Every survey names the same thing as the most important factor in growing a successful small business: Finding the right mentor. This is why I was excited when Microsoft asked me to be part of their small business mentor program.
I was introduced to Mollie and Shannon Slaton who run Hudson Pilates in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. They had just moved to a larger studio space and were looking to grow their business.
We first focused on targeting their ideal customer. This should be done by combining anecdotal information with real data from inside the company. From here, we discussed what was the Hudson Pilates’ brand. Was it just another Pilates studio where people went to exercise? Mollie and Shannon decided that their brand was focused on two areas:
1. Hudson Pilates treats each client or student as an individual. Everyone who comes to Hudson gets an individual conversation with Mollie to decide what their goals are and how they can best be accomplished at the studio.
2. Hudson Pilates creates and gives back to the community. People come to their studio not only to work their individual issues, but to form closers bonds with other clients and students. Mollie also focuses on giving back to her community by offering her studio space free to non- profit groups to meet and rehearse. Mollie and Shannon also like the bridge in their logo as a metaphor to providing a path for everyone in the community to get to a healthier place.
After the brand was established, we then divided who they wanted to target to grow their business. Their current clients are mostly middle aged women with back, shoulder and neck pain. They also have many retired people who are working on their balance and strength. Hudson Pilates would like to get more middle aged male clients who have back issues. Men are not typically drawn to this type of exercise unless they have tried everything else.
Next up: Using CRM to create specific marketing tactics to use their brand to attract their targeted group.
