Do Businesses Have to Specialize?
Actually, no. You do what’s right for yourself and your business based on the needs of a strong market. You don’t have to specialize, but there are compelling advantages to it.
The definition of an expert is someone who specializes in an aspect of a specific field. In transportation a bus driver is an expert: she specializes in driving a bus. Hiring an expert makes people feel good about working with you. They’ll even expect to pay more for your services.
After all, you’re doing work you love and doing it well. So, if you want to make more money doing work you love, specialization is a practical choice. It’s true that when you specialize you turn off some people. It turns out that’s not so bad. It strengthens the connection to your ideal market. The more specific your brand message, the more you appeal to the people you wish to serve.