One of the great things about being in business for yourself is the freedom to make business choices. You can choose the hours you work, the types of clients you want to attract, the prices you want to charge and, among other things, how far you want to take the enterprise.
You can also choose to change.
Now, change can be a tad scary, especially if you’re taking your business into territory that you’re not altogether familiar with. That’s okay though—a little fear when looked straight in the eye can instantly transform into empowerment.
Think back to something that you really wanted to do but were at first afraid to. Perhaps it was the first time you rode a bike, went up in a hot-air balloon or gave a presentation.
Now remember the feeling after it was over—you were still alive and well, right? Did you feel stronger inside having done what you wanted in spite of that fear? In the case of the hot-air balloon it was, no doubt, pure exhilaration! And the next time a similar opportunity arose did you run away or take it with glee?
Back to your business
Before making any change it’s worth reflecting on your reasons for starting it in the first place. Are your reasons for being in business still the same? Have you achieved what you initially set out to do? Does the change you’re making feel right? And are you excited?
If you’re heading just a little north-east from north and not completely south with your business (metaphorically speaking) then you may find your target market, or at least part of it, can come along for the ride. That’s a great advantage; after all, stepping into a new arena has to be easier with a ready-made client base, right?
But how do you spread the word?
One way is to slowly introduce a few of your new products or services to your target market. If you work online, perhaps provide a free report related to your new direction or add some of the new products to your online shop. The same principle applies to an offline business.
Gently educate your clients to view this change as a phasing in of the new rather than a phasing out of the old.
At the same time, don’t forget to promote your new-look business to its very own new target market. Sure, there maybe overlaps with the old, but your changed business will definitely have a new market that needs to be tapped into and communicated with.
As I mentioned earlier, change can be scary but it’s also exciting! In fact, you may discover your customers getting excited for you as the buzz builds around what’s coming.
So enjoy the process, look fear in the face and say “Come on board, you can’t stop me,” then cut the ropes and fly.
© Carol Dorman Quill Writing Services
If you need some hints on how to communicate with your target market, skip over to www.quillwritingservices.com.au for your free subscription to Communicate and complimentary report, How to Persuade your Target Market to Buy from You
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