Free and promising niches for starting a business. The simplest and most specific method for choosing a niche for a business. Choosing a niche for a business.

A real entrepreneur knows for sure: without a clear and well-thought-out idea of ​​what product will be sold in an online store, customers will not become regular, and profits will be precarious. ADVANTSHOP marketing department specialist Anna Mileiko will tell you 5 secrets on how to make the right choice of niche for opening your own online sales point.

Secret 1. Study long-term forecasts

They appear infrequently and are not easy 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 around the world. According to his calculations, from 2018 to 2022 the average annual growth of online trading in Russia will be about 15.4%. Not as high a percentage as the previous 7 years, but still considered rapid 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 we are interested in the most promising niches.

So, according to analysts, investors will choose the food delivery segment as a priority investment goal. It is he who, according to UBS, will show rapid growth in Russian trade via the Internet and increase its market share, significantly displacing non-food products. This will happen due to an increase in the services of so-called online supermarkets, where customers can buy food on the website they like, and ready-to-eat 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 their appearance. 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 there are a lot of things. Below, on the infographics of Yandex.Market and GfK Rus, you can see a comparison of preferences in categories of purchases in online stores in Russia and abroad that users made in 2017.

According to the calculations of this trading platform, in 2017 the following items were most often purchased from Russian online stores:


The following types of goods were most often purchased from online stores in China:


Users made such purchases in stores in other countries:


Secret 3. Analysis of the competitive field

It’s 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 your head, we look at food delivery services. How to do it?

  • using search engines. Look in at least the two most popular search engines for the results of queries such as “pet products”, “online clothing store for pregnant women” (replace the words with ones that interest you) and study the options given. In what region (or area, if this is important to you) are these online stores located and where do they deliver? What do they offer their customers? Where do they promote themselves? What social networks and platforms are you present on? Who are their partners?
  • survey consumers. Word of mouth is still one of the most effective channels of information. Ask your friends and even strangers (this will be even more effective) which of your potential competitors they know (or just remember the names), what they buy from these online stores and why there?
  • Find out information from sales managers. It's a trick, no doubt about it. But if you have the opportunity to get inside information about how your competitor does business, take it. Just be careful, otherwise it will no longer be a trick, but a stupid copying;
  • attend conferences, seminars and exhibitions on your topic. At such events you will be able to find out all the latest information from primary sources, observe how companies position themselves in the market, what they offer to customers and partners;
  • through SEO analysis systems. You can go further and use search query analyzers such as Serpstat and SpyWords. You type in the competitor’s website you are interested in, and the system displays the full layout;
  • contact agencies. The most expensive of the options, but with its help you will definitely get the most complete market layout in the chosen niche. And whoever has the information, you know what you can do;
  • view data from online shopping platforms. For example, we at ADVANTSHOP really like to share analytics, so we are pleased to present the rating of the most popular online store niches among our platform clients for 2017:

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

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

Secret 4. Finding a new niche

A difficult task, but a real one. Its implementation depends not only on the analysis of competitors and demand, but also on those trends that exist in everyday life. Communication with people and articles in the media can give you ideas. What do your competitors don’t offer or don’t want to offer, but can you offer? What request does the audience have that is not satisfied by existing online stores?

Let's imagine the situation. You decide that you want to sell products for children because the niche is ranking high. And almost all of the competitor online stores 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 it has not left the pages of parenting magazines and the shelves of bestsellers in book chains. Why isn't it a good option?

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

Secret 5. Choosing with soul

All of our previous advice will not help you if the ultimately chosen niche is not close to you. When you're employed, you may have tasks that you don't like or that irritate you. They can be solved and forgotten, you can change your place of work, where such disgrace will not happen. But the choice of business is entirely your choice. Selling ceramic pots just because there is a higher 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 book rarities, why not start collecting rare and old publications and selling them to the audience that you understand better than anyone else? The conclusion suggests itself.

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

Opening another business in a crowded niche is futile - more experienced competitors will win the fight. There are sectors with little competition and untapped markets. How to choose your own business niche and which search model to use.

Beginning entrepreneurs, as a rule, are aware that they are going to enter the market, where competitors are already waiting for them. The only way to avoid fighting for a place in the sun is to find a business niche that is free from competitors.

It may seem that the modern market is replete with all possible offers, but upon closer examination, it turns out that there are opportunities for development. Two strategies can be considered when looking for a free niche for developing a new business:

Exploring the old market with new offerings

This is a narrow sector with little competition. Trumps in this segment will be high quality goods and services or unusual offers.

New offerings in an untapped market

This strategy is much more difficult, since it requires trading, production or provision of services unfamiliar to the consumer. In this way of business development, significant costs will be required for organizing a new type of production, registering a trademark, advertising campaign, promotion on the market, etc. It must be admitted that the chances of success with such a strategy are higher.

You can find an unoccupied niche by looking closely at the market, discussing with friends and relatives the needs for goods and services, and analyzing the state of a particular market segment. As a result of such research, it is quite possible that a niche will be determined that is poorly developed or even free.

For small entrepreneurs, which is quite understandable, narrow market niches are attractive because they:

  • Little competition.
  • Individual approach to consumers.
  • Stable, albeit small, market capacity.

It is not easy to master a narrow segment of the market, it is necessary to carefully analyze all the positive and negative points, study a new product and the attitude of potential buyers towards it. Only after studying the features of the selected segment, you can form an advertising strategy. If you decide to promote a completely new product, you will need to organize a non-traditional advertising campaign to attract the attention of buyers.

Apparently, there is no way to guarantee an unmistakable choice of one's place in business. In each individual case, the personality of the businessman himself will be of great importance in determining the direction of the business.

Apparently, the widespread opinion has the right to life that when choosing a direction, you need to evaluate the market and choose a niche with the least competition and a good margin. It is believed that this method guarantees successful entry into a niche. The method of choice seems certainly reasonable, but if you think about it, everything is not so simple.

Let's look at the automotive market - huge and extremely competitive. Suddenly you realize that in your city the trade in premium cars has not been mastered at all. Those who wish cannot buy a Ferrari either in your city or in neighboring cities, and in the nearest metropolis there is only one salon offering such cars. Here it is - an unoccupied niche without competitors and with an unimaginable margin.

Pushing hard, you open a car dealership with a Ferrari. But for some reason, queues are not lining up for you. Under all favorable conditions - demand, the purchasing power of the population, the absence of competitors - there is no trade. What's the matter? It turns out that in order to sell a very expensive car, you need to be among people who can buy it. This example is, of course, somewhat exaggerated. But the same principle applies to the sale of tomatoes in the bazaar. When trading, it is impossible to achieve good results without mutual understanding with buyers.

Therefore, we do not dare to confidently assert that there are trouble-free algorithms for finding a successful business niche. Luck is a capricious young lady, it is impossible to be sure of her favor. But we can tell you three ways that will reduce the risks of entering the chosen niche.

Innovation model

This strategy is good for romantic businessmen who dream of changing the world for the better. Within this model, you do not need to look for a suitable niche, but create your own. To implement this strategy, a solid budget is needed.

For example, you invented a pillow for insomnia. Now you need to not only produce your miracle pillows, but also convince people to buy them. You do not even have to invent something yourself, you need to be able to push a completely new product onto the market. So we treat them as innovators or, but they were not pioneers in their industry. But it was they, and not Xerox and Creative, who created an innovative niche.

To be frank, it is unlikely that a mere mortal is able to create an innovative niche. You need very special conditions or unprecedented luck, or outstanding charisma, or a lot of money in order to be able to push your new niche into the market. If everything succeeds, you will get everything at once - all the cream is yours. The obvious disadvantage of the strategy is high costs with a high probability of failure.

Proven Models

Universal strategy. At the heart of all the most progressive technologies are basic things. Sometimes, to enter an undeveloped niche, it is enough to choose an unpromoted base.

Here are some examples of "eternal themes":

  1. Money. Why they are needed, no one needs to explain. And bankers are needed to streamline the cash flow. Working with money is not new, but it is always attractive.
  2. Safety and health. These are eternal values, since everyone wants to be healthy and confident in their own safety.
  3. Relationship. Hot topic. Skype and bring in billions, as they were able to offer us new ways of communication. There is something to think about - an unlimited audience is waiting for new proposals.
  4. External attractiveness. Everyone wants to be not just beautiful, it is very important to have a bright personality. Any help in creating an attractive image will be accepted with enthusiasm.
  5. Time is an irreplaceable resource. Any automatic device that saves time finds many consumers.
  6. Entertainment. This market is truly inexhaustible - people spend on pleasure without deep reflection.
  7. Subculture. There are many types of subcultures, you need to identify and use them.

The list goes on, but you have already understood that this method does not require discoveries. It is only necessary to use already known mechanisms. True, many people prefer to use this method, and finding a fresh direction for a business with financial prospects can be difficult.

Hobbies

Quite often, entrepreneurs' hobbies become business projects. What's wrong with combining business with pleasure? For those who have decided to do business, but do not yet know how, this method is the most favorable. Hobby monetization is a lightweight form of adaptation in the business world. You will do what you do best, and even with the most unsuccessful start, you will not lose. You will get pleasure in any case - whether you can create a profitable business or not.

Summarizing

Choosing your niche is never easy. If you find an unoccupied segment in which, in your opinion, there is a lot of free money and miraculously there are no competitors, do not rush to rejoice. Most likely, the “gold mine” is empty, because competitors left it due to lack of prospects. Although it is possible that you really came across "new lands" - go for it!

Starting a business and entering new niches is never easy. In recent years, the desire to do business among Russians is increasingly fading. At the end of 2015, for example, only 2.2% of Russians seriously intended to start their own business. And in 2014, when the crisis had just begun, and the current businessmen began to actively sell their businesses. According to Opora Rossii, 483.6 thousand companies closed and only 417.5 thousand opened.

And yet, a businessman is a diagnosis, respectively, there will always be people who are truly “sick” in business. In 2016, interest in starting your own business resurfaced. The reason for this, perhaps, is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find decent pay in employment.

Of course, that opening a business from scratch, that entering a new niche from an existing profile is a risky business that does not promise a quick enrichment. Moreover, the number of niches for small and medium-sized businesses has been declining more and more lately.

In December, Elena Dybova, vice-president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, diagnosed Russian small business as almost all business niches were occupied by corporations. In her opinion, the niches of services and trade are occupied, production requires money and resources, which became less available with the onset of the 2014 crisis.

Boris Titov, Russia's Presidential Entrepreneur's Commissioner, says it's still difficult for small businesses to get public procurement orders, as industry giants are trying to circumvent these rules despite the fact. When everything works, small businesses should get a big piece of the social sphere pie.

New business, old business - are there any unoccupied niches

True, there is no evil without good. A crisis is an opportunity to squeeze into the market with a solution to the problems that this crisis gives rise to. According to the authors of the BBoss portal for the sale of ready-made businesses, new niches lie in the following areas:

1. Goods and services, saving. Discounters, second-hand shops, sites for selling and exchanging things, catering places with inexpensive food, as well as anti-crisis services, such as financial advice, are becoming more in demand.

Example. A company of young people, smart university graduates who were engaged in tutoring schoolchildren, united into a small company. The unique offer consisted, in fact, in the same tutoring - they prepared children for the exam. But there was one difference - tutoring is not one-on-one with a student, but with a group of children. This suited the clients (parents), since the size of the group is still smaller than the class, and there are not 30 students per teacher, but 7-10. And the price was lower than individual training. The result of such group training is higher - the influence of the group has a positive effect.

2. Businesses on innovations and technologies. This is an area in which there is almost no crisis. This niche is difficult to enter, but it is insensitive to market fluctuations.

Example. Let's take a company that specializes in the development and production of innovative vacuum switching equipment, intelligent devices for automating networks and substations, etc. 25 years ago, she created equipment with a unique operating principle. Despite the presence of competitors, it is their devices that are purchased throughout Russia. And the company itself is represented not only in Russia, but also has 22 representative offices abroad.

3. Consulting and training. As a business education does not require large investments. What is needed is a lot of knowledge and experience. The demand for consulting is growing, as mistakes are becoming more expensive, and competent people are needed who can protect them from them. Another thing is that there are not so many truly literate people. So the stars do not remain without work.

Example. The hotel market in Moscow is very saturated, but the hotel industry, according to professionals, has not developed. The reason is that in the minds of hoteliers it does not always fit that the competitive battle is won not by good, but by hospitable establishments. Company N is engaged in auditing, consulting and training in the hotel business. They chose to solve service problems in this area and do not rush into other industries. Previously, the owner of N Company worked as a hotel manager herself, so she understands the pains of the industry.

4. Import substitution- let's make a reservation right away that despite the loud statements, the results of import substitution are still very modest. Official statistics do not say how many foreign components are in products manufactured at home and on what equipment they are made. The situation is better in agriculture. With all the reservations, now is the best time for the development of agricultural projects. Although it is already too late to enter this business from scratch. But the working agribusinesses have every chance to change their profile and take the positions that were vacated with the departure of foreign products.

Example. The Mari company has been developing two directions with varying success for many years: goat breeding and production of products from goat milk. The breakthrough occurred for several reasons, the co-owner of the company reflects: the business received government subsidies, product niches were vacated, and a competent management step was taken - hiring an experienced marketer who developed new packaging and positioning, which allowed Mari products to compete in the largest retail chains with foreign goods.

5. Maintenance of Internet projects. The popularity of this area is due to the fact that in recent years retail is moving to online. And quite complex sites-online stores need competent support. Therefore, all those who are somehow connected in this activity are now in demand: web studios, designers, advertising specialists and copywriters.

Example. Bots that respond to customer requests in Telegram and collect feedback are a good business assistant that saves on a call center. Company N was one of the first to decide to create such robots to order. The work is simple, but everywhere there are nuances, and often clients prefer not to do this on their own, but to give the creation of such a cunning “call center” to our heroes.

Business on Decree as a New Support for SMEs

These tips apply to both those who start a business and those who are looking for new niches for their existing business. Finding them is like reinventing the wheel. It seems that all bicycles have already been invented, but there are unique people who want to buy a bicycle with square wheels or a tandem bicycle. We will have to look for such unique ones with their mini-problems, the solution of which they will meet with applause!

For example, a federal company - a factory for the production of chocolates - did not have a single chance to fight for high positions on the shelves in chain stores. Then they focused on the gift segment, and became the only confectioners who produce expensive gift chocolate. Part of the assortment has entered the network, the rest is sold via the Internet and their own retail, where they go for special gifts - personal and corporate. 75% of purchases are made by women.

The same niches persist even in declining industries such as publishing, for example. You won’t earn billions here, but the founder and the team will definitely have enough for a good income.

A new female entrepreneurship is also called a separate trend. Entrepreneurial mothers are a new phenomenon in the Russian economy, they are well aware of their audience of clients in one way or another connected with children, and experts believe that this niche has a great chance of developing.

Franchising is also considered an underestimated business niche. , and companies that learn how to properly scale their business have a huge chance of success.

Bottom line

  1. There are almost no niches left for small businesses - corporations with huge resources and a margin of safety have occupied most of the positions in the market. In addition, the mechanism for providing state orders to small and medium-sized businesses is still not working well. With a new start, it is important to analyze and understand what needs of the client are not covered by corporations. And then there is every chance of success. It makes no sense to open a grocery store next to Magnit. But opening a shop with fresh fish promises profit.
  2. The crisis is the time of the emergence of new small niches associated with the desire of both business and ordinary people to save money. It is here that great opportunities lie for organizing a new business or launching new products.
  3. Franchising is one of those niches that remains undervalued year after year. Interest in franchises is consistently high, but there are few really good offers. Whoever can offer the market a good franchise will succeed.

Many specialists dream of moving from hired labor to their own business - opening their own business. Fortunately, modern technologies allow almost everyone to provide services or sell goods both offline and on the Internet. The question arises of choosing a niche for business.

What does the majority do first? - Looking for business ideas on the Internet.

This is a failed strategy. If you view starting your own business as a means of escaping reality (for example, the country has a difficult economic situation, or your specialty is not in demand in the labor market), your idea may fail.

When opening a business, it is important to develop in yourself 3 key qualities of an entrepreneur:

I. Be prepared to take risks.

An entrepreneur is, first of all, “a person operating under risk conditions.” All categories of the self-employed population, who can be called entrepreneurs: traders, farmers, artisans, are at risk in one way or another. They buy at a known price and sell at an unknown price in advance.

This is one of the first concepts of the concept of “entrepreneur” by the English economist Richard Cantillon.

Yes, it's a profession!

Just like the profession of a doctor, an artist or an engineer, it should be taken very seriously.

II. Be persistent. Perseverance makes you move forward despite setbacks. We wrote about 5 ways to persevere.

III. Be techy.

So, let's move on to the technology of choosing a niche.

Niche selection technology

Don't start with someone else's business idea.

And don’t start with your business idea, even if it seems brilliant and terribly promising to you.

Look at business through the eyes of the market.

After all, an entrepreneur is a profession aimed at satisfying the needs of clients and at the same time generating profit for oneself.

That is why key to success in building a business there will be choosing the right niche.

A niche for a business is a foundation, the reliability of which will support the entire further existence and development of the business.

What is a niche in business?

A niche is the difficulties, problems (“pains”) of potential clients that you, as an entrepreneur, need to solve.

When you open a new business, the first step is to carefully assess the market, its capacity, competitive environment and composition (conjuncture) - who sells what, how and for how much.

Often the arrogance of many entrepreneurs is expressed in the fact that they choose a niche, relying only on their own opinion and understanding of the market. Without any research.

But. If you do not conduct primary market analytics, then you are completely unprotected from risks.

As a result, after some time you will realize that the niche is not in demand.

Ask yourself and your companions 5 basic questions:

1. What do I like and what do I want to do?

You need to love your business, because over time: problems, difficulties or banal instability can get boring, and without love for your business, the business will collapse.

2. Will this business be interesting to me in 2-3 years?

A business needs to be built in the long term, unless it is initially intended as a one-time project. Understanding the long-term nature of your endeavors will give you strength for development.

3. Is my customer motivated by pain, urgency, or strong emotion to buy my product or service?

If in this niche you see a real, urgent need among clients who are only “sleeping and thinking” how to solve this issue, this is your niche.

4. Are customers looking for solutions?

Do potential clients have the desire to find a solution to their problem?

5. How many solution options does the market offer them? What are your competitors offering? How well do their proposals meet the client’s requirements?

All beginning businessmen usually face the same problems and mistakes.

6 main mistakes when choosing a niche:

1. Selected too “wide” niche - a large number of more professional competitors, competitors with an established brand, demand is almost equal to supply.

2. Selected too narrow niche - too few people are looking for solutions to this problem.

3. The project is launched without testing— when the decision is made for the client, without testing the product for demand.

4. An item is selected that nobody needs— look “soberly” at what you want to sell.

6. Positioning not from the "pain" of customers, and starting from the product, and - this approach is found all the time.

Now let's check how much your idea of ​​your niche is confirmed by the consumer mass.

Monitoring consumer opinion

Go to forums, surveys, conduct direct interviews on social networks or among your friends.

You must understand:

1. Is your offer interesting to the segment you are targeting;

2. What will be the main reason for contacting you (why clients will choose you);

3. What disadvantages do people point out to your idea?

It is also recommended to analyze key queries on http://wordstat.yandex.ru and calculate how many people actually turn to search engines with a query relevant to your offer. There, in the “Queries similar to...” block, you can find a useful hint for yourself.

For example, in the screenshot the output for the request “training courses”:

From the above example, we can conclude that people are actively interested in the subject of education, and we can assume that they are willing to pay for it. At the moment, this market in Ukraine is estimated at $500 million per year on average.

Once you decide on a niche, think about how to convey your unique selling proposition to consumers.

State your position

Your message should be clear, unambiguous and short. The simpler it is, the more likely it is that consumers will understand it correctly.

You just did a small, but very an important investment for your future business, - the time you spent reading this article will help you find the most interesting and in-demand area for business. And its development will bring you not only great pleasure, but also decent profit.

Save this mind map so you can return to it whenever necessary!

Evgeniy Shleenkov, founder and general director of the Shmel Center for Entrepreneurship Development, co-founder of the construction company Eurodom, owner of the coffee company DiMaestri, 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 are people paying for? For pleasure and the opportunity to solve their pain. If you can't see well, you're looking for glasses. If you're hot, you're looking 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.


There was an interesting story in my practice: once I was in a traffic jam in the summer, outside the window it was +30 degrees, the heat was terrible. Young guys knock on my window and offer 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 unfortunate faces in the neighboring cars.

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


What is the success of this event? That we didn't try to sell people what we thought they needed. We have 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.

Of the well-known novelties of last year, one can single out - an application that beat the figure of 10 million downloads in the first week alone. And why all? People are tired of the standard photo processing filters in . They were given an application that allows them to edit their pictures 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 a small city, but at the prices of a Moscow department store - do not 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 the most successful taxi company 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 price (“poor quality product”).

4. Sell emotions, not products.

Remember that people want bread and circuses. Don't try to be too rational about your product, especially when it comes to entertainment. 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 at the same time with all the club surroundings, and even ride around the city. In total, a complex interactive for any occasion: wedding, birthday, bachelorette party. And when we think about these buses, the brightest images appear in our head: a holiday, 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?