In This Issue...

- FEATURE ARTICLE: Niche, Specialty, Brand…Oh My!

- COACHING
- TELECLASSES
- RESOURCE LOUNGE
- VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS

I have to admit a deep, dark secret. I sometimes watch Reality TV shows. Besides the mindless entertainment value, there's actually a professional reason for watching these shows -- I'm fascinated with human behavior. In fact, I studied Sociology in college -- a major that didn't help me find a job right out of college (much to my parents' dismay), but has served me very well in life (college isn't just for getting a job, is it?!)

So, last night I watched America's Next Top Model. Before you press the delete key in shock, hear me out. The show is about several young women who want to become a top model. Sure, there's the expected prancing around and cat-fighting, but there was also a moral to last night's show. One of the "competitions" was to be interviewed as if the candidates were already famous models -- to see how well they answered questions and the image they projected.

This was a perfect example of branding. You've probably noticed you form a perception of reality show contestants fairly quickly (and the shows are edited to make sure you do). And you probably do that for other people in the public eye. What I was impressed with was how the young women were told to be real, to share who they really were, warts and all (figuratively speaking -- they were models, after all). The person who won the contest was the person who shared the most about who she really was -- what she had been through and how it impacted her. The judges shared that the most respected and admired stars are those who are honest, and human.

I think this was an incredible lesson for all of us -- whether in business or in life. Who you really are adds a richness to your business that no marketing strategy can emulate.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed about niche-ing, specializing or branding your business, you aren't alone. It seems like there are so many gurus out there telling you the way to make your business stand out. One of the greatest sources of confusion is the difference between a niche and a specialty, and whether you need just one or both. And then, where does the brand fit in the picture?

Do I Have to Have a Niche, Specialty or Brand?

The answer is -- you don't. Remember, this is your business. You can do whatever you want. If clients find you without any effort on your part, you probably don't need to do anything to make your marketing easier. But if you find that you spend a lot of time marketing, but aren't seeing the results you want, you may want to take the easier route and narrow down who your target market is and what you offer it.

Terms Don't Matter

Many Solopreneurs get stuck trying to determine the difference between a niche and a specialty. In my opinion, the term you use is much less important than how clearly you define who you work with and what you work with them on. The key is to be so clear yourself about what you do, how you do it, and who you do it for that everything you do to market your business is in line with your clearly defined target market.

Your Niche -- The Who

A niche is the Who. It's who you provide your service to. A niche can be as broad as "women" or as narrow as "women returning to the job market after having children to start a catering business". The key is to clearly state who you work with.

A niche is only helpful if you can reasonably find and communicate with your chosen group. That's why saying, "I work with anyone on anything" doesn't work -- how do you find anyone to work with them on anything? If your niche is aspiring female dog-trainers, you'll probably find an organization or trade magazine that your target market is affiliated with. This means you'll be able to reach your intended audience instead of putting an ad in the local paper and mentioning that you work with a specific target market.

Your Specialty -- The What

A specialty, on the other hand, is the What. What exactly do you do for your target market? Do you offer bookkeeping services for home-based businesses, or do you specialize in websites or graphic design? If your niche is very broad, such as small businesses, you'll probably want a more narrow specialty. If your niche is very specific, you may not need a specialty at all. Again, the goal is to narrow down the number of prospects you need to get in front of to find your ideal clients.

Your Brand -- Who You Are

Your brand is about who you are. A brand is simply a perception of you and your business in the eyes of your target market (and anyone who knows you). You have a brand even if you haven't put any effort into creating one. However, you have the ability to focus how you project your brand so that it resonates with your ideal clients.

Your brand is the part of your business that is unique to you. Even if you provide the same services as thousands of other Solopreneurs, no one else is uniquely like you. No one else provides their service in exactly the same way you do.

This is the part where you get to be who you really are and flaunt your quirks. People buy from people. Always have and always will. If you hide behind a persona that you think your clients will find impressive, rest assured, they'll see right through it. If you proudly share who you really are, you give your target market something to relate to.

Have you been considering The Solopreneur Zone's new Coaching Membership Program? There are still a few Founding Member spots available at a "won't even dent the wallet" rate of $150 per month.

Once the Founding Memberships are filled, the membership will go to a budget-friendly $225 per month. However, the Founding Members' rate will never go up. Ever. Even as we add tons of additional benefits to the program.

Members have access to me during my open coaching hours, access to a growing group of business advisors (marketing/PR, web design, virtual assistance, etc) and hours of recorded and live teleclasses and group coaching opportunities.

Sound intriguing? Here's a link to the details about the program to learn more http://solopreneurzone.com/Membership_Home.htm. You can also attend a 45-minute informational session about the program to make sure it's for you. See the Teleclasses section below for dates and times.

________________________________________________________

I also work one-on-one with Solopreneurs on a limited basis. I currently have 1 individual coaching slot open on Thursdays at 11am ET if you'd prefer an intensive focus on growing your business. Individual clients work with me three times per month for 40 minutes and have full access to the benefits of the Coaching Membership program for only $525 per month.

If this sounds like a great way for you to create business success, please call 530-274-3807 or email me dawn@solopreneurzone.com to schedule time to see if it's the right program for you.

Teleclasses

Information Session for the Coaching Membership Program

Don't decide whether my new Solopreneur Zone Membership program is for you until you attend one of my informational sessions.

I want you to take time to make sure this is a program that suits your personal style of learning and using a coach.

The informational session will give you a chance to hear more about the benefits of the program (much more fun than reading about something) and ask me questions about how the program will work. You'll also get to hear the questions your peers are asking about the program (some people are just really good at asking the tough questions, so you may as well benefit from that)!

To attend, simply call in to 212-990-8000 code: 5215 on:

Friday, February 20 at 11am ET

________________________________________________________

One-Hour Teleclasses: the best way to spend an hour...

Expanding Your Business Network Wednesday, March 10, 2-3pm ET

Creating Partnerships and Alliances Wednesday, March 24, 2-3pm ET

Each 1 hour teleclass includes worksheets and access to the teleclass recording via Real Audio. Cost: $25, Members: Free

To register, visit http://www.solopreneurzone.com/Teleclasses_Live.htm.

Assessment Generator www.assessmentgenerator.com
This new software may just be the answer for coaches and consultants who want to create their own online assessments with little effort. There are a variety of question types (True/False, Check Boxes, Text Boxes, etc) which can be mixed and matched, even within the same assessment. Once you've created an assessment, it can be displayed on your website with results given to the client, or emailed to you. The only catch is that this is a subscription product rather than a one-time purchase with monthly rates between $9.95 to $14.95 (there is a price break for paying quarterly).

TaskCapture www.captureworks.com/TaskCapture.htm (a recommendation from Angee Robertson, the Solo Zone's Administrative Consultant): I have been using this program for about a month and it is wonderful. It has really helped me to keep track of my time much better than most time tracking programs. It actually works in conjunction with your other software programs. For example, if I open a document in Word, it immediately begins tracking my time. When I am finished, a box pops up to tell me how much time I spent and then I select the client that is associated with the project. No more remembering to turn on the timer!

For a complete list of resources we love (growing weekly), visit the Resource Lounge at http://www.solopreneurzone.com/Resource_Lounge.htm

NEW: Have you signed up for The Solopreneur Zone's Yahoo Discussion Group?

This discussion group was created to support you in trading questions, ideas and tips with other Solopreneurs. Why go it alone, when you can build your business more easily with the support of others? Questions, thoughts and ideas should be directed to the entire membership. I will read the messages regularly and contribute my thoughts to the discussion when appropriate.

The group will be moderated by Angee Robertson, Administrative Consultant for The Solopreneur Zone, to make sure you only receive messages from members who want to be an active part of this community.

Join Today, by visiting our home page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solozone

* Check out The Virtual Water Cooler...It's a free monthly community teleconference call where you can share ideas and questions with peers from around the globe. Join our next call on on Thursday, February 26 from 3-4pm ET (note that the call will now be the last Thursday of each month at 3pm ET). For details, visit http://www.solopreneurzone.com/WaterCooler.htm

DID YOU LIKE THIS PUBLICATION? Please forward it to your friends and associates and anyone else who you think might appreciate it. Thanks for your feedback and encouragement.
PRIVACY POLICY: The Solopreneur Zone never sells or gives out subscriber names or email addresses.

SUGGESTIONS? Want to CONTRIBUTE to future issues? Send an email to info@solopreneurzone.com

Copyright 2004 Dawn Nichol, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Solo Flyer publication as long as you keep the entire publication intact.