Pivot, Don’t Pause

The Entrepreneurs (or Wantrepreneurs!) Guide

to ​Surviving​ Thriving in Uncertainty

Hey,

So before we dive in… I wanna introduce myself to you. I’m Natalie Ellis, CEO and
co-founder of ​BossBabe​, one of the fastest growing media companies for female
entrepreneurs.

Sounds fancy schmancy, right? Well, I’m also a small business owner, just like you.

But, a couple of years ago, me and my business partner Danielle sat down to discuss
how we could build a resilient business. One that wasn’t reliant on starting from zero
every month and actually had reliable, recurring revenue coming in every month and
increasing.

Through building a profitable multiple 7-figure business and mentoring thousands of

other entrepreneurs in their businesses too, I’ve learned a few things about starting and
scaling resilient businesses and I wanted to share those things with you too.

We’ve worked with all types of businesses: service-based, product-based, online and
offline, so rest assured that I’m bringing the best of it to the table to help you make the
best decisions for yourself and your business right now.

This free guide is packed with actionable tips, tools and resources to help you navigate
uncertain times in your business. I hope it not only gives you some reassurances, but
pours fuel on your fire to pivot your business in the right direction.

Oh, and I haven’t spent time prettying it up ​because as you’ll read below, right now it’s

😏
time to focus on the things that have high impact and leave the “nice to haves” for those
rainy days. Leading by example or using it as a design excuse? Who knows.

XO
Natalie
Let’s Take a Quick Pulse.

You know when someone says they're "bullish" about something... ever
wondered where that term comes from?

Bull & Bear Markets

A ​bull market ​is a market that is ​on the rise and is economically sound​, while a ​bear
market​ is a market that is ​receding​, where ​most stocks​ are declining in value.
(Investopedia).

...so, with COVID-19, we're in a Bear market.

Three Types of Bear Markets

1. Cyclical Bear Markets.

A function of the economic cycle. Think: rising interest rates, impending recessions,
rising unemployment, declining profits...

2. Structural Bear Markets.

Triggered by imbalances and financial bubbles. Think: 2008 financial crisis.

3. Event Driven Bear Markets.

One-off events, like COVID-19 ​right now​, which typically don't lead into full-blown
recessions. We're going through an event which has rocked the markets, versus having
systemic collapse of the financial system.

(Bob Pisani)

So, to conclude: ​we're experiencing an event driven bear market right now.

With that being said… what on earth do we do about it?!

Can You Really Afford to Pause?

We don’t know how long these uncertain times are going to last, so I’m going to go out
on a limb here and say no, you probably ​can’t​ afford to pause. Most small businesses
can’t.

You might have families to feed, bills to pay and employee payroll stacking up.

With all that being said, here’s the reality: ​it isn’t business as usual.

😜
“The norm” for us entrepreneurs miiiight be staying home a lot and wearing PJ bottoms
with a cute top on video calls (​ ) ​but, the norm isn’t having millions of people around
the world doing the same thing, stockpiling toilet paper and clearing out grocery
shelves.

So, the first thing I want you to consider is what it looks like to ​pivot your business and
let go of the idea that you need to pause.

Even if you’re like “Natalie, I have NO idea HOW to do this…”, just be open to the idea.

Now I’m about to get really crazy…

I’d say it’s cabin fever but my introverted self is kinda loving being cozy right now.

What IF you actually ​made more money during this time​ than you projected to make
before sh*t hit the fan?

What IF you used this time to ​make your business more resilient​ than you ever
imagined it could be?

What IF you used this time to ​expand your impact larger and wider​ than you ever
thought possible?

What IF you actually ​sold into​ the market, instead of sat on the sidelines waiting for it
all to blow over?
Lean into this mindset shift and simply ​get curious.

What Does It Look Like To Pivot?

It’s going to look different to every single one of us.

I’ve put together a bunch of questions I think will help you to understand what a pivot
might look like for your business. Turn off your phone, get rid of distraction and spend
time thinking and getting curious about your answers. You might be surprised by the
insights or breakthroughs that come from this exercise.

1. What do your current clients need more of right now?

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2. What are you uniquely positioned to offer, especially right now?

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3. How could you take advantage of technology to make your offering more
appealing?

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4. Does your ideal client avatar need to change during this time?

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5. Does your pricing structure need to change for a temporary period?

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6. If you had an abundance of resources at your fingertips, what would you do

differently during this period? How can you add elements of this into your
strategy?

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7. How could you be using social media and content creation to boost your
business right now?

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8. What steps could you take right now that would massively benefit your business
once all of this blows over?

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9. How do you want to be perceived as showing up during a time like this?

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Now, take a minute to go through your answers and reflect on any insights you had
about what pivoting might look like for your business right now:

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If You’re Scared to Sell Right Now…

You’re not alone.

The majority of entrepreneurs are feeling the same way.

Businesses are delaying launches, cancelling events and reworking their calendars for
the year. It’s heartbreaking.

Here’s the thing though: we’ve already addressed why it’s going to be important for you
to ​continue selling​ right now.

👏
If you didn’t hear me loud enough, lemme repeat myself: small business owners need to
keep SELLING.

However, the ​way in which you sell ​might have to change.

A lot of people teach that in sales, you really want to speak to people’s pain points.
During times like this, I think there’s an opportunity to sell from a ​place of power
instead.

You don’t want to be capitalizing on the fear of the world right now and seen as being
opportunistic. Instead, you’re going to want to think about how you can show up and
lead with service​, then invite people to take the next step in a way that feels in integrity
for you.

I read an article about a guy who went and bought something like 17,000 hand
sanitizers, so people couldn't get them, then tried to sell them at a profit. That is not
selling with integrity. This is gross.
However, selling a product or service that you know people need right now, without
implementing fear tactics, IS selling with integrity.

Here’s a question I have for you:

Do you think, now more than ever, your ideal clients NEED what you’re offering?

If so, why?

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If so, your answer there should really start to form how you think about your marketing
plan and how you can show up to sell in a way that feels heart-centered.

I mean let’s face it, Netflix aren’t shying away from selling subscriptions, Kettle and Fire
are selling bone broth by the dozen and Amazon are thriving on the bulk buying
movement… so why should your small business have to suffer, while others are
thriving?

If you’re providing a service that actually helps now more than ever, you need to be out
there being seen.

With all of that being said, some of you might have answered ​no​ to the above.

What you’re selling right now may actually not be the type of thing that people are
needing in their lives. Perhaps it’s in-person personal training sessions, facials or a 3
course restaurant meal.

For the businesses whose clients actually DO feel like they need to pause, I want you to
consider two things:

1. Can you pivot the experience so that you can ​still deliver​, but in a different way?

Think: personal training virtually, hiring out your gym equipment, shipping
 skincare goods from your salon or home delivering meals instead?

2. Or, if that’s not possible, can you be transparent with your client base about the
current state of business and ​ask for their support?

I’ve created ​two templates for you to copy word-for-word​, to help you with 1 of 2
situations:

Template A:​ the world ​would​ actually benefit from you stepping up and selling right
now, but you’re ​worried​ that you might get ​backlash​ online. No one wants to wake up
to a hateful email or a bunch of comments on their Instagram post, but trust me, no-one
would be a success if they let this hold them back.

This template is one that you can use in response to any messages or emails you
received from continuing to sell.

I believe this is ​highly unlikely,​ but I know that simply having a template will help you to
move through the fear quicker.

What’s more likely is that you’re going to ​continue making sales, impacting the world
and setting an example for other entrepreneurs around you.

Template B: ​you ​can’t pivot​ your business model, you can’t really keep selling and
therefore you ​need to ask for support​ from your client base.

Your business might be totally dependent on in-person services or is in an industry that

isn’t thriving right now. If so, this template can be used as an email or social media post
to send out to your current client or potential client base.

Through doing this, you’re​ likely to make more sales and also inspire entrepreneurs
in a similar situation ​as you to do the same.

Feel free to take and amend these templates as you need them, so you’re able to get
going right away.

TEMPLATE A:
Hey NAME,

Thank you so much for your feedback about [me/my business] selling our
[products/services] in this current climate. I wanted to drop you a personal email to
explain why we’re doing it, in the hope that you can better understand.

As a small business owner, right now I don’t have the option to pause my business. In
fact if I did, I might completely go out of business. I have [family to support/bills to
pay/employees on payroll] and people are really depending on me.

I am currently offering tons of free content and support which can be found here [link],
and I truly believe that my [products/services] are needed now more than ever. My
mission is to have a positive impact in the world [by…] and this is one of the biggest
ways I know how.

I hope you can understand my stance during this turbulent time, and I’m here to answer
any more questions you have.

SIGN OFF.

TEMPLATE B:

Hey NAME,

This is a really difficult email for [me/us] to write, but I wanted to reach out to you as a
[current client/member of our community] during this turbulent time.

As you know, we’ve had to hit pause on our business right now [explain why/what’s
happening/are you closed?]. This was something none of us could’ve predicted and is
going to have a really negative impact on our small business.

[enter a personal note about who you are/why you started your business/what your
mission is/what you’re passionate about doing. Share your story about why this could
be challenging for your business, will it even put you out of business?].
I’m dropping you this email to let you know that we have decided to sell future gift cards
to our services when we re-open [or another option you’re running right now] and we’re
currently offering X% discount for anyone who purchases to support us during this time.

[share what you’re offering, the discounts they can receive, when you expect to reopen,
any refund policies and links].

Thank you so much for your support during this time!

SIGN OFF.

[Template] How to Sell With Integrity During This Time.

I just got off a zoom call with one of my clients, where we sat and created an email
together so they could continue with the launch of their membership.

Luckily, as they’re a membership company, their business has monthly recurring

revenue.

In fact, I mentored this company very closely a couple of years ago when they were
simply in idea stage, and helped them to not only launch successfully, but generate
$500,000 in revenue in their first year of business​.

Yep, they went from having an idea for a business, to making ​half a million dollars in
12 months stat.

And now, they have monthly recurring revenue coming in consistently, so they never
have to start each month from zero.

I asked their permission on this zoom call to share with you the template that we wrote
together, so you’d be able to tailor it to suit your business needs.

Here’s the thing though… this call ​didn’t start out so positively.

In fact, they switched on their camera and I saw them sitting there with their head in
hands, upset about ​“having to cancel their upcoming launch”.
We worked through it and decided that they should move full steam ahead with their
launch, and here’s how we’re going to kick it off…

Free Sales Email Template

NAME,

It’s been hard to pay attention to anything other than the news of the past week [or
relevant event].

In fact, I thought about holding off on sending this email to tell you that we’re launching
today...

Your health and safety, family, and overall-well being need to be the priority today.

But if you are in the fortunate position to have a strong foundation across these areas,
you might also be looking at how you can adapt to the new normal, look towards the
future and [enter what the transformation is they’re looking for].

And that’s why I’m in your inbox right now.

In fact, there may be no better time for you to work on [enter what you’d be supporting
them with].

INCLUDE DATA HERE.

While I would love to offer you a [product] for free, it would unfortunately impact us too
much as a small business.

On top of this, research shows that when you invest in knowledge, you’re way more
likely to implement it. How many free articles or online courses have you dove into,
bookmarked and then never returned to?

Speaking of free, here are just some of our free resources you can dive into and check
out.

But if you’re looking for the next step...

One thing that might help (you can learn more about business expenses inside) is that
[enter your business name] is categorized as an educational expense and we have had
members include it in their tax return. [is this true for your business?]

Here are some of the results we see our clients achieving:

[Testimonials]

Will you be joining us?

SIGN OFF.

Where To Focus Your Time:

Let’s first take a look at the Effort vs Impact Matrix to understand how to ​maximize ROI
on time spent. ​Yes, you might be worrying about revenue right now, but let’s remember
our most scarce resource is time. We need to create smart action plans with this in
mind.

LOW EFFORT HIGH EFFORT

HIGH GREAT GOOD

IMPACT
During times like these, this is If you can find a way to lower the effort
where you should be spending 80% here, could this still be high impact?
of your time.

LOW WEAK BAD

IMPACT
Is there a way you can boost the Stay away from these tasks right now.
impact of this without increasing the They’re likely “nice to haves” or aren’t
effort? important.
Based on this, take a look at your goals, put your to-do list to the side and think through
what you could delete or delay.

Normally, I would suggest delegating, but if you’re in “survival” mode with your
business, how can you delegate tasks that have high impact and aren’t such high
effort? The delegated tasks can be delayed for a more appropriate time.

The fewer priorities and goals you have, the more successful you’re going to be.

Over the next 3 months, what are your top 3 goals or priorities?

1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________

Stay Consistent With The RIGHT Content. 

I know you might feel like it, but…

This is not the time to hide from social media. In fact, ​my prediction is that content
consumption is going to SOAR.

People are staying home and generally this means they consume content a lot more
(hello Netflix), so make sure you keep your content consistent and show up.

The question you want to ask yourself is...

HOW​ do ​you​ want to show up?

How do you want to be seen or perceived?

What is your stance on the current climate and will you even be mentioning it?
What content can you share that will have a positive impact?
Does your content strategy need to change at all?

You can also get ahead of the curve by asking…

HOW​ can I use this quieter period of time to ​get ahead in my content game​ and batch
create content for the next few months?

But, creating consistent content doesn’t just mean hopping onto every social media
platform, spending hours of your day posting and scrolling then hoping for the best.

You want to be thinking both about your ​proactivity​ and your ​reactivity​.

Reactivity is thinking about what the next couple of months of business look like for you.
Likely, you're going to be pivoting somehow, so get clear on what that looks like so you
can start to implement the changes.

We can likely expect a V curve type of recovery from this... so right now, we're at the
bottom of (or close to) the V, and our recovery is likely to be quite quick.

So, ​how do you want to position yourself and your business​ for coming out the
other end of this? What launches do you have planned? How can your content strategy
help you gear up for this?

What KPIs are ​best for you​ to measure right now?

For me, ​I care mostly about email list subscribers.​ I think social media is great and
it's our largest organic tool for building our list… so showing up on social media, with the
goal of growing our email list makes content creation really worthwhile for me.

So, what is ​your​ main KPI?

If you are to put time into showing up consistently, what KPI would you be driving
towards and why is this important for you?

Staying consistent with the right content is both a short and long term strategy, so think
about how you can use the effort VS impact matrix above to create your impactful action
plan.
You’re Overwhelmed And Anxious?

When we’re talking about low effort and high impact…

Your mindset ​needs to be one of the ​main things​ you consider in your strategy.

If you’re overwhelmed, fearful and anxious, you’re going to struggle to lead or even sell
effectively.

The main thing I want to get across right now is that ​this too shall pass.

Beyond that, here are a few of my favorite self-care and mindset rituals to help you stay
on your A game while navigating uncertain times:

Visualizing Your Day

In the morning, sit with your eyes closed and visualize the best version of your day
unfolding. Think about how you show up, what you achieve and how you feel.

Scheduling Tech-Free Tea Breaks

If you’re working from home, put these 20 minute tea breaks in your calendar so you
can time block and take some time off without guilt. Enjoy your break, curl up with a
book or your loved ones and spend 20 minutes without your phone/laptop/tv.

Take Breathing Breaks

Every hour or so, push back from your desk, place your hands on your heart and take
some deep breaths. Connect in with how you’re feeling and reassure yourself if it’s
needed.

Connect With Friends Virtually

Social distancing doesn’t need to mean total social isolation. Get a group of your friends
together for a virtual video call and talk about everything other than what’s going on
right now.

Take A Breath.

Congrats, you finished the ebook. 👏👏This alone is a huge win, so celebrate yourself
for that.

If you’re looking for extra inspiration, resources or community to support you right now,
here’s just some of what we have available at BossBabe:

BossBabe.com
We’re updating our blog with new articles every single day, sharing my favorite morning
tonic, productivity tips and entrepreneurial advice.

The BossBabe Podcast

Packed with interviews of successful entrepreneurs, plus behind the scenes access to
the BossBabe business strategy.

The Ultimate Done For You Online Sales Kit

If you thought this free book was good, you’re going to LOVE our Online Sales Kit. It’s
specifically designed to help you go from zero followers to fully booked, even in times of
uncertainty like now. This bundle is worth nearly $2,000 and is currently available for
$27.

The Société
We’ve opened the doors to our community for female entrepreneurs. Whether you’re
looking for online courses, mentorship or sisterhood, you’re going to love our private
platform.

BossBabe Instagram

My Personal Instagram

...and for any other support, please feel free to text me. I’m here for you.
+1 (310) 356-9502.

XO
Natalie Ellis
CEO & Co-Founder, BossBabe