As my new venture takes shape (more on that in the coming weeks), I read a lot about startups. Amid the predictable stream of advice about the need for a “single-minded, uncompromising obsession with One Thing” (via War Room), the most intriguing case studies showcase companies that set out to offer Product A and ended up making it big with Product B. Not only do I see in those stories parallels with my own development and evolution toward the new venture, I’ve drawn a major business/life lesson from them. It’s one of those “Duh!” moments when you read it, but actually doing or experiencing it is what truly makes a difference (goes for all the advice you read online).
Even if you build your business around a particular product or service, and even if you maintain singular focus on being the best in your category, things will come your way that may take you in a whole new, unexpected direction.
- You get into the bookkeeping business only to find yourself–say, thanks to an awesome client–become a financial consultant.
- You resolve to offer the best steak in town only to find what really attracts patrons are your cocktails.
- Or, as I saw with Semiosis Communications, you want to do project work in marketing strategy and branding, but you get steered in long-term, ongoing marketing communications and content marketing work.
Sometimes things evolve, other times they just fall into your lap. Needless to say, the new must not only be profitable, it must feel right.
That the new and unexpected may have been there all along may be a likely corollary, as I discovered with the new venture (as my wife said, “It’s more you.”). You may be pushing to be someone your entire being doesn’t encompass; you may wish to do something you love but that isn’t what you’re in love with. With every gain you may have to lose something. Finding yourself in business can be just as difficult as in life in general.
The same applies in your marketing efforts. You opt for print (brochures, sales letters, direct mail), but find email works wonders. You faithfully put ads in the local paper, but it’s the freebies that bring in customers. You count on face-to-face networking and trainings to generate business, and you eventually realize your existing relationships and social media activity are the main drivers (yes, another Semiosis example; my original business/marketing plan went out the window 6 months after I started–I never looked back).
The key is to see opportunities as such and having a mindset and system in place to make adjustments. Indeed, a much greater man than I, said long ago, “Fortune favors the prepared mind” (in hockey, the expression is, “Keep your stick on the ice”). You just never know, so might as well be ready. Keep your eyes peeled. Keep an open mind and an open heart.
Have you experienced something like this in your business or marketing? Please share in comments.
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Image credit: Daveography (formerly raptortheangel)
