How to Find the Right-Fit Customer for Your Business – and Build Around Them

Special thank you to Sweta Govani 🧩 for being my guest HOST this week!

If you're a solopreneur or early-stage founder, you've probably had this thought: "I'm working with too many different kinds of clients… and too many of them aren’t quite right."

You’re not alone.

That messy middle – jumping from one custom proposal to another, drowning in sales calls, chasing unpredictable deals – is a phase many business owners go through. But you don’t have to stay there. The solution? Figure out who your perfect customer is, then build your business around them.

Here's a practical, no-fluff guide to doing exactly that.

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Step 1: Define Your Dream Project

Before you think about customer personas or market research, think back to a real project that made you say, “I wish I could do more of that.”

Ask yourself:

• What was the actual work you did?
• Which parts felt natural and exciting?
• What kind of client was it? What did they value?
• Did they get excited by your ideas and implement fast?

You’re not just identifying a good client. You’re uncovering your “zone of genius” – the type of work and the kind of person that lights you up.

Pro tip: Even if it wasn’t your biggest payday, that project can be the seed for a powerful niche.

Step 2: Break It Down – The WHO, WHAT, and WHY YOU

Every business needs to answer three key questions. Write these down and fill them in:

WHO

• Who is the person you solve a problem for?
• What is the real problem they have? Think beyond job titles. What stage is their business at? What do they struggle with? What do they care about?

WHAT

• What’s your solution?
• How exactly does it work?

Describe your offer in simple terms. Then explain how you deliver it. Productized service? Advisory calls? Online course?

WHY YOU

• Why should they choose you over their current solution (even if the current solution is “do nothing”)?
• What makes you different?

This isn’t just about sounding unique. It’s about showing them that you get them better than anyone else.

Step 3: Test It in Real Life

Now it’s time to get feedback. But no need for big campaigns. Start small.

Try:

• Updating your LinkedIn tagline or headline to reflect your new clarity
• Sending a few personalized DMs using your refined positioning
• Talking about that “dream project” in your next newsletter or post
• Changing how you describe your service in casual conversations

Pay attention to reactions. Do people nod? Do they say “That’s exactly what I need”? If not, tweak and try again.

Step 4: Build a Product Ladder

Once you know your ideal customer, you can create offers that match where they are in their journey.

Start with:

• A high-touch flagship offer (like a coaching package or strategic advisory subscription)
• A lighter-touch or one-to-many version (like a membership or workshop series)
• An entry-level product (like a course or digital download)

This gives people a path to work with you – and gives you a more stable business model.

Step 5: Align With Your Why

It’s not just about building a business that works. It’s about building a business that works for you.

Ask yourself:

• How many hours do I want to work?
• Do I want to sell via sales calls, or through content and DMs?
• Do I want fewer clients at higher rates, or more at scale?

When you know your dream work, your dream client, and your dream business model – you can start aligning all three.

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Final Thought

Finding your right-fit customer isn’t a one-time task. It’s a process. But if you treat it like the foundation of your business (because it is), it can change everything.

You’ll go from “any client is a good client” to “I know exactly who I’m here for.”

And that’s when your business starts to feel like yours.