Niching Case Study: Emily Gardner

Passionate creative entrepreneur (you) + numerical mentor (me) = more time for you #loveyouraccountant.

easyaccountingsolutions.co.uk

#sytycn2014

Tad’s Rating:

7/10

Contest Rating:

9/10

Average Rating:

8/10

Tad’s Comments:

Right now this is a 7 for me. I love the way you chose to express it — in a math formula — especially given the nature of your work. It’s quirky, charming and creative. I love that. And I love that you name the core result you’re offering “more time.” That’s wonderful.

What it would take to be a 10 for me is some more clarity on the who or maybe a bit more about how you do it. I sense you may have a unique approach that sets you apart and is a big part of your niche.

Right now this reads as “oh! she’s an accountant for entrepreneurs. cool.” But there are sooooooo many accountants and so it has me wonder — what’s her niche in that scene? What makes her different? What’s her particular role within that community of accountants?

In terms of the who: is it mostly solopreneurs? If not, how many employees? Do you do the accounting for the business or just the personal accounting for the entrepreneurs themselves? Are there a “top three types” of entrepreneurs with whom you work? Also, do you work exclusively in the UK? Globally? Just in your local area? Sometimes just adding the geographic limits can boost clarity immensely (eg Passionate, creative entrepreneurs in London).

In terms of the how, I think of origamiaccounting.com in Edmonton that has niched itself with a focus on making it super simple for their clients (they give you twelve big envelopes each year marked with the month — you throw your receipts in them and mail it to them and they handle it from there) and also a super clear and easy to understand monthly price structure. So, their niche is primarily defined by how they do what they do.

120 characters is brutally unfair.

But, as an entrepreneur, god bless you for offering help to hopeless people like us. There is absolutely a reason that I don’t run “Accounting for Hippies.”

Niching Contest Participant Comments:

10/10: I love the creative way you used your 120 characters.

8/10: Love the math.

8.5/10: I love the math. Can you elaborate a bit more on the outcome? Are you doing taxes? Or providing guidance? Is there going to be a location restriction on your involvement? That is, can you help people worldwide or are you restricted to the UK?

9/10: Creative and different. I am clear who you serve but not what you serve up as a numerical mentor (until I read your url which gives me a big hint).

8/10: I like it. At first I was confused but when I saw the website I got it’s about accounting. Numerical mentor is cute but it doesn’t work in your formula for it wasn’t clear enough at first and still not sure if its about accounting or an accounting coach.

Love the math formula explanation for an accountant! Clever!

10/10: This is terrific. Love how you used your accounting language to state your message.

10/10: This is brilliant!

10/10: Creative marketing!

5/10: I think I get it because I see the “tax” and “accounting” words on the photo, but just going by the statement, I had a hard time figuring out what that meant for me (a passionate, creative entrepreneur). Maybe us creative types could have more imagery injected into the statement? Like, I help passionate, creative entrepreneurs run their numbers so they can spend more time doing what they love, without worrying about x. Just an idea.

9/10: You give a benefit, which is great — “more time,” but I don’t know if you specialize in any particular aspect of accounting — payroll, inventory, monthly books, tax returns, etc. I also don’t know what type of “creative entrepreneur” you are looking for. Do you provide accounting for entrepreneurs in a particular industry, such as pet sitters, artists, writers, etc? Until I saw your website address, I couldn’t tell what you offered, as I didn’t know what you meant by “numerical mentor.” But the passion for your work comes through in your message.

10/10: Without a doubt!! Very artistic, and very true and simple statement!!

10/10: Love the simple clear message.

10/10: A fun accountant! Hurray! I get it, and I like that it’s a formula, not a straight up sentence. Brilliant.

9.5/10: Beautiful, concise message a clear solution offered!

10/10: Memorable. It is clear what you offer, to whom and what problem you address. We see you and you seem to see us! Your gaze is focused, as I expect you are!

9/10: Love the pic and cleverness, the text becomes clear when partnered with your web URL.

Emily Gardner’s Reflections:

Thanks for your comments Tad, I am still completely working on whom I want as my client — finding my niche. But envelopes will never be me or my company, I’m trying to educate my client’s along the way to greener easier practices that mean my clients have a better grasp of their own business finances and move with the latest innovations, apps to software etc. May mean less income for me, but helping them genuinely to be successful and have a better understanding and not be scared of the paperwork is part of my mission locally to me. I have helped many across the world remotely as asked by friends and client referrals — UK tax issues, ex-pats and landlords who rent in UK usually.

Accounting for Hippies is brilliant though and should go hand in hand with marketing because figures speak the plain truth of the matter at times and take the heart out of a business decision. As you can imagine my life is about playing with the numbers seeing what will work what won’t and making decisions based on models. But it is also about people and making a difference whether it large or small to their business or personal life — meeting great people and helping them to achieve their dreams, being a part of it, challenging them, celebrating with them. Never would it be an envelope and monthly charge, seems too dull and accounting like — I have the most random and best client list ever, from a world book writer, extreme knitter, Direct Debit provider, local mechanic & electronic garage, web designers, builders, counselling, pub, to curtain pole makers, they all are fun to work with and in some cases I have no experience in their business type, but I explain this and we just get on. I am naturally filtering for people who fit me as they can be one man bands to million pound turnover businesses, my prices are the same for my time or accounts production, I am offered overpayments, holiday homes, as some client’s think I under charge ask me to increase the fee. Its crazy, they are just not used to the input and ideas I offer or time and free advice I give out especially compared to accounting practices locally that charge out advice. I want to buck the trend locally and help build a stronger community of businesses that love their accountants again whether me or my competition we have a duty of care to help, not just take fees.

I need to be clearer in my marketing to work out my niche, as I deliberately over stretched the business as it was growing based on a pure heart choice which usually pans out for the best with me, as makes me feel good, but I hadn’t factored in an illness on my part to push the business onwards and it slowed down the momentum and has made a heart choice look riskier even to the ever optimistic me, realistic me knows I need to do something and then I found your page — I have no idea by the way how — started looking at what makes me happy and its people like you and the others that have joined this competition and commented — just plain good people willing to change and ask for help and listen to expert advice who want a better future for their communities, kids and environment and ultimately themselves and their work.

This contest is the start for me of figuring out who I want to attract and for which particular service, I want the right kind of people, people I love. As for creative, I just love working with creatives, whether artists, designers, web developers, garden designers, choir/flash mobs, milliners, I have a client who makes curtain poles, but they are amazing! Their passion drives me and gives me ideas for home, work and life and I keep them organised and back up there ideas with the numbers to ensure they taking the right paths, I have always known to niche products (work out your cream work) market for more of that, had not thought to niche the audience I want for that work!

The Revised Niche:

n/a