Discover and Profit from your Special Zone of Genius
Whaaaaat??? Special Zone of Genius? What are you talking about?
Your zone of genius is your special, unique power. It is a quality that only you have that is part of your life and work. It is that thing that you do really well, better than almost anything else. It is hard to recognize in ourselves because it is just part of who we are and it comes so naturally. It occupies a space between your passion and your skill. It is your secret sauce. Working in this zone brings you pleasure and profit. Although we are all groomers we all bring something special and unique to what we do. Something no one else can duplicate.
So how does this apply to my grooming business?
As you work every day, be mindful of the things you really enjoy doing. What makes time fly and any commotion disappear? What is it in your schedule that makes you smile? You may be the best Doodle groomer or Handstripping Terriers is your thing. You may do beautiful grooms using Asian Fusion flair or are a magician with color. You might be that groomer who adores the larger breeds and looks forward to working with them and making them look great. Or you may be like me and have an epiphany, as I did, that I really love working with cats. I have discovered cat grooming is my zone of genius. That is how you find your zone of genius, by paying attention to yourself. It is a form of self care. Doing more of what you love brings more joy and happiness to your life. Who doesn’t want that?
Okay, so how does my zone of genius make my business more money?
You may have heard the saying that “The Riches are in The Niches”. There is a lot of truth to that statement. Many groomers, especially newbies think they need to groom all the dogs/cats. They are everything to everybody and may do okay but eventually this mindset can lead you down the road to frustration, financial struggles, and burnout. Having a specialty doesn’t mean you have to do only Doodles or Cats, but if you focus on what you love and promote how you are the go to person for that “thing”, you may end up someday doing all the grooms you want to do and leave the things you do not want to do to someone else’s zone of genius.
Offering a specialized service that you excel at can bring you good clients who are seeking more than a mediocre groom and you will be able to charge more because you are the go-to expert in your area.
The key is to market yourself on your website, social media, marketing business materials what your specialty is. Take photos, write articles, become the expert potential clients will seek out.
One word of caution is that this should be a gradual change. Taking a business that does all breeds and then one day changing it to do only doodles might be disastrous.Start slow. Open up your schedule to accommodate a couple new clients per week and then grow from there. You can do this by letting go of undesirable clients one by one to make room for the clients you want to serve. Refer to my post about Identifying your Ideal Client and focus your marketing efforts on them.
Move slowly but surely in the direction you want to go and someday you will wake up and be right where you want to be.
Peace, Love and Profits in 2020
Book recommendation: “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks
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