Are you thinking about starting a business?

Looking for the BIGGEST secret to success? That thing that separates the ones that make it (1 in 10 statistically) from the other 90% that don’t.

It’s pretty simple… but most people don’t do it.

Solve a PROBLEM for people.

Profound, right? It seems obvious. I know.

But, people buy to avoid pain more than they do to increase pleasure.

Lots of small business owners start a business with the solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Look everyone, here is my new clothing brand! It’s nice and the designs are cool… so buy them.

Why, though?

Most start-ups can’t answer that question…..90% of them to be exact.

When you plan your business, you should always think to yourself, “What problem am I solving?”

The world doesn’t need another clothing brand. There’s enough of those already.

Unless…. the SOLUTION to a problem you see in the world IS a clothing brand.

So, let’s go through some examples to make it more clear.

I’ll stick with fashion brands because that’s a tough market.

Do you remember the shoe company, Toms?

Well, he didn’t sell shoes.

What do you mean, Bryan? If I buy a pair of Toms…. I get…. shoes.

I know. That’s what you get…. but it’s not why you buy Toms. You could buy shoes anywhere so why his?

I’ll explain.

People want to give back. They want to feel good. They want to be a caring person. Maybe they have the resources, but they don’t always have time.

Tom gave them a way to give back. He sold a feeling AND a memento of their good deed: Shoes.

Let’s try another example.

Have you heard of Fresh Clean Tees?

They solved a problem too.

They realized mens shirts are either too loose or too tight.

If you have a bit of a gut, you need a bigger shirt. But a bigger shirts makes your arms look like little noodles.

If you want your biceps to show, you need a smaller shirt. But then your belly looks like it’s bursting at the seams.

They thought, what if we made a shirt that’s slim-fit up top and loose-fit around the waist?

Bam! Viola! You’ll make money – that’s what!

A business was born.

I say all this to show you how important framing is to your business. Problems have to be the driving force behind your messaging. Then introduce the solution.

All businesses have products and they all have solutions. But, your messaging, your “WHY” if you will, should be about the problem you are solving.

If you’re wondering what problem should I solve? Start with your own. Chances are other people have the same problems.

And all problems fit into 4 buckets:

Health > Wealth > Happiness > Love

All good businesses products make someone either healthier, wealthier, happier, or lovelier. Lovelier? It sounded good, but let me clarify. They will have more loving and meaningful relationships.

Some problems will fit into more than one bucket. That’s a good thing.

A good exercise for your business is to think about:

• What problems does your business solve?

• What buckets do those problems fit into?

• Who has those problems?

• How do your solutions solve those problems?

Do that and you’ll market your business better than the other 90%.