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Brick No80: Four Mr Muscle businesses
By Matt Weston, Friday 9 July 2004 Why hate equals opportunity This time last year, my cellar was knee-deep in water. Before I lived there, my home was converted from a shop. And Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were let loose on the plumbing. Waste pipes were run uphill, and squeezed through holes too tight to fit through. Unsurprisingly, we got a blockage. First stop: " The Stanley Complete Step-By-Step Book of Home Improvement ". It read: " A good many plumbing maintenance chores can be accomplished with common household tools. A couple of medium-sized screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench or two, groove-joint pliers, and a small hacksaw will take you a long way. " Don't believe a word of it. I hate plumbing. You can keep your plungers, screwdrivers, pipe wrenches, pliers and mechanical drain augers (you can even have mine) . . . the hero was chemical. Like it says in the ads: " Mr Muscle. Loves the jobs you hate. " This isn't just a plug for Mr Muscle. No, what I really want to get at today is that magnificent slogan. Say it again:" Mr Muscle. Loves the jobs you hate. " As a small business owner, every time you see hate, you should see an opportunity. If people hate having to do something, then you can sell them the solution . . . Four Mr Muscle businesses If people hate having to do something, any "Mr Muscle" product or service has an easy sell. The emotion is there already. Your customer is ready and desperate for the solution. Example 1: My second schoolboy business was a car-washing round. This much we knew: if there's one thing people hate more than having to stare at a dirty car, it's having to wash it. We loved the job they hated. Example 2: Chris Walthew (who runs our Angel meet-up) set up his telemarketing company because he knows that most small business owners hate cold calling. He, on the other hand, loves it. Example 3: Peter Hale's business planning software can help you complete your business plan. It loves an arduous job many of you hate. Example 4: A semi-retired friend of mine makes a very healthy living doing the book-keeping for small businesses. It's easy to identify clients: it's usually the first job small business owners outsource. Where there's muck there's brass! If you enjoy doing something most people hate, then do it. Customers will always pay a premium to avoid doing things they hate. Launch a product or service that, just like Mr Muscle, "loves the jobs you hate". And look at your existing business: many "Mr Muscle" businesses don't make the most of the fact that they do the things you hate doing. Rework your sales pitch. Make it clear that you love the jobs your customer hates. Remember to sign up: back to top |
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