When we think of legacy, we usually think of ‘what will people say about me when I die’. Which translates to: Did I live a good life? Did I make a difference?
In business, those same thoughts translate as ‘Did I make an impact? Did I transform lives? And How is my business bigger than me?’
Being clear on the legacy that you are building is life changing - as it becomes the compass for all your decisions and focuses your actions in the right direction. You can share your legacy vision with your team so that they are also on the same page- and when you do this they will be much more focused as they feel like they are part of a bigger mission.
Why would you want to build a legacy?
Being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster. You work harder than you did in the career you left behind: you work long hours, you’re constantly learning, and making money with your expertise is - let’s be honest- hard. Once we figure that out, we’re learning how to hire, how to scale and how to balance. Because building, growing and scaling a business comes with sacrifices. It may be sleep, it may be time with your loved ones or it may be dropping all your hobbies as you drive forward for success.
And can I just say *there is nothing wrong with ANY of the above*.
However, if we are putting all this blood, sweat and tears into our businesses- then surely, don’t we want it all to matter rather than just making us money?
I know I do. I came to my business KNOWING that my expertise could REALLY help people- and that is my top priority. My mission (just in case we haven’t met before) is to change the stats around online education AND women building wealth.
With my 15 year background in education AND 3 years spent as an online business manager to multi 6 and 7 figure businesses, I KNOW that LEGACY is the missing piece. Because when things get tough, you need a bigger purpose than making money.
So, here is what it takes to build a business legacy with your expertise:
Elevating client results.
Businesses with a great legacy focus on the results their clients get. Not just for great sales copy but because they are invested. Why? Because they know that when a client gets great results they are more likely to make another purchase, therefore increasing profits.
This does not mean that it is your responsibility to get your clients results- instead it means that you have done everything you can to set your clients up for success. It takes establishing your own unique method to get results and ensuring there is access to everything those clients need so that they get those results. It means being an expert not only in your field but also your own clients' results- how they got them, what it took so that you can embed it into your program curriculums.
However, results are not in isolation.
Create a supportive client experience.
Businesses with legacy as their focus ensure that every time their clients interact with their business they get a great service. In a group program, as a minimum would look like: calls are on time, that recordings are available and are accessible to all. That there are plenty of ways to join the call- you get the gist.
The client experience enhances the clients getting results. This would include that there are specific places to ask questions and they get responses within a specific frame time. That the curriculum and learning material are easily accessible, so that learning is simple and easy to implement.
And the team are just as invested- so that every touch point is an extension of a touch point with you. The overall idea is that if your students are unlikely to see immediate results, the experience is SO great, they still feel like they are getting a great learning experience, so will continue to engage in the curriculum.
Have innovative leadership.
To create a legacy, it has a top down approach and comes from confident leadership. They have a clear plan for creating the legacy, what it looks like in their business and importantly HOW they will make it happen. The CEO recognises their is a bigger mission than the revenue- it is about making a wider impact.
At an industry level this would be making an impact with your expertise and becoming an authority. Developing it deeper rather than broader. This involves experimenting with the way you do things, so that you can truly revolutionise your industry by changing the ‘norms’ . At the business level this includes how you lead your team, alongside leading your clients to consistent results. And crucially, it's also on a personal level- how you lead yourself as the CEO of your business and your life to ensure you get results.
The key is that all three elements are present and are not created in isolation- and that they are seen as the foundations. As all businesses are unique there may be additional features that will ensure your authority in your industry.
And if you're not sure what it may look like, look to the offline world. Think of a business that you know and think about the legacy they are building. What lessons can you bring from them to your own business?
Interested in digging deeper into the results you could get in your expert business? Book a call to see what’s the next right step to building your business legacy
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Rachel Aiken is a Business Scaling Strategist who works with female experts to innovate client results and become a leader in their industry so that they can build a meaningful business legacy.