"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." — Theodore Roosevelt

5 Mistakes That Can Topple Your Business

Running a business is no small feat, and learning from mistakes is part of the journey. Here are five critical mistakes that I've personally made and learned from over the years.

1. Not Focusing: Appealing to Everyone = Appealing to No One

Many businesses make the mistake of trying to offer a suite of solutions to appeal to a broad audience. However, this often leads to a diluted message and a complicated offer, leaving potential clients feeling overwhelmed and disqualified. The key is to narrow your focus. Identify your core strengths and target a specific audience that can benefit most from what you offer. By simplifying your services and honing in on a niche, you create a more compelling and understandable value proposition.

Focused image from Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA

Imagine you’re at a buffet with every type of cuisine imaginable. While it sounds great, it’s overwhelming. You can’t decide what to eat, and you end up with a mishmash of flavors that don’t go well together. This is how potential clients feel when you offer too many services. By narrowing your focus, you become a specialty restaurant that people visit because they know exactly what you’re great at. Simplifying your offerings creates a more compelling and understandable value proposition.

2. Relying on Manual Tasks

Manual tasks are often necessary when you're just starting out, but as your business grows, they can become a bottleneck. You should develop good intuition and gather hard data to identify what’s working and what’s not. Use these insights to automate repetitive tasks. Implementing automated follow-up, appointment reminders, AI solutions, outreach, and nurture campaigns can keep your interactions with customers and prospects personalized without the need for manual follow-up. This provides a consistent and standardized experience for your audience, which is easier to track and adapt.

3. Looking for the Big Levers

When tackling major problems like improving client acquisition or increasing ROI, it’s tempting to look for big, game-changing ideas. However, most substantial results often come from small, incremental changes. These "micro changes" can have a significant impact. For instance, tweaking the wording in an email subject line, adjusting your target audience, or starting a meeting differently can yield better outcomes. Focus on identifying small levers in your or your clients’ businesses that can drive substantial improvements.

Photo of 7th St. in Santa Monica, CA

4. Underestimating the Power of a Question

Having someone to bounce ideas off or ask quick questions can make a huge difference in business. Don't underestimate the value of a trusted advisor or mentor. They can provide new perspectives and help you understand whether a particular pursuit is worthwhile or how to adapt it for better results. Building a network of knowledgeable people to consult can be the difference between success and failure.

5. Listening

As solutionists, our job is to find the most effective and cost-efficient solutions possible. To do this, we must deeply understand the issues our teams, clients, or prospects face. This means asking questions and truly listening to the answers. By understanding their problems intimately, you can develop solutions that genuinely address their needs. When people feel heard, they are more likely to listen to your ideas and solutions in return.

Photo of Palos Verdes Peninsula from Redondo Beach's Esplanade in LA

Simplify. Scale. Succeed.

At Angel City, our motto is simple: Simplify. Scale. Succeed. Our primary goal is to make our clients' lives and jobs easier. By simplifying processes, we create less complicated workflows, more focused campaigns, and easier KPIs to track. One of my mentors once told me, "Simple scales." This principle is at the heart of everything we do. Simplifying not only benefits our clients but also makes our jobs more manageable and effective.

By avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on simplicity, you can set your business up for sustained success. Remember, it's the small, thoughtful changes that often make the biggest difference.

If you're ready to transform your marketing the right way—the simple way—then book a call with us. We'd love to discuss your business and your goals.