We are so excited to introduce Episode 008 of With Grace and Gold: The Podcast – a business education podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. With Grace and Gold: The Podcast features 5-minute episodes with clear, actionable steps to guide you toward successful small business ownership. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify, or elsewhere!
Are you offering too many services?
When we first launched our business in 2014, we offered logo design, stationery design, web design, social media templates, newsletter templates — and any design service we were asked to provide. As new business owners, we were eager to book clients, and found ourselves saying ‘yes’ to everything we could. We added services to our business simply because someone had asked for that service to be offered. But, a few months later, we were burnt out. We lacked clarity in our own business — and we knew something had to change.
When we started our business, our goal was to provide brand and web design. We hoped to set ourselves apart by providing a seamless experience for our clients, and by creating really beautiful and strategic brands and web designs. But with every ‘yes’ we said, we were actually saying ‘no’ to the type of work we really wanted to do — the type of work we set out to do when our business first began.
So, for the past 6 years, we’ve offered just three packages. We have 3 clearly-defined processes for each package, and as a result, With Grace and Gold runs really smoothly. We’re able to clearly communicate who we are and what we do, we’re able to connect with Ideal Clients who are looking for what we have to offer, and we’re able to experience clarity and purpose when we open our computers every day and get to work.
Today, I’m going to share the problem with offering too many services — and how you can strategically decide which services are right for your business.
No matter what season your business is in, it’s natural to want to say ‘yes’ to prospective clients who reach out to you. Saying ‘no’ can feel overwhelming, so, we say ‘yes’ from a place of fear or guilt. Fear about not booking a prospective client, or guilt about disappointing someone who has expressed interest in our business. Maybe you’re a small business owner who has a wide array of services, or maybe you feel restless in your own business because you don’t know exactly which services align with your business or your goals. Or, maybe, just like us, you have found yourself saying ‘yes’ to every request from prospective clients, but feeling uncertain or overwhelmed every time you do.
There are a few problems with offering too many services, or services not aligned with your business or your goals:
- First, offering too many services can create a lack of clarity for your audience. When we created our plan for With Grace and Gold, we decided we wanted to be a “go-to” choice for business owners in need of brand and web design. We knew we couldn’t become a “go-to” choice if we weren’t communicating a clear message to our visitors. If we were sharing work on social that wasn’t under the umbrella of brand and web design — or if we were showcasing a portfolio full of work that wasn’t under the umbrella of brand and web design, we were communicating a different message from what we originally planned. We were confusing our visitors about exactly what they could come to With Grace and Gold for.
- Next, offering too many services can create confusion within your business. When you say ‘yes’ to projects you don’t necessarily offer, or projects that are outside of your wheelhouse, you’re essentially saying ‘yes’ to creating an entirely new process for each service you say ‘yes’ to. Our goal, at With Grace and Gold, is to follow a seamless, step-by-step, tried-and-true process no matter which of our 3 packages is booked. If we were to offer 10 or 15 services, for example, we’d need to create a process for each service, which would create a massive amount of work. Worse yet, if we created the process as we journeyed through it with our client, we couldn’t guarantee the best client experience possible. As the owner and operator of your business, we believe — and have experienced first-hand — that having a curated collection of services or packages gives you the best chance to create a seamless experience for every client you serve.
- Lastly, offering too many services can overwhelm visitors. Our job, as business owners, is to lead every visitor on a journey of learning about our business and to ensure every visitor is led toward the service that is best for them. With too many services available, the choice can become overwhelming for visitors. Worse yet, visitors are then pressured to know which service is best for them, rather than trusting and clearly seeing that one of a few curated services is best for them.
So, now that we’ve explored the risks of offering too many services, how can you determine which services are right for your business?
- Step 1: Try your best to silence the noise outside of your business — what you have been asked to offer, what you feel pressured or obligated to offer, or what you are simply capable of offering. When you think about your business as a reflection of your passion, purpose, and legacy, what do you envision? Of course, the services you offer need to be services customers are in need of, are aware they’re in need of, and are willing to pay for — but this foundational question can help you to experience better clarity in your business. What do you envision when you think about the work you’re best at, the work you love doing most, and the work you’d like to do more of?
- Step 2: Try to think about your services in their simplest form. For example, we offer 3 packages. One has logo design and stationery design, another has logo design, stationery design, and web design, and the last has logo design, stationery design, web design, and a hidden pricing page. These simple, tiered packages provide our customers with a seamless experience determining which package is best for them. The goal of your business is to solve a problem for someone in need, so what is the simplest, clearest way for you to solve their problem?
- Step 3: Communicate clearly about who you are, what you do, and who you serve. On your Home page, on your social media profiles, and elsewhere, be sure to clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you serve. When you do, you’ll better connect with customers who are searching for exactly what you have to offer — and you’ll create more clarity surrounding your business, too.
Over the years, we’ve often heard, “If you market to everyone, you market to no one.” That powerful advice prompted us to pare down our packages, to find clarity in our business, and to be sure every decision we make is rooted in the foundation of providing a seamless brand and web design experience for our clients. What experience can you create for your Ideal Client simply by paring down your services, and jump-starting a business you love and feel proud of?
Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!
About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay
Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.
Elevate your business with purpose using With Grace and Gold's step-by-step guide to raising your prices confidently. Receive the Guide
Free Guide to Raising Your Prices
Free Guide
Confidently
Become familiar with Showit using an expertly-created, completely-customizable Showit template by With Grace and Gold. Download
Free Showit Template by
Free Showit Template
With Grace and Gold
Does your brand communicate luxury? Take our assessment and create a luxury brand for your business. Receive the Guide
How to Create a Luxury Brand
Free Guide
for Your Business
