What is your favorite business (after your own, of course)?

When I ask myself that question, I’m sort of surprised at my answers. The businesses that immediately come to mind as my favorites are not the ones that give me essentials (like the large grocery store chain I frequent), but rather are the ones that meet very particular, very specific needs I have.

For example, I love going to www.Etsy.com to find a handmade gift for a special friend (or for myself, if I’m being completely honest!). I enjoy shopping at thrift stores for clothes and furniture because this fulfills a need I have to be unique and just a little bit quirky in the way I dress and furnish our home. I get very excited about my kids’ small school because I know the teachers care about my children and are providing a good education for them.

As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly dreaming about our businesses getting bigger and bigger—maybe even becoming the next “big thing.”

But businesses/providers that enthrall me the most are not the ones that are the biggest.

They are the ones that are the most relevant to my life. 

Bigger is Not Always Better

When you examine your list of favorite businesses, what stands out the most: bigness or relevance? I’d bet anything that, almost always, with only a few exceptions, we gravitate toward businesses that address our particular, specific needs. Even within the realm of the essential (like food), we choose to shop at places that meet our unique needs, whether it be budget, location, product selection, etc.

As entrepreneurs, how can we make our businesses relevant (and thus essential) to those we serve?

1) Know your target audience. Example: are you selling to moms and dads of young children? Then you’d better be sure to have a finger on the pulse of their needs and desires. I once heard about a guy who was developing a product he planned to market extensively to children. Except he had no children and was (to my knowledge) not interacting with anyone who had children. Chances were good that his end product was not going to be very attractive to parents. Knowing our target audience keeps us relevant.

2) Don’t be afraid to change. What’s relevant today for my customer might not be relevant tomorrow. As people, we are dynamic, never staying the same. It only makes sense that our needs change as we ourselves change. Knowing your audience intimately will help you recognize when it’s time to make a change in product or service offerings in order to remain relevant to your customers.

3) Be forward thinking. Essentially, we must anticipate the future needs of our customers. If I’m editing a book for a client, it is highly likely that said client will also need marketing copy written to promote the book in the future. If I can accomplish that task for my client, terrific—I’ve gained more work. But even if I can’t do it myself, I can point my client in the right direction to get the job done. Either way, I’ve anticipated the needs of my client, and I’ve effectively established my value to him or her by remaining relevant to critical needs.

4) Ask a tough question. “How can I do/be better in serving you?” Just asking this question will garner respect from your customers. And you’ll probably get some great insights into what your customers need from you.

5) Keep the main thing the main thing. What is the main goal of your company? Be sure to stay focused on the main thing—the thing that inspired you in the first place. While practices and methods may change (and often need to in order to remain relevant), guiding principles and vision usually do not. In the everyday workings of entrepreneurship, it’s super easy to get distracted from the main thing. Is your vision to bring a product to market that will enhance the lives of those around you? Keep focused on the overall vision, and your big picture perspective will remain relevant, even as nitty gritty details flex and morph.

Relevance is key in today’s market. What one step from above can you take today to help ensure the relevance of your business?