How can my husband market himself to diversify his business? His new residential business has hit a major low with the bad economy. How can he target new areas? He is a Master Electrician.

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Jay’s Answer: In a word, “specialize”.

Instead of simply being a master electrician, have him focus on a narrow area. For example, home theater systems, burglar alarms, solar panels, etc. People look to hire experts in an area rather than a generalist to solve specific problems. Have him become that expert.

One concern people have in becoming a narrow expert is that they’ll lose the opportunity to work in different non-expert areas. Currently, he’s not getting that work, so it’s not a problem. But when the economy comes back, by being an expert, he can charge more and market better. There’s also no reason he can’t also have a “master electrician” business card, but by starting to focus in a new niche (perhaps with a new business name & website) he can avoid any confusion.