How to find new niches in business. The importance of finding and testing your profitable niche in the business. Expertise in the chosen field of activity

How to find a business that will help people and make a profit ,

denis Dmitriev will tell

entrepreneur, inventor and dreamer.

As a kid, I traveled all over the country with my parents and the Italmas ensemble, my mother worked as an administrator, and my father played the balalaika. After the career of an artist, my father became an entrepreneur, and I constantly went to his office to sit at a computer. I remember, then there was an Internet connection at a speed of 2400 bits per second, which is 20 thousand times less than now via a smartphone. Access to vast information resources has helped me grow rapidly. Then I became very interested in high technology. I started my career as a system administrator in 1998, then I worked for 10 years in marketing, PR, sales of insurance services, HR consulting.

But I really felt happy when I returned to the tech business. I started working as a regional manager at LG Electronics in the Volga region and grew up to be a senior regional manager. Then I was invited to one of the most technological companies in the manufacturer of smartphones HTC, remember the first handheld computers with styluses on the Windows system? And then the first Android smartphone for Google. In this company, I developed sales in the regions of Russia and created 60% of the company's total turnover in the Russian Federation. At the peak of success on HTC, I was invited by the Canadian company BlackBerry to join the development team of Russia and the CIS countries. Now they are used by many leaders of countries, for example, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel. At BlackBerry, I started as a distribution and marketing manager and ended my hiring career with the position of BlackBerry Russia & CIS CEO. For 7 years of work in foreign companies, I have gained tremendous experience, which projected on the Russian regional business.

Now I am fully committed to my own business and I am looking for partners who will work with me on a common goal: to make the world a better place.

How did I find a business idea "like"?

I was interested in developing a market in which the possibilities are almost endless. I looked around, looked for what each person has and thought how I can do it better. When I looked out of the window at the city, I realized that behind each of the same windows another person lives with his interesting history and various life situations. I looked at my window sill with a layer of black dust and thought how good it would be to make the house fresh, and not have to open the window at all. I was looking for various solutions, including studying sophisticated split air conditioning systems and expensive supply and exhaust ventilation. But all this was too complicated for a simple layman.

Using the method of inaccurate analytics, I calculated that there is one window per person in Russia, which is about 146 million windows. Of these, part has already been upgraded to plastic structures, and the second part has yet to survive.

Germany is considered the birthplace of this domestic miracle, but the technology quickly spread to other countries. Therefore, Russia also produces plastic windows. The only difference between Russian and German windows is that there is no ventilation in ours, while German technology is not suitable for our weather conditions.

The lack of forced ventilation in the Russian windows gave rise to a lot of problems in operation. From unpleasant, for example, fogging of windows, stuffiness, fungi, mold, drafts when airing, to shocking ones - house explosions from the accumulation of gases when using gas stoves, falling out children from the ninth floors, when mothers try to ventilate the apartment and do not have time to keep track of the child who climbed onto the windowsill with an open window.

Our engineers could not come to terms with these problems and developed a ventilation technology suitable for Russian conditions. This know-how was invented in Izhevsk. (this city is famous for its engineers, for example, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov) and began its application in the device, which we called. This is a technological plastic device that is installed in the profile of any plastic window and allows you to ventilate the apartment with the windows closed.

A distinctive advantage of our development is that the windows do not freeze and their basic properties, such as noise insulation and thermal insulation, are not violated. We have installed in our development a filter that cleans the air of dust, pollen, black dust (crumb rubber from car tires that wash on asphalt) and harmful impurities in the air. We bought an expensive Korean plastic that does not fade or crumble, and made the first batch for retail customers. Our production is located in Izhevsk and can execute any orders in a short time, so we decided not to delay scaling.

Why franchising?

When I thought about a retail project, I immediately got the idea to use a business model verified by such giants as Samsung, HP, Xerox and many other successful manufacturers of printers and cartridges for them. I decided that we will help to solve the life situations of our customers in the "single window" mode and with the highest level of service. We will install window filters and service them with replaceable cartridges and related services directly by our service managers. This gives a guarantee of the quality of the window filter for life and the maximum satisfaction of our client. To convey the possibility of using our services to the entire population of our great country, we began to develop a model for scaling up a business using a franchising system.

We want to control the quality of our service at all stages and trust our brand (guarantor of service quality) only to trusted people who will immerse themselves in our common business with all their soul and responsibility.

To make the franchise available to any level of entrepreneur, we refused lump-sum fees and royalties. This will allow you to run a business in almost any city. Even a city with a population of 50,000 people can bring a steady income not only due to the installation of window filters, but also due to maintenance (changing cartridges) and additional sales of accessories and related products. For example, we are currently developing a household air quality monitor in an apartment that any family can afford, while such professional devices cost about $ 400 and their functionality is difficult to understand. We are constantly improving and find new development opportunities, primarily technological ones. For a year now we have been working on a new version of a window filter that will attract a very wide audience, especially we want to attract young people. I can’t open the veil of secrecy, but I assure you, the device is very interesting and has potential for the international market due to its versatility and manufacturability. Now we are working on a patent for a new model, after filing a patent application we will publish the data.

Social responsibility

We try to make our filters accessible to everyone, therefore we carry out various charity events within our network.

Imagine a large family. Mom and Dad work shockingly to feed everyone. Winter is coming, small children are playing on the floor, the house is hot and stuffy. No one can stand not open the window. A draft appears in the apartment, and children can get sick. What loads the whole family will bear in this case! You need to pay for medicines and treatment, take time off at work. But it can be our new astronauts and inventors, great writers and actors. We can not have dinner in a restaurant with a big company or miss another trip to the south and this will be enough to provide this family with window filters.

Imagine labor veterans, or maybe even some people with disabilities. They gave most of their lives to secure our future. They now have to stay at home almost all day and night. They will not keep windows constantly open. It’s cold in winter, noisy and dusty in summer, a lot of cars have appeared. Constantly get up and go to the window to ventilate the apartment for 5 minutes is difficult and dangerous.

Who will help them, if not ourselves?You must always start with yourself. We want to set an example for ordinary citizens and businessmen so that they do the same. Now we implement charity projects at our own expense, and we will always do this, but this is not enough to cover the needs of many people in need. We plan to raise funds by various methods, from promo stands in public places to individual orders. Soon we we’ll launch a new project “Green Window Filter”, it really will be green, we have a sample in the office in Izhevsk. All funds from this window filter will go to charity projects. Install the “Green Window Filter” for yourself and exactly the same will appear in a person who needs it no less. When “Green Window Filters” are increasingly visible on our windows, we will notice how the world is getting better.

On the topic "how to test the idea for the weekend." After reading it, I said: “wow! finally someone wrote specifically and on the case ”and decided to write longreads in a similar style.

Below I will make a free extended retelling of this article into Russian, taking into account my own experience. This is perhaps the most working recipe I've known (I’ll immediately make a reservation - this approach is more likely to create small niche, marginal projects). The trouble of the majority (including mine) is that we usually don’t like acting according to proven recipes and always invent something, as a result, the market punishes such people.

This approach is the opposite of the word “promotion”. In general, with the word "promotion", the failure of most projects begins. For example, you know how to draw - let's "advance" you. Or maybe you have a cool gadget and you also need to "promote" it? When someone tries to “promote” something, usually there is such a wild resistance of the environment that the project falls apart.

Promotion and mass training of people for new behavior is possible only for large companies with serious budgets. It is much more profitable for small startups to be like water, not to strive for “advancement,” but simply fill in the bumps and needs of the market (niche). How can one not recall the phrase of the great Bruce Lee “Be water, my friend”?

So let's get started. In short, the instructions for use consists of 4 steps:

Finding a niche where people are already spending money and ideas that are already on sale
Search for sites, sales channels where people are already collected and spend money habitually.
We determine the problem and its size.
Hypothesis testing with Landing Pages and direct sales.

Step 1. We are looking for niches where people spend money and ideas that are ALREADY sold

This is a key “thinking” moment. Everything is simple - you need to look at what people are already spending money on, including yourself.

Landmark number 1 - Where do you regularly spend your money?

Take education, for example. Where did I spend money in this area? Books. An average of 2-4 books per month, with an average check of 300 rubles. That is about 12 thousand rubles per year. Tutors: Chinese, English, swimming, sound engineering, etc. On average 1 time per week with an average check of 1,5 thousand rubles. in 60 minutes That is, about 10 thousand rubles per month or 100 thousand rubles per year.

Oddly enough, but I didn’t pay a dime for one video course or webinar - all I needed, I found on excess on Youtube, Slideshare, Quora, torrents and other open, free sources. Here's how to structure your cost analysis. For instance:

You have a car and you spend money on it, formulate a niche like this: "those who have a car." Next, calculate the regular costs per year. For example, 200 thousand rubles (per year.) Consists of:
1. insurance - 60 thousand rubles. Once a year. (60 thousand per year)
2. gasoline - 2 thousand per week. (104 thousand per year)
3. coffee, CDs, magazines - 300 rubles, 1 time per week. (15 thousand per year)
4. etc.
You have a cat and you spend money on it too. Niche "those who have a cat." I get about 20 thousand rubles a year (1 thousand for feed per month + 3 thousand for medicines, veterinarians, etc., once a quarter.)
etc. - On average, an adult will have at least 20-30 such niches in which you spend large sums of years: fishing, music, travel, children, food, etc.

You might think from here it is easy to calculate the size of the market. For example, we multiply the costs of the 1st motorist (200 thousand rubles per year) by the number of motorists, for example, in Moscow. But it was not there. We need not just a market, but an “accessible market for you”. More about this later.

Landmark 2 - Best Sellers and Opinion Leaders

Here are some additional filter tips, where to look for information on what people are happy to spend money on regularly (they’re not just collecting, but actually spending):

All these studies can be done in a couple of days. But there is one point that really needs a lot of time - it is acquaintance with key market participants (competitors, partners, etc.), let's call them “opinion leaders”. In any industry, there are only up to 100 people who are worth getting to know and asking the right questions.

To get started, you should write them out and subscribe to them on FB, VK, twitter - try to get in touch, read all that you can about them, meet, etc. If you enter a market from scratch, then, in my experience, it takes at least six months to a year to get to know all the right people and understand the basic rules of the game. This is called "understanding and flair of the market."

Landmark 3 Up-sell (additional sales to bestsellers)

In general, we are rather stereotypical creatures and get used to spending money on the same “niches”. And very afraid to spend money on unfamiliar things in unfamiliar circumstances. We easily spend 300 rubles. for coffee in a cafe. And if the check is 400 rubles. (+100 rubles, for example, for a magazine) we are not particularly surprised.

But try to sell the same magazine for 100 rubles. man in an unusual place for him. According to various studies, at the moment when a person parted with money in the usual circumstances (in a store, in a cafe, at a gas station) - he can sell another 10-20% to the check and he will not feel it. You paid 3 thousand rubles for gasoline. and easily pay 200 rubles more for coffee. We bought a ticket to France for 100 thousand rubles and easily spent 5 thousand rubles. on excursions or 1000 rubles. for insurance.

Therefore, the simplest and most successful thing that can be done at the start is to be thus additional. product. As I wrote earlier, the best way to start something is to “integrate into the food chain” of an existing market and not try to create demand. There is a large iphone market, super - sell cases. There is a large market for building materials - super, sell them interior design courses. After all these procedures, you should have at least 2-3 filtered hypothesis ideas.

What is a niche?

We will call a niche a place where a) there are already regular payments for goods / services, their nature is understandable and measured. b) in this place we want to do something such that:

2 times reduce costs, at the same value
2 times increase the amount sold, at the same cost
2 times save time, at the same cost and value

Here are the results that I got in the topic "education":

Tutoring. The bestseller in tutoring is "English" and "mathematics" for students in front of the exam.
Corporate training. There are obvious bestsellers of “sales” and “time management”
Books. Here children's books turned out to be the most pleasant niche, since they cannot be used in digital format (!) And therefore they will always be bought in paper form with a high average check.

Now, for a warm-up, we compare the mental attitudes of 3 different people:

“The market for English tutors in Russia is about $ 2B per year, on average we have about 5 million schoolchildren and parents spend 10 thousand rubles per child per month. The average bill is 1,500 rubles. for 1 lesson 90 minutes. "How can I find a site where they are all already assembled and in order to offer this, to the same people who are already spending money."
“Distance learning and webinars are popular all over the world. But what if I make a portal where all webinars will be collected and I will promote it through SEO. ”
"I am writing a book about my experience in such and such an area and how I will finish it I will be engaged in its promotion."

Guess which of them had a more “entrepreneurial” view of the situation?

Generator of niches, business ideas and hypotheses.

I have a method that allows me to find various new hypotheses, business ideas and free niches.

But about him, as Scheherizad liked to say, I will tell in the next post. Subscribe and keep track of who cares.

P.S. By the way, quite often different projects at different stages contact me. Sometimes they simply fill up with letters. Therefore, I decided to create such a service as a "mentor by email subscription." Take 3-5 projects that I will help on a regular basis. Moreover, the projects themselves will determine the cost of a monthly subscription. You can leave a request, the rules are also described there. Even if I do not undertake to communicate with you regularly, in any case I will give some useful feedback.

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We often see customers who have really great solutions, but they are often forgotten, because everyone will like these attempts, and not work with one vertical. Focusing on a specific sector can help strengthen your message for those who have a real need for your business.

No matter what industry you are in, you must become an expert in your field. At the same time, you can also identify your niche, which is an integral part of the growth of your business. If you are struggling to find your niche (or you do not know what a niche is), you are not alone, this is what many entrepreneurs and business owners struggle with. Here are some tips for finding (and constantly improving) your niche.

What is a niche?

The niche of your company is a specific segment of your target audience, where you position yourself as an expert. It is also where you focus most of the marketing assets for your products and services - and where you can differentiate your company from competitors. This is a space where you are truly “on top”, bringing value and providing something that no one can do either.

Why is a niche important?

Defining your niche is the best way to gain a competitive advantage over other companies. Whether you are a consultant, small business owner or entrepreneur, there will always be competition. And the best way to defeat your competitors is to be a leader in your field. Your niche (due to your experience, a unique set of skills and services) is also the reason why potential customers should buy your goods or services, and not from someone else. Defining a niche also helps you expand your knowledge in a specific area of \u200b\u200byour industry. This is not only good for your business, but it also helps filter out customers who are not suitable. Once your niche is identified, only relevant customers come to the forefront where your business is necessary for them.

How to find your niche?

In order to open your niche, ask yourself and your team these key questions that will help identify areas where you should focus as much as possible and ultimately they will bring you closer to your niche:

What are typical use cases for your products? Make a list of your products and services to find out how your products can be used.
What are the common pain points of your clients?If you have an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat your niche is, this is a great exercise to find out exactly who your target audience is. Find out what common challenges your customers have and use these pain points to identify your niche.
What are your key differences?Why should someone buy your products or services, not your competitors? What sets you apart from the crowd of similar offers? Highlight and underline these differentiators.
What is your solution to pain points?Once you understand the pain points in your market, it's time to find a solution. Make this message as simple as possible, your solution should be crystal clear. The clearer this is for you, the more clear it will be for the client.
What is the result of your decision?People like statistics, quantitatively like good results. Find specific numbers and case studies to prove that your decision is what they are looking for. For example, "We helped this company save X dollars, generate Y% more sales, and we reach Z in 7 days." Make it unforgettable.
Who is the leader of opinions and who makes decisions?Find out the key contacts you want to talk to and identify important aspects of your product or service for them. Do you have a personal or business solution for them? If not, find new customers. If so, contact these people and work to find more similar situations.
Where do you win?Find out who your main customers are and comprehensively analyze them. Find out as much as possible about each of them. Do they have something in common? What are their pain points? What is common in their field of activity and how do they differ? Is there a trend among top clients? Define your ideal customer profile.
Why do your customers love / need you?Don't just be a company that is “nice to deal with”. You want your customers to need your product to help them become more successful. Find a way to change the current sentence so that it becomes "this is exactly what we need". It may take some time for fine-tuning and processing, but the result is worth it.

After you ask yourself these questions, collect your answers and use them to work out your niche. This will separate you from your competitors and make the solution easier for your potential customers, proving to them that you are better suited to their needs.

During this process, you may encounter problems, but do not worry, this will give you the opportunity to open new places of growth for your business. Even when you feel that you have identified your niche, return to these questions and see if there is a possibility of further improvement. A niche is specialized knowledge that needs to be constantly improved.

At the planning stage of entrepreneurial activity, it is important to choose the right path.

Literally a niche is a recess in the wall. Globally - a zone of convenience. In economics - a free place where the entrepreneur will be able to realize the plan.

The task of a novice businessman is to choose one to find customers.

Niche Requirements

Arouse interest among those who cannot find the service in the proper amount in the market.
Demand
Be free - focus on a specific target audience that has an unmet need for your product.

These criteria guarantee a profitable business.

When a person wants to do business, he seeks out ideas for implementation, focusing on what surrounds him. The first plans are associated with relevant activities:

trade in products, things;
restaurants, cafes;
shoe repair, tailoring;
pharmacy.

It's easy to navigate - follow the standard selection algorithm: narrow your search to a minimum. Example:

Segment (confectionery).
Category (cakes).
Niche (wedding).

The narrowing should be maximum, then it’s more effective. Amaze the young with the sweet figures of the bride and groom for decoration.

What area is better to open a business

Not all sectors of private enterprise are profitable and in demand.

Those who succeed remember how they started from scratch, looked for options and ideas, rejoiced at the first money earned. In many respects, their professional growth was achieved thanks to the correct understanding of business processes: someone based on intuition, the other - on experience.

Define for yourself five areas of possible activity according to the algorithm for choosing a particular niche. Check the idea for vitality. At this stage, you have to work hard.

Market research

Demand for products is due to the constant need for a large number of people. The buyer should want to spend money on the product, and the more he is willing to give money for it (with a minimum of investment), the higher the profit.

Look at the chosen direction from the side of the buyer - are you ready to spend money on this idea yourself? Chat with friends and relatives - make a list of their priority needs. Get an opinion on the significance of the chosen way of earning.

Demand and Competition Analysis

Enter the name of the service in the search bar of the browser - you will understand the approximate number of enterprises that are engaged in such a business, and evaluate the circle of potential buyers. It is useful to get acquainted with the analytical data for a certain type of business, which is published by many reputable economic publications.

Practice

Check the work of the idea on the test group. Relatives and friends can enter it. If you want an unbiased assessment - offer the product to a dozen random passers-by or inquire about possible cooperation at firms that, in your opinion, can become customers.

Do not despair if, after carefully working out a business idea, you have to look for other unoccupied market segments. This will help in-depth analysis of their own creative potential.

How to determine which business niches are not occupied

According to statistics, promising entrepreneurship vectors for Russians are:

Services: accounting, legal, repair.
under the order.
Online courses, tutoring (English, vocals, dancing, preparation for the exam).
Online shops of gifts, souvenirs in the style of hand made.