Step by Step Marketing
Part I. Finding Your Niche

Discovering what makes your business unique is similar to learning your personal values and beliefs. The journey of life has taught me that with the help of time, experience and reflection we have a better understanding of what we truly value and believe. Once we have this insight, our thoughts and actions typically follow accordingly. Similar to understanding your values, the knowledge of the distinct characteristics of your business will help you narrow your focus and expend your energy on what matters most to you. The example of personal values is fitting as your business niche and personal values should be aligned. 

In this article, I will introduce three ideas to help you get started discovering or rediscovering the creative characteristics of your business: One, align your values with your services. Two, gain a thorough understanding of your current and potential clientele. Three, look around.  What trends are currently happening in our world and what is your perspective on them? 

Step One: Align your values with your services.

This will take some reflection on your part. What values do you hold regarding how children learn, the role of a teacher, the purpose of education, the importance of early childhood experiences? Once you answer these questions, ask yourself, how do I communicate this value to my customers?

Step Two: Gain an understanding of your current and potential clientele.

Surveys. Surveys. Surveys. They are not always fun to create or fill out, but they provide great insight regarding what your current customers want and areas that you need to change or improve. Being open to receiving feedback is essential to improving your business and meeting the needs of your customers. Asking questions and doing informal interviews is another great way to assess what potential customers are looking for in a preschool, childcare or tutoring center. Once you get this understanding, go back to step one. Are there certain areas that you are passionate about that you can adapt to meet the needs of your current and potential customers?

Step Three:  Look Around….

There are many trends taking place around us right now. High gas prices, a shift for the use of more efficient and environmentally friendly products and practices, healthy lifestyle: organic foods and products, exercise, healthy eating habits…just to name a few. With these trends, a few options for providers are: provide transportation, serve only organically grown fruits and vegetables, reuse and recycle paper, plastic and other products that you use on a daily basis. 

Discovering your niche is a journey. It must be something that you believe in and is of value to your current and potential clientele. By looking at the current trends in our world today, we are able to understand areas that may be of importance to parents.

Once you have a handle on the unique characteristics of your company, the next step is communicating this to your customers. Stay tuned for Part II where we will discuss how to assess your current marketing practices and provide simple, affordable and effective marketing strategies to implement into your current program. 

For a sample survey, or more information regarding how to do market research contact us at info@parentexplore.com.