I was at the dog park today walking my cute-but-crazy puppy, Luna.

Luna loves to go to the dog park. She jumps on people (a bad habit indeed), wrestles with other dogs, runs around, you name it. We go there every morning and it’s the highlight of our day.

Today I was talking to another dog park regular. He owns a dog called Atticus, an Airedale Terrier (example pictured below).

I was asking whether or not his dog sheds since it looked like one of those dogs that doesn’t.

The owner confirmed that he doesn’t shed, and instead he needs to do something called “stripping” which is essentially pulling out bulk dead hair by hand.

He goes on to say that he visits one particular groomer who only does hair and nail trimming for terriers like Atticus. He’s a specialist.

Atticus has been going to him for several years, multiple times a year, and this groomer is located at least 45 minutes away.

The owner goes on to tell me that he recommends this particular groomer to everyone he encounters at the park with the same kind of dog. He even hands out business cards!

As he was explaining this to me (I kid you not), another dog arrived with the exact same haircut from the exact same groomer.

Atticus’ owner continued his story, telling me that the groomer is planning to move to a smaller town in the near future, making him a 1 hour and 45-minute drive from his Toronto clientele.

I’m willing to bet that many (not all) will make the trip when he moves. Atticus will keep seeing him, I am told.

That’s the point of picking a segment of the market. Nobody would refer every dog they see to a generalist groomer. Unless asked, there would be no reason to do so. No trigger.

When you pick one market to serve, you become known for it. People of that community find you, go out of their way to do business with you, refer you to their colleagues, and they’ll even be more likely to pay a premium for the service.

Is your coworking space for everyone? Are you swimming in competition?

If the answer is yes, then this approach could be the first step you take.

I’d love to know what you think.