Part of the decision when considering what to offer is:

“What kind of challenge do I want to build into my business?”

Do you prefer a CAPACITY challenge or a MARKETING challenge?

When we are a service provider – OBM, VA, agency, etc – we inherently have more of a CAPACITY challenge built into our day-to-day work.

Having to juggle multiple clients. Dealing with tight deadlines and last minute requests. Getting clear on agreements and boundaries. Managing the expectations of clients. And being able to get all the work done (which can be alot!) <– these are all capacity challenges. 

The plus side of offering professional services is that once you are established, you don’t have to be as focused on marketing constantly. You can have long term retainers, and referral relationships that send folks your way. Yes, there is still effort required to find clients (especially in the beginning!) but it’s not your day-to-day focus.

Conversely, when we offer leveraged programs – such as coaching, consulting, packages, training, etc – we are required to be in constant MARKETING mode.

Posting on social media. Creating content. Running launches. Advertising. Networking. Keeping on top of the ever changing world of marketing strategies so that we don’t fall behind. <– these are all marketing challenges

Leveraged offerings are generally much easier to manage from a capacity perspective. We create the structure of the offer and deliver it as is (so much less uncertainty and last minute stuff that pops up!)

To be clear – you will encounter both challenges regardless of what you offer.

• There will always marketing challenges as a service provider – it’s just not the main challenge.
• And there will be capacity challenges with leveraged offers – but marketing will be your main day-to-day focus.

So as you consider what you are offering – be sure to ask yourself:

Would I rather have more of a CAPACITY challenge or a MARKETING challenge?

When you know your preference and go into it with eyes wide open, you can prevent a tonne of heartache and frustration down the road.