Many of our businesses are service-oriented, so our focus is on our clients. We want to find good clients, provide the services they need and keep them coming back. This is the core of a successful service-based business.
But while customer-focused businesses can provide a great deal of income, fulfillment and success, they aren’t always enough, especially for a driven business owner who thrives on the challenge.
Why Expand Your Focus
It’s important to place some focus on elements of your business that reach beyond your clients and the daily interaction if you want to create sustainability, longevity and fulfillment in your business. And there’s a lot to gain. By expanding the footprint of your business to areas outside of the services you offer, you can:
- Separate the success of your business from your specific clients
- Find new ways to get motivated
- Learn and experience more so you can create a richer experience for your clients
- Get a break from the daily routine
- Generate new opportunities for added income
- Stretch your entrepreneur muscles
- Challenge yourself
The Requirements
Every potential business expansion idea isn’t a good one. The last thing you want is to create more work and more stress without any obvious payoff. This list will change based on your individual situation, but here are some of requirements you may want to measure a new project against to determine if it’s worth your time and effort:
- It’s fun.
- You’re passionate about it.
- It motivates you.
- It provides a break from the monotony.
- It supports the main mission of your business.
- Some kind of added income would be nice, too.
Ideas to Consider
The options are unlimited when it comes to finding or creating an opportunity to grow your business beyond your client work. Here are a handful of ideas:
- Write a book, e-book or report
- Start a new blog
- Create your own e-course
- Teach in-person classes
- Create an email-based, industry-specific publication for clients, potential clients and colleagues
- Develop an industry-specific online community
- Offer a series of teleconferences or webinars
- Create and sell product(s) geared toward your target audience
- Explore becoming a coach or mentor
- Develop (or collaborate with someone else to develop) an iPhone or mobile app that supports your business
- Seek out public speaking opportunities
Have you created a new non-client focus for your business? How has it benefited you?
Thumbnail credit: samplediz
Alyssa GregoryAlyssa Gregory is a digital and content marketer, small business consultant, and the founder of the Small Business Bonfire — a social, educational and collaborative community for entrepreneurs.
