In the classic book The 80/20 Principle, author Richard Koch lays out his 10 Golden Rules of Success, applicable to both business and to life in general. I have my own particular take on them, which is a little different than Koch’s, and are more specific to the creative lifestyle.
When you’ve identified your niche, you’ve also identified the sorts of people you’ll be associating with. This covers every facet of life. What are you (or were you) looking for in a spouse? What common interests are you looking for in a friend? What values are you seeking from a political party or a church home? Who’s going to buy your product or service? Who’s going to read your blog? What group do you want to help out by donating or volunteering?
Knowing who you want to attract and/or serve tells you who your core customers are. Knowing where those people hang out, and how you can meet them, interact with them, sell to them, is your market. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it’s true. If you want to be creative, where can you find like-minded people interested in the types of things you create?
Something to consider is that this is as much about you as it is about them. You will never be happy hanging around with people who do not share your passions. You will never feel satisfied trying to do things that you are not passionate about. You will never be comfortable going to places where your passion is not felt, appreciated, and multiplied by the passion of others. This isn’t a golden rule of business. This is a golden rule of life.
Disclosure of Material Connection – Affiliate Marketing Links
