Could this be you?
Your calendar’s full, but your bank account isn’t.
You’re not alone.
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, almost 60% of small business owners say rising costs and inconsistent clients are their biggest obstacles to profitability. Yet most are still trying to serve everyone who walks through the door — from price-shoppers to problem-dumpers.
That scattershot approach keeps you busy… but broke.
Welcome to the 2nd in my series on creating a Revenue Growth Engine (RGE). This week, the content focuses on the first two Ps: People and Positioning. Keep following as I share this mini training on how you can create consistent cash flow and be profitable without burning the candle at both ends.
The first two Ps, People and Positioning, are really the essential foundation for every marketing decision you’ll ever make. Read that again!
They sound simple. But most entrepreneurs get them wrong.
People
Who exactly is your business for?
Not just anyone who can pay, but the specific kind of person who gets the best results from your work and gladly pays for the transformation you provide.
The truth?
Most service-based founders don’t have a client problem; they have a clarity problem.
They’ve never defined measurable criteria for who fits and who doesn’t.
Let’s make this real.
If you can’t clearly answer:
- What industries or demographics do my best clients come from?
- What 3 measurable traits do they share (e.g., revenue range, team size, stage of growth)?
- What are they willing to invest in to fix their problem?
Then your marketing is basically throwing spaghetti at the wall.
When I’m working with clients in the CEO Freedom Academy, we get super clear on your very best client, the one you are speaking to in your marketing. And it involves so much more than psychographics and demographics!!!
Positioning
Once you know who you serve, you have to show why you’re the only logical choice.
That’s positioning, the bridge between your value and their perception.
If you’re blending in with every other coach, accountant, or consultant out there, you’re not positioned; you’re invisible.
And invisible businesses don’t grow.
Unfortunately, this (lack of specificity and clarity) keeps you in the hustle trap.
Here’s what I see all the time with women founders:
- You’re amazing at what you do.
- You care deeply about your clients.
- You say yes too often.
But saying yes to everyone means saying no to freedom.
The wrong clients drain your time, energy, and profit.
The right clients, the ones aligned with your expertise and pricing, energize you and build sustainability.
When your People and Positioning are clear, everything else gets easier:
- You stop discounting.
- Your content finally resonates.
- You attract referrals that fit.
- You stop feeling like you have to “convince” people to buy.
That’s how businesses move from survival to scale.
One of my clients, let’s call her Valerie, was a bookkeeper who said yes to anyone with a chequebook. She spent her days fixing other people’s messes, chasing overdue invoices, and answering texts at 9 p.m.
After a deep dive, we discovered her best clients were coaches earning between $250K and $750K who valued strategy, not just spreadsheets. We repositioned her messaging and tightened her onboarding filters.
Within three months, she’d replaced three headache clients with two dream clients who paid her double.
Same hours. More joy. Better profit.
That’s why you’ll often hear me say — you need FEW clients; BETTER paying clients, and clients who stay LONGER! (fewer, better, longer).
ACTION: Diagnose Your Foundation
Set aside 30 minutes this week!
Answer these honestly:
1. Who are your top three most profitable and enjoyable clients?
2. What measurable traits do they share (revenue, team size, mindset, communication style)?
3. What problem do you solve for them that no one else solves as clearly?
4. How are you communicating that difference in your marketing?
5. When someone lands on your website or LinkedIn profile, can they instantly tell you’re speaking to them? Ask yourself:
“Would my dream client read this and instantly know I’m the one for them?”
If the answer’s no, it’s time to tune up your messaging before you burn out serving the wrong audience.
Freedom Isn’t Built on Busy
You can’t market your way to freedom if your message is aimed at everyone.
You’ll end up exhausted, underpaid, and overwhelmed.
When you define your People and Positioning, your marketing starts working for you, attracting high-value clients who respect your expertise and happily pay your fees.
And that’s when your Revenue Growth Engine starts humming.
Next week, we’ll tackle Product and Pricing, how to design offers that support your lifestyle, not sabotage it.
Yes, You Can Do This,
Diana
P.S. Did you read the other blogs in this series? This is actually a mini course in marketing – (RGE #1) Only 46% of business owners make a profit…
—
Sources:
- Canadian Federation of Independent Business, “Small Business Recovery Dashboard 2024.”
- Statistics Canada, “Key Small Business Insights, 2024.”
