How did you find your niche?

[aim_high]

How did you find it and what was your first one?

[jwilson1]

That's a question I think everyone has asked at one time or another.

The first thing I did was to think about all the things in my life I was passionate about. To quote Armand Morin people decide to get into internet marketing and then develop amnesia. He had a fancy name for it. But basically it was people forget about all the experience they had prior to the internet.

He has a free report out titled An Obvious Truth, I think that would be a good place for you to start. Don't worry no affiliate link:

Hope that helps.

Ok, well that didn't work, it won't let me post the link. So go to google and type in "An Obvious Truth." Or you can type in the name of the report and add a ".com" to it.

[BusinessAdviser]

Finding a niche, in a general sense, is about breaking down your target market further and further until you find a demand that is not being met.

[Kalink1]

Just try to find something that you're interested in, and could picture yourself working with for dozens of hours. If you can find something that you truly care about that there's also a definable market for, then you've got your niche right there.

Hope it helps.

[CDRamming]

In my current project my inital idea came from talking to my girlfriend's Mom about the problems she had getting an interpreter for patients who required one in her husbands medical practice. I looked into a more efficient form of getting an interpreter to hospitals and doctors offices and realized the market for this service is saturated. This led me to look at other professions and areas that required this service and I was able to tailor to one of the different markets that had very little development. Look in terms of a service or business that is already active, so you know there is a possibility for success and a model to follow. Take this to the next level by tailoring your product/service to a target market that the current businesses have not ventured into. By having a current company to help guide you, you will be more successful in predicting cashflow and other required means that you may not consider and may save you money (I found from a current company that each interpreter is required to carry their own liability insurance, but if they work for me I can add them to my policy saving them hundreds of dollars a year.)

I agree with everyone that you should look to something your interested in, but be sure to explore things more than that. My passions don't include medical interpretation, but I am very proud of the idea that I have developed. I believe if you think of something as I have, you will gain interest in the mere fact that you are doing something new and possibility revolutionary. I would say develop your business idea and love it. If your confident in your idea you will be more successful. You will be more receptive to criticism if you love your idea as opposed to just taking it badly.

I am very open to criticism and make sure to get as much as possible in hopes to better my business model. Example, I had a lecture from the CFO of AdvantageRN and stuck around afterwards to pitch my idea. He started to talk about it, and I told him to criticize me as much as possible, and he was able to tell me more after telling him to do so because he did not want to make me feel bad initially.

I know I went all over the place, but I hope this can help.

[wcrane]

Thanks for the info

[Cordeline_Gables]

Figuring out what you are passionate about and what you could see yourself doing for the duration is good - but it's just the beginning.

The next step is to look at the market to see where the money is flowing. Where are people already spending money? There are some excellent and free online tools for looking at where money is being spent. You want to make sure that there's a market for what you're so passionate about.

Terry Dean (just google his name) has a great low cost report, about $10 I think. This report is an interview with an Internet marketer that has several niches that he is successful in. Terry asks him how he discovers new markets with such success. This report details the strategy. I've read the report and have found it to be very useful.

Cordeline Gables

[GuyBBY]

I attended undergrad in Vermont, a very proud and anti-big business state. What I did that helped almost more than just regular market analysis and such, was to analyze the persona and sentiment of the market I wanted to break into. I noticed certain attributes, "stereotypes" (e.g. not liking big business, trusting local over outside") and views that they possessed and how I could cater to those while still being profitable and a major contributor to the community. Once I was able to win over their loyalty and show them a great service that allowed them to feel included, listened to, and connected to the business, my business was fulfilling their need, my market, our niche.

Best to you in your search and I am sure you will find this site very helpful!

Guy

[adam_haroun]

Well, simply put...as I plan my business, I am centering it around a problem that I see all too frequently among young adults...the fact that they are BROKE students!

Based on this marketing platform, I feel by approaching my products/services from this angle, I can get past the issue that, in my experience, people AREN'T looking for some new and flashy gizmo, gadget, or service.

What they ARE looking for is an ANSWER to a problem that they have - and businesses that can understand this and use it to their advantage in their marketing and operations are, in my opinion, going to be the ones that make all the money and KEEP on doing so!

I mean, it's been proven time and time again...

People were frustrated with their PCs...Macintosh had an answer...

People were hungry and wanted food RIGHT AWAY...McDonald's had an answer....

People wanted comfortable, affordable, and versatile clothes...Gap had an answer...

So really, I feel that finding a niche and then marketing it effectively is all about helping people SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS through your product or service instead of making it out to be the "latest and greatest thing", whatever your niche happens to be!

[hugh009]

I found my current niche doing Public REALations for entrepreneurs when I hung out my shingle in 1973 after getting a Masters in Advertising & Public REALations as I like to call it. My new clients back then just happen to be small biz people and I liked working with them. The crazier the better. I have repped three World Guinness record holders and the Original Marlboro Man, who contray to Internet myth is quite ALIVE at 82 years young!