Bootstrap StartUp Secret #1

Do you want to start a business of your own? Many people do. The most common reason I hear for this not working out is a person’s financial status. Fortunately, you don’t have to be limited by this in most cases. I have personal, repeat experience starting businesses on a Bootstrap Budget™ with success and income as a result..

You see, a lot of the advice out there is all about telling you how to spend your money. I believe it’s more important to find ways to avoid spending money—you want a thriving business not a money monster eating up your cash and savings.

So how do you create a BootStrap Start-Up? A BootStrap Start-Up uses your existing resources and abilities as the pivot point for a powerful beginning. Instead of requiring lots of new equipment and skills, your best bet for your first business is to start with the thing you already know best.

I’d like to share a person example to illustrate. A number of years ago I started my goofiest business so far. I wanted a business that didn’t involve spending hours at my computer and on the phone.

This new business had to get me out of the house and outdoors. After considering some options, I realized there was no professional pooper scooper business in the county where I lived. So I went for it. Most of my friends thought I was a crazy. I already had a successful consulting practice.

The business was crazy in some ways: how many people will actually volunteer to pick up puppy poo for money? For me, however, specific factors existed to make in perfect and not crazy:

· I had real-world experience as the daughter of a breeder and cleaning up after the dogs was one of my jobs at home until I left for college.

· I needed very little specialized equipment: $25 for the little box shovel and rake, a $2 plastic bucket for bleach water, and a couple bucks for bleach.

· I spent $50 for an introductory membership to an international associate of pooper scoopers

· I knew that I needed and how to get the individual regulations on my own

· I already owned a small pickup truck

· I knew people on the HOA of very expensive neighborhoods who were likely clients

Happily, this kind of slightly off-the-wall business is just the kind of thing you can easily bootstrap into surprising success. The risk is pretty low and the potential is often surprising.

What happened--Are you curious what can be accomplished scooping puppy poo? In three months I had enough clients to make $3,000 extra a month and was interviewing high school kids to help out during the busy summer months.

Best of all in less than a year my only competitor who worked in a couple other counties decided to expand her business and bought out my client list for over 300% of the cost to start the business.

This is a great BootStrap Start-Up Success. I highly recommend this type of business for your maiden voyage into professional independence. Many people find there is a lot to learn along the way. Why not start with something possible, accessible, and with as little risk as possible?

The key to a success BootStrap Start-Up is looking at your existing resources and experience with a different perspective.

What have you done in your life that you’re really good at that might never have been a profession or business for you before?

What physical resources or equipment do you already own that could also serve you in a business capacity?

Do you have unique connections (like mine with the HOAs) that can open doors for you ahead of others?

Most of the people I’ve met have at least two of the three factors. Don’t let your BootStrap Success Factors go unrecognized. Tap them for a business that’s well designed for you and success.

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue

What does bad advice for your start up look like?

You can find more advice than you actually need about starting a business. In fact, you might find it overwhelming: so much you could read, learn, and study, not to mention everything you feel you MUST do to get started on top of all the information.

So how do you know which advice to pay attention to and which to dump? One of the key skills I teach new entrepreneurs is how to make decisions as if you'd already done this a few times. That way decisions can be made based on the skills from real experience, not just all that advice out there.

And when I find someone who "gets" the fact that not all advice is useful, it really excites me. In fact, I'm so excited by what Dr. Goodwin wrote I've asked to interview her for the Online Entrepreneur Bootcamp that starts July 1, 2010.

Dr. Goodwin wrote a great article, "Ten Tips to Ignore When Starting a Business." I highly recommend investing the few minutes it will take to read her article. Get ahead by reading this brief, pithy piece and get her wisdom for yourself. Her ten tips to ignore (as quoted from her article) when you're starting your business are:

1. Career freedom means starting a business.

2. Don't worry, be happy.

3. Visualize success.

4. If you can dream it, you can do it.

5. If other people can be successful, you can too.

6. You will probably fail.

7. If you feel energized about your goal, you will be successful.

8. You can always go back to what you were doing before.

9. You have had a successful career so far and you'll figure out to be successful now.

10. You will be fine; you just need more confidence.

Dr. Goodwin introduces a common challenge in the startup arena: mythology! The number of myths about starting a business and succeeding may be higher than those told in ancient Greek history. In many cases, these myths are embedded in your personal and social consciousness. What you believe about success and business influences your choices, behavior and results.

I find the doctor's willingness to point out some of these myths inspiring and valuable. If you haven't already opened up her concise article, read it now. Just click here. I guarantee you will be glad you did.

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue Roth

New Entrepreneurs, Secret #4---Finally!

Good afternoon, all.

While it's fun to discover what I thought was a blog post is actually an entire book, or at least a large chapter in a book, it's an interesting experience to write and write and write...and know there's more to put down to actually complete the idea. And then create an edit that's useful for others while not 100 pages long!

Here's the first slice of the Kinds of People you need to success as a New Entrepreneur and WHEN You need them!

Secret #4 It’s not just who you know, it’s how and when you tap that connection

Another business truism is “It’s now what you know, it’s who you know.” I agree with that statement to an extent. I suggest you add that timing matters as well. When you tap your connection resources is just as important as having connections!

You need a few different kinds of people around you and your business if you want to succeed. To boost your success potential, be specific about timing your conversations with the various types of people who support an Entrepreneur in different ways.

What matters most is carefully choosing when you tap your personal resources of people and connections. Connecting too soon or too late for different kinds of people you already know is potentially a large factor in succeeding—or failing--as a New Entrepreneur. These are the types and times to reach out:

The Seer: The Seer is another person who can see your vision. He or She gets excited with you, for you and about your dream. You do and will continue to need this kind of support on the journey.

When you need this person: Regular check-ins and support from this person weekly or a few times a month with one or 1x a month with a couple of these people is essential support

The Aggregator: The Aggregator is someone is can actually be a little confusing to have around. This is one of those people who constantly shifts the different aspects or qualities of your venture are gathered up by an Aggregator. You may feel confused by all this person takes in at first. And if you're looking for a good lawyer, consultant or coach, this is who you want. (And yes, that's definitely the kind of person I am.)

When you need this person: At the beginning, regular, consistent contact is key. If you ever feel it would be helpful to have someone keep you on track and maintain your progress, an Aggregator is really helpful to get you doing THE key things not just all the busy stuff!

The Connector: This kind of person has more contacts than you can imagine and when they hear about your business what comes to mind for them first is someone they want you to meet. This person loves to provide introductions and they are priceless.

When you need this person: Connect with this person towards the end of your development/organization phase. Have a clear idea of what you want to do even if you don't know how before approaching the Connectors in your life.

The Analytic: This person gets into the details and frequently it feels like your vision and motivation is being torn apart. As a result, you are probably tempted to avoid them. Don't! This perspective is priceless. He or she finds all the gaps between steps or logic and points them out to you.

When you need this person: Any Analytic that you have in your life is your best support when you need to be sure that business presentation needs to be flawless, clear and persuasive to a point. If you want to make fewer mistakes and spend less money along the way, invest in honoring this person at these key times in your evolution as an entrepreneur.

The Client: The client is a person you know or meet who clearly needs what you offer. If you meet new people who are potential clients, practice listening more and speaking less. Perhaps you have an existing friend who is also a match for your work, Stop there. Let that person come to you in their own time. This is one of the hardest "sells" in the biz, so don't make it harder.

When you need this person: Engage with a potential client once you can describe what you do in less than 3 sentences and who you work with in 2 lines or less. Since the key is listening more, you're not ready for these conversations as a New Entrepreneur until you've started to get clear and concise. So, don't wait--this will change a lot over the first couple of business cycles. Start now and be ready sooner.

The Influencer: The Influence in many ways is a blended person or function. This person may also be strong in any of the previous traits. The Influencer connects you with people, but he or she does it in a completely different way than a Connector. An Influencer brings others along. Perhaps without even being a client.

When you need this person: You rarely have a bad time to spend time with any Influencer you know. For this relationship to work for everyone you need enough organization and confidence to be professional and effective. You do not need to be perfect. You need to have the tools to be ready to accept clients.

There you have it! These are the five kinds of people you need to support you as an Entrepreneur. Of course, as the book grows, I'll record the questions, conversations and tools I've used for a couple decades with these folks to grow my own businesses.

Have a super weekend!

Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Make a Smart Choice for Your First Business

Your best bet for your first business will be easier and more successful if you choose something with the following specific qualities. By incorporating these factors you’re your first business, you increase your profit potential while reducing your risk. Those qualities are.

Time-Based Success. This simply means a business that depends more on your expertise and time than on investing in how much stock in storage somewhere. Use your expertise as leverage to keep the cost of being in business lower. The cheapest business I ever started cost me $100. I already owned most of what I needed and the real invest was my time to make it work. In today’s market, time is your most valuable and important commodity.

Focus on Service. Regardless the business you choose, the ability of you and whatever size organization you create to provide personal, top-notch service to people is a make-or-break reality. When service is what you sell, this becomes an even more powerful component.

Expertise is the Valuable Product. The easiest, fastest way to turn an idea into something profitable is to re-frame your existing expertise. While this can be a challenge as we discussed during the first secret, it’s also the kind of business that has your lowest risk.

Profit from Skills instead of Product. This basic concept is to take your expertise and turn it into a system or educational package that teaches others how to master the things you’re the best at.

Overall, you want to choose and design your business for success from the beginning. Starting a business that involves product or stock that you need to store and sell increases your success challenges. Even if you work with a company that has a formula for working this kind of business (say a franchise or network marketing organization) success through product has the potential to be burden and means it takes longer and more money to succeed.

Your first choice in business success is a chance to get your “sea legs" and I recommend an easy sail. Being in business on your own is challenging; you can make the experience easier. You may decide that this isn't that path for you--passion and vision need to come first. And I still recommend doing the lower-risk/higher-return part first!

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Over 50 New Entrepreneur Success Secret #2

Secret #2 Thinking Like a Corporation Doesn't Turn Your Business into Corporate Success

Study and observation bring out two distinct ways of thinking about business that can be beneficial for a corporation with a number of employees and a downfall for your start-up. Today, I’m going to share with you those two arenas and how you can avoid making these mistakes in your business.

I want to start with perhaps the most confusing and most time-consuming thought patterns that is useful at an intermediate level of business while really jamming things up early on. And the topic is accounting practices.

Start by understanding that modern business accounting practices serve a variety of purposes. These practices support acquiring hard-good business assets such as machines, vehicles, and buildings with as little tax implication as possible. In addition, these number-crunching techniques are designed to make it easier to obtain these items while off-setting the money spent on the purchase.

Likewise, modern business account practices are designed to off set growth and profit in ways to reduce tax liability. Are these things useful? Of course they are—when you have a business that is actually making you a decent amount of money AND you want to get more out of your business for less tax and more outcome.

So, what can you do? Develop the habit of watching and managing the cash flow of your fledgling business. With the advent of online banking this is easy and near-instantaneous. And that’s a very good thing! Thanks for formal accounting practices, this can be a tricky thing for someone without the training to find in all those numbers. Since this is perhaps the single most important real-money number you need, a checkbook ledger attitude gives you a great foundation to succeed.

You see, what really matters in your business is how much money you get to take home. How much money comes in matter, but if you never get to pay yourself anything, you do not have a business. Some of my clients have heard this definition before.

Until your business is paying you, what you really have is a very successful hobby. A hobby that pays for itself is a brilliant idea. A business actually not only pays the bills for it’s own existence, it also pays you for the time and effort you put into it. A start-up operation does need some time to reach this level; profit rarely happens right away. In my programs I teach you how to reach the level of being profitable faster and with a lower investment. To even have an idea of how that works, you need to watch and understand how cash flows in and out of your business.

Your ability to re-frame your thinking in another arena also contributes to your success. When it comes to branding and advertising, your ability to NOT think corporate directly influences your success at this stage.

Image and branding are a huge investment for a corporation. If that includes a product instead of a service, that investment and need for control is of mammoth proportions. And you’re going to hear a lot of business advice about designing a logo, developing your brand, and unifying your message. Understand I’m not against these business practices—at the right time! Most of the start-ups I’ve worked with and people I’ve coached are not ready for these investments during the first 6-18 months. Some people need even longer to prepare for this type of thing.

What you need the most at the very beginning are paying clients! You need to be out there talking to potential clients, meeting them, hanging out where they hang out, and more. At this stage of the game, your brand, your message starts and ends with you. You don’t need a fancy logo or website at this point. You need face-time with the appropriate people. Since you are the best ambassador for your business, clean, basic, professional looking materials are far more important than anything you can have custom designed.

Why is that?

I’ve watched literally 100s of businesses and professionals spend a one or two thousand dollars in their first year of business only to spend even more 12-24 months later on re-designs and upgrades. At the very beginning they could only make educated guesses about who their best clients would be and what kind of materials those people would like. Its painful to spend early and then need to spend again during the first few years of business to better represent your business to your best clients.

So just don’t do it. Seriously, don’t. Stop now. Get that new business making some money and have some consistent clients before diving into that arena. You’ve got access to lots of affordable, temporary shortcuts (VistaPrint.com is just one).

If you can adjust your success-concepts when it comes to money and advertising from corporate reality to start-up mentality, you’ll increase your chance of success. The opportunity to make money faster with less investment is also a huge plus.

Coming next: Secret #3 Save your money and spend your time at the beginning.

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Success Secrets for New, Mature Entrepreneurs

Are you at least 50 years old and starting, or even re-starting, your business venture? This week I’m going to share with you some secrets for getting your successful business off the ground. Your experienced success as an employee, manager, or executive mean an aware of the pitfalls and benefits of your history is essential to your own successful business venture. This is the first in a series to support and inform your success.

Secret #1 Previous, Experienced success is Both Your Strongest and Weakest Quality

Have you ever considered offering a job to someone who used to for your competitor? If you did, it’s likely you had questions. “Can this person learn our way of doing things?” “What kind of conflicts will come up?” “Will they fit into our corporate culture?”

You are basically in the same situation when you know success in an organization owned or run by someone else. Transitioning to your own business venture means you have both demonstrated successful traits and have no guarantee that you what you know will translate successfully. Just like the employee scenario, you are entering an arena where the success you have already experienced is both your best and worst trait.

Success you’ve already experienced is a powerful indicator that you are talented, capable, and knowledgeable. The challenge you face entering the Entrepreneur Arena is the change from success inside an organization to success being the organization.

What can you do to improve your ability to transition and succeed? Fortunately you’ve got a number of options you can choose—so using the one that best matches your temperament and style is possible.

Michael Gerber, who created the E-Myth series (highly recommended!) suggests dividing the tasks that need to be done into the common categories that actually become departments in a large organization. Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur who gets to do everything, in a sense you create multiple hats and determine the group of tasks assigned to each hat. Then you shift between the different business functions in blocks of time or days. Eventually, you off-load some of these jobs to a Virtual Assistant (my recommendation) or an employee.

Another way to handle this is using a laser-style focus on the immense to-do list that you end up with to start and run your business. At any moment, as, yourself “What is the #1 thing with the most impact right know I can do to move my business forward?” Most new entrepreneurs spend far too much time doing “stuff” and not attending to the key actions each day that will ensure the business succeeds.

Here’s an example, perfect for our early April. This time of year an entrepreneur may have this kind of daily task list:

• · Meet with the web designer
• · Get missing information for the tax preparer
• · Write copy for an advertisement
• · Follow-up with clients from last week’s conversations

If this was my list (and my Monday, April 05, 2010 looks a lot like that list) here is how I would prioritize these items. First would come follow-up with clients from last week. Here’s why: Even if I do file my taxes on time, if I don’t have new customers and new revenue coming it really doesn’t matter. I won’t be in business next year or even perhaps next month. So at the first moment of my day, connecting with customers and potential clients is the top priority to move forward in my business.

My second priority is the tax information: now that I’ve contacted as many clients as needed, this becomes the essential action. In this case, failing to file my taxes in a proper and timely manner can shut down my business. Delaying the ad copy and the web site do not immediately threaten my business (assuming your primary source of income is not internet sales—then I’m sure you can figure out how this will all change). And so the internal conversation on what to do next continues.

This is a different internal dialogue from the one that created your success inside an organization. Unless you were specifically in direct, outside sales, it’s likely that administrative items had a higher priority than those than specifically creating revenue for the organization. The organization relies on the paperwork and numbers to see how or if revenue is moving forward supported by the small divisions of actions and tasks within the company. (Or at least that’s the plan!) You want to succeed NOW and stay in business—so your number one focus must be on doing those actions first that generate income for your business and you.

You also want to remember at the beginning that most people find the things they like doing the most create long-term income cycles for the new business venture. This is an important thing to do. However, neglecting those less-enjoyable activities that pay-off in the shorter term guarantees you either go out of business OR you end up spending your hard-earned cash to stay in business. Either way, you increase the likelihood of failure. Even the best scenario from this approach means your business makes less.

Remember as you move forward, your new business is not just a small version of the larger organizations you’ve worked in. Learning to ask new questions and look at your work through different eyes is the key to success.

Coming next: Secret #2 Thinking like a Corporation won’t get Your Business to Corporate Success

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Your Values are Marketing Essentials

The theme of 2010, value, is still alive and well. Conflict around this concept frequently comes up when I'm teaching the "Don't Pick a Niche" Marketing Workshop. The first nmarketing concept each group works on is value. Specifically, what are the values of each person in the workshop and how they are essential to effective Small Business Marketing.

Traditional marketing wisdom focuses extensively on benefits and outcomes. One of the participants last week made the brilliant connection between this focus and and the never-ending pressure in the job market to completely turn yourself into a dissassociated bunch of skills. The next step is to then relentlessly "market" yourself by trying to figure out exactly whick "product" configuration will be purchased by a possible employer.

Most employers also operate from this perspective. I agree that a candidate needs to have the ability to do the tasks of the job, or better yet the ability to learn the additional tasks they don't already have. And there's more.

A first impression happens in 2-3 seconds. This mostly unconscious decision becomes the driver for the entire conversation; driving towards the pre-assumed outcome. Even highly trained individuals struggle to behave differently, in fact most of them fail, regardless knowing how the game goes. Long before an interview conversation gets to skills, the deal is mostly sealed.

The same reality is good and bad news for your marketing. You have a maximum 2-3 seconds to get a potential customer's attention--through some media channels the timing is much smaller. Just as individual values influence clothing choices, vocabulary and attitude about a job, the presence of embedded values will work for or against you.

Why you do what you do; what you love about your work combine to make an important foundation for your marketing efforts. Consider: most consistently taught marketing techniques are out of the loop on the newest, freshest, more empowered ways to communicate with your potential clients.

Blessings,
Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Are You a Niche-Jumper Or Why IS Picking a Niche so Difficult?

I find this problem a consistent challenge for my clients. I often speak with a client and within a week or two, a new niche comes along that to distract their attention. While you’ll find a lot of reasons people do this, I’ve also found that there is a common, hidden theme to Niche-Jumping.

The concept of choosing a niche is so deeply engrained in the marketing culture that making this choice is considered synonymous with success. This instruction is so extensive that the practice has become a hyper-powered hyperbole.

Here are a couple of examples. You can now dial in your target market so closely that there is actually a practice/concept called “Micro Niche.” And you can purchase a variety of products to help you find one (I don’t endorse or market any of these products specifically and I know they exist). I’ve been wondering when we would hear about the nano-niche and of course, it’s already here.

You want to be aware of three important factors about choosing a niche. How you relate to these realities around Niche Marketing will determine how much you enjoy your business and how easy it is to succeed.

· Niche Marketing is at least 60 years old

· Niche as used in marketing is an out-dated concept

· Niche-jumping is not the problem; it’s a symptom

These factors are key to making sense out of where marketing is and where you want to take it for your personal success and well-being.

Niche Marketing is at least 60 years old. This fact alone is significant. You see, the longest economic waves that have been measured and predicted fall in the 60 year time frame. A 60-year cycle is considered extremely long-lived. A maximum 45 year cycle is much more common. Like any pattern that is experiencing change, hyper-acceleration happens from the building energy that then turns into the crashing crest of the wave.

You do want to be sure you’re solid on the lessons from Niche Marketing: Be ready, be clear, be specific. The second factor around niche marketing is the most meaningful for me.

Niche as used in marketing is an out-dated concept. The way this term is used comes from older models of biology and ecosystems. In truth, the scientists who pioneered this idea do not use it in this way. They have upgraded and updated their understanding based discoveries in how plants, animals and resources actually interact. As a result, the concept of Niche Marketing is embedded with many aspects of scarcity and competition for limited resources. These beliefs have much to do with the problems we deal with in the world. Just as scientists updated the idea of niches over the years as they’ve studied, you have the same opportunity to upgrade your perspective of how to market.

Your experience with the demand to pick a niche reflects these expiring and changing models. As a result, it’s time to meet marketing with a different perspective. In reality…

Niche-Jumping is a symptom, not the problem. Most people have trouble settling on a specific niche for appropriate and little-discussed reasons. Selecting your most appropriate, most favorite clients is NOT about marketing. It’s about heart and soul. While many people are starting to teach this concept, many established coaches and marketing experts don’t know how to make this connection in a meaningful way. This is a change in how business works and what customers want—some of us are ahead of the change, some in the middle and others are catching up.

If you find yourself constantly changing niches, it’s time to back up a few steps. Clarity on your purpose and your values makes “choosing” a niche virtually unnecessary. Your process for marketing, sales and business then becomes a reflection of you.

Experts sometimes say things like “Just pick any Niche and stick with it for a couple months, you can always change your mind.” Of course you can always change your mind, and aren’t you tired of feeling like you’re always starting over? I know I did, before I understood and used these principles.

That’s why I created the “Don’t Pick a Niche^TM” marketing workshop. Your most powerful marketing doesn’t come from putting you or your services in a niche. It comes from knowing how to present yourself and what you do in a way that is appealing and accessible to your clients. The next workshop is on Thursday, April 29 starting at 6:30. Are you ready to stop worrying about niche and get to the heart of the matter?

Most of all, remember, Niche-jumping is a symptom, not a problem. If this is where you are at, you’ve got the perfect cue that it’s time to take a new look at your business.

Wishing you Success & Heart,

Heidi Sue

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

What do you want to do with your Returnment?

I ran across this word-play today for the first time. Guess I was slow on Googling this term. My bad. And I love it. I’ve been in serious returnment three years now and didn’t even know it.

Success & Heart Training is literally the result of my taking an early retirement after selling off one of my businesses. I spent five years exploring, relaxing—sailing, what a life! I learned to succeed without working 20 hours a week, stressed out by the demands of Big Business.

I learned my lessons—and ended up completely bored! I missed being in business, doing business. I jumped back into the entrepreneurial world. Now, my inner Kick Ass Business Chick is overjoyed.

(Maybe you're retired but not done working, like this gentleman from Michigan.)

Success & Heart Training is a vehicle for being myself, using all my experience and gifts. And the most fun I’ve ever had doing business in over 20 years. While many would consider me young to be in “Returnment” it is still true. I don’t want to work 50-60 hours a week any more. Heck, in the past I managed to sometimes work an insane148 in a 2 week period. I’m not willing for that lifestyle any more. Are you in Returnment? Find out…you can read more here.

Success & Heart Training is designed to develop relationships, business relationships teaching you how to succeed in Returnment exactly how to do it. Thanks to repeat, entrepreneurial success I have a great foundation to work from. Here’s my very first suggestion:

If you’re getting busy advice from any source, always ask yourself, how might this advice NOT be true? How could this information NOT be appropriate for me and my business?

That’s perhaps the number one skill you need to succeed as someone who with professional success to repurpose that into your own, new venture (whatever your definition of success). I’ve watched so many people spend money following the traditional paths of business coaching and end up with very little except less cash. Like the current round of Chevrolet ads challenging the idea of “Everybody Says,” I encourage you to check and re-check if what you’re being told is true for you and your self-employed dreams. You can read and hear lots of familiar advice; not all of it is true, even less of it may be true for you.

Best wishes planning and creating your Returnment!

Heidi Sue Roth

© Copyright 2009-2010 Heidi Sue Roth. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t get “Stuck” with Niche Marketing

Everywhere you turn, you hear the rule about niche marketing making you rich repeated. This ranges from pick a niche so you can have a logo designed to the idea that you’re not really in business until you have a niche market. What if the pressure and approach doesn't improve your relationship with your business and your clients?

I’m here to challenge that wisdom, as you probably already know. Niche Marketing includes some serious sticking points that may indicate it’s NOT your best option. I want to take a quick look at those points today.

Niche Marketing is presented to entrepreneurs and business owners as the fix-all, do-all solution. While I agree we can learn some important lessons from Niche Marketing, it’s a direct reflection of some of things that are seriously wrong with the business and economic model that has failed so gloriously (and mysteriously if you listen to the experts).

This approach to doing business is a direct out-growth of the drive to specialization. From tinkering with genetics to higher education focused on less and less content, business, life, and talent has been driven to focus on increasingly narrow ways. The drive to know more and more about less and less is now THE embedded way for you to also do business. To sustain this model, business must take over and limit access to information, resources, rights, and property.

Another impact of focusing all your efforts exclusively on Niche Marketing is you can miss opportunities. Creative application of skills and services is one of the hallmarks of small business. The drive to niche can make it more expensive to offer your services through multiple channels. You can end up confused by the drive to serve all the customers who move you. Your efforts can get way-laid by the "rabbit chasing syndrome" aka chasing multiple objectives.

Yes, the niche-driven perspective is not a business model I’m willing to enlist wholesale in order to finance my passion and drive. Are there other options?

Yes! There are other ways to work with your business the incorporate the lessons of niche marketing while not being held hostage to the over-specialization of virtually everything in our world.

Surviving the changes that have arrived and continue to present takes something other than what we already have. From Einstein to other great thinkers, we already know that the thought and behaviors patterns creating the problem are not what is needed to solve the problem.

What do the other ways look like? They are personal, customized, connected and flexible. Niche Marketing has become one-size-fits-all. What is really needed is creating a business structure, approach and methodology that specifically matches your heart. The planet, your customers and your well-being can no longer sustain this single-answer, knee-jerk methodology.

Your values and the value you offer is the beginning point. Just like the new Pepsi ad campaign about One Tribe and funding entrepreneurs reeks of marketing ploy cloaked in warm-fuzzies, so is a Heart-Based message driven primarily by Niche Marketing becomes an unclear representation of who you are and why you serve. What if instead of chasing any rabbits you were by the home-base where rabbits would return when they were tired of running!

When it comes to the methods you choose for marketing you and your business, other choices might just be something that serves you better. You and your clients deserve more!

Wishing you Success & Heart!

Heidi Sue