Answer honestly rather than ambitiously. The best first market is not the largest market — it is the one where you can most quickly earn a meaningful conversation.
Saves to this browser as you go.
Who do you actually understand?
Name the market in the words its own members use. "Home-service companies" beats "SMBs". "Independent RIA firms" beats "financial services".
Why you can claim it — pick everything true:
Where do you already have access?
Choose every route where you already have trust. Access beats theoretical market attractiveness, every time.
What company size fits you?
Different sizes demand different sales cycles, governance and delivery capability. Pick the one you can actually serve today.
Which buyer do you want to engage?
The conversation changes completely by buyer. Choose the one whose language you can hold for an hour.
Which problems can you recognise on sight?
Choose three to five you could discuss intelligently without preparation. More than five is not focus — it is a menu.
Which outcomes do you improve?
Pick up to three. These are what you get paid for — the problems above are only how you find them.
What can you credibly deliver?
Be honest. Selling past your delivery capability is the fastest way to destroy a young consulting practice.
Why Specialise
Being more specific does not reduce opportunity. It makes it easier for the right people to recognise themselves — and, far more importantly, easier for other people to refer them to you.
The referral test
Your positioning is not written for prospects. It is written for the person who might refer one. If they cannot picture a specific name when you finish your sentence, your positioning has failed — regardless of how accurate it is.
| This produces nothing | This produces names |
|---|---|
| "Do you know anyone who needs AI?" | "Do you know a business owner whose company is growing but who is still personally involved in too many operational decisions?" |
| "I help businesses use AI." | "I help home-service companies design intelligent lead-management systems that increase conversion without adding admin headcount." |
| "I do AI consulting." | "I work with professional firms whose best thinking is trapped in one or two people's heads." |
You do not need decades of industry experience
You need enough to hold a credible conversation and recognise a repeated problem. Any one of these is a legitimate basis to specialise:
- You have worked in the industry, at any level
- You have direct access to its decision-makers
- You understand the workflow because you have personally done it
- You understand the customer and how they buy
- You have standing in the community or association
- You can recognise the same problem repeating across companies
- You can deliver or coordinate the solution
The market you should reject
Deliberately write down what you will say no to. An engagement whose technical, legal or operational risk substantially exceeds your delivery capability will cost you more than the fee — it costs you the reference, the referrals and the months you cannot get back.
What each company size actually demands
| Size | Sales cycle | Stakeholders | Governance | Delivery team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual professionals | Days to weeks | One — them | None | You, alone |
| Startups & small business | Weeks | One or two | Informal | You, plus a specialist |
| Scale-ups | 1–3 months | Three to six | Emerging | Small delivery team |
| Mid-market | 3–6 months | Six to twelve | Formal | Multi-discipline + procurement |
| Enterprise | 6–18 months | Twelve plus | Heavy | Full programme team |
