Watch out world...

It's going to be a fabulous week. I can just feel it all around.

Perhaps it's because the month of July is about to dawn, who knows but it is my birthday month and there's a rather big one heading this way at the end of the week.....

I read some great stuff about business over the weekend and most specifically about marketing, which I am immersing myself in at present and also to do with niches.

When I started Walkers' Coach I was trying to run one full time business in the world of careers and set up another one re walking. Was that a successful strategy? No, of course not. I was pulled from one to the other and of course was doing neither justice. I ploughed on like this for a year or two, trying to keep them more and more separate as I knew that is was confusing to talk about both but that didn't work either.

I did have some successes and learnt a great deal along the way but it was only at the start of 2008 when I focused on my walking and honed in on my Walk your Way to WoW groups that things really started to develop as I wanted them to.

Why?

Well, I believe that it's because I had then really developed my niche and within that started to work with a micro niche within that which is local women.

As Will Craig of 'Promoting You' says 'The more focused you are on a specific market, the better you can serve that market'. He goes on to talk about how much easier it then is to research and meet the needs of that market.

If we try and do too much people wonder how we can possibly do all that we say we do or how can we be good at it all if we do that much. People want expertise not generalists.

So, how about you? If you are in business have you got your niche defined? Are you serving it to the best of your ability? If you're not in business but shopping for services, who are you going to? What attracts you to buying what you want and need?

I love my niche and I am trying every day to serve it better and better. If you have questions or comments, then ask. I'd love to serve you too.

Lille

I've been tweeting recently and am afraid Ive neglected my blog because of it. Since I last blogged, I've done a recording of a great walk in the Lakes for Radio 4's Ramblings programme, ran more of my local walks and now I'm in Lille spending a couple of lovely child free days with my wonderful husband.

We arrived by Eurostar yesterday - what a great way to travel and today have basically been walking and eating. It's an easy city to walk around and as you're walking you can look upwards and see all the fabulous architecture. There are loads of wonderful buildings and the french know and love their food.

The hotel we are staying in was once a hospice and is full of nooks and crannies so fun to explore. Lots of courtyards and small gardens to sit in and be at peace as it is so quiet.

They like to hide things away, makes it more interesting but they've hidden the stairs away too and it took me ages to find them. Seems crazy to wait for the lift when you are only one floor up. Why not encourage peole to walk?