Hey there!

I’ve been working my way through the Entrepreneurship course and listening to podcasts where Brooke talks about target markets and narrowing your niche to find your one ideal customer avatar (ICA). I have been in business for almost 3 years, and I find it hard to narrow down to to just one. The 3 ICAs I serve are in the same narrow niche with slightly different goals, but with strong crossover potential.

ICA #1:
Brick-and-mortar local yarn shop owners (referred to LYS in the yarn world) who struggle with understanding the big picture about business and marketing. They started a shop because they were so passionate about yarn and knitting, but soon realized they were stuck because they know very little about business and marketing. As a result, revenue is suffering, and they need help with marketing, business planning and time management. (Fact: most LYS close in the first 2 years of business.)

ICA #2:
Multi-craftual designers with a obsessive tendency toward knitting and crochet. They are in their first few years in business and find that they are struggling with effective marketing strategies that convert into pattern sales and/or digital courses. This person may also teach in-person at LYS/craft shops, trade and consumer events, or may wish to learn how to create a marketing/revenue mix of both off and online strategies.

ICA #3:
I sell courses that teach a variety of knitting techniques to help hobby yarn crafters gain more confidence, and they may also wish to customize their own patterns to make something more unique and their own. I give them all the tools and empowerment that need to do this in my classes. I have had this ICA crossover to wanting to start a business, and they have become 1-1 coaching clients.

I’m almost 3 years into my coaching/digital course business and I’m growing steadily but I wonder if speaking to these 3 slightly different ICAs is too confusing?

I think of Brooke’s ICAs –
SCS: serves the person who wants to learn self coaching, and may or may not want to become a coach, but they may crossover into wanting to get certified and become a Life Coach School student.

So my questions become:

— Can I create messaging powerful enough and talk to all 3 of these ICAs at the same time?
— Do I need to force myself to get even narrower and pick just one? If I do, my fear is: I will lose parts of my existing audience, and/or I can no longer sell the assets I’ve already created for these other ICAs.
— Switch gears and focus on messaging that serves each ICA separately depending on the product/service (coaching or digital course)?

Thanks for your help!