Let’s do a quick review:<\/p>\n
\nA commodity is something that is purchased almost entirely on the basis of lowest price.<\/p>\n
If you are a craftsperson, or work for yourself you probably do not want to compete by being cheaper than everyone else. Following that path makes it hard to pay your bills and support your family.<\/p>\n
You want to be able to command a reasonable price on the basis of being recognized as unique or better than any competition.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Before you get uptight about the seeming complexity of this situation, I’d like you to look at the basis of all legitimate business: exchange!<\/strong><\/p>\n
If you are beating your head against the wall trying to figure out how you can get more money, you will resolve your dilemma only when you start thinking, "What do people want than I can produce?"<\/p>\n
It all comes down to exchange. You give something to others and they give you money, or support, or something else in exchange.<\/p>\n
If you don’t figure out first<\/em> what people need and want that
\nyou can provide, you are likely to be sitting there with a lot of
\nproducts that no one seems to be interested in.<\/p>\nSince you are a micro business owner, you don’t have megabucks to
\nmount an advertising campaign to drum up interest in your unwanted
\nproducts. You need to be smarter right from the start. You need to
\nfigure out what you are good at and what you can create that people
\nactually need and want.<\/p>\nThis means observing people and talking to them. It’s not too hard
\nactually, because you are not trying to sell them anything yet. You are
\nsimply trying to find out what they need that you can provide.<\/p>\nFinding your niche is just another way of saying find those people
\nwho will buy your services or products. People actually buy a lot of
\nthings that a relatively talented person can make in their home without
\na lot of equipment. People buy services that an individual can supply
\nmore easily than a large corporation can.<\/p>\nPeople buy craft work because it evokes an emotion in them. People buy your services because they trust you.<\/p>\n
If you establish an emotional connection with a customer, they are
\nactually buying a remembrance of that experience. Part of your exchange
\nwith a customer is the feeling that you have made the moment special in
\nsome way. That, in itself, makes what you are doing stand out from the
\ncrowd.<\/p>\nPeople want to be considered important. A properly conducted sale
\nmakes the customer feel validated for selecting and purchasing
\nsomething from you. <\/p>\nIf this is all too much to confront. You will probably be better off
\nletting someone else display and sell your products or services.<\/p>\nMore on this later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Let’s do a quick review:<\/p>\n
\nA commodity is something that is purchased almost entirely on the basis of lowest price.<\/p>\n
If you are a craftsperson, or work for yourself you probably do not want to compete by being cheaper than everyone else. Following that path makes it hard to pay your bills and support your family.<\/p>\n
You want to be able to command a reasonable price on the basis of being recognized as unique or better than any competition.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Before you get uptight about the seeming complexity of this situation, I’d like you to look at the basis of all legitimate business: exchange!<\/strong><\/p>\n
If you are beating your head against the wall trying to figure out how you can get more money, you will resolve your dilemma only when you start thinking, "What do people want than I can produce?"<\/p>\n