2 Mistakes Service Entrepreneurs Make (And How To Fix It)

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What happened to that feeling of excitement you had when you started your own business? Remember it? That feeling of excitement you had when you created value and got paid for it. That feeling of freedom, ' Whew, I'm free to actually express my passion and use my skills the way I want to' Now, it seems short lived. You feel more overwhelmed than free. You seem to be doing a lot. You're working really hard but somehow you're not making any clear headway. Sound familiar? Well, if it does, here are a few mistakes you're might be making; You're trying to do too many things for too many people One of the key things I had to do when I started to write on this medium was to define who my ideal reader was. I knew I wasn't a mainstream blogger so my ideal reader would have to really dig what I write about on a weekly basis. You need to define who your ideal customer/client is. If you are trying to sell your services to everyone, you need to change tactics. What you need are clients who really need your services and are willing to pay for it. hmm... 'how is that possible'?, you say. Stay with me. Let's say you provide Interior decorating services. As a specialist, you can define your ideal client segments as the following; ♦  Newly-weds about to move into first home and want to make an impression. ♦ An estate developer who's looking to furnish newly-built houses in an estate with cost-effective fittings ♦ A family with growing children who want to update outdated home furniture Once you define your ideal customer segments, you need to ask the following questions; How do I introduce my services to my clients? Do I meet them in offices, at wedding exhibitions, schools, conferences? How do I attract them on social media? Which social media platforms are they on? Facebook? Instagram? What do they need? How can I provide what they need and earn a margin? and when you've figured out the answers to those questions, you'll need to fix this next mistake as well.... Not creating products When you do not have clearly defined products as a service entrepreneur, any offer will look attractive. So I call up an interior decorating specialist and say 'I need your services but I only have N100,000. Please work with my budget'. A service entrepreneur with no products will accept my offer and say 'I'll try to make it work'. She goes ahead to scrape by and ends up making a teeth-clenching loss because she can't afford to do a lousy job. You get my drift? Products help you define your services and ensure you earn a margin when you provide a service. There are different ways to create products as a service entrepreneur; You can define your products by charging on an hourly basis. Professional consultants do this. Or you can create blanket products. For instance; an interior decorating specialist can define products for a two-bedroom house or a three bedroom house. You can get creative and offer families a product to update old furniture with specific features. These are really just examples. My imagination runs ahead of itself sometimes (Lol) but I hope you get the point. You can get that feeling of excitement back. That feeling off freedom that has eluded you for a while. You just need to carve a profitable niche and focus on it. 'What if I focus on a niche and miss out on other opportunities?' Well, that might happen. In fact, I kid you not, it will happen. But you're better off serving a defined clientele that pays for your service than trying to get any client that just happens to indicate interest in your services. What do you think?