As I slow-mo through the launch of my marketing research business, sometimes I wonder if I’m on the right track. I come back time and again to some basic questions, which help me focus my efforts toward my dream. I’ll describe them one at a time.
What are you good at doing?
First, to help focus my search for my perfect niche, I make a list of my skills. After decades in the workforce and years in academe, I can say without false modesty, I’ve learned a few things. The list is pretty long, actually: I can conjure a list of 100 skills in about 15 minutes. The list is comprehensive: everything from sewing to typing, from writing to driving a school bus.
Just because we can do something, though, doesn’t mean we should do it. I hope I never again have to make my living sewing or driving a school bus! And just because I type well doesn’t mean I should become a transcriber. This first question should be tempered by the next question, or else we run the risk of falling into a niche we don’t love. And there are few things worse than being trapped in a niche you don’t love, with only yourself to blame.
What do you love to do?
Next, I ask myself, what do I love to do? I think back to my childhood, when everything seemed so certain, so clear. When I was ten, I knew who I was: a writer and an artist. I had no doubt that I would someday write books and illustrate them. In the decades since then, survival took over, as it often does, squeezing creativity out to the forgotten edges. And new interests expanded my horizons. For example, I fell in love with research, both academic and commercial. But when I answer this question honestly, today, in my heart of hearts, I still just want to write and draw pictures. That means, for me, the adult with adult responsibilities, my challenge is to synthesize these first two questions into some activity that is the best of both.
Who needs your services?
Once I’ve narrowed my alternatives to a few promising candidates, I can stop thinking about my needs and start thinking about how I can serve people. Because that is what business does, right? In some way, our business serves people. So, how can we serve? In other words, what do people need? You can make a list of what you think people need, based on your own experience as a consumer or business owner. Go online and start reading. Start anywhere! Business articles on trends, innovation, new products, product research, economic outlook reports… there are massive amounts of information available for free for anyone with some persistence and curiosity. Look for the overlap between what you do and what people need. There will be some overlap, somewhere, if you look.
Who can afford your services?
Finally, I ask, who can afford me? This is the rubber-on-the-road question that caught me a few times. Being a creative, artistic sort of person, I love working with other artists and creatives. Unfortunately, I have discovered from experience that artists don’t tend to have a lot of money. Trust me, to chase an audience who can’t afford us is futile, wasted effort. If you can find the segment that has the resources to afford what you do, then you will have found your niche.
These four questions intersect at your perfect niche. Don’t worry if your niche seems ridiculously small. Once you know what you are selling and to whom, you can craft and send marketing messages that communicate your story to people who care. Your devoted and loyal believers will spread the word.
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