I was not initially going for alliteration, but interesting things can happen when someone like me writes. You’ll be glad to know this post is not about alliteration (although it really can be cooler than what some people think). It’s about specific groups in business of which I’m a fan.
Given we just celebrated Valentine’s Day, I think this is a good time to talk about what I love about certain target markets. Sure, I could talk about what I love about my husband, chocolate, clothes, travel, Scandal (or anything else Shonda Rhimes touches), or Oprah. But, I’ll keep this about business – mostly.
I want to share five groups I guess you could say I have a business crush on. Some of these are part of my target audience. Getting more specific, some are even potential ideal clients. This could be the case with you too. If none of these groups are on your radar, you may need a new radar.
1. Mompreneurs
There are more women in the workplace now than ever before. Ironically, this has played a role in more women starting businesses than ever before. Women have been seeking alternatives to working long hours, too much business travel, demanding bosses, and stress. Working mothers, in particular, look for ways to spend more time with their families and be more involved in raising their kids. Thus the growth of the mompreneur.
Many of the over nine million women-owned businesses in the U.S. were started by mothers. Despite juggling a lot and not knowing everything (they just want you to think they do), mompreneurs tend to be very resourceful, able to multi-task (effectively), and coachable.
Some are leaving corporate America to focus on home-based and other businesses full-time. Others choose to keep their 9-5 while building their business. This dynamic creates a host of needs in everything from healthcare to childcare. For me, the business needs of mompreneurs is especially attractive.
2. Millennial Professionals
Another group that is growing like crazy! As many of us know, millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the largest group in America. This youthful group born roughly between 1982-1998 numbers well over 80 million now.
Along with women (some of which are obviously in this group), this group is expected to continue growing in the workplace.
Over the last year or so, I’ve connected with some of the smartest, hard-working, most business-savvy millennials out there. I’ve learned there is a lot more to this group than being spoiled, entitled, and lacking focus. I hate generalizations, so I try not to paint the whole group with such a broad brush.
I love entrepreneurial millennials with sick work ethics (for you non-millennials and non-Generation X that’s “sick” as in wonderful) and their ability to take calculated risks. A really important lesson I’ve gotten from millennials is that done is better than perfect. While I’m sure there are exceptions, millennials don’t chase perfection as much as their older counterparts. They’re willing to fail, get knocked down, get back up, and move on.
I know entrepreneurs and “sidepreneurs” in their 20s who have built 6-figure businesses in a year. Have they worked hard? Sure. Did they get some great mentoring and coaching? Typically. Perhaps, more than all that, they just took constant action. They move too fast to feel sorry for themselves for longer than, like, a day (I have to insert “like” when writing about millennials…just couldn’t resist).
It took me 2-3 weeks after leaving my corporate job to begin getting some real direction and taking meaningful action in building my business. Despite me wanting to convince myself otherwise, watching Shark Tank reruns, fiddling with Word Press, and reading Fast Company magazine was not the most meaningful action to take. I told myself I needed a break. Um…yeah.
3. MLM Stars
I want to be clear here. That is why I put “MLM stars” as in superstars, leaders within the MLM industry.
Some people have a negative perception of multi-level marketing, also known as network marketing and relationship marketing (contrary to what some believe, the legit companies are not pyramid schemes). Having done MLM in the past, I know there is real opportunity there. However, the industry has not always done a good job at conveying a true picture of what it takes to be successful.
Often, it’s all motivation and rah-rah meetings. “You too can be a 6-figure earner and have financial freedom. How does that sound?” Of course it sounds great. What’s the plan of achieving that and me not becoming incredibly annoying to everyone around me?
You have to leave those meetings eventually and do some real work. That work is not always glamorous, and many of the well known methods of bugging family and friends, making a list of 50-100 people to contact, etc. is outdated and ineffective.
No, I don’t love everyone in MLM. I love the leaders, the stars who have stuck with it, those who have built big teams, who are generating high 5-to-6+ figures. They may or may not still be working hard in their businesses. They’ve figured out the power of leverage and systems. Those are the people I like to connect with. They motivated themselves after the rah-rah meetings were over. They made countless calls, maybe even knocked on some doors, leveraged social media, and actually set some goals. These leaders tend to be success-driven. As I already mentioned, they’re making real money. Most have quit their jobs and are focusing on their network marketing business full-time. They’re all in.
For these MLM stars, it’s about building something. It’s about motivating and growing their teams. They want to see members of their teams be as successful as they are.
Again, these folks typically embrace personal development. Some are obsessed with it. If you have to be obsessed with something, I think personal development is a good option.
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