We’re lucky to see thousands of examples of businesses in our work at Fizzle, and personal development and internet marketing are by far the most common topics we see.
The world doesn’t need another “personal development” or “internet marketing” site. There are plenty of other problems to solve, and those two problems have been tackled by so many qualified (and unqualified) people and businesses that it’s simply no longer logical to try to differentiate yourself in either market.
The problem is that they’re the two easiest topics to choose when you’re thinking about starting a website or business. Here’s why: most people who choose to start businesses are naturally going through a process of personal development. Similarly, most people starting businesses are simultaneously learning about digital marketing tactics to help them get off the ground.
It’s only natural to think, “Gee, if I’m already learning about personal development and internet marketing… wouldn’t those two topics be good potential options for my business?”
Selling what you know is a great way to make money and build a business, especially if you’re very good at something you can teach. The irony is that most people want to sell what they know, but they haven’t taken the time to get good enough at anything to be valuable.
Therein lies the problem with trying to start a business of any kind. Not many want to do the hard work to become good (let alone great).
And so instead, they take the easy way out and teach the easiest thing to teach, and the easiest thing to teach is your personal development or internet marketing learning journey. In the end, you’re bound to become an also-ran; a single voice in a huge crowd where everyone is already yelling.
The alternative is to build some hard skills and/or become an expert on a topic or problem. Sure, you’ll still become better as a person (personal development) and learn to market your business (internet marketing) along the way. But more importantly, you’ll have great opportunities because you’ll be teaching something of real value.
If you want to start a business, and you find yourself leaning towards the tired topics of personal development or internet marketing… perhaps it would be best to take the time to build expertise on an important problem, audience you want to serve, or interesting topic instead.
Thanks to all of the Fizzlers running remarkable businesses like Mess Hall Cocktail Company, Design Cuts, Clean Pits Company, and Great Northwest Wine for the inspiration for today’s post.