Should Your Eldercare Business Have a Niche?

Confuse them and you will lose them.

These are the words of Donald Miller the author of Storybrand. The idea is simple. People are bombarded with so much information these days. We are overloaded with emails. And with instant messages. Our social media newsfeeds are filled with friends, family, and yes even companies jumping out of the newsfeed to grab our attention. And the phone still rings also. But much of the time it is a robocall or someone trying to sell us something.

And We Shut Down

So, to silence the noise we shut down. We ignore most of what is showing up in the newsfeed. We send our phone calls to voice mail to screen them. And when we visit a website, studies show we typically spend 15 seconds or less. Most of the time the reason is there is too much information. Consumers are overwhelmed!

What Is Your Specialty/ Your Niche for Your Eldercare Business?

Sure, you can help all seniors with your services. You can even help younger people too. But the more you try to reach different groups of people the more your message seems to get watered down. And let’s face it. Wouldn’t you rather go to a specialist? Wouldn’t you rather work with someone who really understands and specializes in your particular need? Wouldn’t you rather work with an expert?

The Small Fish in the Big Ocean Gets Lost

But when he goes to a smaller pond, he may well become the Rockstar. The truth is when you try to help everyone with your eldercare service you end up serving no one. You get lost in the sea of companies out there all trying to get the same business.

How is Your Eldercare Business Different? What is Your Niche or Specialty?

How do you stand out from the hundreds of other companies that other a similar service? When I ask this question most marketers and business owners will tell me how they do a better job. They may cite some industry awards they have. What they do not tell me is how they can help me. Why I should choose their service over hundreds of others out there? What’s in it for me?

Yes, You Can Help All Seniors Needing Assistance

But what if your message focused on one particular area? What if you became known as the company that specializes in patients who have had a stroke? Or maybe you want to specialize in patients with dementia. Or how about people just returning from the hospital?

Years ago, before it became popular, my friend Pat, decided to open Residential Care homes specifically for people with Alzheimer’s Disease. And then she went a step further to state that she only cared for Alzheimer’s patients who were in the moderate or severe stages of the disease. Now that is narrowing the market. She turned down people who did not fit that demographic. And sometimes that was not easy. When you are running a small business, you are often worried about money.

But Pat was passionate about caring for this market. So much so that she invested both time and money into learning. She learned everything she could about the disease. Furthermore, she became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association. She spoke about caring for Alzheimer’s patients anytime she had the opportunity. And she was quickly known in her area as the go-to place for someone who needed specialized care for Alzheimer’s disease. Because she was a specialist her business was able to charge more for their services. Her business grew quickly. Her one home became two and then three to keep up with the demand.

And Other Savvy Business Owners Took Notice.

Now there are small Alzheimer’s Certified Care homes all over the Houston metroplex. Another client, Marie specialized in Hospice patients. As a nurse, she was able to give the extra special care and attention these patients needed. And hospice care was her passion, or her calling as she told me.

Most of the care homes in her area did not like to take Hospice patients because the turnover was high. For some owners, it was the constant death that hung in the area keeping them from this niche.

But Marie knew that if she gave top-notch care and became known for giving loving care, she would be able to charge a premium price. Families were willing to pay more for the best end-of-life care they could buy.

The best way to choose a niche is to discover what type of clients you most enjoy working with. Home care and assisted living care are two businesses that thrive with a heart-centered owner.

Choose Your Niche- For Your Residential Care Home

When you have a passion for helping a certain type of client, that is your niche. Pat loved working with Alzheimer’s patients and their families. Marie loved working with those who were nearing the end of their life. In senior care the possibilities are endless.

What else could you specialize in?

· Caring for diabetics

· Stroke survivors

· Elderly with Physical limitations

· Parkinson’s Disease

· Chronic Illness

Choose Your Niche- For Your Home Care Business

The following are some tag lines for home care businesses. This is a very competitive field. Which one is more focused?

1. We take care of seniors in their homes.

2. We assist active seniors who want to remain home.

1. We care for everyone! Seniors, new moms, people with disabilities, etc.

2. Our specialty is caring for seniors with physical disabilities.

1. We offer non-medical care services for seniors in their homes.

2. We help seniors who have been hospitalized avoid a return visit.

Other ideas include:

· We help stroke and heart attack survivors stay in their own homes.

· We help people with chronic illnesses like Diabetes or arthritis stay in their homes.

· Our companion care service makes sure mom doesn’t get lonely.

Brainstorm with your coach or your team. When you focus your message on a particular group of people your message will stand out. No longer will you just be another home care agency or residential care home competing on price. You will become the expert.

Don’t Let Fear Hijack Your Business

Narrowing your focus may seem like you are cutting out potential clients. However, when you narrow your focus you become the expert in that area you focus on. And being the expert is very attractive. Before you know it you and your business will be known as the Home Care Company that______________ or the Residential Care Home That____________________.

And this does not mean that you cannot offer other services. Having a niche for your business means that all of your marketing efforts are focused on one or maybe two types of clients.

Need a Little Marketing Help?

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Kathryn Watson has been a marketer for over 30 years. In the last 12 years, she switched to digital marketing as her primary way to attract new clients and continue to keep in close contact with her existing contacts.

Through the years she has discovered resources and tools that work and make her job a lot easier. Now Kathryn is sharing them with you. Need help creating videos? Give me a call at 281-827-7090 or email kwatson@marketingyourcare.com