I've helped dozens of small business owners go from zero to their first 100 customers. The same three mistakes come up almost every time.

1. You're marketing to everyone.

"Anyone who needs [my product]" is not a target audience. The businesses that grow fastest pick one specific person and speak directly to their pain. A fitness coach saying "I help busy dads lose 20lbs in 12 weeks" will always outperform "I help people get fit."

2. You're building before you're selling.

You don't need a perfect website, a polished brand, or 50 pieces of content before you start selling. You need 10 conversations with real potential customers this week. DMs, calls, coffee chats — whatever gets you in front of them.

3. You're switching channels too fast.

Organic social → paid ads → email → SEO → back to social. Pick ONE channel, get it working, then expand. If you're starting from scratch, pick the platform where your customers already spend time and go deep for 90 days.

If this resonates, MarketMind is where I break down the full playbook — weekly strategies, live coaching, and a community of business owners all working toward the same goal.