I've been noticing some extremely clever businesses lately and I decided to spotlight them, on occasion, and try to pick apart what is making them successful while others close up shop in their first year of business.

The example today is Sport Clips.

The hair franchise “Sport Clips” opened here in Pensacola recently. They only take male customers. You might think “Well, then they're cutting out 50% of their possible clientele. True. But, they have targeted their store to appeal towards men (specifically men who like sports), so, rather than trying to “kind of” get it right with 100% of people, they're knocking it out of the park (pun intended) for male sports fans.

Check this out – their mission:

At Sport Clips, It's Good to Be a Guy

At Sport Clips, we've created the perfect place for a guy to get great service and a great haircut. Our mission is to create a championship haircut experience for men and boys in an exciting sports themed environment. Stop in today for the ultimate just-for-guys haircut experience!

The Atmosphere.

They have a big screen TV in the waiting room – tuned to ESPN. The store is set up like a locker room. It's clean and masculine. No flowers or fluff, anywhere.

The service.

Their service menu is tailored to guys.

My 13 year old son got the MVP treatment and loved it. He said it was the best hair cut he ever had – and I don't know if he even looked in the mirror.  He just enjoyed being a “guy” and getting the hot towel treatment and the scalp and shoulder massages.

Their Products.

Their Product Menu is …All for guys, too. It makes it much easier to decide WHAT to offer when you know WHO your target customer is, right?

Product Line Up

Sport Clips is proud to offer the finest products in men’s grooming. We’ve partnered with Paul Mitchell, American Crew, and Nioxin to provide men with a wide range of quality solutions for their unique lifestyle needs.

Efficiency in Hiring.

Another huge benefit is in hiring and training. It's much easier to train stylists on ONE type of client than to try to please everyone who walks in.

Marketing Clarity.

It's more efficient. Your marketing  message is loud and clear. People know what to expect when they walk in the door. It's brilliant.

Let's apply this to your online business.

Have you really (*really*) figured out who your target customer is yet? It may change over the years. Mine has. But, it's essential that you know who you're talking to.

• If you're a VA (Virtual Assistant) or Ghostwriter – who is your ideal client? Authors, Speakers, Chiropractors, SEO Experts…
• If you've created a book or ebook – is it “Cooking for Everyone” or “Gluten Free Cooking for Moms That Even Your Kids Will Love”?
• If you've started a coaching business – is your program “Lose Weight in 30 Days” or “Pregnant Moms – Lose Weight 30 Days Postpartum”?
• If you started a PLR site – is it “all things plr” or are you specializing to one type of person?
• If you put together an ecourse – is it “the one secret everyone needs to know about marriage” or “the one thing Christian women need to know about marriage”?

Some questions to ask.

• Who is the person?
• How old is he/she?
• What does he/she value most?
• What are their problems, concerns — what keeps them up at night?

These are all things to consider when creating products, services, putting together a coaching program, starting a podcast or blog, or writing a book.

Who is your best customer? And, how can you BEST help that person to succeed with whatever it is you specialize in?

That, my friends, is what I want you to think of today.

Questions, comments, observations? Please share.

Warmly,
Nicole “Still Taking Benadryl so Please Forgive Me if I have Typos” Dean