You Can Totally Pull Off a Launch (And Success Isn't Dependent Upon Five Or Six Figures)

Entrepreneurs seem to have an endless supply of ideas for new products and services. What they often lack is the follow through to take an idea into a sellable format and the marketing 'know how' to back it up.

You may be living this experience right now. You have a pretty good solution to a pretty common problem. But you don't know how to get it in front of the ideal buyers. You rack your brain for some genius ideas, but overwhelm hits and you're unsure about where to begin marketing.

Confusion or resignation might be the next phase. Slowly your fire burns out and you go back to offering the stuff you always offer hoping to be discovered one day.

The only way to get discovered is to make a decision to be noticed, follow through and get a little help.

One of the best (and easiest) ways to do this is to do a launch. What's a launch? It's a campaign to get a single product or service in front of people who feel they need to have it right now. And the energy around a launch is one of excitement and urgency.

You've seen how Apple launches its new iPhones and iPads, right? First you see blogs, new reports and articles with hints of the forthcoming product. Then Apple officially announces when the product will be available. Next they take preorders.

And bam! The products hit the Apple stores and you see lines wrapped around the block with eager buyers. Apple claimed they sold 9 million iPhones the first weekend they were available in their last launch. Not shabby.

But you're not Apple. And launching a new product like they do probably won't work. There are tons of articles on how to have a successful launch (I researched them). But none take into account small businesses like you who don't necessarily excel in marketing and don't have a ton of dough to create a launch that puts you on the map.

Have no fear. You do not -- I repeat, do not! -- have to be a marketing maven or have something as hot as the iPhone 5S to have a happy and wealthy launch.

Here's a checklist to see if you're ready to launch. Notice that the first several are all about your inner game.

* Have a burning desire for more customers and clients
* Are willing to learn and stretch into new territory
* Believe that your product or service is awesome
* Are open to receiving support and upgrading your financial set point
* Feel ready to invest time to plan, strategize and get creative
* Are committed to marketing in a way that feels authentic to you and your brand (no matter how much the experts tell you otherwise)
* Have beta tested your product or service with great results (people love it and you have a system for delivering)
* Have a mentor or consultant to help you strategize for success based on your desired outcomes

Launching is easy when you make choices based on what feels good and taking your time to plan. And contrary to common belief, you can have success without a big mailing list or big strategic partners to promote you.

There are creative ways to get around your business's weak areas. Tap into your inner business expert to begin the process. And don't forget, launching a new (or old) offer can be just the spark you need to have a happy and profitable business.