post link to all previous vehicles

Daily/Weekly Twitter

Daily/Weekly Facebook

Daily/Weekly LinkedIn

Chapter 7—Diagnostic Selling

20. Select your diagnostic profile:

Provider: ___________________________________

Profile name: ___________________________________

Practiced on __________ people

Trained/Certified:

Yes

No

21. LAUNCH!!! If you haven't already, you've got everything you need so get out there and get your first paying client!

22. Go back to #18 in this checklist; create a new EBM article and Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.