We all know the stats about opening a business. 99 per cent of the startup’s reading this blog post today will fail and close their door within one year. Is that really true or do one of you ready to listen to advise and more past the industry standard to truly find a niche. Oh, there is a word “niche” and what does it really mean to your business from the time is born. Your niche is not the industry your business works in but instead, it is a smaller subset of consumers that actually use that same industry. As a business owner, your job is to first discover that small subset that has a specific need that only you can provide. You learn to do things differently than everyone else. With I want to talk about Francesca Anastasi.
Francesca is a Business Strategy Expert. Business Strategy is more than just a plan it is the formula to startup success. Imagine this you open a dance studio and follow all the rules and you make yourself just like any other studio and on the opening day everything falls flat and not even the crickets show up to dance. The music of your new business just did not play. You lock the door go home and despair because you are now broke every cent you own is put into the business. Don’t throw in the towel yet because the answer could be as close as your junk mail where you find a Chinese Food Menu and you discover the way to reach your niche. Your next set of marketing material is delivered to your niche looking like a Chinese Food but instead, it tells people they can learn to dance and have fun at your studio. With that, the music begins to play and your business open lights go on and you are a community success. The story I describe what Francesca does for businesses she helps them find a way to their niche by getting to be seen differently than others in the industry.
As the interview moved forward what I found is that many business owners are afraid to open the curtain and step into the business limelight. As children we are taught don’t stand out it is dangerous but in business not to stand out is even more dangerous because it means no-one will find you and the business goes bankrupt. Business fail. Francesca will show you how to avoid the failure. Her job is to sit with and work on your mindset and then work with you to show how to push your new business in front of the world so it gets found.
Some rule I think you might want to consider.
- find a consultant you strategist you can trust
- find your niche that subset that only your business can help
- say yes to any showcase your has your niche in their audience
- burn the industry box
- Put your mind in a state of openness and gratitude
Listen to what Francesca has to say in her interview here.