Did you know the one thing that holds most people back is the
simple fact that they think too small? What separates the
average business owner from the super successful isn’t her
timing or her resources. It’s her ability to think bigger
than others, and take action on the things that will create
the biggest successes.
Take for instance the typical small business owner in your area.
Go into any local shop and ask them how many customers they have
from out of state. Chances are it’s a very small percentage of
their business. Yet with the power of the Internet, any local
business – selling products or services – can change her
business model from being a small local provider, to a small
business with huge profits and paying clients around the world.
And it’s easier than you think. I know; I’ve done it myself.
I was one of those pioneers. I purchased my first computer in
the 1980’s. Remember Prodigy? I dialed in almost every day. So
when the Internet began coming on strong in the early 1990’s,
I jumped in with both feet, and brought our business online.
What I found was an incredible opportunity.
I started out as a small business owner, operating a photography
studio, and servicing people within my local area. It was a
traditional studio, offering the standard portrait and wedding
services. With two people, we opened a commercial location, and
began contacting people within a 10-mile radius. But I knew
there had to be a better way. And I found it on the Internet.
Thanks to a powerful online marketing strategy, we found success
quickly. Within 3 years, we shut down our traditional studio,
and began operating a virtual studio online. Our clients
changed from people in our local area looking for traditional
portraiture, to people all over the world falling in love with
our virtual wedding studio, and flying us in to their location.
No longer were we stuck selling to the people that resided in
our local community. We established an extreme niche market,
and went to where our clients were. We raised our prices
substantially, and began living the life others only dream
about. By changing the way we thought about business, we
changed the way we looked for clients. And our profits
followed.
You too have that power. By changing the way you think, you
can change the way your business operates. The possibilities are
out there. But thinking differently can sometimes be difficult.
It involves stretching out of your comfort zone. It involves
creating changes in your business planning. And sometimes
these changes can be difficult.
Start by asking yourself some basic questions.
“How can I take what I do now, and sell it to people 1000
miles from me?”
“How do I change my marketing materials to sell to people
I may never meet?”
“How well do I work with technology? What do I need to
learn?”
These questions will allow you to think beyond your local area,
and start discovering ways of doing what you do anywhere in the
world. People all over the country are looking for the services
and products you sell. You just need the tools to get your
information in front of them.
When you expand your target market beyond your local area, and
go worldwide, you also add another dilemma to your planning
process:
“How do I market to the thousands of people added to my new
target list?”
When you decide to take your business to a much larger market,
it’s imperative that you focus on who your exact customer is.
As a small business, you can’t afford to market to the world.
Defining who your perfect customer is becomes crucial. And
knowing how to reach them becomes vital.
Your customer can no longer be defined by simple phrases, such
as:
· Single female between 25-50 years old.
· Married female with children under 18.
Instead you have to get into the mind of your client, and
define them as precisely as possible. Start with the simple
phrases. Then add in the detail. The more you know what
interests your customer, the easier it is to reach them.
Consider a customer definition such as:
· Single female between 25-40 years old. Enjoys traveling, and
prefers to take short, exotic vacations 2-4 times per year
to places such as the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and the
Fiji Islands. Holds an executive position in the corporate
environment, or owns the company. Spends 2-3 weeks per month
traveling for business, and holds tens of thousands of
frequent flier miles.
Using the above customer description, I can begin finding many
ways of targeting this customer. I can consider building up
referral partners with travel websites that cater to young
singles flying into exotic locations for short trips. I can
find networking groups that cater to small business owners,
or buy lead lists or place ads in magazines such as Inc. or
Entrepreneur magazine. I can consider creating a relationship
with airline magazine editors, and advertise or get an article
placed as frequently as possible.
Obviously, I could continue with many more ideas. But you get
the point. The more details I can use to define my perfect
customer, the easier it is to determine methods to reach them.
By changing the way you market yourself, you can expand your
business in ways that will take your business to new heights.
Open up your mind to the possibilities. You might be surprised
at what awaits you.
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