How to create or maintain a buildable business

productivity

Jun 4

7 deadly sins of small businesses and how to avoid

READ TIME: 5:41

You’ve heard it before:
“Work smarter, not harder.”
Cue the eye roll 🙄 Bc, how exactly?

This post won’t win any SEO awards—no one’s typing in “how to create a scalable business from scratch that doesn’t eat me alive”—but I’m not writing this for the Google robots (hey guys 🤖). I’m writing this bc this is the stuff we should all be talking about.

If I were to start over again (and now that I’ve figured this out, I just might), this post is the list I’d tape to my monitor.

Because the truth is:
Starting a business is exciting.
But building something where all the pieces work together like they’re supposed to? That’s the real challenge.

Let’s talk about the 7 business-building mistakes that made everything harder than it had to be—and how you can avoid them altogether.

““The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.””

— Hans Hofmann

Working as a web designer gives us a front-row seat to how all kinds of businesses are built—and let me tell you, it’s never just about the website.

We’re often pulled into messaging, strategy, automation, logistics, and more. Because when you're that close to your own business, it’s hard to see what others see.

Does it make sense? Is it too complicated? Can these wildly different offers actually work together?

Before you know it, things get tangled.

If I had one piece of advice, it’s this: keep your business simple and buildable.

By buildable, I mean something that grows with you—without constant reinvention or digital clutter.
A business with:

Systems that evolve instead of overwhelm
Offers you can refine, not reinvent
Messaging that gets clearer over time
A website that works today and scales with you tomorrow

Stop piling on. Stop switching gears midway. Stop looking for short cuts. Go back to the basics and build a foundation strong enough to hold more—when you’re ready.

01 | Creating offers for the wrong reasons

Not because people everyone else is doing.
Not because they solve a specific problem.
Not even because they align with your long-term goals.

Just because everyone else is doing it. Or because it sounds fun. Or because you saw a viral post about it.

Here’s the fix:
Start by solving a real problem. Create offers based on what your people are already asking for—then infuse them with your unique twist. Validation before creation.

02 | Trying to sound smart instead of being clear

Messaging gets muddled so fast.
You want to sound credible, professional, and like you know your stuff. But in trying to sound impressive, we often just end up sounding confusing.

Your dream clients don’t speak in marketing jargon. They’re just looking for someone who gets them.

This might be the one thing I talk to clients about more than anything. You want to use their words, so that when they land on your website they feel like you’ve been reading their mind.

Here’s the fix:
Mirror their language. Use words they’d type into Google. Say what they’re thinking—then show them you have the solution.

03 | All-in or all-out on automations

Yes, automation is amazing. But if you don’t have leads or sales yet, what exactly are you automating?

Setting up complex systems too early WILL backfire. You’ve got to go through a lot of this manually

Here’s the fix:
Only automate the essentials:

A way to collect leads
A way to follow up
A way to schedule a call

That’s it. Keep it lean.

04 | Building before you test

You do not need a 9-part email funnel or a full course buildout before you’ve worked with even one client.

Trying to automate everything before you’ve run it manually? Pause - take a beat. Don’t build out your systems or processes before you have a client. That’s a fast track to sending cringey emails, wasting time and creating complicated processes that you can’t stick with - and will probably confuse your clients.

Here’s the fix:
Test the offer in real life. Talk to people. Deliver it manually. Learn what works. Then build your backend around that.

05 | Not having a solid marketing plan

You’ve got the offer. You’ve got the system. Now you’re just waiting for people to show up and buy.

…But they won’t. Not if they don’t know you exist.
Visibility isn’t optional. It’s oxygen.

Here’s the fix:
Don’t be on every platform. Start with ONE. Sure, create a profile on whatever channels you want. That’ll make it easier for people to find you, for sure. But you don’t have to participate or post beyond that on all of them. Have all those channels point to ONE place (your website), and offer value with every post you do make.

06 | Winging the backend admin stuff

Listen—bookkeeping, taxes, contracts, calendars, file storage, task management… these aren’t fun at first. But if you don’t put some kind of system in place early, you’ll be drowning in sticky notes and missed emails by month two.

Here’s the fix:
Don’t overthink it.
Use templates.
Set up repeatable systems.
Keep your files organized.
Even a simple spreadsheet for client details is better than nothing.

The good news is that these bits are truly ‘set it and forget it’ kinds of tasks. Good admin will help you look more legit AND free up mental space so you can focus on the parts of your business you actually love.

07 | Waiting to build a website

This is where everything comes together.

No, you don’t need a full-blown site with bells and whistles—but you also don’t need to wait on this. What you do need a clear, strategic home base for your business.

Here’s the fix:
Start with one clear, focused service page that says exactly what you do, speaks to your ideal client, answers questions and makes it easy for them to take action.

Done right, your website becomes your best salesperson: clear, consistent, and always on. It removes pressure from you and creates a frictionless path for your clients.

BONUS: Going too fast and letting things get out of hand.

I know—I.HAVE.BEEN.THERE. You see what everyone else is doing and think you need to get there too - as fast as possible. This ~*~probably~*~ should have been sin #1.

Trying to build too fast only led to chaos. My idea client was… everyone. My offers were all over the place. Which made my SEO scattered. Which meant Google was confused on what I was trying to do. (heck, I was too!)

The weird part was I started scheduling discovery calls for jobs I didn’t even do! I was too afraid to say no to someone who wanted to pay me. Then I was learning things on the fly, which took me even farther from where I wanted to be.

But everything clicked into place when I scaled down my offers to ONE main thing, started talking to ONE right-fit client, and had ONE sales goal in mind, and made my website the central hub of everything.

Which is why I came up with the ONE x FOUR METHOD:

One offer. Something you can explain in a single sentence—and confidently deliver.
One audience. The more specific, the better. Speak to one person, not the room.
One goal. Book the call. Sell the thing. Grow the list. Choose one.
One marketing channel. Show up where it makes sense—and make it sustainable.

When your business is simple and buildable, you can see what’s working (and what’s not). You gain momentum without burning out. You also create space—to pivot, evolve, or scale without scrapping everything.

You might be thinking… ‘Megan this is great, but I’m already there. It’s chaos and I’m drowning”

Good news: we can untangle. Here’s how:

Audit your offers. Cut what’s draining you—or confusing your people.
Revisit your audience. Are you still speaking their language? Hang out in message boards, listen in, and pay attention to what they actually say.
Streamline your tools. Simplify the tech, the steps, the processes. Add in the lead and follow-up automations mentioned above.
Refocus your site. Every page should lead to one clear action.
Remove, delete, eliminate anything that doesn’t serve you.

Reminder: You don’t have to go big to go pro. A buildable business is simple, strategic, and designed to grow with you—not in spite of you.

📌 Bookmark this post if you’re in the messy middle.
🧠 Share it with a friend who’s overwhelmed by all the “shoulds.”
🛠️ And if you want a shortcut to a website that actually works for your business (not against it), check out my Website Templates. They’re designed to grow with you.

Or grab my free Website Workbook to get started the smart way.

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* Resources I might have mentioned

Start a free trial with my preferred email marketing platform, Kit
get 30% off your first payment with Dubsado after the free trial (click HERE for a free setup guide)
Free Canva Pro credits when you sign up for a free account to make your promo materials
Get your legal stuff in place with affordable and customizable legal templates through the Boutique Lawyer

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Howdy friend! I’m glad you’re here.
Around these parts, you’ll find online support for home-grown businesses who want to make more money with their websites and newsletters.
When I’m not wrangling kids, I’m likely drinking my 4th cup of coffee while scouring the world wide web to bring you the latest content on marketing, automations, messaging, simplifying…. so you can close that laptop, be more present, and make more money.
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