For many solo business owners, a blank screen, a blinking cursor and a fast-approaching content deadline are a daunting combination.

There you are again, trying to figure out what to say.

There you are again, wracking your brain for something to write about.

There you are again, working far too late into the evening trying to feed the ravenous content monsters known as blogs, newsletters, LinkedIn articles, podcasts, video posts and the other ways our businesses require so…many…words.

But the thing is…it doesn’t have to be daunting.

You just need the right starting point. And trust me and my decades of communication experience when I say, the blank page is never your starting point.

A blank page is ground zero.

You know far too much about what your business does, the results you get and the people you work with to start from ground zero.

That’s the idea behind core messages – the handful of statements that boil down the essence of your business.

• They are the foundation of everything you say and write.
• They catapult you into trusting and using your own voice.  
• They ensure you are always writing on purpose.

As I write this, my core message document is sitting on my desk in front of me reminding me to stay on message.

I used it to create my content plan for the quarter, choose my content theme for the month and build blog topics to related to it. (BTW, the next round of Content Calendar Build Workshops are happening in July. Take a look if you're curious about content planning.)

People rarely sign on to work with us instantly. They need to get to know us, understand how we work and what we help people accomplish.

Content is a conversation that builds relationships and relationships lead to engagements.

When we are consistent in how we write and speak about our businesses, we’re clearing a path for them to understand what we do. We’re building our case. That’s what I mean by there is money in your message.

You can see this in action when an actor or author makes the rounds of TV talk shows to support their latest project. There are certain phrases they repeatedly weave in. There are a handful of stories that they repeat that support that project. They are using their core messages.

You can see it in this blog. Elements of 4.23 Communication’s core messages are in bold.

You can do this, too.

In this previous Well Said Wednesday post, there are questions you can ask to help uncover your core messages.

And, 4.23 Communication’s new Master Your Message process is designed to not only find your core messages but to also define every element of how you talk about your business and unleash the authentic voice of your business. Let’s set up a Discovery Call if you’re interested in learning more.

Finally, promise me this. Next time you sit down to write for your business, you'll focus less on that d*mn blank page and more on mining for the money in your message.