Deep niches in business. All profitable business niches

“Mobile payments”

You yourself have noticed how quickly the number of smartphone users is growing. Experts believe that this market will continue to develop. In this regard, the promise of mobile payments is clearly visible. The largest banks, Internet companies, new payment systems working with electronic currencies offer a lot of new services. This is just the beginning; mobile payment market participants are announcing new opportunities. The market is very promising, because mobile accounts for a small percentage of the total payments. Consumers appreciate the convenience of these services and look forward to new opportunities.

“Internet of Things”

The first connection of an electrical device to the Internet occurred in 1990. Now technology allows you to connect TVs, watches, and electric lamps to the Internet. In Singapore, drivers use special radio keys to automatically pay tolls on the road. The developers predict the emergence of new opportunities - for example, a refrigerator that itself orders the missing products, vehicles, which remind you of the need for preventive maintenance or refueling. Experts believe that in the future these technologies will become a part of human life.

Every day, netizens pour into it huge amount information. The developers offer an interesting approach to using our communication in social networks, data on preferences, habits and daily routines. Recording, analyzing and archiving this information can significantly make our lives easier and improve service in the service sector. In 2014 insurance company Intouch proposed installing special mobile applications that analyze the driver’s driving style. For careful driving, users are offered insurance discounts of up to 20%. Big Data has prospects in many industries, because it is possible to create offers of services and goods to meet the constant needs of the consumer, simply by analyzing the range of his interests and frequent purchases.

This system of knowledge acquisition will soon replace traditional educational institutions. Already, the most advanced universities offer entire courses that can be listened to on the Internet for free. Saving resources and social significance This approach to knowledge delivery is enormous. A person just needs to have access to the Internet, and he can gain any knowledge that was previously available to only a small part of children from wealthy families. Some universities offer students of these courses to take tests and issue official documents confirming the acquisition of knowledge.

“Online trading and grocery delivery”

In developed countries, this trend is developing very quickly and is pushing traditional shopping trips out of the market. The ability to order groceries through a special service on the Internet and receive them through delivery upon arrival at home saves a lot of time. Retail networks We are also happy to develop this area, because it allows us to reduce queues at the cash registers and significantly reduce the costs of organizing work.

“Portable gadgets”

Sports bracelets that count the number of steps and distance during race walking and running, monitor heart rate and other medical indicators have become widespread. In the near future, developers predict the emergence of new smart gadgets - multifunctional watches, glasses, rings and bracelets. The only problem is mass distribution modern technologies In this direction, the cost of new products is too high. For now they are available to the wealthiest consumers. But manufacturers are actively working to reduce the cost of smart gadgets, because they can be used in almost all areas.

“3D printing”

Only the lazy have not heard or read about houses built using a 3D printer. These technologies are actively used in Asia, but are gradually entering the European market. With the help of 3D printing it will be possible to produce almost any non-food products. We can already say that this method of production has revolutionized and expanded possibilities incredibly. There will soon be dramatic changes in the labor market and in many industries. This technology allows not only to save on the cost of goods, but also to produce things that were not even attempted to be put into production using traditional methods.

"Robots"

Surely you have already seen presentation videos with new developments by scientists. The introduction of drones for the delivery of purchases is being seriously discussed; cars that are controlled automated system and do not require active actions from the driver. Ideas from books, in which a robot nanny takes care of babies, or a robot gardener takes care of the lawn near the house, no longer seem fantastic and are quietly entering our daily life. It is noteworthy that in modern world You don’t need a lot of capital to create a progressive robot - they appear every day interesting startups, which can not only make people’s lives or work much easier, but also revolutionize the perception of robotics.

“Batteries”

The sharp development and great prospects of this direction are noticeable even in everyday life. Devices that 5 years ago worked only after being connected to the electrical network are now equipped with batteries. With development alternative sources energy, this area has become even more interesting, and promises great prospects for those who can quickly adapt and start working with new technologies. The issue of conserving resources and creating new types of batteries that provide recharging without being tied to traditional energy sources is recognized as one of the most pressing today.

“Commercial real estate in the regions”

Modern offices And shopping centers are commonplace for megacities, but literally 100 km from big cities you can find a decent room from the category commercial real estate impossible. The demand for this type of real estate in the regions is very high; the prospects are also increased due to the relatively low cost of land plots. Experts say that interest in this area is quite high, especially in medium-sized cities with developing industries.

“Smart materials”

This direction covers many areas of the economy. Scientists are actively working to create super-strong, environmentally friendly and durable fabrics, construction and industrial materials. Many people know how high the expectations are for nanoparticles, which can revolutionize not only the economic but also the medical sphere.

“Components for automobiles”

The demand for cars is growing relentlessly, and forecasts show that this trend will continue in the coming decades. Manufacturers are constantly working to improve old models and create new ones. If the complete assembly of a car can only be done by very large companies, then the production of various components is within the capabilities and small businesses. International corporations We are happy to enter into contracts with contractors around the world, because this allows us to significantly reduce the cost of cars.

“Healthcare”

With the development of technology and new discoveries of scientists, medicine receives everything more possibilities to cure diseases that were previously considered hopeless. On at this stage There is a clear trend towards changing the basic approaches to the organization of healthcare. Those who can adopt innovative approaches have enormous prospects.

“Waste disposal”

Environmental scientists are literally screaming that humanity is drowning and suffocating due to excess waste and irresponsible attitude towards its disposal. The emergence of new technologies for recycling waste into new products or energy sources has given the planet hope. In the coming decades, we can expect a sharp surge in activity in this direction. New businesses specializing in waste disposal and recycling receive support from governments, non-profits and public organizations, because their activities are extremely important for all humanity.

“Private alternative energy”

Example - appearance in private households solar panels. As a rule, they fully satisfy the family's needs; the excess can be sold at affordable rates neighbors. In many countries, residents of cities and streets create associations and provide themselves with cheap energy. This trend will develop, because people really need it.

"Space"

The development of technology is bringing people closer to space. They are talking seriously about space tourism, the possibility of creating settlements on other planets, and flights to other galaxies. The prospects of this direction are extremely high, because the resource of our planet is not eternal. The super profits of companies working in this direction also confirm this.

“Care for the Elderly”

The increase in the number of older people is a global trend. Modern medicine is making progress in treating many diseases and saving lives, but has not yet found a recipe for prolonging youth. The services of services that provide assistance to older people in solving various everyday issues and providing care for the sick are used by everyone in great demand, and this trend will develop.

"Franchising"

Advantages of this way of starting entrepreneurial activity so obvious that every year more and more businessmen prefer this option. For large companies, this development path is also more profitable. Experts say that the franchising market will grow. This will lead to an increase in the level of service, a decrease in the number of bankruptcies and the unemployment rate. It’s not just large companies that are creating franchise offers. This method of development is also chosen by newcomers who have achieved some success and tested their business model in practice. Franchises are often offered by companies that specialize in introducing modern technologies, mobile applications and other progressive trends.

"Agriculture"

Scientists say that the role agriculture will grow as the world population increases. There are already very reasonable concerns about looming food shortages and the need to support more effective methods agricultural farming. At the same time, active work is underway to develop environmentally friendly technologies. Those who manage to occupy this niche will soon find themselves a big winner. New discoveries make it possible to grow plants without soil, in aquatic environment. Scientists are looking for new ways to replace dangerous pesticides with safer pest control products. There are many innovative and effective approaches to farming; it is only important to implement them and make money by reducing the cost of food.

“Geological exploration”

The issue of natural resources is very acute. Fortunately, the depths of the planet have not yet been fully explored, and every day there are reports of the discovery of a new deposit of oil, gas and other minerals. There is a real war going on in the world for natural resources, and those involved in the search and development of new deposits receive great prospects for the future. But that's not all. Humanity is faced with the question of rational use of resources and finding new ways to extract them from the depths. The main task is to preserve nature as much as possible and not destroy forests and the top fertile layer of soil.

Sooner or later, a person is faced with the question: continue to work “for his uncle” or try his hand at his own business. Independent business– this is personal and financial independence, the realization of ambitions, status. But at the same time, these are increased risks and full responsibility for end result. The success of future entrepreneurship is largely determined by the correct choice of business niche, which we will talk about in this article.

1. Decide on the business direction

Choosing a direction for future activities is the most important step for a novice businessman. There is no need to grab headlong for the first (even popular) idea you come across. It is necessary to soberly assess not only the prospects of the direction, but also own capabilities on entry into the chosen field and development in it. It is desirable that the niche meets at least one (and ideally all) criteria:

• You should like the chosen direction. A business that you do with pleasure is more pleasant and easier to develop. Many businessmen called themselves happy only because they turned their hobby into a business. As a result, you receive both moral and material rewards.
• You must have competence in the chosen direction. Even if the niche according to your profile is quite competitive, good lore and skills should help you take your market share.
• The services and goods offered must be in demand. Well-known formula from classical economics“demand creates supply” is relevant at all times. Of course, there are high-risk areas in which venture companies introduce fundamentally new products to the markets: in fact, the reverse formula works - the manufacturer creates demand with the help of a completely new product or service. But this option is more suitable as an additional option if you have a valid effective business. At the initial stage, the risks must be justified.

2. Assess the prospects

It's good when you have a clear idea of ​​what you want to do and how to go about it. But more often than not, when choosing a niche for a business, you start tossing between various options. Therefore, it is better to make a shortlist of ideas that you think will work in your execution. Having compiled such a list, you can begin to more carefully evaluate each idea in terms of opportunities and threats.

First of all, you need to understand two things:

• Who is your consumer in each potential niche?
• What are the prospects for each direction?

You need to clearly understand what customer needs your business will satisfy. Potential consumers are money, and they need to be assessed using various mechanisms: surveys of friends, thematic forums, groups on social networks, expert opinions. You need to create consumer profiles for each selected niche.

The chosen area must have development prospects. It makes no sense to invest in a direction that, although in demand now, has a tendency to “shrink” in the near future.

3. We weigh our options

The entry threshold is different everywhere, and this is influenced by various objective and subjective factors. When assessing each promising niche, these factors should be taken into account, even those that at first glance may seem insignificant:

• Competition. You need to understand who your competitors are and what advantages you will give potential clients. If the offer in a niche is redundant and you are not ready to offer competitive advantages, then even knowledge and desire will not help to gain any significant position in the market.
• Your potential. We are talking about internal and external potential. Assess not only your personal capabilities, but also the capabilities of your environment. A childhood friend can become the first supplier of components, a wife’s friend can become a target audience and at the same time “word of mouth” advertising, an influential acquaintance can become a lobbyist for interests in the chosen market.
• Starting capital. It is important to understand the source of financing for starting a business. And if for the service sector this will not be the most significant amount, then for the manufacturing sector it is quite a decent amount. It's good if it's enough own funds, but will you be ready to sacrifice other people's or credit money?

A thorough study of all factors for each selected niche will help to gradate and compile your personal rating of business ideas. And then all that remains is not to be afraid to take the first step.

4. We count correctly

Drawing up a preliminary business plan for each idea is quite labor-intensive, but necessary stage. It is important to understand that “the game is worth the candle” because final goal Any business is about making a profit. Doing business for the sake of doing business is wrong and will ultimately lead to financial ruin.

It is the insufficient depth of immersion and excessive optimism in calculations at the initial stage that is the main reason for the unprofitability and bankruptcy of most beginning businessmen. When making calculations, you need to focus specifically on the pessimistic forecast. Even the apparent promising direction with many unmet customer needs is far from a guarantee of customer flow in the first stages of business development. Path from potential client to the real one - it’s quite long, and you need to be prepared to go through it “in the minus”.

When drawing up a preliminary business plan, you need to calculate:

• One-time expenses at the very beginning. This could be a purchase necessary equipment and tools, costs for registering an individual entrepreneur or legal entity, purchasing a franchise, licensing, etc. These expenses are one-time and make up the bulk of start-up costs.
• Current or monthly expenses. This includes rent of premises, salary employees, utility bills, bank services, tax deductions, purchase of components and other costs. You need to see what you can save on in the beginning, and individual species Work (accounting, website maintenance) can be outsourced. In this case, you need to have a “safety margin” for at least three months, and preferably six months, i.e. be prepared to finance operating costs from your own pocket.
• Revenue plan or revenue. This is precisely the calculation for which optimism is the main enemy. Estimate revenue prospects based on the lower bound to be prepared for reality.
• Supply plan. This is not current problem for the service sector, but important for manufacturing. Production process must be provided with materials and components evenly and constantly.

A preliminary business plan differs from a full-fledged one, but it is quite sufficient to assess the possibility of entering the chosen business niche.

5. Making the final choice

After going through the previous 4 steps, you will see a more or less clear picture for each business idea. You have preliminary calculations in your hands, an assessment of each direction and an understanding of what needs to be done. Having weighed the prospects of each idea using the proposed methodology, you will end up with a very real niche for your own business.

Be prepared for difficulties in the first stages and be patient: return on investment is not a matter of just one month. But the prospects that open up are worth starting your own business.

Choosing a niche for a business is an unexpected problem both for a new entrepreneur and for people who are already doing business. Choosing a niche for a business directly affects success. If you have taken (are already going) the wrong path, then get ready to constantly overcome difficulties that will appear on the way again and again.

Therefore, approach the choice of a niche consciously: analyze, compare and understand the profitability. It's better than banging your head against the wall and trying to sell a product that no one needs.

Choosing a niche for business - misconceptions and myths

People create barriers for themselves in business. They come up with new products, want to be unique and try to cheat the system.

Some people succeed. But 99% of entrepreneurs with an “innovative” product quickly go out of business.

Less competition - more money!

A common misconception is that you should choose a niche where there is less competition. This is a fundamentally wrong approach. Just a high level of competition indicates that money is flowing in this direction.

Use logical thinking. Would hundreds of people bother with a business that doesn't make money? Obviously not.

This leads to the following misconception - the clients have already been taken away. This is not true. There are always clients.
Select a target audience from billions of people and work for it. The problem is not the number of clients, but the right offer and a well-developed product.

The business idea must be unique

Choosing a niche for a business depends on the uniqueness of the idea - absurd! Quality of service, in-demand product, quick response to market changes, well-structured marketing - these are the basics that will help in developing your business and making money.

Of course it's great if the idea is new. The catch is that it’s harder to promote new things. You essentially have to form a market and instill a culture of product consumption. This requires a lot of money. This point is worth considering.

Clients contacted our agency with new ideas and... 50,000 rubles for promotion. We refused them. Since the amount is small and people simply do not request such a product on the Internet.

If you have new idea, which has been tested on other people, then it’s worth entering the market through means mass media, plus promotion budgets for at least 1 year in advance. Or find an investor who will make financial investments into the business for a share of the company.

I like the idea, so do others too

It’s great when a person is passionate about an idea and in love with a product. However, here lies the catch. A person believes in his product so much that he forgets about:

• real demand;
• margins and deal cycle;
• calculating the break-even point;
• taking into account market trends and analysis;
• payback period for investments in the project;
• analysis of competitors and target audience.

As a result, choosing the wrong niche for a business can lead to problems and cash gaps. The scary thing is that the entrepreneur blames himself for the lack of “entrepreneurial spirit”, for not being smart enough, etc.

Stress, despondency, business closure and... leaving for hired work begin. Although the only thing that had to be done was to calmly analyze the niche.

Make a list of at least 100 niches that you like and analyze each of them according to the following criteria:

• demand;
• marginality;
• deal cycle;
• complexity;
• volume of investments for launch and payback period;
• market trend;
• availability successful businessmen who earn millions in this niche; how much, on a scale of 10, do you like the niche you are analyzing.

Pavel Ugryumov

Choosing a niche for business: obvious and non-obvious niches

Niches are divided into obvious and non-obvious. The former are attractive because they are a final and simple product.

The second ones are complex ones, which participate in the process of producing obvious ones. You can choose either type. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Obvious niches

Obvious niches are business on the surrounding things that we see. Look around: furniture, cars, real estate, books and so on. These are final products that are in mass demand.

Advantages:

• easy to understand and quickly understand the niche;
• formed market;
• easy to analyze;
• a lot of requests.

Flaws:

• there is a lot of competition, therefore a high barrier to entry into the market;
• it is difficult to stand out among competitors;
• high risks.

Non-obvious niches

Highly specialized areas of business that are involved in the process of creating the final product. These are components for equipment, chemical reagents, etc. That is, such products are not found in ordinary life.

It’s worth building a business in a non-obvious niche only if you are a master in this area. For example, you have higher education biologist, worked in the corresponding industry enterprise, and then decided to open a business on this topic.

Another example is the services of a forester who provides services for allocating zones for deforestation in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Working for hire, a person received 70,000 rubles a month. Resigns because wages do not lift, but at the same time remains the best professional.

Opens a business and works with former employer already on contract terms. In this case, the check is no longer calculated in thousands of rubles, but in millions.

Only a person who has reached the “master” level can advance and earn money in highly specialized niches.

If you try to become only an organizer, you will encounter staff turnover and will not be able to fully control the process of providing services.

Advantages of unobvious niches:

• much less competition, while the demand for services is quite high;
• low entry threshold;
• minimal risks;
• possibility of independent pricing.

Flaws:

• You must be a specialist who has extensive experience;
• you need to analyze the demand for a highly specialized niche very well;
• At the beginning of your journey, it is quite difficult to earn money quickly and a lot.

You learned that there are obvious and unobvious niches, and got acquainted with their features. Which one should you choose? It's up to you to decide. The main thing is to take into account the recommendations and do a niche analysis before investing money, time and effort in your chosen direction.

Choosing a niche for business: trending directions

They decided to put this type out separately. Trending niches are similar to the obvious ones, but have a number of features. Here the analysis of demand for the product plays a major role.

For example, goods from China are ideal products to sell, but only at a time when the demand trend for them is at its peak.

This type of niche needs to be entered immediately and done quickly. The goal is not to build stable business, but to hit the jackpot and move into another trending niche.

Let's take GPS watches for example. At one time, they could earn millions of rubles in a short period of time.

Now the demand trend is steadily falling and if you want to enter this business, in 90% of cases you will lose money or reach the break-even point.

But the trend for electric bicycles and scooters is growing (2018). You can easily enter this niche. The main obstacle will only be finding a reliable supplier who will not let you down.

Advantages:

• the opportunity to earn quickly and a lot;
• no deep knowledge of marketing required;
• high demand at the peak of the trend.

Flaws:

• business is not forever - as soon as the trend starts to fall, you should leave this direction;
• risks - the supplier let you down, you didn’t manage to sell quickly, demand fell and you’re in trouble;
• the matter is not suitable “for the soul” - main task buy quickly, sell quickly and get a margin;
• you need to closely monitor trends, the slightest mistake and you are in the red.

Choosing a niche in business - algorithm and analysis tools

Choosing a niche for a business should begin with an analysis of demand (this does not apply to unique ideas). In the USSR, the model of supply superiority over demand worked. In simple terms- “take what they give.”

If you have studied modern economics, then you know that demand creates supply, and not vice versa! Trying to impose a product on the market is a path to bankruptcy.

1. Demand analysis

Demand is easy to analyze. To do this, you need to go to Yandex.Wordstat and enter the query you are interested in within the time limit.

To find out the demand for a purchase, add the word “buy” to the request. For example, “buy an electric scooter.” Don't forget to select the region in which you plan to sell goods or services.

Find out how to analyze demand in practice from the video in which our director Pavel Ugryumov will review the Yandex.Wordstat service.

2. Competitor analysis

Choosing a niche in business is impossible without analyzing competitors. Find out which players are present on the market, how much they earn, what promotion methods they use and what size budgets are allocated for promotion.

Imagine this situation: you decided to repeat the success of one project, but did not analyze a competitor who receives hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment from America for promotion.

And you have 50,000 rubles for launch. What will happen? With 100% probability you will fail, as you will not be able to even be at the level of your opponent.

If you analyze your competitors, you will understand whether it is possible to enter the market and whether it is worth doing.

Evaluate your competitors using the following algorithm:

• product line - what they sell;
• determine the best-selling product;
• unique properties of the product;
• define marketing strategy- what promotion/client attraction tools are used;
• find out touch points with the audience;
• calculate the effectiveness of advertising channels;
• check your competitors’ sales algorithm (yes, yes, we leave requests, call, buy);
• determine sales channels;
• check the chain of work with the client;
• find out the availability of sales scripts;
• define average bill, number of applications, sales and market coverage, among the analyzed competitors.

Result of competitor analysis

Based on the data received, you will understand what the state of affairs is on the market and whether you can take a piece of the pie. Also, based on your competitor analysis, conduct a SWOT analysis, which will help you differentiate yourself from your competitors.

If you don’t want to bother and waste time analyzing competitors, then delegate this process to our agency. Just click the button below and submit your request:

Choosing a niche for a business depends on the target audience. Knowing your target audience will help you understand whether you can satisfy customer needs at the same level or better than your competitors.

Also, knowing and understanding customers will greatly simplify business promotion and development in the future. The target audience is the foundation of the project. Understanding the pains, fears, desires and needs of the audience will ensure a flow of clients.

If you want to learn more about the target audience, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the course: "". To find out more, just click on the button below:

*Remember! Anyone who knows the target audience has no problems in sales!

4. Assess margins and deal cycle

The choice of a niche for a business is influenced by the product margin and the transaction cycle. These two factors are closely interrelated.

Product margin is the difference between the selling price and the cost price of the product. In simple terms - net profit from sales.

See how profitable the margin is in the chosen niche. The higher the net profit, the better. But there are nuances with the transaction cycle.

The transaction cycle is the time that passes from the moment of contact with the client until the receipt of income. As a rule, the higher the margin, the longer the cycle and vice versa.

For example, at grocery store The transaction cycle is 60 seconds, but the margin is quite low. Another example is real estate. Here the margin is much higher, but the transaction time takes weeks or months.

Determine the margin-to-cycle ratio and choose the option that best suits you.

5. Determine what your soul is about.

After analyzing the niche using dry statistical data, you will get a dozen directions. When choosing, we advise you to focus on knowledge and love for the niche. If you start doing something that is profitable but not your favorite, then nothing productive will come of it.

Love business, love clients! Well, we wish you success, high checks and a lot of positive emotions!

Evgeny Shleenkov, founder and general manager Center for Entrepreneurship Development "Shmel", co-founder construction company Eurodom, the owner of the DiMaestri coffee company, shared life hacks that will help you come up with an idea for a business and test its strength.

Where does a business start?

Let’s not idealize and talk about ideas that suddenly came in a dream: and now you woke up like this and ran to implement what you saw. It happens. But these are rather exceptions to the rule. Business starts with your personal choice. You decide to open your own business and clearly understand what you want to get in the end. Then it’s a matter of technology and knowledge. But the very first step is that very choice. What exactly do I want to do?

If we take the field of online sales, then the very first question you should ask yourself is what do I want to sell? The niche of your future business is your foundation, the basis for all subsequent actions. And if you lay a weak and shabby foundation, you will most likely be disappointed and suffer losses after a while.

I have seen many examples of successful niche selection, for example, the Taxovichkof company, which began offering nanny drivers with child seats in each car, or Airbnb, which created a site for safe rental housing, and vice versa, when people were in a hurry, they rushed into the pool, invested millions and ended up with nothing. Thus, McDonalds tried several times to launch a line of healthy food and even created a service for VIPs, however, they failed miserably: customers love the restaurant precisely because it is democratic and accessible.

A sober analysis of what you want to do in the future is the first thing that should worry you, not a beautiful website or booklets. So, before you start realizing yourself in a new niche, evaluate how well your choice meets the following criteria:

1. You must solve people's problems with your product.

What do people pay money for? For pleasure and the opportunity to solve their pain. If you have trouble seeing, you look for glasses. If you're hot, you look for a water or ice cream stall. And so on.

Look around and think about what problems you have that are still not so easy to deal with.

In my practice there was interesting story: Once I was stuck in a traffic jam in the summer, it was +30 degrees outside, the heat was terrible. Young guys knock on my window and offer me magazines. What can I say, at that moment I would have given anything for a bottle of water and a Snickers, my body was so exhausted. And I looked around and saw the same unhappy faces in the neighboring cars.

What we did: hired guys who, in the daily traffic jam, offered drivers not magazines of questionable content, but water and snacks. The cost is minimal, we recovered the costs in the first few days of work.

What makes this event successful? The fact is that we didn’t try to sell people what we thought they needed. We offered what they need most now. And this example can be transferred to any niche. Look around, think about what worries people today, what they would like to change and improve.

Among the famous new products of last year, we can highlight an application that broke the figure of 10 million downloads in the first week alone. And why all? People are tired of standard photo processing filters in . They were given an application that allowed them to edit their photos in the style of a famous artist. As simple as possible and to the point. The creators felt the pain and created a product for it. This is the secret of any startup.

2. Your product must provide value.

Don't try to make light of the significance and importance of what you do. Assess the situation realistically.

Is your buyer willing to pay an amount for what you are offering him? If I’m offered water in a traffic jam, I’m ready to buy it for a reasonable 50–100 rubles, but if I’m offered the same product for 500 rubles, I’ll endure it until the next gas station.

The same thing with branded clothing - if you are trying to sell branded items in small town, but at the prices of a Moscow department store - don’t be surprised that your customers will refuse such an expensive purchase and go to the same aliexpress, where they can buy a copy ten times cheaper. The quality will be lower, yes, but for this audience the price is the deciding factor.

Be sure to analyze whether your customer is willing to pay for your product, no matter how good it is.

Here I can’t help but give an example at the beginning of the journey:

Attempts to create a computer for the whole family that cost several thousand dollars failed miserably and cost Jobs his job. Only years later the entrepreneur was able to return to the company and still complete his project, significantly reducing the cost of the final product.

If you want to create a consumer product, analyze how much your customer is willing to pay for it. Precisely ready, but not supposed to. Don't build sandcastles about people flying your product off store shelves. In an age of very fierce competition, your chance is one in a million.

3. Fast transaction cycle: make profit immediately

Now we are talking about small businesses and opportunities for beginners and not only entrepreneurs to start their own business here and now. Therefore, the strategy should be as short-term as possible.

If you see that your product is selling quickly, you can lower your markup to increase conversion. If you require promotion and, accordingly, financial and time costs, the price must increase. However, do not try to make money, act honestly and openly.

For example, a successful startup once did not spend money on a vehicle fleet and hiring employees. Basically, the company consisted of several people. They created an application where everyone could make money from taxi services. You register, take an order, get paid. Everything is as simple and fast as possible. Today Uber is a global giant and an example of successful company taxis in recent years. And all thanks to the successful combination - low price and convenient service.

The consumer always reacts very sharply to two things: an artificially high price (“they want to make money on me”) and too low a cost (“poor quality product”).

4. Sell emotions, not products.

Remember that people want bread and circuses. Don't try to present your product too rationally, especially if it concerns the entertainment sector. For example, Party-bus, popular in the last few years.

People were offered a replacement for big clubs, the opportunity to relax with friends in close company, but with all the club surroundings, and even take a ride around the city. In total, a comprehensive interactive for any occasion: wedding, birthday, bachelorette party. And when we think about these buses, the most vivid images arise in our heads: celebration, fun, smiles and other pleasant things.

Let's summarize. How to choose your business niche:

1. Think creatively and start with yourself: what excites you, what would you like to improve in the world around you?
2. Next, look around, are there many people around who are facing the same problem?
3. Are they ready to pay?

Because they position themselves differently and target different target audiences. In short, they work in different niches.

Examples can be found here and there: Zara and Bershka, Elle and Vogue, “Shokoladnitsa” and “Coffee House”... the choice of niche directly determines whether you will secure demand for yourself and whether you will be able to compete with other players. But how to choose your business niche in order to be successful? Let's figure it out now.

Why is this so important

To begin with, let's define the concepts. A niche is a specific, usually narrowly limited area of ​​activity that focuses on its target audience, and also allows the entrepreneur to demonstrate his competitive advantages and do his job as well as possible. For example, an experienced jeweler decided to open his own workshop for repairing precious items. There are a million such workshops around the city - and in order to improve their position and competitiveness, a jeweler needs to choose a narrower niche. Let it be the repair of diamond jewelry.

Thus, choosing a niche for a business provides, firstly, clear positioning and specialization, and secondly, a solvent audience. Those same diamond owners have money and are much more willing to pay more, but will entrust their jewelry to those who are better versed in such work. This, in turn, will allow our supposed jeweler to keep high prices and work with more profitable clients.

“Step 1: look at what we love and what we can do”

In other words, we analyze our skills and preferences. Before choosing a niche, you need to clearly define what you can do well, what you are interested in working with and what you understand 100%. If an experienced jeweler opens his own jewelry repair shop, he will probably do it better and more convincingly than a bodybuilder who goes into jewelry stores only on March 8th.

Reply to the following questions: What am I good at? What have I always liked to do? What would I do for nothing if I didn't have to work for support? Write down all the options and try to find common ground between your interests and your business.

“Step 2: see where the crowd is and what is free”

To open new business, the entrepreneur must carefully assess the overall market conditions - its capacity, demand and competitive environment: who sells what, how and for how much. It doesn't matter if you want to renovate jewelry or selling clothes, in order to find a good niche, you need to carefully study the offers of competitors, their positioning and advertising message.

“Step 3: choose your niche for business”

It's time to decide which niche to choose! Simple types of niches in occupied segments are:

• focus on physical or legal entities(tours for individual travelers, organization of holidays for corporate clients);
• gender division into men and women ( men's watch, women's magazines);
• age ranking (clothes for children, phones for grandmothers);
• price division (cheap dumplings, elite handmade Belgian chocolate).

Complex nicheing highlights 2-4 elements at once, for example, by gender, age and price. Turning to a jewelry repair shop we are already familiar with, this could be:

• workshop for repairing diamond jewelry. Choosing this niche for business means that there will not be many clients, but each order will be well paid. The main requirement is the quality of work;
• Economy workshop for repairing precious items. In this concept, each order does not bring a very large amount, but the mass client comes in a continuous stream. The main requirement is speed.
• jewelry remaking workshop. Targeting young and creative people who want original products. Cost – medium to high. The main requirements are creativity and boldness of ideas.

When approaching a complex niche, you need to be clear about who your target audience and how your offer differs from those already on the market.

“Step 4: check the selected niche for viability”

Now that you have chosen a niche, you need to understand how interesting it is to the segment you are targeting, and what could be the main reason why clients will turn to you. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a situation where the services of your jewelry workshop are, in fact, only needed by pensioners who have diamonds buried in their chairs, and their next retirement is not soon yet.

You can find out the opinion of your potential audience in a number of ways: conduct surveys among friends and on social networks, use mailing lists, or look at statistics on Yandex.Wordstat. In addition, you can contact specialized companies that will select a focus group and provide accurate statistical data.

The final step in our search for a business niche is to develop an advertising message that will convey your trade offer to consumers and will show the client how you differ from your competitors. Its main task is to be remembered, and at the same time emphasize why you are better than everyone else.