7 Mindset Shifts to Level Up in Your Business

 What’s your most important asset in your business?

It’s your mindset — the structure and quality of your beliefs shaping every decision you make, and how you show up in your business each day!

It’s the operating software you’re running that allows you to solve problems, spot opportunities, take smart risks and move forward with confidence in yourself.

So if you’re looking to make an investment of time and effort that will pay off in your business (and your life) for years to come… your mindset is the way to go.

And to save you some time, I’m sharing 7 of the most important mindset shifts you can make if you’re ready to reach your next level as an entrepreneur!

1. “The obstacle is the way.”

– Ryan Holiday

Every challenging thing that happens in life is neither good nor bad — you get to decide what lens to view it through, and whether you treat it as a dead-end or a chance to grow and expand in a whole new way.

By seeing obstacles not as roadblocks, but as opportunities — the kind of opportunities that lead to your biggest breakthroughs — you’ll prioritize your own growth and expansion at every step. For example…

Your fear of public speaking may someday be the very reason audiences seek you out and want to hear your story, to see what is possible for them if they believe in themselves.

The fact that you don’t look or sound like other influencers in your space, may be the exact reason independent-minded brands seek out partnerships with you.

Your struggle with insecurity and imposter syndrome may make you the exact right coach or mentor for others who experience similar challenges.

I can guarantee you that the biggest, most game-changing opportunities in your business will arrive disguised as impossible obstacles and dead ends… ones that most people will give up on, and turn back.

So ask yourself, “How might this be a gift? How will solving this problem cause me to grow, learn new skills, have a unique perspective, or stand out from the crowd?” … and you’ll become a pro at seeing through the disguise, and right to the heart of the opportunity!

Before: This problem is impossible to solve. I’ll never get past it, and I’ll be stuck here forever! I’d better just give up before I waste any more time, or risk any more disappointment.

After: This looks like a difficult problem, and I bet most people see it that way… but I’m someone who looks for opportunities. Maybe it’s not obvious right now, but if I get creative, I think I can make this work to my advantage!

2. More work ≠ more results

In the first couple years of your business, there’s so much to do!

And when you’re in that early phase, you’re trying a lot of different things… so it’s easy to get caught up in trying to be everywhere, and do everything, all the time.

Eventually, you might wind up hustling all the time just to keep the balls in the air!

It’s time to simplify, streamline, and restructure your business to work for you, and feel energizing and easy.

Because building a business does take work, and a significant investment of time, energy, and creativity… but working yourself to the point of exhaustion DOES NOT equal better results.

At a certain point, doing more, working extra hours, and trying to be all things to all people, only serves to wear you out, drain your energy… and subtly signal to your community that you’ve chosen a road that leads to exhaustion (who wants to come? probably no one.)

What gets results is always bringing your very best self to your community!

Prioritizing your wellness, your joy, and the sustainability of your business… So you can show up fully energized, aligned, and treat your business and your client relationships as the icing on the cake of your life — not something you’re depending on for your happiness. 

Before: I have so much to do, how will I ever get through it all? I just need to buckle down and get it done, or I’ll never make any real progress. If I want results, I need to put in the time – once it’s all done, I can finally rest.

After: There are a lot of things I could do, but I’m going to trust myself to focus on the one or two things that get me closest to my goal. I’ll use the extra time to do something that fuels and energizes me, so I can show up as my best self for my business.

3. Good for her, not for you

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

So there you are, minding your own business and doing your own thing when — oof! You see someone celebrating a major milestone you haven’t reached yet, and it knocks you off your feet. 

Most of us can relate; it’s human nature to compare our position to others, because slipping down in the pecking order feels like a threat to our survival.

But unless you’re part of a family of gazelle running away from a cheetah, you’re not actually in a race with anyone.

You’re each on your own path, heading to your own destination, going at your own pace, and stopping as many times as you like to rest, enjoy the view, camp overnight if you feel like it, and along the way, do things you enjoy and that feel fulfilling to you…

Building your business isn’t a race to escape an apex predator. It’s a journey that is yours, and yours alone… there’s no need to compare your journey with anyone else’s!

Everyone has their own set of circumstances, priorities, and ideal destination in mind — and the best we can do is cheer each other on and enjoy each other’s company when we happen to stop at the same watering hole.

Before: They’re so great, they clearly have something I don’t have. And they must know something I don’t know. I’m too old/young/shy/etc. for anyone to take me seriously or see me as the expert — what makes me even think I could succeed?

After: They’re doing awesome in their own way, and I’m doing awesome in mine! There’s no competition between us, we’re each just on our own path. I love seeing others thrive, and I love thriving in my own way, on my own terms.

4. Fear is your friend

There’s a popular myth that in order to become unstoppable and reach your goals, you need to ditch your fears altogether and become “fearless”!

In reality, all you need to do is allow fear to be part of your equation. Don’t let it stop you — but don’t wait for it to go away before you take any action, either.

Let fear come along for the ride. Let it be part of your journey and a companion on your path forward. Listen to its worries, and allow it to feel how it needs to feel.

Because fear actually has a lot to offer you!

Fear is a sign you’re moving in the direction of what you really want. What if I mess up? What if they say no? What if I’m disappointed? None of these thoughts would occur to you if you didn’t care about the outcome.

“When you dare to identify your greatest desire, the possibility of falling short sneaks in beside it. “ — Meera Lee Patel, My Friend Fear

Think of your fear like a game of Hot and Cold… when your fear runs cold, you’re pretty far away from anything that feels exciting, interesting, and like a new frontier for you.

But when your fear gets warmer… warmer… hot!! then you know you’re really onto something.

Over time, as you grow in your business journey, you’ll start to recognize fear not as a roadblock telling you to turn back, but a sign you’re on the right path.

Before: I’m scared to take action — what if I mess up? What if someone doesn’t like what I say? What if I’m disappointed? What if the worst case scenario happens? I don’t think I can risk it…

After: I’m scared right now, which means I must be on to something big! I wouldn’t be afraid if I didn’t care about this deep down. Fear is always there, but it doesn’t call the shots in my world anymore. Come along for the ride, fear – there’s a spot for you in the backseat!

5. Failing is learning

Failing can be scary and overwhelming… but the truth is: failure is a necessary part of learning and growing!

When you start a business, the idea of failure may feel different from how it’s felt in the past… it feels more public, more vulnerable, more reflective of your worth as a person… but it’s actually none of these things.

“If I launch this offer and it doesn’t sell, everyone will see and judge me for it!”

“If I share this content and it doesn’t get engagement, everyone will see and think I’m struggling!”

“If I host this event and no one shows up, everyone will think…” – you get the idea!

The truth is, no one is paying close enough attention to notice when you fail. And if they do happen to notice, they won’t think anything of it because they see ALL their own failures up close and personal.

As you grow in your business, you’ll get better and better at “failing well” — allowing yourself to feel disappointed, but also recognizing that it’s not a life sentence.

Your failures do not define you. They are a necessary part of your learning and growing process, and  they’re not the end of the story. They’re just the beginning!

As long as you’re learning from failures, mistakes, and missteps, you’re still moving forward. In the end, you’ll be hard-pressed to even remember your failures, or what anyone else thought about them…

But you will remember and value (and maybe even teach others) the lessons you learned by getting back up, and moving forward!

Before: I really messed up back there. I can’t believe I said that / did that / tried that / etc… What must people think of me now? I totally botched that… I’ll never get past this!

After: That went well in some ways, and in other ways it could have gone better. There’s definitely room for improvement, and I think if I did it all over, I would do a few things differently. I’m proud of myself for trying, and next time I’ll remember what I learned from this experience so I can do better!

6. Experiencing your offer is a privilege

Early in your business, it’s tempting to say “yes” to anyone who asks to work with you.

Because booking new clients and customers is the best feeling in the world, right? It’s living proof that your offer is worthwhile, and that someone trusts you enough to hand over their hard-earned cash to work with you!

But beneath those warm and fuzzy feelings, is a lingering uncertainty…

When you’re eager to work with anyone who asks, and you’re waiting for someone else to validate you and your services… you’re just one “no” away from feeling discouraged and second-guessing yourself.

Instead, remember that working with you is a privilege, not a right — and a sales conversation is as much your opportunity to decide if it’s a fit, as it is your client’s.

Your expertise and insight are immensely valuable, and those who get to work with you are fortunate to have your guidance and support, on a journey that would otherwise be much harder.

So celebrate every booking and every sale… not just for you, but for your clients, for their journey ahead, and for all the benefits they’ll enjoy from working with you!

And remind yourself that a “no” is a gift, saving you from working with a client who’s not a fit, so you can hold space for the ones who are.

Before: Does anyone want what I’m offering? What if no one signs up? Maybe I’ve just been lucky to sign the clients I’ve had so far; what if my luck has run out?

After: I have experience, insight, and wisdom to share that helps my clients get further, faster, and my approach is unique in my industry. I’m a pro at what I do; my clients are fortunate to have me in their corner.

7. Selling can be easy

Ever since starting my business, I’ve handled sales conversations pretty much the same way:

1. Ask questions to understand the client and their situation
2. Assess whether and how I can help, and which offer would be the best fit
3. Support them in deciding whether the offer is right for them, right now

That’s it!

I’ve never taken a sales course or program — and while I’ve tried techniques my mentors and coaches suggested, I’ve settled into a flow that feels natural for me and my pre-clients, and that leads to a “yes” in most cases.

Here’s the thing: You don’t need to assume the responsibility of making any one else’s decision for them, or persuading them to work with you. You don’t need to corner people into a “yes” or outsmart your clients.

You can 100% trust your clients and pre-clients to make their own best decision – and focus your energy on creating a space where they feel free to make their own choice and trust their intuition.

Think about who you want to support, and how much responsibility you want for their choices…

Do you want the client who relies on other people for all their answers, and expects you to make the tough calls for them?

Or do you want the client who values your support and insight, but ultimately trusts themselves to make their own decisions?

…decide which one is right for you, and lead your sales calls to serve those clients best: holding the space, being honest about how you can help, and allowing your clients to reach their own conclusions.

Yes, there are ways to improve your sales game, and increase your conversion rate with integrity – but unless it feels aligned for you and in the highest service of your clients (i.e., easy for you to execute), it won’t hold water. Let sales be easy for you, and your business will grow!

Before: Selling is so hard for me – how can I convince people they need what I have to offer? It feels like an uphill battle just preparing and showing up for a sales conversation, much less converting prospects into clients.

After: Selling is easy and simple. It’s just about listening to understand my prospect, deciding whether I think my offer is a good fit, and if it is, helping them assess and decide their next steps. I trust myself to be honest about my offer… and I trust my client to make the right choice for them!

The Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping

 As a new entrepreneur, you’re likely short on two precious resources: time and money. Startups don’t make a profit right away, and without funds to pay yourself or employees, the race is on to make a sale.

That’s why so many first-time businesses choose dropshipping. By outsourcing manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping to a third-party seller, you can keep costs low and focus on actionable tasks like marketing and creating a great online shopping experience. 

Just because dropshipping is an accessible business model, however, doesn’t mean you necessarily know where to get started.

No worries! Follow this step-by-step guide on how to dropship. Find your dropshipping niche, select your target audience, source reliable suppliers, build your ecommerce store, and market your dropshipping business⁠. Let’s get into it.

Table of contents

What is dropshipping?

How to dropship with Shopify

3 tips for dropshipping

How to dropship FAQ

What is dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a business model where a retailer or ecommerce store sell products that are manufactured, warehoused, and shipped by a third-party supplier. The store only pays for products after they’ve made a sale.

Dropshipping is a great option for first-time entrepreneurs. It provides a low-risk way for small businesses to create a storefront, and allows established businesses to test out new product lines without paying for inventory.

How to dropship with Shopify

Below are the five big steps you’ll need to complete to get your dropshipping business off the ground using Shopify. Follow this workflow to find your products and supplier, set up your store, and begin the process of finding customers.

As you dive into each step, you’ll encounter questions and issues that are unique to your business. Remember, it’s how you overcome these obstacles that will define your dropshipping journey and shape your success.

• Find a dropshipping niche
• Understand a target audience
• Select a product and a dropshipping supplier
• Build an ecommerce store
• Market your dropshipping store

1. Find a dropshipping niche

Some dropshippers sell unique private-label or print-on-demand products. But most dropshipping catalogs consist of items also available in other stores. So, how do you beat the competition and differentiate your business in a crowded marketplace?

The easiest way to avoid the threat of more established dropshipping stores is to find an under-served niche. 

A niche is a segment of a larger market that’s defined by unique customer needs, preferences, or interests. Through niching, smaller businesses are able to reduce competition and identify a customer base.

If you’re dropshipping coffee, for example, you’re going to face a ton of competition from other dropshippers and traditional retail businesses. But, if you sell vegan coffee, you can expect fewer competitors. Niche-down another level to vegandecaf coffee or vegan coffee subscription boxes, and you may find yourself with a unique value proposition. 

How do you find a lucrative dropshipping niche? 

Most dropshipping niches are found through keyword research. By analyzing the popularity of search queries entered into search engines and social media platforms, as well as the competitiveness of search results, you can identify areas of underserved demand.

Popular audience demand research tools include:

Facebook Audience Insights. Facebook has roughly three billion monthly active users. Audience Insights provide a well of information about their interests, demographics, and online activity⁠.

Google Keyword Planner. Google processes billions of searches each day. With its keyword planner tool, you can parse those searches for patterns and opportunities.

Google Trends. Like keyword planner, Google Trends has a deep well of information about what products people are searching for, and how interest fluctuates over time.

Ahrefs. Keyword research tool Ahrefs is a favorite among SEO marketing professionals. Use this tool to evaluate whether you can compete for traffic with established websites.

A niche audience is only valuable to your business if you can source relevant products to serve it. As you are learning how to dropship, you may find you’re limited in the variety of products you can offer a specialist audience.

Product availability is one of the main reasons why some niches remain underserved by dropshipping stores. So, working with a supplier or manufacturer to set up dropshipping for a new product line is another way to differentiate your business.

2. Understand a target audience

Once you’ve found a niche audience that would benefit from a dropshipping store, you’ll want to learn more about them.

Understanding your target audience will help you speak to customers in a way that resonates. You’ll have a better idea of which marketing channels you can use to reach people, what product features your prospects are looking for, and what types of content will effectively transport people toward your online store.

Test your understanding of your target market by checking whether you can give detailed answers to these questions:

Where does your target audience spend time online?

What types of marketing content does your target audience respond to positively?

What products are your target audience interested in?

What product features do they care about most?

What existing brands do your target audience like?

What existing businesses successfully serve your target audience?

Researching your target market doesn’t need to be complex. But by the end of this step, you should have a good idea of the type of person you’re selling to.

3. Select a product and a dropshipping supplier

Use your keyword research and target audience analysis to find a product category that’s relevant to your niche.

When you have a type of product in mind, the next step is to identify a supplier who manufactures or stocks it.

There are a ton of dropshipping suppliers to choose from. Some have online platforms where you can create a seller account and search their catalog for products. Others negotiate bespoke deals with retail partners.

If you want a completely automated solution for sending orders to a supplier, use a Shopify dropshipping app from the App Store.

When you use Shopify for dropshipping, information about your orders is sent directly to your third-party supplier, who marks the order as complete and (if available) sends a tracking number directly to your customer.

Here are a few popular dropshipping supplier apps: 

Spocket

With Spocket, you can sell products from US, European, and international dropshippers through your Shopify store. Spocket features dependable suppliers and automatically updates inventory counts. It’s also an official partner of AliExpress and Alibaba.

Reviewers say that Spocket’s customer service is prompt and shipping from US and EU suppliers is relatively fast. You can even order product samples to check the quality before adding items to your store.

DSers

With DSers, merchants can search, import, and edit product data from suppliers on AliExpress. One notable feature is the ability to compare different AliExpress dropshippers selling the same products, so you can find the most competitive prices.

Modalyst

Like the other dropshipping apps, Modalyst syncs with AliExpress, making it easy for merchants to import products directly into their Shopify store. Modalyst also offers curated lists of independent manufacturers, as well as high-end brands like Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana.

Print-on-demand apps

One drawback of dropshipping is that your products will likely be available from other online stores.

With print-on-demand dropshipping, merchants can add custom designs to products like t-shirts, tote bags, notebooks, and household items. That makes print-on-demand a good model for differentiating your store, while retaining a no-inventory approach to ecommerce.

4. Build an ecommerce store

With a catalog of products in mind, and a dropshipping supplier selected, you’re ready to start building your online store.

Log in to your Shopify account

First, log in to your Shopify account. If you don’t have a Shopify account, use the free trial to get started.

Choose a domain name

A domain name is the address that identifies your website. Domain names consist of two parts: the second-level domain and the top-level domain (TLD).

A second-level domain is unique to your website. For example, “google” is the second-level domain in “google.com.”

A TLD is used by multiple websites and follows the second-level domain. “.com” is the top-level domain in “google.com.”

Registering a domain name is the next step in creating your dropshipping store. If you don’t have an existing domain, choose one that fits your niche and clearly signals your product catalog. Land on a good online store name by following these tips:

Check availability. There are few things worse than coming up with the perfect domain name, only to find that it’s taken. Be sure to check for available domains.

Keep it short. Short domain names are easier to remember and pronounce—and harder to misspell.

Match search terms. Many SEO experts recommend choosing a domain name that matches a popular search engine query used by your potential customers. For example, if you plan to dropship hockey sticks, you might select the domain name “besthockeysticks.com.”

Be different. If a popular phrase isn’t available, try a domain name that reflects your wider niche or brand.

Use a unique TLD. If your second-level domain is taken with a .com TLD, consider using a unique extension like .shop or .store.

Design your ecommerce website and import products

Use one of Shopify’s professionally designed themes to quickly build your store. Brand your website with a color scheme, set up your checkout, and populate your most important pages with copy and images—but don’t invest too much time in the look of your store at this stage.

When your business is up and running, you can analyze successful store examples to improve your website design.

Once your store is live, start importing products from your dropshipping app. With Shopify, you can directly import products, including product images and descriptions, then edit them in your dashboard.

Price your products

Setting the right product prices is a delicate balancing act. You need to ensure your prices are competitive enough to attract customers and encourage them to browse your store, but you also need to maintain healthy profit margins.

It’s important not to engage in a price war with other dropshipping stores, as this can erode your profits until business becomes non-viable. Remember, it’s not always necessary to have the lowest price. When pricing among competitors is similar, customers also value factors like brand ethics, customer service, and shopping experience.

Don’t forget to account for additional costs such as shipping when calculating your profit margin.

5. Market your dropshipping store

Developing a marketing strategy for your dropshipping store is perhaps the most crucial step in generating sales. You’ll likely be competing against stores that sell the same products as you, so reaching potential customers first—or providing the most satisfying customer experience—is paramount.

Differentiation

The most basic aspect of dropshipping marketing is differentiation. By building a brand and carefully curating your product catalog, you can create the impression of a unique and relevant online store.

Strong brands are visually and conceptually consistent. The colors used in your website theme, your logo, the images you use, and the tone of your copywriting should all convey a cohesive message.

That message should match the content of your marketing materials, the values suggested by the products you choose to sell, and the story you tell about your business. 

Pricing is another effective form of differentiation. However, if you choose to reduce your margins to become more competitive, make sure you can still generate a profit after all of your costs have been deducted.

Harness social media

Social media marketing is an exceptionally useful tool for small businesses. Paid social ad campaigns have adjustable budgeting limits, so it’s easy to keep costs within your budget. Audiences are segmented by variables like their interests, online behavior, and the accounts they follow, making it easy to target users that are most likely to have an interest in your products.

Even without an advertising budget, there’s a lot you can do on social media for free. To sell on Instagram and Facebook and Instagram, you can open a “Shop” and sync your inventory, so followers can purchase your products without leaving the app. Market products on TikTok by putting your spin on popular trends and livestreaming product demonstrations.

Leverage search engine optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of using data to make the content on your website more relevant to common questions and queries, with the aim of increasing your site’s ranking in search engine listings.

Google processes more than 100,000 searches every second, making increased visibility valuable to any small business. And with a ton of free SEO tools available to help you research the right keywords and select relevant queries to answer with your content, the cost of SEO marketing can be kept relatively low. 

Use email marketing to nurture your existing audience

When a person signs up to receive your email newsletter, they’re indicating an interest in your products. Don’t let those leads go to waste—nurture them with an ecommerce email marketing campaign.

Email marketing opens up an ongoing stream of communication with your customers. Good email content is a great way to share useful information about your products and help build brand loyalty.

Email campaigns produce lots of metrics, such as an email’s open rate and whether readers clicked on a CTA button. Use this information to refine your subject lines and content.

3 tips for dropshipping

Finished the steps above and started your dropshipping business? Here are three pieces of advice to keep in mind during your first months as a dropshipper.

1. Handle product issues professionally

As you learn how to dropship, you’ll find supplier mistakes are unavoidable. While repeated issues with products and delivery may signal the need to find a new wholesale partner, you should cover for occasional errors from your supplier. When they happen:

Own the issue. Apologize to the customer and explain the solution.

Compensate the customer. Offer a refund, exchange, or product upgrade.

Involve the supplier. A good supplier should cover the cost of any mistakes.

2. Source inventory from multiple suppliers

Dealing with multiple suppliers can make admin more challenging, but selling products from more than one wholesaler reduces the risk of stockouts and supply-chain issues. Try to:

Diversify your suppliers. This gives you more product options and a safety net for unexpected issues.

Select common products. Choose items that many suppliers carry.

Use generic descriptions. If necessary, you may be able to sell similar products under the same description.

3. Have an order fulfillment plan

When it comes to fulfilling orders, dropshippers play a minimal role. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be smart about processing your customer’s orders:

Route orders based on location. If possible, choose a supplier that’s nearest to the customer’s location.

Use automation to maximize availability. Automation tools can help you route orders to suppliers that have items in stock.

Leverage high sales. When your store grows and order numbers increase, invite suppliers to outbid each other to increase your profit margin.

Start a dropshipping store today

Shopify helps dropshippers get up and running quickly—while keeping costs low. With manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping outsourced to a third party, entrepreneurs have extra time to focus on product marketing and building their brand.

How You Can Make Money on Pinterest 4 Different Ways

 Pinterest drives traffic to website, blog, products, and affiliate links every day, all day, and to the tune of 60%+ of overall traffic . Without Pinterest, many creative brands wouldn’t be where they are today. According to Pinterest as of  over 250 million people each month are now using Pinterest to discover and do what they love.

This is why here we want to share with you the 4 different ways you can start making money using Pinterest as the catalyst for sales and income. We personally use each one of these strategies.

Now, if you’re not yet an entrepreneur  –  if you are a creative trying to grow your thing into a thriving business, then 6 figure years and 5 figure months may mean breathing a little easier. It means freedom. Peace of mind.

Making money on Pinterest doesn’t just mean a little spending cash for more things. It means being able to stay home while I work for myself so that I have the means to pick kids up from school every day.  I’m not bragging about the income, I’m begging you, that if you want to breath easier – take the time to read this and learn the steps to making money on Pinterest so that you can make whatever magical dream you have come true too.

1. Monetize on Pinterest with product/buyable pins

There is a myriad of ways to monetize your Pinterest presence (with or without a blog). One of the most widely used and common methods for monetizing Pinterest is through brand awareness type pins, product pins, or promoted pins (advertising).

Say for example you launch a product on your website. You can leverage the power of the visual-centric pins by posting an attractive image of your product or service that you are currently offering. This visual alone can capture a pinners curiosity and get them to click the pin. Once they click, they’ll likely be sent to your product sales page where they just may make a purchase.

In order to enable a “product” pin, you first have to verify your website and enable “Rich Pins” but all of this is simple enough. You can verify your website and learn how to enable rich pins by reading more here: How to get verified on Pinterest.

Buyable pins are a bit different. They allow pinners to make purchases right inside the Pinterest platform without leaving. This is currently only available to a select group and you must apply to be accepted.

2. Monetize on Pinterest through pins to blog posts (and into a sales funnel)

Another way to monetize your Pinterest presence is to drive traffic to your blog or website. Bloggers can also earn money through Pinterest using this method because most blogs monetize their content through advertising (or a sales funnel). Programs for displaying ads like Media.net or Adsense is just one example of how bloggers can earn money through advertisers. If your blog gets enough traffic, a percentage of those visitors would click on one of the ads that you display and that’s how Mediat.net/Adsense and other ad serving company pays the owner of the blog. A high number of visitors equates to more click on the ads that you serve. This, in turn, translates to higher earnings from you ad supplier.

As for bloggers sending clicks through a sales funnel, this is a little trickier. You first have to have a product you’re promoting  Second, you must have an email sign up form where visitors are giving you their email in exchange for something free. For instance, visitors to my blog provide their email to me in exchange for free stock photos and monthly updates with new free photos and visual marketing trends in a newsletter.  Those subscribers are then added to a sales funnel.

Everything we have talked about so far, are ways to “passively” monetize your Pinterest profiles. What we will tackle next is how to directly monetize your Pinterest presence.

3. Monetize on Pinterest through an affiliate program for your own products

One of the most widely used methods we’ve already discussed is pinning a product pin or a shoppable pin from your e-commerce website. If you are in fact creating and selling a product, you should consider leveraging the high engagement rate of other users in your niche on Pinterest and asking them to join your affiliate program. These pinners will then promote the products that you are selling in blog posts and etc to promote their affiliate links which help you make more sales. Yes. You do have to manage an affiliate program but the additional sales should more than cover the time it takes to manage.

4. Monetize on Pinterest through affiliate links

If you want to make money on Pinterest without a blog, or a product of your own, or e-commerce site and are scratching your head wondering how to actively monetize your presence on Pinterest, then you can try affiliate marketing.  You earn money through Affiliate Marketing by way of commission.

Using affiliate links is fairly easy. Just get the link from your affiliate program and use it as the link for your pin. The link would contain all the information the e-commerce site would need to track sales lead that came from you. If a lead turns into a sale, you get a commission for referring that customer over to the site.

In the past, Pinterest had removed the ability to share affiliate links, but has improved their spam detection and brought it back. 

The key here, before you get started, is making sure you are being as transparent about your relationship with a brand as possible, and follow all relevant laws and regulations. 

Instagram Live: A Step-by-step Guide for Businesses

 Instagram Live is an incredible channel for driving new followers, engagement, and even selling products. But there are no retakes on Instagram Live – so preparation is everything! We’re covering everything from how to kick off your first Instagram Live to our top tips for hosting next-level broadcasts that drive real value for your business.

Ready to jump right in? It’s time to go live!

Why Should Instagram Live Be Part of Your Strategy?

Going live on Instagram is one of the best ways to connect with your followers in a direct, transparent, and authentic way.

Unlike pre-recorded Instagram Stories, Instagram Live is a totally unedited stream for your followers to tune into and engage with — which can be a great way of showcasing the more human side of your business for your audience to connect with.

And that’s not all. Instagram Live allows your audience to submit their comments and questions in real-time, making it one of Instagram’s most interactive video platforms.

This can be a hugely beneficial tool for building a stronger connection between your brand and potential customers, allowing you to gain valuable feedback and insight — straight from the people that matter most!

Hosting an Instagram Live can also help boost your discoverability on Instagram. For example, every time you go live on Instagram your followers will receive an in-app notification, and your Live will be bumped to the front of their Instagram Stories feed.

With all this in mind, Instagram Live is an awesome tool to promote your products, engage with potential customers, and increase your reach.

TIP: Give your Instagram Live a boost by promoting them on Instagram Stories in advance! Storyboard and schedule your Instagram Stories with Later today, available on all paid plans.

How to Go Live on Instagram: A Step-by-step Guide

Instagram Live is an incredibly easy tool to use! But before you start broadcasting, there are a few administrative items to take care of.

Step 1: Adjust Your Instagram Live Settings

Before you jump into your Instagram Live, it’s a good idea to check your camera settings.

To do so, open the Instagram Live mode view. Then, tap the wheel icon in the top right-hand corner to open your controls.

From here, you can select if you’d like to hide your Live from specific people, along with other tools like which side of the screen you want your camera toolbar to be on.

You can also select one of the icons on the left-hand sidebar to add the title of your Instagram Live, set the audience (either Public or Practice mode), or schedule it for a future time and date.

TIP: Practice mode is a great way to alleviate any technical difficulties or pre-show nerves before you go live (more on that later!).

Step #2: Filter Out Offensive Comments

If you’d rather not see inappropriate words in the comments on your Instagram Live, you can automatically hide offensive comments, and manually filter comments that contain specific words or phrases.

Open your Instagram settings, scroll down to “Privacy,” select “Hidden Words,” and then toggle “Hide comments” from “Off” to “On.”

You can even take it a step further by using the “Advanced comment filtering” option, or manually adding words, phrases, and emojis that you don’t want to see to a list.

And even better, with Instagram’s new “Live Moderator” feature, you can appoint someone to be a moderator during the livestream.

Your moderator will have the power to report comments, remove viewers from the Instagram Live, and turn off comments for a viewer — making one less thing for you to worry about.

Step #3: Check Your Live Stream in Practice Mode

With Instagram’s “Practice Mode” tool you can test out your Live setup in advance.

Before you go live, select the eye icon on the left-hand corner of the screen. Toggle from “Public” to “Practice.” That’s it!

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This feature is perfect for ironing out any kinks before you go live to the masses.

Step #4: Go Live

Once you’re happy with your practice session and ready to go live, it’s quite simple.

Tap the “Live” icon at the bottom of your screen to start your broadcast, and get ready for your close up!

Step #5: Use Instagram Live’s Interactive Features

Once your live is underway, you can choose from a number of features to make your broadcast more engaging:

Share questions from your viewers to the screen by tapping the question mark-speech bubble icon at the bottom of the screen. You can only share a question once a viewer has submitted it during the broadcast.

Send a Direct Message to someone about your Instagram Live by tapping the paper plane icon at the bottom of the screen.

Invite someone to co-host your Instagram Live by tapping the person icon at the bottom of the screen.

Apply an Instagram Stories filter to your broadcast by tapping the filter icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Tap “Comment” to add a comment to the live stream. You can also pin a comment to the top of the feed by tapping and holding it.

Disable your video feed by tapping the camera icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

You can also share an image or video to your broadcast screen.

First, tap the picture icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen:

Then, choose an image or video from your photo library:

TIP: Use this feature to share educational content like an infographic or a collection of recent photos. Think of it as giving a mini live presentation!

Step #6: End the Live Broadcast

Once your Live is over, tap “End” in the top right corner and then “End Now” to confirm.

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From here, you can tap the save icon in the top left to save it to your camera roll to re-use elsewhere. You can choose a cover, write a caption, add a location, and tag other users.

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We love repurposed content.

How to Host a Great Instagram Live

Now that you know how to go live, we can dig into what makes for a really great strategy!

Here are our top 6 tips for hosting next-level Instagram Lives that drive real value for your brand:

Tip #1: Hype Up Your Instagram Live in Advance

Regularly and strategically promoting an upcoming Instagram Live can make all of the difference when it comes to securing those all important views!

You can now schedule an Instagram Live up to 90 days in advance, which is great for building hype and creating more of an “event” out of your upcoming broadcast.

By scheduling a Live, you can share reminders and countdowns directly to your their Instagram Stories and feed.

Tell your audience what they can expect in the live broadcast, and invite them to share any questions they have in the comments. This can help your followers feel more engaged, and ultimately more likely to tune in.

Tip #2: Go Live When Your Audience is Most Active

Going live when your followers are most active is one of the easiest ways to make your Instagram Lives more successful.

But how can you predict when your audience will be online ahead of time? The best way to do this is by studying historical data trends to understand when your audience are typically most active on Instagram.

Take a look at your Instagram Insights. Under the Audience tab, you’ll find a breakdown of when your followers are most active online broken down by day of the week and time of day.

And if you’re looking for even more detail, you can use your Later Analytics to hone in on your audience’s behaviors.

Your Later analytics dashboard has a super-detailed breakdown of when your audience is online — and you can use that info to tailor your 

Tip #3: Consider Your Lighting and Location

Planning the location and lighting for your Instagram Live can have a huge impact on how professional your broadcast looks.

Consider how the backdrop of your Instagram Live supports your brand’s message. For example, a minimal white setting with plants will create a totally different aesthetic to a wall with scrapbook-style photos on it.

If your brand is fun and playful, consider how to reflect that with your use of color. For example, a bright pop of pastel can instantly shift the tone of your Instagram Live and make it feel more on brand.

In terms of lighting, natural light is always the most affordable (and often the best) option.

Tip #4: Have a Clear Content Plan

As with any video content, it’s super important to have a clear vision of what you’re going to cover in your Instagram Live broadcast. Having a clear plan will help prevent any awkward pauses, and will also make sure you’re hitting all the important points for your business agenda.

One of the best ways to plan your live stream is to think of it as having a beginning, middle, and an end — or more specifically, an introduction, focal point, and conclusion — and making a note of the most important messages to get across during the broadcast.

It’s also a good idea to consider what could go wrong in a “worst case scenario.” For example, if your live broadcast relies on viewers’ questions, have a backup plan in case you don’t receive any. This could be a list of questions that you’ve gathered earlier from Instagram Stories, or an alternate talking point.

Tip #5: Introduce Branded Elements

One of the main advantages of going live on Instagram is that you’re providing an unedited and direct channel for your audience to engage with your business.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t introduce some branded elements to make your live broadcast feel more aligned with your brand values.

This could be as simple as having cue cards in your brand color palette, holding a branded mug, or choosing a backdrop that fits with your creative aesthetic.

At Later, we’ve created a range of branded templates especially to use on our Instagram Live broadcasts — with a colored border in exactly the right place for the camera screen to sit on top of in the top right hand corner.

Tip #6: Keep Your Business Goals Front and Center

There are hundreds of reasons to go live, so nailing down what matters the most can help keep your broadcast focused, effective, and measurable!

This could be building hype around the launch of a product, spreading the news about an important company update, getting real-time customer feedback, driving sales for an existing product line, or positioning your brand as an expert on a certain domain.

With clearly defined goals, you can regularly step back and make sure your Instagram Live content plan is fully supporting them.

How to Repurpose Instagram Live Videos

Once you’ve ended an Instagram Live, the fun doesn’t have to end there!

Tap the “Share” button to repurpose your Live as an Instagram Video. Live broadcasts have to be at least 1 minute in length in order to be shared.

If you haven’t started using Instagram Live for business yet, now is the time!

Only a small percentage of businesses are going live, so there’s a ton of opportunity to grab your followers’ attention, build brand awareness, and even make some sales!

4 Signs That You Are a Truly Happy Entrepreneur

 The life of an entrepreneur is full of contradictions. The data says that they are happier than everyone else — yet they work long hours and make less money. Are people just telling researchers they are happier to cheer themselves on or is their happiness real?

Based on my experience starting my own consulting firm, I think the happiness is real. How so? Helping companies develop growth strategies is an intriguing challenge — but when someone else is telling me exactly how, where, and when to do what, I find it very frustrating. When I control how I do the work it becomes exhilarating.

I don’t know why entrepreneurs are happier than others. What does that even mean and in what ways do the negatives and positives of entrepreneurship lead to greater happiness? Here are four tests of whether you are enjoying true entrepreneurial happiness.

1. Does your passion overpower the stress?

Entrepreneurs are happier with their life and work. That’s the conclusion of a review of 100 academic studies on entrepreneurship and well-being by Ute Stephan, professor of entrepreneurship at King’s College London, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Entrepreneurs’ higher level of happiness is not absolute. That’s because their passion for their work causes them to work longer, to lose sleep, and feel more stress. Yet their sense of doing something important and being their own boss outweigh those negatives, according to Stephan.

If you identify with this mix of positives and negatives, you’ve passed this test of true entrepreneurial happiness.

2. Are you striving for the right amount of growth?

Entrepreneurial happiness does not rise as your company gets bigger. A Swedish study of 1,000 small business found that owners of small businesses were no less happy than those who run larger ones.

How so? While those who lead larger companies have higher financial satisfaction, they also suffer more stress due to more work and less free time. A small firm entrepreneur dreaming of running a bigger company may underestimate the way these negatives neutralize the fun of hiring people and earning more money, noted the Journal.

Every entrepreneur has a different level of stress they are willing to bear in order to make more money. If you are striving for the right amount of growth, you pass this second test.

3. Does your job satisfaction outweigh your leisure satisfaction?

When entrepreneurs get started, they tend to expect to be rewarded with greater happiness five years hence.

A survey of 1,000 German entrepreneurs between 1991 and 2013, found that they were less happy five years later than they had predicted they would be. That’s because they were working over five hours more each week in year five than they had predicted they would.

The remedy for this entrepreneurial ailment is to start off your venture with both a business plan and a life plan, explained study author, Alois Stutzer, professor of political economy at the University of Basel in Switzerland, according to the Journal. Do this the right way and you will pass this third test.

4. Does being your own boss boost autonomy and meaning?

My reasons for happiness in starting Peter S. Cohan & Associates are consistent with academic research. Stephan surveyed 22,000 people in 16 European countries and found that their happiness over the previous two weeks was higher than that of wage earners due to two factors — they found profound meaning in their work and they enjoyed decision-making freedom.

If entrepreneurship’s meaning and autonomy make you happy, you pass this fourth test.

If you pass all four of these tests, your entrepreneurial journey is making you happier than wage earners are. If not, change your approach to entrepreneurship or go back to the corporate grind.