It's staggering how fast markets change sometimes.

I recenly bought a table top tripod to use for some LED lights I've got for when I'm doing stuff on webcam.

A few years ago I'd have gone into a camera shop and probably paid about £30. Instead I went on Amazon, paid £12 and got it delivered the next day.

Not that there aren't really expensive table top tripods on Amazon too. Some many times more expensive than I'd ever have seen in a camera shop.

What's happened is that because I now have visibility of suppliers across the country (or world), the “average Joe” price of products made for people who just want something basic has plummeted.

Simple economics.

But the same visibility means that very high end products for people who do care about differences in performance are now viable.

No point in a high street camera shop stocking a £100 table top tripod when there's probably only one person in the area who would buy it. But it's completely viable for an online store that services customers worldwide.

High end niche markets have suddenly become big business.

The same polarisation has happened in service businesses too.

Clients can find a host of cheap suppliers who can do a great job of standard consulting, coaching, legal, accountancy and other services.

But some “connoisseur” clients are willing to pay an awful lot more to get just what they need. The trick is to know who those clients are, what they're willing to pay more for, and how to reach them.

So if you want to charge a premium for your services these days, it's not about differentiating yourself or adding extra value for the typical client. It's about finding the exceptional client and figuring out what they'll be willing to pay a big premium for.

And then, of course, being able to deliver it.

Don't aim for the masses. Look for exceptional clients willing to pay for exceptional service.