Keep an eye on your target market.

I was recently talking with a business acquaintance of mine who was telling me she had finally seen what she said had been in front of her for a while! What am I talking about? -well this lady who I have met a various network events and courses over the past few years has always been very focused on her business and who her target clients are. To my mind it was a very small niche and a pretty tricky one to get to part with any money!

Now more recently as things have been a little more difficult and she was having to think a lot more than before about how she was going to get her clients she told me that she finally registered the fact that she had in fact been turning work away that she was more than qualified to do because it didn't fit into her niche -it wasn't what her business did!

So what has she decided to do ?-well all credit to her -she has taken the bull by the horns and decided to rethink her whole business and to target these people who she knows are out there wanting what she can offer. I liked this attitude -there is actually quite a lot we can learn from this:

1) Know your target market really really well.

2) Check every now and then that your target market still exists and still wants what you are offering.

3) If the target market has changed, or if its requirements have changed then you may need to change and adapt too.

4) Be flexible in what you offer but not so much that you dilute your skills so much that no one can really understand what it is you do.

5) Don't be afraid to change - things are changing really fast in the business world and business owners can't afford to stand still and let it all happen

6) Be open to what is going on around you - listen to what your customers are asking you for and be prepared to adapt and try new things.

7) Keep an eye on what is happening in the business world, both locally and nationally so that you can keep up with the current ways of doing business, meaning that your customers will get the impression you are a leader not a follower.

8) And finally, don't be disheartened if things aren't going quite how you would like them to. Be astute and aware and keep your ears to the ground for any opportunities that you may be able to tap into.