The less is more philosophy really comes into play when you begin to find a niche for your business. Many business owners have a fear of closing doors when they are told to “find their niche”. Why would you want to narrow down the types of clients you attract? And even if you did, how do you really narrow it to just those types of clients?
I know for me, once I narrowed down that I wanted to work with passionate and purpose driven entrepreneurs that wanted to take action and see results now, I was able to wade through the sea of clients I no longer wanted to attract into my business.
When you are new in business, you may think, “I need to just get business in the door, regardless of whether they are a perfect fit”. WRONG. I used to want to help everyone. However, you will soon discover, that a) not everyone wants your help b) that the clients that don’t fit the criteria of your niche, are probably also the same clients that will drain a lot of your time and energy.
So, what can you do to ensure you are working with the right clients from the beginning? And when I say the RIGHT clients, I mean the ones who love what you have to offer, love the way you offer it and are willing to pay you handsomely for doing what you love to do.
1.Whenever you market, always market to the highest version of your IDEAL client. When you do, you will end up attracting exactly that. For the longest time as a small business owner, I felt like I was “closing” off my market if I marketed to a single niche. But, you in fact end up attracting more of the clients that you like, which also means you will do what you love for longer. There is nothing that slows the momentum of a business (and the stamina of a solopreneur) like working with clients you don’t like.
2.Increase your fees. Obviously it isn’t as simple as just bumping up the numbers if you already have a lot of serious clients that fit your niche. You want to take the time to think about the transitional conversation and also how to position the new changes in your business. Constructing the conversation so that my clients are finally able to charge what they are worth is one of my passions.
Many people charge what their industry dictates instead of what their true value is to their client. Then they wonder why they are burnt out, under appreciated and under paid. By figuring out, what your value is to your clients, you are able to then increase your fees and attract more clients that are meant to work with you.
3. Stand in your power and claim your own authority. I heard an amazing speech by Pam Slim at the Wealthy Thought Leader a few weeks ago about this exact topic. You need to define the terms of leadership in what you are passionate about doing. What she said was that you either claim your authority or you don’t. It has nothing to do with experience, blog rank, number of followers, race or even ability. We often wait and look at experts to tell us we are experts. When really, you either claim your authority or not. And when you do claim your authority and are willing to stand in your power, you will end up attracting the niche of clients and followers that are meant to work with you and who see you as the expert in what you do.
So, what does it mean when you actually have a niche in your business? Firstly it means you are saving money marketing to the right people. Secondly, you are making more money because both you and your clients see your value. And lastly, you become the architect to your expert status and have clients that experience the gift you are meant to share. So, what are you waiting for?
With Love, Gratitude and Abundance,
Shauna Harper –Your Abundance Business Coach
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