The truths entrepreneur holds self-evident include Life Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, and happiness involves much more than accumulating wealth. It most often means something much deeper -- an act of creation, seeing an idea for a new product take shape, seeing your name on a brand. For most small business people, there is no great financial reward at end - happiness is in pursuit itself.

They sincerely believe it will be easy to generate hordes of customers standing in line to spend money. I really hate bursting their bubble. But, it's not going to happen that way.

Building a successful business is hard work. Most of that work will be devoted to finding customers. Finding customers will be your toughest job. You need a detailed strategy to attract number of paying customers required to meet your financial goals.

By trial and error over many years, I've developed a 5 step marketing strategy that enables me to launch a new product or service profitably every time. You can copy this system to launch your own new enterprise or to revive a floundering business.

STEP 1: Identify Your Target Market

The first step in developing your strategy is to isolate best target market for your product or service. Your sales efforts will be most effective if you focus on a group of prospects with common characteristics and similar problems.

Start by defining on paper your ideal customer or client. List all of characteristics you expect to find in good customers or clients. Be sure to include characteristics that make your product or service valuable to them. Then, use this list to identify a target market. Define your target market in writing.

STEP 2: Find Your Most Appealing Customer Benefit

Exactly what is most compelling problem you can solve for prospects in your target market? Why is your product or service best solution to their problem? Your answers to these 2 questions reveal customer benefit(s) to stress in your sales approach.

STEP 3: Develop A Few Motivating Offers