Everything to Everybody

I really do love my clients, even when I'm trying to help, advice, advocate and they are just not listening. The other day I was trying to impress upon a client that his business can't be everything to everybody. This came about because I asked him the simple question, "what is your niche?" and his reply was "I do it all!"

This is not my first rodeo so I know that menality does not work. I started my business in 2011 as a simple event planning company. I had been planning events for years, really since my pre-teen days. In fact, I was the one in high school that insisted that we have a plan for our Friday night outings and not simply "go with the flow." To this day I hate that phrase, "go with the flow" to me that translates into "waste my time." I don't know about you, but I can't stand for someone or something to waste my time...once it's gone I can't get it back!

Anyway, it was my thought back in 2011 that I would plan any type of event for anybody. I thought that was a great way to touch many people. My lack of clients proved that thought to be very wrong.

Since then I have attended many entrepreneur workshops and seminars, read many articles, and talked to several successful entrepreneurs and they all say the same thing..."you can't be everything to everybody!" I know it seems like the best way to reach as many people as possible, but I read a good analogy from Kirsten Metcalf, "Why You Shouldn't Be Everything To Everyone," Stryde.com that went something like this; when you are in need of a lawyer to handle your personal injury case do you seek a lawyer that only handles personal injury cases or do you get a lawyer that handles all kinds of cases from traffic citations, to drug offenses, to trademark infringement? I am pretty sure your answer is that you go with the specialized personal injury lawyer.

That is how you should be in your business, no matter if it is your own business or your career. Get really good at one thing so you can be known for that one thing. The odds are in your favor that your one thing (aka niche) will allow you to actually try your hand at many things later down the line for many people. The key is that you have to start strong and you do that by being an easy to recognize and understand brand. What is easier than one...think about it? So don't concern yourself with being many, be the best one you can be!