Find your strengths to dominate your market

Have you ever taken the time to stop and think about what you're really good at? And what your employees' real strengths are? But let's not stop there. How about what you like?

It may sound like an extravagance, but these considerations are musts if you want to successfully develop your target market and service or product niche. Most businesses don't take the time to think about them, though.

It's hard enough to fit in everything you have to do just to get through the day, much less try to fit in something extra (believe me, I know this first hand). If you force yourself to take the time to explore the questions, though, you can see remarkable changes in your success. Knowing your strengths and interests will help you develop a niche that's both profitable and fulfilling.

Consider the following benefits of developing a marketing focus:

• You'll naturally become more expert in your field and more likely to become known as authoritative figure. You'll be the go-to choice.
• You'll get more and better referrals. Birds of a feather flock together, and they ask each other for advice.
• You'll be less likely to be distracted by the newest, shiniest thing around. Focus gives you purpose.
• The more specific your focus, the less competition you'll face. Providing specific solutions to specific customers using specific methods allows you to become more and more unique. And harder to mimic in the process!
• You won't gain the reputation as a jack of all trades, spreading yourself too thin by trying to be everything to everybody.

Remember, of course, your focus has to have enough potential customers to be sustainable. Selling bikinis in the Arctic isn't going to cut it.

I'm not saying things will always be easy and you'll never have to do anything you don't like, mind you. Many novice business owners think they can start a business doing something they love and life will be happily ever after as they skip through their work weeks. Au contraire, mon frère. Running a business is hard work even if you're in a business you love, but marketing focus will definitely help.

Sometimes we're too close to our own businesses to narrow down our focus - the old "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome. If you find yourself in that position, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll help you get to know yourself.