Choosing a business niche. The simplest and most specific methodology for choosing a niche for business What is called the target niche in e-business

Very often, many of us come up with the idea of ​​​​opening our own business. And really, what could be better than your own implementation? However, the problem for most is that they don't know how to choose a business niche. After all, it is very important that the business you will be doing is not only interesting, but also profitable. What is a niche and how to choose one?

We are looking for a niche competently!

A niche is a place in the market that has not yet been occupied by anyone or a small number of companies have occupied it. Free niches for business are an opportunity to realize yourself and show your advantages over other competitors. At the same time, the scope of your interests needs to be narrowed down so that you can really create a product or service that can compete with others and at the same time be popular with target audience. Most novice businessmen do not take into account the peculiarities of the market, do not explore it, and therefore are faced with the fact that they invest in places where everything is already occupied and it is very difficult to compete.

Business is an investment

On the other hand, it is worth remembering that you will have to invest in any business niches, and considerable ones. If you don't have start-up capital it is almost impossible to start your own business. The minimum amount that you must have should be 3000-5000 dollars. But money is not the main thing if you do not know how to manage it and invest it wisely. Remember that your level of income will depend on how well you invested in your business. Choosing a niche for a business should be based on several rules:

First, the business you plan to do should bring you pleasure;

Secondly, the niche must be in demand and useful for society;

Thirdly, your activity should generate income, so you should choose something that is not yet in demand, but at the same time it may be useful and interesting for a potential consumer.

How to choose a niche for business?

Before you should carefully study the market. This will allow you to timely calculate whether your undertaking will be unprofitable. There are a few things you need to do to find the right job for you:

1. Create a wish list, that is, outline the range of your interests, the clients they are focused on.
2. Analyze the state of the market from the point of view of the consumer. In this case, it is important to study the various business projects in detail before choosing the right direction for your activity.
3. Before choosing a niche for a business, you should correctly assess it and test it, and for this, high costs are not at all necessary.
4. After choosing, you can already begin to implement the idea that you like the most.

Potentially profitable places: where to go?

When choosing the scope of your future activity, start from the fact that a fresh idea is an opportunity to create a successful business. Of course, there is a list of business niches that are popular with aspiring businessmen. They can be grouped as follows:

1. Online stores through which you can sell various categories of goods.
2. Online charitable stores or commission outlets.
3. Proposal of the services of nurses, nurses, governesses. Today this niche is quite in demand. You can, for example, open your own agency that will help people find the right staff for them.
4. Bureau of consulting services.
5. Handyman services.
6. Tutoring.
7. Services of a fitness trainer.
8. Various services in the field of hand made: jewelry handmade or knitwear. Is this not a way to please yourself and at the same time earn an extra penny?

Of course, these are not all business niches that you should pay attention to. promising ideas it is always full, the main thing is to catch one of them and start implementing it.

Deep analysis is the key to success

However, no matter how promising your idea may seem, you should clearly understand that it is far from a fact that it will be in demand. That is why experts advise you to start building your own business by studying what niches of the business are not occupied. For example, the Internet sphere is just beginning to develop, representing huge opportunities for earning. But there is one important “but”: you need to be able to earn and invest not only money, but also time and effort. This is the only way to get results.

Another interesting and actively developing area is logistics and cargo transportation. True, it is unlikely that women will want to engage in such activities. But they can always find a job for themselves. For example, those who know how to do something with their own hands: sew, knit, embroider - can simply create unique things and sell them. Of course, this requires perseverance and time, but you can create good conditions for stable earnings.

Get educated and work from home

Many are wondering how to find a niche for a business. To do this, you need, firstly, to proceed from your preferences and interests, and secondly, to know the needs of the market. Of course, not every one of us can boast of a sociological education and the ability to correctly assess the situation on the country's market. But an analysis of the preferences of many people suggests that the areas in the field of health are most in demand today (these are cosmetology clinics and offices, and fitness centers), relationships between parents and children (for example, you can open a private Kindergarten or a fine arts studio), business and money (from creating websites and promoting them to issuing microloans on favorable terms).

Many women, going on maternity leave, are looking for a way to earn money and start baking cakes, for example. Probably, in many cities there are such craftsmen who are ready to indulge in delicious products for any festival. Why not a niche for business development?

And if your hands grow from where they need to, and you know how to handle various materials and tools, try your hand at creating designer toys or original jewelry. Today, when there is a tendency to return to the past and interest in handmade things is high, these niches can become quite competitive. And if you also have your own corporate identity, you can be sure that your business will go uphill!

Before you start choosing a niche for an online business, you need to determine for whom exactly you are creating a project, because the same niche will “sound” differently for different age and social groups of people.

One of the most popular niches on the internet is teaching English. There are a lot of offers, but demand still exceeds supply. Of course, you can immediately create a massive online school where tens of thousands of people study, such as SkyEng, but this is not easy. Investments and breakthrough business ideas are required. But, if you plan to start without investments and at first expect a profit from 500 thousand to a million, you should think about clear segmentation - choosing a group of people that you will focus on. Why not open English courses for sales managers or for those who already have a good command of the language? offers an English language course for a career.

1. How to choose your target audience?

When choosing a target audience, you should rely on two criteria:

• Experience. Answer the question: Who have you successfully worked with before?
  You 10 taught English at school to children 7-10 years old. You know how to find a common language with them, you know the psychological characteristics of this age, you know the appropriate teaching methods
• Wish. Answer the question: What audience would you like to work with?
  Ideally, the desired target audience is the audience with which you have experience. But what if it isn't? Are you tired of naughty children and always dissatisfied parents to the gnashing of teeth? Do you dream of working with an adult motivated audience? Fine! So it's time to start looking for the perfect client.

2. Client portrait

To attract your ideal clients, you need to understand what kind of people they are, what they want, where and how they live, and much more. You can find them on thematic forums, in groups of Facebook competitors and among active subscribers of competitors.

You can study the target audience in person or through questionnaires. The second option is much more realistic, especially when it comes to online business - it is easier to scale, and respondents are not "tied" to a specific time and place.

The easiest way to create a questionnaire on Google forms. In this format, information is convenient to collect and process.

In order for potential customers to agree to take the time to fill out the questionnaire, you can offer them something free but useful as a reward - a video tutorial or a mini-book.

Here is an example of a questionnaire to identify the characteristics of the target audience:

1. Education
2. Age
3. What is your field of activity
4. What courses and trainings have you attended in the last 3 years?
5. Why do you want to practice English language(or whatever is relevant to your niche)
6. How long have you been working on this topic?
7. What books on the topic have you read?
8. What is the average per capita income of your family (with answer options)
9. What Internet resources do you visit?

Based on the questionnaire, we draw up an approximate portrait of the client, which will help you set up targeted advertising and understand what a potential client needs.

Here's what a portrait of the target audience might look like:

What people are always willing to pay for: TOP niches

Looking for a profitable online business niches it is worth paying attention to the most popular niches in which there is always “money”. Specialists from these help solve eternal problems:

1. How to become rich (how to earn more)

Few people resist the temptation to learn the secret of a quick way to make money. For some, this secret is in the art of growing oyster mushrooms for sale, and for someone - in mastering the art of public speaking.

On the online courses "Strong Text" and "Personal Brand" from Free Publicity School, you will not only learn how to write texts and work on your own image and your recognition, you will learn how to monetize these skills.

2. How to get married successfully (how to find the man of your dreams)

Psychologists, coaches, fortune-tellers, psychics, astrologers and fitness trainers help to solve this problem. In the era of victorious feminism, women still dream of a traditional family and hope to find a caring, understanding partner.

Niche components

Considering niches for business online, it is necessary to be guided by the interests of two parties - the entrepreneur and the consumer. The coolest business idea will fail if the consumer is not willing to pay for it. Profitable niches for business on the Internet is at the intersection of these interests.

1. Desires and opportunities

The ideal business option from the point of view of an entrepreneur is when you do what you know how to do, love and you are also paid for it. To find your niche in online business, you should analyze your competencies and preferences:

• I can. Write a list of your competencies.
• I get paid for this.
• I want. Write a list of your deepest desires.
• I definitely don't want to (you'll only do this when absolutely necessary).

I can:

• Teaching children mathematics (diploma + 5 years of experience).
• Play checkers (candidate master of sports).
• Play the piano (graduated from music school).
• Invent educational games for children (I have children 2 and 4 years old).
• Prepare healthy and tasty meals for children (4 years experience).

I get paid for this:

• For teaching children mathematics.
• For playing checkers (playing for a team, cash prizes)

I want:

• Conduct Mind games for adults.
• Conduct cooking classes for young mothers.

I definitely don't want:

• Play the piano (my mother forced me to study at the music school).
• Do something with children (there are enough of their own children).

After analyzing all the points, you can understand that logic games for adults are a promising niche, because you were paid for work in related fields - for playing checkers and teaching mathematics with children. Cooking is your hobby, but your children's meals and their recipes are a hit with friends. Perhaps these two ideas can be combined? For example, create an online club for mothers on maternity leave who want to be good housewives and train the brain that misses work.

Attention!“I can”, “paid” and “I want” can coincide. Some people are so passionate about their profession that they do not think about other ways to earn money. If you find a niche in which your expertise is in demand, the success of an online school is guaranteed.

2. Checking the idea for profitability

Now it is important to check how interesting the business idea is to the target audience.

Tell your friends, real and virtual, who are related to the target audience, for example, mothers on maternity leave, about your project. Ask them three questions - here again the Google forms resource will come to the rescue:

• Do you like my idea?
• What exactly do you like/dislike about the idea?
• If you answered yes to the first question, would you take part in the project?

And now comes the most difficult and crucial moment. Invite everyone who answered yes to the last question to pay to participate in your project. If at least a few people vote in rubles, your idea has the right to life.

3. Hard or soft niche

Hard niches- These are well-known, promoted niches in which there is high competition and many customers. BUT soft niches- less competitive, author's. They have less potential clients but more room for creativity and experimentation. If you are an ambitious person who aims for high earnings, you will feel comfortable in a tough niche. But if you don't have entrepreneurial experience but want to promote your favorite topic, a soft niche is for you.

Cooking for parents is a soft niche, while mind games for adults are a tougher one. You will have to compete not only with copyright games, but also with chess, backgammon, bridge and “What? Where? When?".

Conclusion

Difficult, but feasible task. A profitable niche is at the intersection of your skills and desires and being in demand among your target audience. And if you find a way to combine your desires and skills with solving the eternal problems of people, success will not be long in coming.

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How to make the right choice of niche from scratch? This is a topical issue for all novice businessmen. The choice of a niche is very important, because it depends on how your business will develop, whether it will be profitable and promising. So, let's begin.

From this article you will learn:

1. Why is it important to choose the right niche for your business?
2. 12 approaches and 10 main steps for choosing a niche from scratch
3. What are the options to choose from?
4. The easiest way to define a niche
5. What to do if you are completely confused with the choice
6. 3 typical mistakes when choosing a niche for business

Why choosing the right business niche is so important

Choosing the right niche is one of the main components of success. Even if the supply is perfect, it can be dissipated in light of low demand if the direction is not chosen correctly.

The university curriculum and teaching materials in economics say: "Produce a product that was previously unknown to the market, and you will be rich." But in today's Russian economy, you will only be successful if you find a niche with high demand. It is he who is the hallmark of a correctly chosen niche, and not uniqueness, attractiveness, ethical standards.

The niche should be as narrow as possible. For example, a translator with extensive experience opens a translation agency. He will have many competitors. To occupy his niche, he must opt ​​for a narrower direction (engage in technical translations).

You need to be aware that not only the attractiveness of a niche is important, but also the high demand in it. After a long search, the businessman found a variant of a unique, interesting offer to consumers in the field in which he is a professional. And demand is low. Therefore, the procedure should be like this:

1. Choosing an interesting niche.
2. Studying the demand in it
3. Making a final decision and offering goods/services.

3 reasons why choosing a niche is not an easy decision

Difficulties in choosing a niche are due to the following reasons:

1. Doubt.

To doubt means not to believe in the ability to cope with the topic. Doubt is the norm. You need to be careful about the statements: "This topic is a sure thing." When starting a new project, it is not known what awaits the entrepreneur in a few months.

Doubt can paralyze. You will consider many niche options, hoping to find the perfect one. But, alas, there are none.

Oddly enough, in order to get rid of doubt, one must be wrong. Research and testing will help you. Research does not guarantee you success. The test will allow you to see the real situation.

1. Inaction.

If a person is inactive, he becomes a theoretician. He has a lot of knowledge and skills, but the result is zero.

There is no effective way to deal with inaction. If you do not want to change anything, then you will lie on the couch. In order to start working, you need a good incentive.

1. Theft.

Stealing is the same as sitting on a mine. Some people think that copying someone else's site is a good solution for their business. But every company is unique. Even if you opened the same beauty salon as nearby, you will have other clients, as well as profits.

Every entrepreneur is different.

Not everyone can correctly interpret Picasso's saying: "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

You can take someone else's business as an example, but let its idea pass through your own worldview. Blind copying will not work. Doing business is harder than pressing CTRL+C.

12 approaches to choosing a niche from scratch

Approach #1. Logics

A logical approach to choosing a niche suggests the need to evaluate it in terms of logic and numbers. Only calculations will make it possible to find out whether the profitability of the business will be high, what the profit will be, whether it will be possible to scale the enterprise.

Approach #2. Experience

With the help of a business, you can turn the accumulated experience into a product that is in demand on the market and receive income from its sales. Experience cannot be ignored.

Approach #3. Hobby

If you spend all your free time doing what you love, then it is better to build a business on your hobby. There is no need to be ashamed that you are making a profit for doing what you enjoy doing. You should get high on such a niche.

Approach number 4. People

Focus on the people around you when choosing a niche. View contacts on your phone, think about your friends and family in a different way, maybe one of them is the perfect match to become your partner or supplier. Your starting point entrepreneurial activity can become a person.

Approach number 5. Family

Why is a family business a great option? What obstacles may be encountered on the way to realizing one's own potential in family business and how to overcome them?

If one of your family members is a businessman, then a great option is to become his partner. It is highly likely that the development of a family business will be the work of your life. Many successful companies are family owned (IKEA, Toyota, Ferrero or Auchan).

Approach number 6. barrier to entry

For any business there are barriers to entry. In the same niche, the barrier for different enterprises may be different. Your task is to find such a niche, the entry barrier to which will be insignificant for you.

Approach number 7. Market's plea

When choosing a niche, you may not notice that it is right under your nose. Friends and acquaintances ask you to do something, sell, order, take… Listen to their requests and make the right choice of niche. Perhaps, by starting to sell your product or service, you will satisfy the needs of others?

Approach number 8. Innovation

An innovative idea is not necessarily a perpetual motion machine or new source energy. The profitability of a niche based on innovation will be high if the author of the idea learns to earn. As a rule, scientists and creators of innovative technologies do not know how to do this.

Submit your application

Approach number 9. Model

There is no need to develop a new product from scratch. If there is already a demanded product on the market that you would also use with pleasure, then opt for it, refine it, make it more perfect and. If consumers are interested in your product / service, then be sure that you have made the right choice of niche.

Approach 10. Future

Would you like to start a videotape selling business? And why?

When choosing a niche, you need to understand what will be in demand among consumers both in the short and long term. What goods and services will not lose their relevance in a few years?

Approach number 11. benefit, pain

Look at those around you. Everyone knows what pain is. If you manage to rid people of it, eliminate the cause of their irritation, satisfy their needs, then you can gain a foothold in the market and build a customer base.

Approach number 12. Just

What if you have no reason to open a business in any of the niches? If you don't have an explanation, why is it worth doing brick production, construction, catering or upholstered furniture?

Choosing a niche from scratch: 10 main steps

Stage 1. Choosing an accessible niche in the market

You must be able to carve a niche. There is no need to reinvent the wheel at this time. Building market demand is not an easy task. If you want to introduce your product to the market, first test how competitive it is.

Stage 2. Determining your target audience

First of all, you need to decide on the market, identify the target audience segment, and then select a product or develop a new one. Your job is to become one with your customers so you don't have to guess what they want. It is impossible to make a sales forecast for products without preliminary testing.

Stage 3. Analysis of potential customers

Large fish in the pond have a better position than small fish in the sea. Do comparative analysis you and the customers in the focus group. The objects of analysis can be: experience, habits, hobbies, interests, the most frequently purchased goods, services.

Stage 4. Analysis of competitors

It is necessary at the very beginning of your activity. In Yandex, enter keywords for the selected products in the search bar. After analyzing the search results, make a list of the top 10 competitors. Evaluate their websites, their sales methods, order forms, delivery service. You can pre-order, etc.

Stage 5. Increasing the competitiveness of the product and choosing a niche for business

Go to the page www.wordstat.yandex.ru on the "budget forecast" tab, enter keywords and analyze the search engine's statistics on the number of impressions per month. You will be able to understand whether sales are going well or not. The "budget forecast" tab allows, after the introduction keywords see the cost per click. This helps you decide on your advertising budget.

Stage 6. Development of the slogan and concept of your brand

It is necessary to fit the description of the main advantage of the product in one short phrase. For example, Apple has a concept - "Think globally", MTS - "You know what you can." On the Runet, you can familiarize yourself with various slogans and develop your own.

Stage 7. Determining the pricing policy of the niche

If the client is solvent, then the likelihood of complaints from him is minimal. He rarely asks questions and rarely returns the goods.

Step 8: Use the resale model

This is a classic. This model is the choice of most start-up entrepreneurs, especially the owners of online stores. You make bulk purchases of goods and sell them at a premium. This method is simple, but you will not earn much on it. The first profit is in the hands of a businessman a few weeks after the start. But due to strong competition, there is a rapid drop in demand.

The exceptions are cases when they conclude an agreement for the sale of products with its manufacturer. This is an official distributorship. The resale model is good if you are dealing with secondary products, that is, those that began to be produced after the main one: they do not need to be promoted. For example, it can be iPad cases.

Stage 9. Testing

The most important step. It helps to determine whether the product is competitive, whether there is a high demand for it. In addition, its implementation will allow you to understand which products should be left in the assortment basket, and which ones should be discarded.

Ask a potential customer a question: “How do you feel about buying such and such a product?”. The person will respond positively about him, and you will make an offer: "I have it, and I can sell it to you." Most likely, the person will refuse in a polite manner. But it is precisely by offering to immediately make a purchase that you will definitely be able to understand how viable the product is.

Before the Internet, testing was done by placing ads in magazines. Consumers were asked to call if they wanted to buy a particular product. Analyzing the number of calls and the reaction of potential customers, we made a decision whether to continue the release / purchase of goods or refuse it.

The Internet has made testing much easier. Now you can use tools such as Yandex Direct, Google Adwords. And the possibilities of selling through social networks are almost limitless.

Will help you:

• Studying the activities of competitors.
• Keyword testing with wordstat.
• Creation of an attractive trade offer, development of a concept, a slogan for products and a company.
• Creation of a website with a small number of pages and placement of short advertising in social networks, as well as contextual advertising.
• Liquidation of goods whose sales are not going well; analysis of products with the greatest attractiveness and investments in the most expensive of them, as well as in marketing activities, their scaling.

Step 10: Use the 100% Money Back Guarantee

This tool is very efficient. Guarantee customers 100% money back. Come up with eye-catching slogans, for example: “We will deliver the order in half an hour, otherwise we will have lunch at our expense,” etc.

What are the parameters to choose a niche from scratch

Below are the parameters that allow you to comb out a niche and choose the best option:

1. Margin- the difference between the purchase price and the selling price. If the products are inexpensive, then the margin should be at least 200-300%, not 30%. And if the goods are expensive, then a margin of 10% will be good.
2. seasonality- dependence of sales volumes on the time of year or any events. If you're new to the business, you don't need to opt for seasonal products.
3. Product dimensions. They determine the place of storage of products, the method of delivery. For beginners, it is better to choose niches in which the dimensions will not create difficulties.
4. Estimated delivery time. If the product is running, then ideally it should be delivered within a day. If your choice fell on rare products, then the delivery time will not matter much.
5. Purchase price. Knowing it, you can calculate the amount of the initial investment. Agree that the purchase of 10 TVs will cost much more than the purchase of a batch of 100 cases for smartphones. And the profit can be the same.

There are other options as well. But these are the main assistants in choosing a promising niche from scratch. Make a table in which for each niche evaluate all the parameters. Options with the most pluses can be sent for testing.

The Easiest Niche Choice for a Business

All the numerous types of entrepreneurial activity are divided into 3 main groups:

• Production.
• Trade.
• Provision of services.

Any enterprise can be attributed to one of these categories. Work in two or three directions is also not excluded. For example, a letterhead company may have its own network of retail outlets for their implementation and provide reporting services. Such a business organization is the most profitable, since intermediaries are excluded from the chain.

1. Production.

The riskiness of business in this area is due to its relative sluggishness. It takes a lot of money to repurpose a company, and training takes a lot of time.

The scale of the enterprise is very important: the larger the production capacity, the lower the cost of production. But with the increase in production volumes, sluggishness also grows. In this regard, there are many niches for organizing a business from scratch in production.

1. Trade.

The consumer must receive his product, so the chain "purchased-sold" attracts novice businessmen, because it seems simple to them. Currently, the density of selling organizations is so high that it is necessary to search for either a new product or new markets for an existing one.

A hint will direct your search: first, during the year, the Moscow market is saturated, after which new product appears on the shelves of the province. And the Moscow market is one year behind the European and American ones.

1. Services.

This area is a space for creative people. When a person is full, he thinks about comfort. Any business should see customer satisfaction as its goal. This feature is most pronounced in the service sector. In our country, there are many free niches in this category of entrepreneurship.

The reason for this is the lifting of the ban on private entrepreneurship after the collapse of the USSR. Imported goods poured into the Russian market, but it was not completely filled with quality services.

Overview of promising areas of activity in 2017

In recent years, the list of popular business areas with high profitability has changed. Consider the best of them:

Mobile applications

Smartphones have long been considered a luxury, but only a necessity. Almost every company develops its own mobile application to facilitate consumer access to their products or services.

In the modern world, a person daily uses various applications to access mobile banking, taxi services.

It is quite clear that there are plenty of niches in the field of business related to the development of mobile applications. Moreover, this business is profitable.

Website adaptation for smartphones

Statistics say that more than 70% of people use mobile internet. That is, we can assume that the demand for mobile versions of sites will only grow in the near future. If you open a business in this area, the question of choosing a niche for a business from scratch will no longer bother you.

Lead generation

The data of sociological surveys show that more than 50% of visitors to many Internet resources come to them from social networks. That is, they are an important link in lead generation.

There are many freelancers currently working in this niche, but starting a business in it is not only feasible, but also desirable. Pay attention to this thread.

Handmade

Now observed high demand for environmentally friendly goods and products hand made. Everyone wants to have a thing that is one of a kind or made to order, despite the fact that the cost of such goods is usually very high.

If you are a creative person, then feel free to occupy this niche. You will not have competitors in the form of large enterprises. In addition, handmade is a niche with high margins. What can be produced?

Here are the main lines of business:

• Clothing. If you have sewing skills, then you can open an atelier and sew clothes for individual orders. Its demand is high among those who follow fashion, and those whose figure is non-standard.
• Accessories. It can be exclusive leather belts, bags, wallets, purses. These things will be unique and expensive.
• Bijouterie. If you know how to work with polymer clay and be friends with sculpture, then making jewelry is a good option for you.
• Christmas decorations. Before the New Year, the demand for designer decorations for Christmas trees increases. They are very original and have a special energy.
• Dolls. Handmade dolls are of particular beauty and are of interest primarily to collectors. For their manufacture, expensive materials are used. More easy to make Tilda dolls designed for play.
• Interior items. Most people like to complement the interior of the house with unique and exclusive items. Such people become clients of handicraft production of interior items.

This is far from full list. Demand for any handmade product will always be high.

Services in the field of medicine

The most popular areas of this niche are manual therapy and massage. It is not uncommon for patients who are disillusioned with traditional medicine to turn to chiropractors or massage therapists.

Investments in such a business are not needed, and it is quite profitable.

In addition, private clinics or reception rooms for narrow specialists are quite popular. To open a business in this niche, significant investments will be required: you will need to hire highly qualified specialists, purchase necessary equipment. However, this area is highly profitable, so the investment will pay off quickly.

Trade in products

There are people want even in a crisis. Therefore, the profitability of niches associated with food products, is obvious. If you trade in low-cost high-quality products (for example, meat or confectionery), you will not know the lack of customers.

Delivery

If you have a car, it makes sense to organize a business for the delivery of any goods. It can be products from a supermarket or ready meals from any cafe, restaurant. If you properly organize a business in this niche, you can get a good income.

Education

If you have enough knowledge and experience in a certain area, you can organize training courses. Become a tutor for students of schools, universities in any subject, open foreign language courses. A good option for psychologists and managers - conducting training sessions.

You can write and publish books, organize seminars, advise the population on various issues.

Repair

Smart owners are in no hurry to throw away broken things and buy new ones. After all, you can repair them and use them for a few more years.

If you have repair experience household appliances or electronics, you have enough knowledge for this, then opt for this niche. Maybe you are a specialist in reinstalling operating systems, installing various software? Organize a business in this niche direction.

The lack of the ability to repair something is not a reason to refuse to organize a business. You can rent a room and hire qualified staff.

This niche also includes services for the repair of premises. Renting an office when organizing a business in this direction is not required. The main thing is to assemble a team of workers.

If you are completely confused with the choice of a niche

3 common mistakes in choosing a niche for a business from scratch

Many novice businessmen are distinguished by their willingness to devote all their time and energy to the business. Wherein possible risks are ignored. Consider what mistakes are most likely when choosing a niche:

1. Do not rashly grasp at what you like or seem promising. A feature of the Russian economy is the lack of a guarantee that your product will be in demand if you operate at random. The business will be successful if you make the right choice of niche. Systematic, accurate knowledge of the needs of your target audience is necessary. You need to think over the sales funnel and marketing strategy taking into account digital indicators.
2. The second common mistake is choosing a niche from scratch based only on your own idea of ​​the market. Not always what you think is profitable, relevant and promising, is such. Be based on the results of the analysis and statistics.
3. Even at the first stage, the mistake of an entrepreneur is to develop a “packaging” of a business to the detriment of the strategy of its formation and development. Often, novice businessmen develop beautiful websites and landing pages, resorting to the services of the best designers, programmers and copywriters for this, although they do not have a strategy for building a profitable business.

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A real entrepreneur knows for sure: without a clear and thoughtful idea of ​​what product will be sold in an online store, customers will not become regular, and profits will be unsteady. ADVANTSHOP Marketing Specialist Anna Mileiko will tell you 5 secrets on how to choose the right niche for opening your own online sales point.

Secret 1. Studying long-term forecasts

They appear infrequently and are difficult to find. However, they are made by professional analysts, and, as a rule, such forecasts come true.

One such report was given in mid-January by the investment bank of the Swiss group of companies UBS, which is the largest financial institution operating all over the world. According to his calculations, from 2018 to 2022, the average annual increase in online commerce in Russia will be about 15.4%. Not as high a percentage as in the previous 7 years, however this is still considered to be fast growth. So if you decide to open an online store in the next 5 years, you will still be on the wave, which is very good for business. This report presents a number of other data, but the most promising niches are important to us.

So, according to analysts, investors will choose the food delivery segment as a priority investment target. It is he who, according to UBS, will show a rapid growth in Russian trade via the Internet and increase its market share, well displacing non-food products. This will happen due to the increase in the services of the so-called online supermarkets, where customers can buy food on the site they like, and ready-made food delivery services. Despite the fact that in the next year or two many large domestic companies will come out with such proposals, at least in the capital regions, the rest of Russia may wait longer for them to appear. Seize the moment.

Secret 2. Popular niches among buyers

If the topic of food is not at all close to you, then study what Russian residents buy in online stores from non-food products. It turns out a lot. Below, on the infographics of Yandex.Market and GfK Rus, you can see a comparison of preferences in the categories of purchases in online stores in Russia and abroad, which users made in 2017.

According to the calculations of this trading platform, in 2017 in Russian online stores people bought more often:

Most often bought in online stores in China the following types goods:

Users made such purchases in stores in other countries:

Secret 3. Analysis of the competitive field

It is not enough to choose a popular niche, you need to see who will compete with you. And, of course, if the thought has stuck in our heads, we look at food delivery services. How to do it?

• using search engines. Look at at least two of the most popular search engines for the results of queries such as “goods for animals”, “online clothing store for pregnant women” (replace the words with interesting ones) and study the options given. In what region (or district, if it matters to you) are these online stores located and where do they deliver? What do they offer their customers? Where are they promoting themselves? In which social networks and sites are present? Who are their partners?
• survey consumers. Word of mouth is still one of the most active channels of information. Ask your friends and even strangers (it will be even more effective) what your potential competitors do they know (or just remember the names), what do they buy in these online stores and why exactly there?
• get information from sales managers. It's a trick, don't argue. But if you have the opportunity to find out insider information about how your competitor does business, use it. Just be careful, otherwise it will no longer be a trick, but a stupid copy;
• attend conferences, seminars and exhibitions on your topic. At such events, you can find out all the latest information from primary sources, observe how companies position themselves in the market, what they offer customers and partners;
• through SEO analysis systems. You can go further and use search query analyzers like Serpstat and SpyWords. You drive in the competitor's site you are interested in, and the system issues a full layout;
• contact agencies. The most expensive of the options, but with its help you will definitely get the most complete layout of the market in the chosen niche. And who owns the information, you know what you can do;
• view data from online shopping platforms. For example, we at ADVANTSHOP are very fond of sharing analytics, so we are pleased to present the ranking of the most popular niches of online stores among our platform customers for 2017:

There are online stores on our platform, in niches of which no more than 1.3% of the total number of all ADVANTSHOP customers work. These online stores sell leisure and entertainment products, pet supplies, commercial equipment, books, security equipment, weapons, dishes.

Ideally, you should choose the niche in which there are fewer competitors or you can easily rebuild from them due to your unique offer, and the demand for the product is high.

Secret 4. Search for a new niche

Difficult task, but real. Its implementation depends not only on the analysis of competitors and demand, but also on the trends that exist in everyday life. The idea can be prompted by communication with people, articles in the media. What do your competitors not offer or do not want to offer, but you can offer? What is the audience's request that is not satisfied by existing online stores?

Let's imagine a situation. You have decided that you want to sell products for children because the niche is at the top of the rankings. And almost all the online stores of competitors you have studied, to your surprise, do not offer educational toys for children according to the super popular education system. And you know for sure that for three months now she has been on the pages of parenting magazines and on the shelves of bestsellers in book networks. Why not a good option?

There are also interesting examples among ADVANTSHOP clients. We cooperate with an online store selling python products and an online sales point for esoteric goods. And each of them "closes" the needs of its customers.

Secret 5. Choice with soul

All our previous advice will not help you if the niche you ultimately choose is not close to you. When you are employed, you may have tasks that you don't like or that annoy you. They can be solved and forgotten, you can change your place of work, where there will be no such disgrace. But the choice of business is entirely your choice. Trading ceramic pots just because there is more demand for them now, but you do not understand either the specifics of their production or the characteristics that buyers are looking for, is a little strange. And in general, you have a phenomenal nose for second-hand rarities, why not start collecting rare and old editions and selling them to an audience that you understand like no one else? The conclusion suggests itself.

If you have firmly decided to open an online clothing store, even nameless T-shirts from China, even your own design and production, you must understand that you will have very strong competition not only among Russian stores, but also abroad. If you are not afraid of difficulties and, on the contrary, are ready to gnaw the earth in order to succeed, go for it! And our team will help make your online store work better.

This article is devoted to the question of the correct positioning of a business in a competitive environment. Why choose a niche. how to do it, what advantages this approach gives, you will learn from the article. We offer you a practical case on choosing your own niche.

What is a niche in business and why is it needed

Surely you have repeatedly seen this picture: there are two almost equivalent companies operating on the market, both well-known, successful, and strong. But with all the similarities, they coexist peacefully, and there is practically no competition between them. Why? The answer is in right choice niches for every organization. Here are some examples for clarity:

• on the Russian market Rastishka (Danone) and Tema (Unimilk) trademarks peacefully coexist: the first has chosen the niche of health-improving fermented milk nutrition with vitamin supplements, the second is positioned as a product for everyday use in the children's diet;
• world-famous clothing brands of Inditex - Zara and Bershka do not compete with each other, as they are focused on different audiences: Zara is designed for a more static image and age from 25 years old, Bershka - a purely youth brand, where almost all things are avant-garde, bright. Naturally, both brands have clothing lines for adjacent segments.

When does it open new business, first of all, the entrepreneur carefully evaluates the market, it, and the composition of the market (conjuncture) - who, what, how and for how much sells.

For example, a jeweler opens his workshop for the repair of products. There are many such workshops in the city, and all of them are of a wide profile (that is, they take any product into work). Then the entrepreneur decides to strengthen his ability to compete by choosing a narrow niche (in marketing this is called positioning) and designate his services as "Jewellery for the repair and maintenance of diamond products."

What does this give the entrepreneur? Firstly, a clear position and designation of specialization, and secondly, a solvent audience. The owners of diamond jewelry are not poor people and they are more willing to entrust their jewelry to someone who clearly specializes in such work. This means that a jeweler can keep the price bar high enough for his services and work with a narrow but profitable segment.

So, a niche is an unoccupied or not fully occupied place in the market, which allows an entrepreneur to show his advantages over competitors. attract more customers and do your job as well as possible.

Step 1. Analyze free and occupied niches

In order to determine what is already on the market and what is not, check out our article "Analysis of competitors in 10 steps: a practical guide." When analyzing existing offers, pay attention to how competitors position themselves, what advertising messages they choose:

Step 2. Analyze your own skills and preferences

In the niche process, it is important to understand what you are good at, what you are more interested in working with, how you are ready to build your business. If an athlete-bodybuilder opens his own gym, where he trains those who wish, this will be logical and more in demand among clients than the same service from a clerk.

The scheme for determining its capabilities is as follows:

It is not only about your personal abilities, but also, in general, about the real situation, the availability of suppliers, capital, and potential. For example, you like the restaurant business, you know a lot about organizing such a business, but you don’t have the money to open your own restaurant, but you have the contact of an excellent manufacturer of high-quality restaurant utensils. Occupy the niche of a company that equips expensive restaurants with high-quality dishes. All your knowledge and skills will come in handy here, as well as access to a manufacturer of dishes - this is how you make your personal interests profitable.

Step 3. Find your niche

When you have information about what is on the market and understand what exactly you can do well yourself, it's time to decide on niches. The most common types of simple niches in busy segments are:

• specialization in legal or individuals(for example, Internet providers "Business IT" and "Home Telecom");
• gender division of the product ("Maxim" - a magazine for men, "LQ" - the first matte magazine for women);
• price division (deli "Economy" and deli "Gourmet delicacy");
• age ranking (vitamins "KinderBioVital" and "SilverVit").

There is also a complex niche when there are 2-4 elements, for example, by gender, age and price (status division can also be added): BGN is high fashion for self-confident young women.

When choosing a niche, one must clearly be aware of who it is aimed at and how it differs from those offers that are already on the market.

Returning to the example of opening a jewelry workshop, we can suggest the following types of narrow positioning:

• economy workshop for the repair of precious items - a niche focused on people who do not have much income and value their jewelry very much. In this case, there will be a lot of work and for the profitability of the business, orders must be a constant stream. The requirement for the entrepreneur is the speed of work;
• the already announced workshop for the repair and prevention of diamond jewelry is aimed at an audience with a high income. In such a concept, there will not be many customers, but each order will be quite highly paid. Requirements - ultimate quality and responsibility;
• urgent jewelry repair and engraving - such a niche will attract those who buy jewelry as a gift and those who want to quickly fix a broken item. Here the cost of work may be higher than the average market (margin for urgency). The requirement is care and quality;
• a workshop-studio offering the modification of old products and their alteration - orientation to creative people who want to get original jewelry at a low price. The cost of work is medium and high. Requirements - creativity. creativity, courage of ideas, experience.

At this stage, you can choose 2-3 niches close to you.

Step 4. Checking viability and relevance

Now we check. to what extent your choice and your idea of ​​​​your niche is confirmed by the consumer mass. This can be done using consumer opinion monitoring (forums, surveys, direct interviews on social networks or among acquaintances).

You must understand:

1. Is your offer interesting for the segment you are targeting;
2. What will be the main reason for contacting you (why customers will choose you);
3. What flaws in your idea people point out.

You can also analyze key queries on http://wordstat.yandex.ru and calculate how many people actually turn to search engines with highly specialized queries. In the same place, in the block “What else people searched for “your request” were looking for”, you can find a hint for yourself:

Step 5. We develop an advertising message and a clear visualization

Once you have decided on a niche, you need to figure out how to communicate your unique selling proposition to consumers and identify the position. This is done through advertising. To get familiar with the topic. how global brands position themselves, you can visit the database of slogans and use examples to evaluate the principle: tell the client why you are better than others.

Clearly visualizing niches for our jewelry workshop, let's call it, you can use advertising messages in the following bundles:

• Economy workshop N - the second life of your jewelry;
• Jewelry workshop N - we work only with diamonds;
• Repair and engraving in 15 minutes - .Jewellery N;
• Everything new is well modified old. Creative workshop N.

your task in such a short address is to tell the client what makes you different from others, to be remembered and stand out.

Mistakes when choosing a niche

The most common mistakes in the niche selection process are overconfidence and lack of expertise. It is impossible to correctly form your offer in a niche for business clients if you do not know the elementary laws of workflow in large companies. It is impossible to trade tableware for restaurants if you do not have an idea about the rules of table setting, serving and presentation of dishes, selection of stylized dishes, etc.

The arrogance of many entrepreneurs is often expressed in the fact that they choose a niche based only on their own opinion and understanding of the market. If you do not conduct, then you are completely not protected from risks. As a result, the niche is unclaimed. For example, if you did not bother to pre-interview customers and decided to do home delivery of groceries. And as a result, it turned out that such a service is in demand among a very small percentage of the population, mostly elderly people with low solvency, since for the most part, people tend to choose products for their table themselves and get some pleasure from it.

Another mistake is insufficiently clear visualization and advertising message, from which the client does not understand what you are doing. For example, here is one local Internet provider who decided to provide security services, would tell an ordinary resident of the city rather that it was about IT data security, rather than that the company provides the services of a security agency. For a person who does not know this brand and is poorly versed in the world of Internet services, such advertising will not say anything at all.