Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or a small business owner looking to scale your revenue to new heights? The journey to success is often filled with twists, turns, and valuable lessons, and can sometimes be overwhelming on how to get to that next level. I’ve personally gone from barely surviving freelancer to thriving multi-six figure studio owner, but it didn’t happen over night. It’s been a long journey over the last seven years, but I have learned so much that I know can help you hit your next revenue milestone without any of the headaches. Having a roadmap can significantly improve your chances of hitting those desired revenue milestones sooner, rather than later.

From personal experience [and learning from some mistakes I’ve made] let’s dive into the strategies that I would use to reach revenue milestones of $5k, $10k, $20k, $30k, and even $50k per month.

I also go over all of this and more on the Behind the Design podcast in Episode 71. The Secret to Your First 100k Year, Quarter, or Month.

Hit your first $5k month:

1. Streamline Your Services: As you get started, focus on one core service offering that you excel at and are passionate about. Don’t dilute your efforts by offering too many services right away. Specializing in one area will help you become known for your expertise and build a strong foundation.
2. Create an Impressive Online Presence: A well-designed website with a captivating portfolio, clear services, and easy-to-find contact information is essential. Showcase your best work and use conceptual projects to demonstrate your skills to potential clients.
3. Marketing is Key: In the early stages, put significant effort into marketing your business – utilize social media, content marketing, networking, and collaborations to get the word out about your services. Remember, you’re just getting started so you have to show up consistently – people won’t know about you if you’re not marketing yourself.

Hit your first $10k month:

1. Refine Your Brand Message: Hone in on your messaging, ideal clients, and market positioning. Clearly communicate the value you provide and why your services stand out from the competition.
2. Consistent and Elevated Marketing: It’s time to level up your marketing with more targeted and elevated campaigns. Consistency is crucial to stay on your audience’s radar.
3. Stick to Your Core Offering: You’ve gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to make more so you feel like you need to offer more to keep it going. Trust me, resist the temptation to introduce a plethora of services prematurely. Focus on what you do best and continue to build a reputation in that area.

Hit your first $20k month:

1. Trim and Optimize Your Offering: Refine your core service offering and consider increasing your prices to reflect your growing expertise and demand. Sometimes, less is more.
2. Expand Your Team: You’re probably noticing a significant increase to your workload – in order to maintain high-quality services and on-time deliverables, it’s time to hire an associate designer or a project manager. Whether on a part-time or per-project basis, delegating tasks will become crucial at this point in your business growth.
3. Establish Efficient Systems: If you haven’t already, don’t wait any longer on developing internal systems and processes – this will enhance the client experience and ensure consistency in service delivery. You can shop all my templates HERE.

Hit your first $30k month:

1. Automations are Key: You’re scaling, and now you want to handle more clients and increase your revenue but you don’t want to compromise your time or quality of work. Setting up automations allows you to streamline repetitive tasks – saving you time and empowering you to deliver a consistently high standard of service to your clients.
2. Plan for Growth: You’ve already added a team member or two, now is the time to evaluate the roles for your team and plan for future expansion. Having a clear vision of the team’s structure will facilitate smooth growth and simplify the process of adding more members when the time comes.
3. Reconnect with Your Purpose: As you reach higher revenue levels, it’s easy to want to continue to scale, but you don’t want to do so at the expense of losing sight of why you started this business in the first place. Take time to revisit your “why” and realign with your big vision and goals. Stay motivated and focused on your passions.

Hit your first $50k month:

1. Elevate Client Experience: This is a passion of mine, and something I think you should do well before hitting the $50k threshold, but it’s a vital step to take now if you haven’t already! Ensuring every touchpoint with clients is exceptional – from improving proposals to sales calls to onboarding and post-project follow-ups – the client experience is your gateway to fostering long-term relationships and higher referral rates.
2. Diversify Income Streams: You’ve been zoned in on limited service offerings so you could become an expert and position yourself as such, but you’ve probably also reached your cap of time availability. Developing a product and marketing strategy to generate passive income will be the catalyst to transforming your current revenue stream.
3. Pursue Big Vision Goals: As your business grows, so should your focus. Shifting your energy to significant projects and connections that align with your long-term goals will help you avoid unnecessary distractions and allow you to really dial in on the next steps for your business.
4. Address Money Mindset: It’s a real thing, friend. Take time to become aware of any limiting beliefs or false narratives you may have about money. Embrace a positive money mindset so you can propel yourself towards further success.

While it’s a thrilling journey, hitting revenue milestones requires dedication, focus, and strategic planning. This roadmap will guide you you can steer your business towards success and unlock new opportunities for growth. Remember, each milestone is a stepping stone to even greater achievements. Keep learning, adapting, and moving forward on your entrepreneurial path.

P.S.: If you want further explanations and insights, head to my Instagram stories, which are saved in highlights. I also go over all of this and more on the Behind the Design podcast in Episode 71. The Secret to Your First 100k Year, Quarter, or Month. Happy revenue hunting!