When you’re trying to get a business up and running or scaling your business, one thing is always true: There is so much noise on the internet. 

 

There are tons of conflicting information and opinions about what you need to do to successfully start or scale your business. And, frankly, that noise is a challenge to dig through–not only for you but also for your target audience. 

 

Therefore, there’s one thing that you can do as an entrepreneur that will set you out above the rest: CLARITY.

 

For my podcast, Marketing Matchmaker, I recently got to chat with the extremely knowledgeable, Lauri-Ann Ainsworth. Lauri-Ann is a Niche & Message Clarity queen who helps coaches get clear on their niche and package it up into ONE signature framework that can be used to create multiple revenue streams, so they can scale their impact and income without burning out.

 

For Lauri-Ann Ainsworth, clarity really has two benefits–for you, as the entrepreneur, and for your target audience.

 

In her business, Ainsworth focuses on three phases of one’s role in their business: 

 

  1. The Coach Phase – In this phase, you are in the start-up phase. You’re spending time figuring out your niche, your target audience, and how you’re going to help your clients.

 

  1. The Entrepreneur Phase – This is where you’re expanding your business. Perhaps you’ve done some one-on-one coaching and you’re delving into the world of group coaching. You’re taking what you’ve done–what you know–and incorporating it into different formats to help your clients and scale your business. 

 

  1. The CEO Phase – In this phase, you’re stepping out of the day-to-day business to really work on your business, and you have a team of people supporting the day-to-day operations. 

 

Ainsworth acknowledges that entrepreneurs tend to jump to Phase 2 or 3 right away. But, as a coach, she helps people recognize that it’s okay–and essential–to spend time in Phase 1. 

 

Why? Because this is the phase where you really hone in to find clarity.

 

Ainsworth says that the best thing you can do for your business is “Niche Down” which means to focus on one thing and become really good at that one thing. This is how you combat the noise telling you that you have to have a, b, and c in order to have a successful business. Instead, clarity in your niche provides the focus that you need in order to establish a clear message and process that both you and your audience understands. 

 

The benefit expands to your target audience as well. In short, when you’re super clear about one message, people are able to hear you. Ainsworth warns when you try to focus on everything, it confuses your audience and you, ultimately, become part of the noise. 

 

Her “Niche Down” approach provides valuable insights that empower you to take action.

 

  • Start With YOU: Yes, we know that ultimately your clients will be your focus. But, in order to achieve clarity, you must start with yourself. Your desire to be an entrepreneur stems from something you really care about–a problem that you recognize–and that you have a solution that will solve that problem. Once you understand what you know, how you want to help people, what skills and talents you have that will help you solve others’ problems, you have clarity for yourself that will help you develop your business.

 

  • ‘Niche Down’: Once, you know the problem you want to solve and how you can fix it, you can then ask yourself who has this problem. Ainsworth suggests picking a wide range of people who have this problem and interacting with that larger group to narrow down your niche to who you really want to work with. The benefit of this is two-fold: You figure out who your ideal client is and you spend valuable time testing your produce or service.


  • Test Your Solution: Does your solution even work? Do people relate to it? Are you speaking the same language as your ideal clients so they’ll relate to your messaging? This testing phase provides insight that will help you improve clarity. This allows you to create messaging that speaks directly to your target audience in a way they can understand.


  • Create a Framework: This encompasses the how. How will you deliver your solution to your ideal client? Your clients should be able to look at your framework to see your plan to move them from problem to solution. Within your framework, you will be able to differentiate it for clients, but your general framework will help you generate success and eventually scale your business. 

 

Lauri-Ann Ainsworth’s “Niche Down” process equips you to find clarity on one thing for the benefit of you and your ideal client and allows you to see that one thing come to fruition as you build your business. And, once you’ve mastered that one thing, you’ll be ready to expand your business and ultimately become a thriving CEO. 

 

Want to find clarity in your marketing strategy? Contact me today and let’s chat about it!

 

For more from Lauri-Ann Ainsworth and to hear about the biggest mistakes she sees entrepreneurs make in establishing clarity, listen to the Marketing Matchmaker podcast!