‘Who is your customer?’

By Justine Coppenrath, Co-Founder Washashore Productions

‘Who is your customer?’ I’ve started four businesses and never once did I focus on who my customer was. If you build it they will come was my theory. I was young, naïve — of course I was going to do well because I had never not. But how well was I really doing? Aside from putting together a business that I thought everyone would love I never put much thought into who in particular was going to give me business — everyone, of course. I was happy with the customers I had or so I thought. Would I have had more customers if I specifically targeted them? As I reflect on this notion and the customers that I made over a 15 year span — I think to myself. What if I had the opportunity to join a program that would fast track that? What if I was put together with a group of mentors that were solely there to guide me and make sure that I succeed? What if I had been educated on the exact customers that I needed for my business to turn a profit earlier than it had? What if EforAll was around when I started my last few businesses? I can only say this — I’m glad it’s around now! Starting a business is not the hard part — staying in business is. And if you want to stay in business you need to know exactly who your customer is.