(Off topic: Have you read about the 12.5% solution yet? No? Get off your ass, honey. This shit is killer.)

This post is part of a series that will tell you how to create your USP by looking at other real, live ittybiz owners who have done it and kicked ass at it.

James Chartrand and the other fine gentlemen (and gentleladies) at Men with Pens are making quite a splash on the interwebs for pretty much being the go-to guys for design and copy, all in one place. That’s not an easy feat when everybody and their schnauzer thinks they can be a writer or web designer on the internet.

Today, we’re going to talk about the copy side of Men with Pens and what you can learn from that in your own ittybiz.

A range of experts. And expertise.

I have worked with a lot of copywriters in my day, and many of them have been awesome. The thing that is occasionally not awesome is this: if you have a copywriter you love and they’re busy, you’re hosed. If they don’t do full length ebooks, you’re hosed. If they can’t do a hard sell when you need a hard sell, SURPRISE! You’re hosed.

The Pen Men have worked damn hard to build an arsenal of writers with a full range of expertise. This means they can secure jobs that a lot of one man shops can’t secure. They’ve made a concerted effort to create a portfolio of experience that encompasses a total spectrum of work. This means that if a potential customer wants it, the Pen Men can probably give it to them.

“But Naomi,” you say. “Doesn’t that violate all the rules of nicheness? Aren’t they supposed to focus on only writing Contact Us pages for life coaches in the greater Chicago area?” Yeah, keep your pants on. I’m not done, am I?

Broad capacity meets targeted specialty.

Writing is a hard and competitive business. It’s even harder and competitiver when you have a whole lot of families to feed. (Yes, I know “competitiver” isn’t a word. I did that to screw with James.) So James Chartrand and his crew have made the smart financial decision to provide their clients whatever copy they want… but. (There’s always a but, isn’t there?)

They have a specialty, and it’s rock solid. They can do whatever you need, but what they really rock at is website copy and ghostwriting ebooks. A lot of novice writers can’t take on jobs as big as a full website of copy or a full-length ebook. But the Pen Men can, and that’s where they really start to shine.

They are not niche snobs, but they still acknowledge the need to specialize. They’re not going to turn you away when you want blog posts written, but they really sparkle on the big stuff.

It’s not just about the writing.

Where a lot of would be writers (and designers, and marketers, and salespeople) fall down is forgetting that their work does not exist in a vacuum. If you’re a marketer, it helps to understand psychology. If you’re a designer, it helps to understand the human eye. And if you’re a copywriter, it helps if you understand the way people read.

James and the men realize that copy doesn’t float around in its own self-congratulatory bubble. It exists for a reason, and it is supposed to work in tandem with a host of other elements. So they highlight their branding, marketing and psychology experience when they sell their copy. They are moving their clients towards specific, measurable, tangible goals.

Higher conversion. More leads. Greater reader retention. They show their customers that they’re not just putting pretty words on a page.

So what can you learn from James?

Can you offer a broader range of services or products?

Can you get a partner to excel in new areas while you do what you rock at?

Can you show how your offering meets more needs than your competitors?