One of the challenges of running a service business is that you can end up doing custom work for every client. Every project is new, with fresh challenges and problems to solve. While this can be exciting and satisfying, it makes it harder to improve profitability.

I’ve never had much success with fixed or value pricing, so I charge either by the day, or sprint. And while I can increase rates, there is a natural point where I can’t increase them much further. So in effect, my income, and profit is capped.

There is also the issue where, due to the nature of custom projects, I work a lot of hours. There’s always the feeling of “being on”. If I am working on a sprint for a client, I’m dedicating a big chunk of my week to that client. I can’t just take time off to go for a long bike ride on a random Wednesday. Or at least, I don’t feel like I can.

I think the solution is to narrow my focus even further than I do. I’ve already focused down on one audience. But I solve various problems for them. If I could focus that further on a smaller handful of problems, then I’ll be solving similar problems with each client engagement.

And that brings efficiencies that are good for both me and the client. These efficiencies come in the form of:

• Components that can solve common problems, and can be improved over time.
• Integrating common apps that the core audience use, and deal with the oddities of each API, once and all clients benefit (rather than having to solve them on each project)
• Not having to spend client project time solving unique problems
• Understanding the client's problems before you even speaking to them (when focused, it’s amazing how many businesses have the same problems)
• Focusing marketing to attract the core audience with the core set of problems

All of these together means building a reusable service for one audience with a common set of problems. They’ll get a better service, and I’ll improve profitability.

Each client will of course still have their unique problems. This isn’t about ignoring that. It’s about getting away from every problem being unique. If I can attract clients with similar problems, then part of the solution can some from reusable services. And that gives more time and energy to solve what is truly unique.