Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Not so easy when you don't have any customers yet. however, you can get clever and start imagining them. Quite literally, imagine your best ever customer - down to their shoe size and what they do at weekends. Because your business isn't other businesses despite the fact that you are doing the things that millions of other businesses do. "Its not what you do, it's the way that you do it" as the old adage goes.

So discover the way you do things first by imagining your best customer. Because you will have a lot of commonality with them. When you do get customers you can hone your ideas better.

In short, we need to know why your customers would choose you instead of a dozen others offering "photography, movies, design or graphical work". You are entering a crowded market. Defining your niche will make you stand out clearly - to those people who like you. They will be less worried about price because the things you do for them will mean 10-100x what they pay you - either in increased profits or simply that they feel great about what you did.

Be warned: if any client wants you to be cheaper - look at their character very, very carefully. What is it about them that they don't respect you? What is it about them that they don't want to invest in their own business? This kind of client isn't gracious nor are they thankful. They will whinge and complain about the beautiful things you made for them. So when someone wants you to be cheaper, be firm. Your profitability depends on it. When I dismissed our bad clients from our business in the UK, our profits that year leaped. What's more it was for less work.

Unfortunately, an amazingly great name (or tagline) won't suddenly get stuck in someone's mind and bring you new clients. What you need to focus on is a clear benefit to a specific group of people - something that they need, will pay for, and you can specialize in (and provide exceptional value). Do you know yet who these people are, where they're located, and what you're uniqueness is?