In other words focus on becoming good and I mean really good at one thing at a time. I think that this applies to business in general but for the purposes of this article, I will focus on my own experiences to make my point.
To start I am guilty of this myself. Back when I started my graphic apparel business some 4.5 years ago I tried to jump in every direction I possibly could. I thought I could tackle all of the trends, incorporate all of the latest technologies and take on the big guns from the starting gate. Wow, what was I thinking.
The problem here was that I tried to take on too much at once. I started with what I thought to be a pretty unique idea. Although I was not necessarily the first one on the scene with the idea, I did seem to recognize something early on. It would soon be apparent that many of the larger companies in this space had been working on similar ideas.
What did I do wrong? I failed to focus my efforts on that one thing. I let the trends around me dictate what I did. I ended up trying to stretch in too many different directions and please too many audiences with barely the resources to please one.
Maintaining focus may or may not have allowed the business to eventually realize success, however it would have given me a better chance.
How does this relate to what I do now and ultimately what you may be planning to do?
I see it often in working with businesses and building out their web presence. Whether it be chasing trends that may not fit the audience or having no clear cut path to their objectives, they are struggling to maintain focus on what they set out to do in the first place.
The point is, if you are starting small or from scratch as we like to call it, focus on doing one thing and doing it very well. Maintain your view of the bigger picture (your ultimate objective) but start at point A and work your way up.
Whether it be a tangible product, a killer service or a content driven website, focus on building it right expand when the timing is right. Create a strong foundation and you will have a better chance of weathering the storm ahead.
