How Do You Choose a Niche?

If you know you want to be your own boss, but you’re not sure where you should be focusing your energies, then you should think about choosing a niche.

Ideally, you'll find a speciality you love, something that will make you want to want to jump out of bed every morning and run to your office, ready to get to work with a smile on your face.

Having a niche will automatically make you more of an expert. For example, if you want to become a professional artist, you might experiment with watercolour, oils, graphite and sculpture, but it would take centuries to become a master artist in all those mediums. You’d be better off finding the field you feel most comfortable working in, and specialising in that.

It’s the same in any industry – it’s much easier to become really good at one or two things, and gain expert status in that niche. And generally expert status means more customers, more respect and a higher income!

If you’re struggling to think of a niche off the top of your head, try this exercise:

Take a piece of paper and divide it into two columns.

1. In the right column write a list of 10 things that make you happy. These could be anything from writing, designing or managing projects to horse riding on a deserted beach. If anything makes you smile just thinking about it, then write it down!
2. In the left hand column, write a list of 10 things that you’re good at. List here all your skills and positive attributes, and anything that you think you have the potential to be good at.
3. Finally, compare these columns and circle anything that overlaps the two. You might see a link that you wouldn’t have thought about before.

For example, if you enjoy painting and you’ve been told you’re a good teacher, then you might consider a new career as an art instructor or private tutor.

I recently helped a friend of mine to discover her niche using this technique. Her list of things that made her happy included being with children, and she realised that she could use her attributes of patience and kindness to work with children. She’s currently retraining to become a primary school teacher.

I’d love to hear how this works out for you. What will your niche be?

Question of the Day

How can I bring value to other people?

Did Einstein or Newton think about that, or did they just get on with what interested them?

Did Michelangelo lie awake at night thinking about increasing his “network”, or did he just take up a brush and start painting?

It’s a shame we can only have one life at a time – there’s a lot of things I’d like to do with mine, but each of them would probably involve a lot of training and time.

But what am I doing instead? Nothing. Just sitting thinking.

Poetry, science, art, psychology, astronomy, literature... I could delve into any one of them and find a million things to interest me. And yet when I try to focus on just one my brain goes blank.

I could throw myself into poetry, take courses, and practice it day and night. I’d probably make quite a name for myself in 5 to 10 years time.

I could travel round the world, learning about new cultures and different languages, writing and photographing as I go. I could study native animals, people, archaeology and gastronomy. All those things would bring excitement and happiness, right?

Or I could use my PhD in physics to do something remarkable in science. I could stalk top professors until they agree to take me on as their research assistant. I could spend hours buried in textbooks, dreaming up thought experiments, and solving science’s great mysteries. I could find the Higg’s boson (unless it’s already been found), or uncover the true nature of dark energy – is that what black holes are made of? There are a billion different questions that I could spend a lifetime trying to solve. And I could probably make a nice living doing it – the Nobel Prize money would come in very handy!

But what would I be sacrificing? My art, my love of books, or telling stories through the typed word?

Why am I even writing these words, and putting them out there? Do I hope someone will read it and give me the answer? Will anyone even care what I do?

Or should I shut up and get on with my day job. I have an easy life, answering information requests and taking minutes at meetings. I can carry on doing this job well for years if I choose. Nothing would change. The world wouldn’t end, and I’d never be in danger of failing anything.

Or would I?