I make mistakes. Well, hell, while we’re being honest… I make a lot of mistakes. One of the mistakes I usually make involves not dancing enough, which leads to a whole chain of unfortunate events.
The other mistake I usually make is saying, “Oy.”
Dancers can have trouble with passion. In recent years, Kay Redfield Jamison and her colleagues have done numerous studies on the artistic temperament and mood disorders. We mood swing. We become sad, angry, or ecstatic, all at inappropriate moments. We dance as an expression of our message – our feelings – but when it comes time to be professional, we have to reign that in and represent ourselves and our art as level-headed individuals.
Unfortunately, far too many of us go to the other extreme and become flat, bland, and, therefore, miserable. Persona. That’s what I’m here to talk about today.
I realized recently that I write very extensively about marketing on this blog. I was attempting to come up with something else – any other topic, basically – but it didn’t happen, and all I could think of was more marketing topics. Today I want to discuss establishing what and who makes up your target market and how to tell if the market is going to be profitable. As a side note, this will probably cost you either a ton of time or a ton of money. Do not be afraid of making the investment; it’s worth it, as it can save you from making very bad decisions.
I recently discussed a question about whether paranoia about your competition (seeing them as a threat) is healthy or unhealthy. This post will go into a little more detail about some positive and proactive steps you can take in order to transform competitors’ strengths into your own.
As a member of the Biz of Bellydance Facebook group, I see a handful of questions periodically. One of them from a few days ago was asking, in a nutshell, if it’s reasonable to view a fellow dancer as a threat to your business or career.
I think this question came because in the dance community, we hear a lot about building each other up and being supportive, and never being snarky (or even critical, if it’s not in a nice and constructive manner). I agree with this sentiment, as we need to get our proverbial ducks in a row before belly dance is accepted as a valid art form.
However, I also see nothing wrong with viewing competitors as exactly that – competitors. If you do end up with another belly dancer in the same area as you, you absolutely must do what you should have done in the first place before beginning your business – perform a SWOT analysis and develop a marketing plan.
Particularly, you are focusing on the threat (your competition and their strengths) and your opportunities – your potential to classify yourself in a particular niche and dominate it. If they have chosen to dance cabaret, you’re fortunate if you dance tribal fusion. If they only do group choreography, maybe you can sell yourself as an improvisational soloist or troupe. If they mostly teach, you can be the performer.
But it is not all about competing – you also need to see the opportunity from cooperating. Maybe you perform at different types of venues. Introduce yourself to the new dancer, provide some information and introduction to the area, be helpful, and make it known that you are a fellow, serious, knowledgeable dancer. If they end up with too much business or potential customers they cannot serve for any reason, you can bet you’ll be first on the list for recommendations. You’ll also want to return this favor.
Now, sometimes things like this don’t work out and they consider you purely competition – someone to be defeated. If that does happen, your best bet is to go back to the SWOT analysis and figure out where you can differentiate yourself. Indeed, they will compete with you, and if they give customers a reason to choose them (and you don’t have an equal reason to choose your services), then they will not only compete, but they will win.
Have you had to deal with competition? Was it healthy or unhealthy? Did you win? Is it still going? Are you best friends now?
For many people, especially those who are running a brick-and-mortar retail store, online presence is an afterthought. Between networking events and trade shows, banners and billboards, cold calling and snail mail, a blog, a social media profile, or even a website is simply too much to ask for. That’s why website developers are consistently worrying about being in a dying industry – if people don’t realize the value of online media, what is going to happen to their careers?
The importance of an online presence is easily understated. I have said before that not every business needs a blog, but every business does need to weigh its options, and often times, to develop an online presence, even if it is only a Facebook page or an email account.
I write this article in the hopes that by giving you a starting point, you will continue the development of an online presence and realize its importance through a return on your investment. The numbers will speak for themselves.
Now that I’ve covered what business blogging is and is not, it’s time to discuss what the best blogging software is for your business and you. The obvious answer, of course, would be whatever you’re already familiar with (seriously!). But sometimes things aren’t quite that obvious, so I will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Small business blogging is a topic with an infinite amount of questions and even more answers, depending on who you’re asking. I don’t hope to answer all of them with this article – I hope to clear a few things up.
I am a college student. That’s something people learn about me fairly quickly, because it’s a big part of my life right now, although it doesn’t define me like it does some people. College has been a time of growth and development for me like most others, and indeed, I have gone through changes in this period of time: Pet projects I loved when I was 16 have been canceled, new career options have been explored, various degree plans and certification programs and graduate schools have been weighed against each other for my attention, and people have come and gone.
The one thing that’s stayed the same throughout all of my college experience has been my penchant for adapting to and accepting the new challenges that come with transformation, like not knowing who you are completely and having other people trying to stop you from change.
At a time last year, I met with a nice woman who runs a web design company here in town. I was basically asking her to create a new position for me with her company as a salesperson. She was interested enough (and so was I!) but unfortunately life struck and things moved in a different direction. The one major take-away I keep hanging on to is her statement that I need to pick one project (Yes! Just one!) and stick with it, and then add more later if I feel I can and should, because as it is I’m spreading myself too thinly.
I agree with her, but I haven’t followed her advice to the letter.
What I am about to say may bring some souring of opinions, but whatever:
Sometimes we need to be all over the place.
I am not debating that spreading yourself too thinly spells out disaster for your pet projects. I understand completely that devoting half the energy to two projects when you only have enough for one means neither will get the love nor attention it deserves. However, certain people and periods of time are all about changes and exploration. If we should pick only one project, how do we explore other possibilities?
Of course, there are advantages to taking to strict criticism of things vying for your attention: if you only do what resonates with your heart, you will likely lead a more fulfilling life and find your passion earlier and with relative ease.
So I encourage all of you to do what I am resolving to do from now on: Think about actions, projects, to-do list items, and goals. Do they resonate with you, are they a means to an end, or are you just doing them to jump through the hoops? If it’s either of the latter, then I advise you to think about cutting it out. Life is all about quality and we frankly don’t have enough time nor guarantee to waste it on things that we don’t love.
What do you do for a living?
I don’t mean what you do for money. I don’t mean what you do to pay bills. I mean what you do to stay alive.
Even in nature, dance is everywhere. Indeed, dance is based off natural occurrence and the ways our bodies move to express emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
This picture reminds me of why I dance – why my life has happiness, and where I find that happiness.
