Do you ever think your business would be more successful if you had a clone?
Imagine having someone else who could do all the things you do not have time to do, or being in two places at once. Although we are a long way from being able to create “Mini You,” there are ways to replicate elements of your business and expand your reach within your market or to new markets.
Clone Your Products
Create new products as spin-offs of your current line. You might have these products custom manufactured, or private label existing products. For example, if you sell a skin care line you developed, you could private label complimentary products such as lipstick, eye shadow and mascara.
If you sell a service, package it in new ways. For example, instead of one-on-one private sessions, offer group consulting or present a seminar. Record the seminar and sell the audio recording on CDs to create an additional product.
Clone Your Ideas
Instead of creating new products yourself, license your ideas to someone else in return for a fee or royalty. Almost any kind of intellectual property may be licensed, from inventions to designs, processes, writing, etc.
Clone Your Knowledge
Turn what you know into a product or service and teach others how to do what you do. This might mean consulting, leading seminars or workshops, creating a self-study course or writing a book. If you are afraid of creating too much competition, teach something that is not specific to your industry, such as sales techniques. For maximum cloning effect, create a book or self-study course that does not involve trading your hours for dollars.
Clone Your Retail Outlet
Open another location, or expand your current store. You may do this yourself, or provide low cost franchise opportunities to others.
Clone Your Web Site
Affiliate marketing allows you to sell your products through Web sites owned by others. You need software to manage the program, and the cost can range from under a hundred dollars to thousands. Some shopping cart systems have affiliate tracking built in, such as the one I use at http//www.ShoppingCartAndMore.com/.
When someone signs up to be an affiliate, they get a link with a unique code. They place the code on their Web sites. When a visitor clicks through and buys, the affiliate earns a commission. Having an affiliate program can lead to more brand awareness and more sales by putting your products on dozens, hundreds or thousands of Web sites.
Clone Yourself
Create more productive hours by hiring someone who also does what you do, or someone who can take over routine tasks and free more time for you to spend on sales, management or billable tasks. Or hire a salesperson to bring in more clients. Use your time doing what you do best, and in ways that have the highest value to your business.
Implementing even one or two of these ideas can bring an immediate increase in revenues and profits.
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