CATEGORY DESIGN FOR SMALL BUSINESS
WHAT IS CATEGORY DESIGN?
It's permission to play. It's about co-creation, collaboration, and just jamming. It's thinking about things in a new way, and actually taking time to think. It focuses on the problem you solve, specifically who (niche) you solve it for, and the different solution you provide to add value. We name, frame, and claim the problem you solve and you grow to become the Category Queen, owning 76% of the Category, as the others battle for the scraps.
IS CATEGORY DESIGN RIGHT FOR YOU?
Category Design isn't for everyone. In fact, only 5-10% of small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs, are open to the idea of doing things different. For those that are up to the challenge, you have to be willing to reject the premise, question everything you've learned about marketing strategy and entrepreneurship, and be able to discuss the vulnerable parts of your business and personality. It's therapeutic, but I am not a licensed therapist. I will listen and hold space for you with Curiosity, Understanding, and Empathy (CUE).
Category Design will challenge you to think about things differently. You will unlearn as you reject the premise, and stretch your mind as you embrace creativity and dream of a different future where possibilities are no longer constrained. Once we meet and discuss your company challenges, goals, and determine we are a good fit, and that Category Design Week is the right solution for you, with a signed contract and deposit, we schedule a week of Category Design Sessions to address your specific needs and challenges. This requires you, the business owner, to prioritize your business strategy for one week as we typically meet five days in one week, 2-3 hours each session to discuss various parts of Category Design.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING CATEGORY DESIGN WEEK?
DAY 1
We lay the foundation by exploring Core Values, Purpose-Driven Mission, and Vision at our first session.
Core Values. Core values set the groundwork for your company’s differentiation. They are part of your mission, vision, and brand. Core values are interwoven in messaging, business decisions, how your clients perceive your brand, hiring, culture, and influence many other parts of your business on a daily basis.
Purpose-Driven Mission: Legendary companies commit to being missionary, not mercenary. Missionary companies care about serving your customer. Mercenary companies care about making money. The successful companies realize it's not about you, it about your customer. When you focus on creating value and reducing pain by solving your customer's problems, you win. A Purpose-Driven Mission statement shares your purpose, describes the product/service you provide, your Superconsumers, and the problem your different solution solves. It provides direction regarding business decisions, helps keep you on track, and keeps you focused on taking action to achieve your vision. A mission statement manages expectations from the business, your team, and your customers.
Vision: A vision statement defines the ideal future state for the business. It helps keep you moving forward in the right direction, allows you to evaluate opportunities that may come your way. This is key to ensure goals and strategies are aligned with the company vision.
While we may not have all the answers at the end of the first session, for example your niche, we will have more clarity in direction, allowing us to dive into Category Design.
DAY 2
Understand the problem. We will explore the problems you address. We will question everything, and identify the problems you actually solve for, and if these problems are considered needs or wants. We encourage different thinking and an open mind through various exercises.
Define and deeply understand your niche. Category Design is focused on your Superconsumers and solving their problem with your different solution. We will identify strategies to build brand awareness and communicate it clearly with your Superconsumers. By diving into your ideal niche, we will create relevant messaging and highlight your different solution. This is meant to attract your ideal clients and repel those who are not a good fit. This is aligned with your company’s Core Values, Purpose-Driven Mission, and Vision on Day 1.
Define your different solution. This is not a comparative game; we don't want you to be faster, cheaper, or better. We want to force a choice by your Superconsumers because you created a value-add solution that actually solves your customers' problem. We will shift our approach from forecasting (looking forward based on past performance) to backcasting—working as if the future vision has already been achieved, to think without constraints as we reject the premise and imagine what happens when your solution becomes readily available to your Superconsumers.
Sometimes small business owners are too close to something, resulting in clouded thinking. That's why I play several roles including advisor, coach, and consultant. I put you and your business first as we seek clarity.
DAY 3
Frame, Name, and Claim. Whoever frames the problem owns the solution. Using languaging and creativity will help people stop and question what they've done in the past and why it didn’t work out. This will be a highly creative process. We will ensure your solution is different, not comparative.
DAY 4
Focus on the marketing metrics that matter. Drive and deliver outcomes for your company, category, and for your Superconsumers. SMART goals align with the company’s core values. Understand different types of outcomes, including financial, emotional, aspirational, organizational, and experiential.
DAY 5
Create a SMART goal. As a strategic marketing expert and Category Designer, we will guide your business with an eye for efficiency so you can create demand and scale your business in a way that is aligned to your mission and vision, and maintains or builds the impact of your company. We will set a SMART goal during our Category Design Week, and use ongoing weekly coaching sessions to support you, push you to grow the business, and achieve your goals. Ultimately, this will generate word of mouth as you continue to build your brand locally, nationally, and/or globally.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHARE
CATEGORY DESIGN TESTIMONIALS
"Thank you so much for your thoughts - you have my head spinning in several directions (in a good way), and I am even more excited about the future of my company."– A prospective client via email after our initial talk discussing the challenges they faced in their company. They are excited for their upcoming Category Design Week.
Schedule a discovery session so we can discuss your company's challenges, your goals and needs, and why you think a strategic growth partner is right for you in your business journey today.
Category Design Week is comprised of daily, private meetings (2-3 hours each day), where we discuss your business through frameworks and exercises at each step. We will be available to you as needed outside of the scheduled sessions. You should also set aside an additional 1-2 hours each day to reflect in a journal, or work on any homework you may have. This week requires your commitment and attention to work on your business.
After you complete the Category Design Week, we will meet weekly, for one-hour coaching sessions for 6 months. We want you and your company to succeed, and that's why we are there for you every week to do what is needed to support you, push you, and advise you so you can achieve your goals. After 6 months, we will assess the value of continuing our coaching sessions based on goals, revenue, and performance to date.
Please note, Category Design Week is currently in beta-testing. The above schedule is one example of what your Category Design Week may look like. We will discuss your desired outcomes and determine the best schedule that matches your needs. Our goal is for you to receive far more value than you pay, so the only question becomes "Why didn't I do this sooner?"
HOW IS CATEGORY DESIGN WEEK DIFFERENT?
Our time together is spent thinking out loud and exploring things in a different way, to get out of a comparative game. Clients benefit from my experience in over 33 industries, 25+ years in marketing and strategy, and continuous learning. In the Fall of 2024, I graduated as part of the first cohort of the Category Design Academy, taught my Superheros, Christopher Lochhead, Eddie Yoon, and Katrina Kirsch, the team behind Category Pirates, the authority on Category Creation and Category Design. As Pirate Christopher Lochhead said, "When we take something from somewhere else and apply it to something in an unpredictable way, it can be a huge mental unlock for people."