You went into, or are going into, business to make money, right? To do that you need to understand who your ideal client is. Who is that person, or company or group that will benefit from the goods or services you have to offer? Remember, not everyone will want what you’re selling and that only stands to reason, because no one business entity can be all things to all people.
To be successful in business you need to have a niche and to do that you need to understand who your ideal client is. How can you do that? Here are some steps:
Take time to draw a mental picture of who would best benefit from your goods or services
Determine where you will find this ideal client
Is there a particular industry to which the products or services you sell is better suited to?
When you meet individuals at networking events do you have people come up to you afterwards and ask for more information? Chances are, they are your ideal client but you will still need to do homework to determine if they are a good fit.
You can help narrow down your ideal client by understanding with whom you want to work: Corporations that employ more than 100 people or a solopreneur; a locally owned manufacturer or a global virtual business service provider. Do you have an ideal number in your mind of how much you want to earn? You need to find an ideal client that can afford what you want to charge. You may need to determine your ideal client is one whose business grosses $5,000,000 per year… or whatever number you determine. Understanding that not every person you meet is, or will be, or should be your client will help you hone your focus on bringing in those clients that are an ideal match. Here’s to your prosperity!
If you’re stuck in a rut from dealing with the same types of clients, offering the same types of services and working the same types of hours, you might be in a rut. How can you recapture the excitement you once felt for your business? There are ways to get yourself out of your business rut and prior to the new year moving in is the best time to do just that.
What can you do to energize yourself and breathe new life into the work you do? Here are my suggestions:
Sow new seeds. If you know what it is you do better than anyone else, then you need to sow those seeds and nurture that. Focus on your expertise and watch your enthusiasm grow.
Get rid of the weeds. All business owners can point to a client or two who truly drains them of their energy and makes them dread picking up the phone when that client’s number scrolls across. It may be difficult to imagine a time when it’s good to jettison a client, but one that saps your strength is truly not worth the money he or she brings in.
Cultivate and nurture your winning clients. You know you have clients in your garden that are a joy to work with, offer you referral business and who truly value what you do for them. Nurture them and never forget to reward their loyalty to you.
What can you do in 2014 to grow your garden and start off the new year refreshed?
As you celebrate the holidays with friends and family, keep in the back of your mind, “the year is fast coming to a close.” Why should you be thinking that? Because you need to take time between now and the first of the new year to look back at how your business performed last year, what you want to change for the new year and how you will take steps to get there.
What can you do to plan for the end of 2013? Here are my tips:
Deep clean of your office. Gather up the records and business papers for 2013 and prepare to store them once your income taxes are filed. Start the new year with clean file drawers and a clean desk.
do you need new office equipment? There are many deep discounts this time of year and you could also have that item as a potential tax write off.
Review your service contracts. Do they need to be revamped, rewritten or your prices raised? Have you started offering new services for which you’re not being compensated? Now is the time to implement new pricing plans if necessary.
Prior to the start of 2014, take a day off from your everyday business tasks and begin planning for your 2014 successes! What can you do? Here are a few things to consider:
Seek out continuing education or certifications in your field. These may help you stand out from the competition.
Consider working with a business coach. It is helpful to have an “outside” source with whom you can run business ideas past and who will keep you accountable to the goals you’ve set.
If you’re going to start a new business in the new year, the time is now to lay the groundwork for that endeavor.
Take time to lay out your hopes, dreams and goals for the upcoming year.
What will you do to make 2014 the best year ever for your business?
Everyone is looking for the “Silver Bullet”, the easy way to “make it happen”. It does not exist. The answers you need may not be hard to implement, but they are not obvious. In fact, it is rare that you, (or anyone), can see them for themselves at all.
First we have the problem of “incorrect perspective”. What you “see” or “perceive” are the result of the filters of your “perception” displayed upon the monitor of your mind. These filters have been shaped by experience and information input throughout your life…, and most of that information is wrong.
We also have the problem of “limited perspective”. Yes, all information input is “limited”. Just as we see only a narrow portion of the light spectrum, and hear only a narrow portion of the frequency spectrum, so, we only “perceive” a narrow portion of the “knowledge and awareness” spectrum.
To expand your perception, you need a point of “external observation”, plus external input, and accountability. This is where a coach can benefit you most.
You will never find a great athlete, or singer, or actor, without also finding they have or have had a coach. In fact to maintain the ultra high level of performance demanded time after time, great athletes never exist outside of the direction of a great coach.
In life and business, a coach can be as simple as your “mate” or a friend, but they, like you, are limited in their perception, as are we all. A dedicated “coach” has focused his or her life’s attention upon the development of an “expanded range” of observation and perception, that enables them to provide salient direction to others.
When you receive the direction, you will often think… “this is so obvious”, and in many cases it is, but it was in fact hidden from view, hidden from your perception of the subject or object of focus.
The old saying remains true…, “if you want what you’ve got… keep doing the same things”.
But.., if you would like to grow, develop, or expand… may I suggest you consider getting a coach.
Rex Richard provides vision expanding and results engineered coaching programs specifically designed to help small to medium sized businesses to break through their barriers and experience renewed life, vitality, and expansion. He can be contacted via LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/rexrichard/
