Don’t do the thing you’re best at. In business, it can be a bad idea.

As a creative entrepreneur, you’re great at some things. Less good at other things. That’s OK. That’s normal.

So it makes sense to focus your business on the things you’re best at. Right?

Wait a minute! Not so fast…

You’re creative, talented and passionate.

You’re professional, intelligent and hard working.

That’s the good news.

Here’s the bad news…

Millions of other people are also creative, talented and passionate.

They’re professional, intelligent and hard working too.

And most of them are EVEN BETTER THAN YOU.

A sobering thought.

But don’t despair. There’s more good news.

There’s something special you can do that they can’t. There’s something that makes you stand out from that creative crowd. There’s something that gives you an “unfair advantage”.

That “something” is the key to success.

As a business coach, I ask creative entrepreneurs two questions:

1. What are you best at?

It’s a good question. It provokes thoughts. And useful information.

But the second question is the most important one.

2. What are you best at IN RELATION TO THE COMPETITION?

That’s a very different question. And the answers are very different.

Let me tell you about my running…

In a mountain race, I’m much better at running downhill than running uphill. I can run fast downhill.

Running uphill, I’m not so good. Much slower.

So should I enter downhill races?

Or uphill races?

I want to win. What’s your advice?

Well, it depends…

It depends on the competition.

In which race do I perform best IN RELATION TO THE COMPETITION?

Running downhill, I’m fast. But most others are even faster. They overtake me.

Running uphill, I’m slower. But most others are even slower than me. I overtake them.

Here’s the thing: the two questions give different answers.

What am I best at? Downhill running.

What am I best at in relation to the competition? Uphill running.

At uphill running I have a competitive advantage. It makes sense to enter those races if I want to win.

Your creative business can offer a range of products or services.

Which ones are you best at?

More importantly, which ones are you best at in relation to the competition?

There’s no point doing your best thing if competitors are even better at it. You can’t win.

Whereas if competitors are less good than you at something, you’re the number one. The winner.

Asking this second question can turn things upside down. It’s counter-intuitive. But it’s enlightening.

More than that: it’s the key to making more money in your creative business.

Any thoughts?