Identify your customers!
“If you try to sell to everyone, you sell to no one.”
Knowing your ideal customer means understanding who you help, what they want, and how they think. This makes everything easier — from pricing your service to writing Instagram posts.
1.1 Define what you are selling
“Once You Define Anything, Your Definition Will Define You” – Gerhard Gschwandtner (2015)
When entering an already crowded market, it is very difficult to find success without identifying your selling point and an aspect of your brand that is already not been replicated by your competitors. To understand what makes your business unique and different, it is important to understand your audience.
Here’s what you should know:
- Do they buy your product/service from a competitor?
- Can your brand fill a gap in the market?
- What is your niche?
- Are you aiming for a B2B or B2C audience?
- What channels can you approach/market to your consumer?
One of the best USP (Unique Selling Point) that a brand could possess is a solution to a problem. Relieving someone from a burden will most likely bring attention to your product or service. Another way could be by marketing your business in a way that demonstrate the use and stands out from the competition. For example, Apple marketed their iPod as “1,000 songs in your pocket”.
Try Search Listening tool !
1.2 Create a simple customer persona
As a new graduate starting a business, one of the most important things you can do is understand exactly who your customer is. When you know who you’re trying to help — what they want, what they’re struggling with, and how they think — everything else becomes easier: marketing, pricing, building your services, even designing your website.
A customer persona (also called a buyer persona) is a short, written profile of your ideal customer — the person most likely to buy your product or service. Think of it like creating a character in a story: you give them a name, a job, an age, a lifestyle, and then dive into what motivates them, what they need, and what kind of problems they face. This helps you step into their shoes and make better decisions about how to serve them.
As a new sole trader building a customer person is the best thing you can do as you move from guessing to growing. This allows you to be sure that the effort you are putting in the business, targets the right audience and fulfil their demand.
Creating a customer persona isn’t complicated, either. Start by answering a few simple questions:
- Who do I want to help?
- What’s their age, job, and lifestyle like?
- What are they trying to achieve?
- What are they struggling with?
- Why would they choose my service over someone else’s?
Example: Persona for a Graduate Resume Service
Name: Emily
Age: 23
Location: Manchester, UK
Job: Recent marketing graduate, looking for her first job
Income: Low (just out of university)
Online Habits: Uses Instagram and TikTok for career advice
Goals: Get hired in a creative company ASAP
Frustrations: Feels overwhelmed, doesn’t know how to write a “good” CV
Buying Trigger: Wants to feel confident applying to jobs and believes a professional CV will help
Make my persona with this website.
Creating a business plan
You don’t need a 50-page document or an MBA to write a business plan. In fact, if you’re a graduate just starting out as a sole trader, your business plan can be just a one-pager — something that helps you get your ideas out of your head and into a simple, clear direction.
A business plan helps you:
- Get clear on what you’re offering and to who
- Set goals you can actually track
- Stay focused and avoid wasting time
- Make smarter decisions with money, time, and energy
Think of it as a roadmap. It’s not set in stone — you can update it as your business grows.
1. Your Business Idea
What are you offering, in one sentence?
Example: “Helping graduates write better CVs and get hired faster through affordable, one-on-one coaching.”
2. Your Ideal Customer
Who are you helping and what problem are you solving?
Include your customer persona or a short summary of your ideal client.
3. Your Services or Products
What exactly are you selling?
List your main offering(s), including how it works and how much it costs.
4. How You’ll Make Money
How will the business bring in income?
Include your pricing, how you plan to get paid (PayPal, bank transfer, etc.), and whether your model is one-off, subscription, or hourly.
5. How You’ll Market It
How will people find out about you?
Think about where your ideal customers spend time: Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, uni job boards, word of mouth, etc.
6. Your Goals
What do you want to achieve in the next 3–6 months?
Example: “Get 5 paying clients,” “Launch Instagram page,” “Set up a booking form.”
7. What You’ll Need
What tools, platforms, or skills will you need to get started?
Example: Canva for design, Google Docs for CVs, Calendly for bookings, Notion to stay organised.