Well we’re about to head into the home straight of 2016 and I don’t know about you, but I’m winding down, reflecting on my year and putting plans into place for a cracker of a 2017.

Looking back is such an important step in the entrepreneurial journey as we get to celebrate our wins and reflect on our learnings.

We also get to see the things we did well that we can build on more in order to grow our businesses and grow as individuals.

This time last year I was running two separate brands, an eco baby retail business and an eco living education business.

I had a combined list size of around 7,500 and I was managing this all in ….. Mailchimp.

Sure, I had automated sequences to guide subscribers through funnels and courses, but people were doubled up on different lists and I had manual notes in my diary to remind me to move subscribers from one sequence to another at set points in time.

It was crazy and it was doing my head, my energy levels, and my overall happiness in!!!

I knew if I was to be serious about growing my business and making the positive impact I wanted to make in the world, I needed to get serious about my systems.

So when planning my goals for 2016, new business systems, not surprisingly, were top of my list.

Early this year I investigated the different software programs available to manage my susbcribers, sequences and opt in pages and after evaluating the different options, I chose Ontraport.

And I can’t tell you how happy I am that I made this choice. In fact, I’m going to make a big call and declare that it was the best decision I made in my business this year (following on from 2015 when I decided to simplify my business and sell my retail brand)!

I chose Ontraport because it was user friendly and had the ability to build opt in pages (or even stand-alone sales pages). This meant I could simplify and get rid of other software in my toolkit, like my Lead Pages subscription (saving over $400 / year).

Due to the size of my list, I was already paying Mailchimp over $200 a month, so Ontraport just made sense. I’d be paying less for more!

By April this year, with the help of a consultant, I’d made the transition and I could now focus on growing my following and supporting my subscribers in creating a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

And grow I did.

Using Ontraport and the power of automation, I’ve grown my list to just under 17,000 subscribers.

That’s a 226% increase in 7 months!!!

This increase has flowed through to my products, and my balance sheet, too.

I’ve experienced more enrolments in my eco living programs, more people changing the way they live, and more money raised for the charities I support (in the next few weeks time I’ll drop 50 eco pamper packs to a women’s domestic violence shelter in Port Augusta).

It’s basically meant I’ve been able to make more positive impact in the world, which is what I’m all about.

Due to my business growth, last month I received an invitation from Ontraport to undergo intense training to become an Ontraport Consultant. Their platform has undergone massive growth this year (which isn’t surprisingly considering how freakin’ good it is) and they’re reaching out to their largest customers to help support the growing number of entrepreneurs making the switch.

I figured it would be a perfect match with my Conscious Coaching services, so after lengthy discussions with my husband Paul I’ve decided to take up this opportunity and next weekend I’ll leave him and the boys and will fly to Sydney to spend a week alongside some of the world’s best online marketers to make this happen.

And I can’t tell you how excited I am!

If getting smarter about your systems and growing your following in order to amplify the positive impact you’re making in the world are top of your biz priorities for 2017, I’d love to help you achieve these.

If you’re ready to step up and make a bigger impact in the world, join the FREE Conscious Biz Creators Community on Facebook to discuss how to make 2017 your biggest year yet.

And before you do, I’d like you to consider what a 226% growth in your list between now and July 2017 could do for your business. I bet it would transform it and your life too!!

P.S. Ready to take your idea to IMPACT? Book a FREE Strategy Session with me here or join my FREE Conscious Biz Creators Community on Facebook to get the strategies and support you need to create a thriving and profitable conscious business. 

P.S.S. Regardless of whether or not you use Ontraport, my killer list-building strategies apply to every business in the online space, including yours. 😉

So tell me, if you’re in business, what was the best decision you made this year?

 

Laura