People go into business for a variety of reasons.
From house painting, designing websites, becoming a virtual assistant, or opening a coffee shop, there’s unlimited ways to sell goods and services directly or online.
You may think you know why you are launching a business, but without sorting out important details, you could run into trouble when things take off. Opening a business requires a lot of considerations which impact your operating budget, branding, and what goods and services you offer. That’s why it’s important to get clear on these three things while designing your business
- What do you do?
- Why do you do it?
- Who is your customer?
- What does your business do?
You may have a solid idea of what you want to do with your business, but a few months in you could become overwhelmed. It’s important to be clear on what you do, but it is equally important to be clear on what you do not do. That’s because customers may begin to ask for the moon and if you grow tooquickly, you could lose track of your goals trying to serve theirs.
Get clear on what you do so you can focus your energy wisely rather than be sidetracked or derailed by outside opinions. If your goal is to sell the best chocolate chip cookies in the industry and someone says they wished you made peanut butter, it’s ok to continue your focus and attract chocolate chip-loving customers.
Build your baseline on what you want to be known for and establish yourself as an expert. This allows you to perfect what you do from the beginning so you are prepared for growth when it comes.
What’s your motivation?
Your business mission and vision help guide every decision you make. Start with defining your ‘why’ and why it matters. Then choose strategies and set goals that align with why you are in business.
Get clear on why your feet hit the ground each day. Be confident in your values, mission, and what guides your operations. The closer your business practices are to your morals, values, and social conscience, the more your business will flourish as it takes off.
Your passions are as unique as your business and your story matters. Be sure to share your mission and vision with your customers to attract people who resonate with your message.
Who is your customer… and who isn’t?
If you launch your business trying to be all things to all people, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed or worse, like no one is buying. Trying to sell to everyone can lead to selling to no one at all. Rather than trying to imagine what everyone wants, consider who the ideal customer for your business would be. Also, consider who the worst customer for your business would be. Then, focus on the ideal customer and build your business around them.
Knowing who you want to attract, and who you are willing to repel, is the best way to funnel the right people to your business. Niche marketing helps you create a marketing plan, branding kit, and create content that speaks directly to your target market which saves you time and money while capturing sales.
If your ideal customer is a tired mom who needs to feel confident and capable, you don’t want to create goods and services for a retired professional woman who has entirely different goals and objectives. Focus on a specific audience and create branding, marketing materials, and goods and services that speak directly to them.
Your business can take off at any moment. Creating a solid foundation of what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for will help you focus your energy and make better business decisions.
