Competition in the coaching, online education and transformation industries is incredibly fierce. Just browse your Facebook feed and count how many ads and boosted posts you see for these products. There’s an endless barrage of new talking heads offering their expertise and insight into topics where people seek help. And there’s even a growing number of online courses and coaching services to help you create a better online course.
But there’s no denying we’ve reached peak saturation in the transformation industry. And that means many Luminaries are no longer seeing the big return on their effort they have been. From increased competition with solopreneurs, and now major companies entering the market to the rising cost of simply running your business, profit margins are shrinking. If you’ve noticed, the cost of Facebook ads alone, one of the primary funnels for clients, has increased 122% year over year. There’s been a business paradigm shift, and we need to control it.
“Unless these issues are addressed, there’s going to be an extinction level event for small businesses in the transformation industry,” predicts Callan Rush. “And everyone’s gonna lose when that happens.”
The DIY downfall
The transformation industry today is only possible because of the new millennium’s technology. Because without the communication revolution, the transformation industry wouldn’t even exist.
How? Because social media lets thought leaders become their own media outlets. Webcams empower solopreneurs to create their own content studios. Internet calling apps allow for face-to-face interaction with clients and customers across the entire world. Smartphones mean coaches are always in their clients’ pockets. Ecommerce platforms simplify a retailer’s need for a massive warehouse and shipping department to just a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection. And fintech platforms replace entire accounting departments with easy-to-use UX optimized interfaces.
These tools put Luminaries in a position to single-handedly build an audience and business from scratch. But without a staff and from the comfort of their own homes. And this movement also provides opportunities for even more transformation business products.
On the downside, the DIY sensibility that spawned the industry created inefficiencies. And as the market matures, solopreneurs are finding it increasingly difficult to compete without a major mindshift.
The power of shared infrastructure
Just look at the day-to-day operation of your business. And the people, tools, equipment and trainings you’ve invested in to run it.
Maybe you manage your own social media? Have in-house graphic designers or salespeople? Do you file your own taxes? Pay for your own CRM? Or own tools and equipment that you only use occasionally? All of these comprise the infrastructure of your business. But some of these elements might be holding you back, taking time from your focus on the overall mission, or costing you more money than really necessary.
Put another way, you could ask, “Why does every house on the block have it’s own lawn mower? And is that necessary or efficient?”
In most cases the answer is “no.” Fifteen individual lawnmowers is neither necessary nor efficient. A better approach? Your block collectively negotiates with a landscaping service to manage everyone’s lawn. Now not only do you not own or maintain a lawnmower, you’ve also delegated a task that someone else can easily do. (And you’re likely supporting another small business!)
Succeeding as a community
You may already benefit from the use of some shared infrastructure. There are many high-price CRM and database platforms that let customers share logins or create numerous credentials to mitigate cost. Or maybe there is one freelance graphic designer or photographer that everyone in your network seems to use and refer. And don’t forget the success of WeWork.
This business paradigm shift towards community collaboration as opposed to pure solo initiative is happening. Consciously coming together to share resources isn’t only crucial to grow your businesses but also to survive as an industry.
So what do you need? And more importantly, what are you ready to share?
The views and opinions expressed are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of MindShift.money.
image credit: Bigstock/Flynt
Dustin Clendenen is a big picture thinker with an obsessive attention to detail. As a writer, editor and publicist, Dustin passionately promotes social good, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. He’s based in Los Angeles, CA and studied writing at Columbia College Chicago.