Industry?! My business defies the boundries!

Why is it that when we get a great idea and decide to bring it to the table in the form of a new business, we are forced to pick a target industry? Yes there will always be those products or services that will only ever be used by a specific group, but for the most part it all crosses the board if one applies a little creative thinking.

I know what you are going to say and that is "We target our audiences to get our message in the right hands that, eventually and hopefully, will lead to a sale". The difference is that a company should not target their audience but a specific audience... and then move on to the next. You want to have a consistant theme behind all of your marketing and advertising and simply tweek each piece for a particular demographic. You wouldn't take the same approach selling to a mother of 3 as you would a Spanish owned and operated small business. Not only will your message not be heard but the chances of offending one or both audiences is too great.

I know that as a typical business owner, I do not understand the intricacies of each demographic group out there. What I do know is that I WILL NOT attempt to target a group until I do understand the best approach and how to meet their needs. It's a constant learning experience that if you, as a business owner, are not willing to take on ..then your business will never know it's full potential.