Less gets me more? How can that be?
Focusing on a small group of people, instead of trying to sell to everyone, can actually get you more business. You need a niche.
But how do you find one?
Find your passion
First of all, think about what you like. Is your passion for design in a particular industry? Are you more drawn to pharmaceuticals? Or does your heart beat faster when you work on something for the music industry? If you’re passionate about something, the joy will come through in your work. You’ll be happier, and so will your customers.
Narrow it down
Next step is to narrow it down. Music is a big topic. Do you want to focus on big labels? Or up-and-coming indie country music artists? Be as specific as possible.
Check the market
Do some research. You may have a great idea, but there’s no sense going ahead with an idea without a market. So, do a little research to find out if a market exists. Here are some tools.
Market search tools
- Google Blog Search. Look to see if there are blogs in your chosen market.
- Magazines.com or Amazon magazine search (if there’s a magazine, there’s a market).
- Check for trade associations (same principle as magazines)
- Yahoo Groups
- Keyword Search: Google Keyword Search, Firefox SEO plugin (see what people are looking for)
Become known as a specialist in a particular field, and you’ll be the go-to company. “Oh yeah, she’s the green exhibit designer.”
Next, you’ll need to figure out how to build trust in your chosen niche. More on that tomorrow.