Many years ago, a recruiter I became friendly with told me that she declined doing business with certain companies. She turned them down because she knew from initial meetings that they never would be satisfied no matter what candidates she presented. Not only would they waste lots of her time; she felt they potentially could hurt the good reputation she had worked so hard to build. She said her ideal client knew what they wanted in a new hire, valued her experience and worked with her in partnership. The size of the company didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
Does any of this sound familiar? Among your customers, past and present, are there some you wished you\u2019d never done business with? In the early stage of your small business, you\u2019re more than likely to take on any customer or client. But as your business gains traction, it usually becomes clear that not all business is good business and that just because someone wants to do business with you, doesn\u2019t mean you should. Some customers can take enormous amounts of your time and resources or they may be a poor match for your products or services.\u00a0 And in this day of social media,<\/a> a dissatisfied customer could quickly and easily spread negative reviews.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>That brings us to your ideal customers or clients. They are a pleasure to do business with and value your services or products.\u00a0 Also because of their high regard for you, they\u00a0 directly or indirectly help you get more business. Not all your clients or customers will necessarily fit this bill. However to grow your small business, you want to aim your marketing efforts to reach and retain more of your ideal customers.<\/p>\n