{"id":648,"date":"2019-06-18T12:52:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T11:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/?p=648"},"modified":"2021-05-29T14:43:22","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T13:43:22","slug":"the-complete-guide-to-finding-your-perfect-niche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/business-strategy\/the-complete-guide-to-finding-your-perfect-niche\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide to Finding Your Perfect Niche"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>This epic guide will walk you through choosing and defining the perfect and profitable niche for your online business.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re in the middle of the \u201cGreat Reset\u201d and things are changing for all of us. Never in our lifetimes have employees been on such shaky ground and because the future looks so uncertain, one of the best ways we can ensure security is to create our own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trouble is \u2013 starting a business isn\u2019t as easy as just waking up one day and deciding to do it \u2013 although that\u2019s a fine start!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To make this whole thing work, you need to find a profitable niche.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One that you can do, one which people want to buy \u2013 and one which makes you money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s often at the start of our journey that those horrible doubts start creeping in and we wonder wtf we\u2019re qualified to do and what on earth gives us the idea we\u2019ve got anything worth selling to anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m here to tell you that <strong>you do not<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>need a business degree with a masters in digital marketing<\/li><li>need to be a certified coach<\/li><li>need a high school diploma<\/li><li>need a ton of money behind you to start!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a million crazy ideas out there and 7 billion people who might just be crazy enough to buy your crazy idea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you think I\u2019m being crazy and just serving up platitudes then can I please have your attention for \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>the amazing, the dazzling, the incredible, the one and only\u2026 CRAZY NICHE HALL OF FAME<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In reverse order of absolutely nuts we have:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At number 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Hallmark doesn\u2019t truly convey the words you want to send\u2026 when only a potato will send the very message inscribed upon your heart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/potatoparcel.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/potatoparcel.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At number 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because sometimes a potato message isn\u2019t quite hitting the spot \u2013 what could say it better than a Bag of Dicks? (I think I might send these to my ex-husband \ud83d\ude00 )\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/bagofdicks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/bagofdicks.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At number 1 \u2013 our winner is\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026 the craziest f*cking niche I\u2019ve seen this year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pamperyourpoultry.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.pamperyourpoultry.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you just don\u2019t see enough chickens wearing diapers these days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019ve been sat there idly thinking of things you might be able to turn into a business and then talking yourself out of them\u2026 spare a moment to consider the person who never doubted that chickens needed diapers \u2013 and that they were going to make money do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I actually found chicken diaper lady because I read a report a few months ago about a woman making $50k\/year selling costumes for chickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn\u2019t even know chickens wore costumes until I read that\u2026 but apparently not only DO they wear costumes \u2013 but they wear $50k worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Annually!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a moment and ask your kids if they\u2019ve got any whacky ideas about what business they could run \u2013 because you never know, there might be a winner in there and surely potato parcels must\u2019ve been a kid\u2019s idea!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see \u2013 you can make a business out of <em>literally<\/em> anything in our crazy chicken diaper world! And if you\u2019ve stumbled across crazier niches than these then I NEED to hear about them \u2013 email me direct at alex@alexsheach.com and give me a cracking laugh!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a bit of an \u201cuntruth\u201d out there in the online entrepreneurial world, and that is the trope <a href=\"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/online-business-myths-follow-your-passion-and-the-money-will-follow\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"640\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cfollow your passion\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I don\u2019t know about you, but my passions include hanging out at the stables and burying my face in a horse\u2019s neck, eating really good Belgian chocolate (<em>Neuhaus since you ask or even better: Mary\u2019s from the Grand Place in Brussels!<\/em>) and curling up under a heavy blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see where I\u2019m going with this\u2026 nobody\u2019s going to pay me to indulge myself there! Although it does bring into question those \u201ccrazy niches\u201d up there \u2013 was that person really passionate about dicks? \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why aren\u2019t <em>male<\/em> entrepreneurs told to \u201cfollow their passion\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where we need to start being realistic \u2013 and we could also take a little look at why men are not told to \u201cfollow their passion\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s language thrown at women to belittle our achievements and capabilities and to keep us small! And I know that\u2019s not how you want to play!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want a business that pays real money because you aren\u2019t there for a hobby. You have children to feed, bills to pay and there\u2019s no other person in your household coming along at the end of the money with a pay-check. It\u2019s all on you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re on the go you can dictate ideas to Siri to create a note \u2013 or alternatively, I absolutely love <a href=\"https:\/\/otter.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Otter<\/a> which is an app you can dictate to from your phone and it transcribes what you\u2019re saying so you can come back to it later and read what you\u2019ve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s an absolute life-saver for those of us with demanding kids! I also use it when I\u2019m in the car otherwise I end up driving 20 miles repeating \u201cremember to do X, remember to do X, remember to do X\u201d \u2013 and that snippet of brilliance disappears somewhere between closing the car door and opening the house door \u2013 story of my life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Brainstorm all the things you\u2019re good at<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This step is where women often falter \u2013 especially if they\u2019ve been in the role of wife and mother and were never able to forge their own path until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are doubts in minds about not having finished college, never having had a \u201cproper\u201d job, or recent experience or yada yada yada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;But every day you\u2019ll be doing something you\u2019re absolutely amazing at that you don\u2019t even realise you are \u2013 because it\u2019s so ingrained within you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Should you be the organiser to the stars? I never thought Marie Kondo would be so big \u2013 but people are Kondo crazy (not me, I like my *stuff*! )<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;What about Mrs Hinch? She\u2019s shows people how to clean their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Do you have qualifications or skills from your paid employment that you could utilise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;You don\u2019t need to apply the skills you\u2019ve learned at the office for example. I\u2019m a software engineer by trade and spent 15 years working in a corporate environment as a technical project manager. One of my colleagues quit and started a coffee import business because she was crazy for coffee! One quit and became a chef \u2013 and one quit and became a taxi-driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;What I\u2019m trying to say is \u2013 don\u2019t let yourself be confined to that narrow focus you maybe chose when you were 18 and going to college or getting your first full-time job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;I hope that gives you some thinking and gets your brain firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dive Deeper and Explore Ideas<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope you had some fun playing around with the brainstorming exercise and thinking about some of the things you\u2019re really good at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s so easy to overlook the stuff we have a really strong knack for because we just do it A-Z with no detours and we forget it might be something which others don\u2019t find natural and they struggle with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I want you to dive deeper into 4 of those ideas you\u2019ve come up with in your brainstorming session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These should be the ones you ranked 1-4, but it\u2019s totally possible after sleeping on it and having a good think \u2013 you look at that list and think \u201cnuh-uh\u201d and that is <em>BRILLIANT<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody wants to be tied to a business or niche idea which makes them feel doubtful or even\u2026 dread!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019ve realised that 1 or more of the 4 you ranked aren\u2019t really you \u2013 just swap out another instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s best to do the next step looking at 4, but if you don\u2019t have 4 that really appeal then that\u2019s fine too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So let\u2019s look a little closer at those ideas you came up with \u2013 I\u2019m really, really praying that at least one of you is going to start sending Bags of Dog Dicks ! \ud83d\ude09 \u2013 but perhaps you\u2019ll stick with something more traditional like wanting to do \u201cVA\u201d work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tend to do my <a href=\"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/rock-solid-sales-machine\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"338\">ROCK SOLID SALES MACHINE<\/a> on the title \u201cVA\u201d \u2013 but right now, you go right ahead and call yourself a VA. <em>*VA = Virtual Assistant \u2013 basically you\u2019re doing digital things to help someone\u2019s online business.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples of refining your idea: What would be the \u201cVA\u201d skill you could offer the world at large? E.g.,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You can pivot an Excel sheet like Ginger Rogers moving backwards in heels.<\/li><li>You think given your experience with Mom Saturday Night Entertainment [tm] that you\u2019re possibly the biggest Pinterest expert your town has ever seen!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pinterest one is a great example actually. I rarely use Pinterest except for looking at pictures of Bento boxes which then make me feel like a totally inadequate mother! \u2013 so if I wanted to set up my business account I would face a steep learning curve and it would be time and cost-effective for me to pay someone else to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where your expert knowledge comes in \u2013 <em>(and it\u2019s now something my VA is doing for me!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*\u201dCoaching\u201d \u2013 a lot of people seem to think you need a coaching qualification to be able to coach people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*People don\u2019t give a damn about your certifications \u2013 they just want to know you walk the walk! So don\u2019t let the lack of formal qualifications hold you back from doing what you do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Basic Research \u2013 Is the Idea Sellable or Will it Crash and Burn?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a quick delve into the online world and see if anyone else is doing what your 4 ideas have come down to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If nobody, but <em>nobody<\/em> is doing it \u2013 it could be indicative that it\u2019s a crappy idea \u2013 others have tried and others have failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><span style=\"color:#f15a27\" class=\"has-inline-color\">EDIT APRIL 2021: FUCK IT! Do that shit ANYWAY! BE the fucking LEADER! <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But really, there\u2019s not much originality left out there and you\u2019d have to come up with something pretty special to be truly and original \u2013 seriously!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even the chicken clothes lady has competition! If there are a whole bunch of people doing it then you can rest assured it\u2019s viable and that people make $$$ \u2013 which is why we\u2019re here. s them feel doubtful or even\u2026 dread!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Are you Getting the Feelz?<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you be proud to tell people what you do? \u2014That\u2019s the telling one, if you can see yourself happily telling people what you do without feeling weird, shady or embarrassed then you\u2019re on to a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the idea isn\u2019t quite right then you\u2019ll not want to share it with the world \u2013 and sharing your business idea and being sure that you are capable of delivering is what\u2019s going to give you the mindset to push forward with all of this \u2013 and mindset really is paramount for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I joke<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>if niches were quiches, I\u2019d have eaten the whole buffet<\/em>\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 and what I mean is that until I discovered and embraced what I do now I skipped through a few niches which didn\u2019t fit me at all\u2026 but I thought it was what I <strong><em>should<\/em><\/strong> rather than <strong><em>could<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result I was never really comfortable telling people what I was doing or why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My mindset was totally in the wrong place and I\u2019d have rather crawled under my duvet and cried than actually y\u2019know\u2026 talk to people and potentially find a new customer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take some time and sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning \u2013 there should be one clear winning idea from the 4 you\u2019ve narrowed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SWOT Analysis \u2013 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations on narrowing down the field and choosing your shiny new business idea \u2013 now we can really get to work and start fine-tuning that niche so that your business stands out from the crowd and truly represents you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So let\u2019s take a deeper look at what SWOT means for your business concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some examples you can use to get your brain firing for your particular idea might be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Strengths<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You are a Subject Matter Expert \u2013 you know this because you\u2019ve worked through the previous 2 steps and have chosen the idea which best fits your area of expertise and you know you are bloody awesome at it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are wonderful you \u2013 and nobody is going to do \u201cyou\u201d quite like you \u2013 and certainly nowhere near as good as you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You genuinely care about the people you serve and are working to improve their lives and outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Established network of contacts already in place \u2013 this is particularly useful if you have a strong LinkedIn profile or even for example you\u2019re in the health area and are well-known for your sporting achievements. We all know someone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Low start-up costs due to being able to work from home online so do not require a lease of office-space or specialist equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are probably already others established in this niche and some of them might be more knowledgeable than you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But look around you \u2013 in fact, look around your kitchen. Did Samsung swerve away from building fridges because Philips had already done that? You start. You build. You grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now you don\u2019t have the experience of serving your customers and this is going to take a bit of getting used to until you can iron out your processes and establish your methods of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also going to be a steep learning curve in terms of customer service and expectations \u2013 but none of this is insurmountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may struggle with time management and focus with the unpredictability of having children around \u2013 I hear you, my son is off school today and as I type this he\u2019s interrupted me asking for medicine and I can hear him coughing\u2026 I can still focus \u2013 but productivity will not be great today. Thankfully my schedule allows for some flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lack of knowledge with the tech aspects of running an online business \u2013 it\u2019s all \u201clearnable\u201d\u2026 is learnable a word? \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dodgy WiFi or risk of laptop dying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Other people are working in this niche so you know it\u2019s a niche which people want \u2013 and are prepared to pay for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will be working online, this means your reach is virtually limitless and you can appeal to anyone, anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Good ideas breed good ideas.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that as you begin to establish yourself you will find it increasingly easy to spot gaps in the market which you can serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means that you will either be able to make a small pivot with your business \u2013 or expand into new areas and grow multi-directional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Threats<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MINDSET!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will probably have a wobble looking at others more established in your niche and wonder how you can possibly compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My advice for this is to keep your eyes on what YOU are doing and don\u2019t worry about what anyone else is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve known more than one person get side-tracked because they\u2019re focused too much on what their competitors are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eyes on your lane only please and no stalking your competitors on social media!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The person 1 week behind you who\u2019s entering this niche too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Changes in consumer behaviour towards your niche \u2013 but this can also be seen as an opportunity within a small business because it means you\u2019re agile enough to pivot to the market\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding why your niche is a niche<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to take a firm, sensible and strategic look at your niche and I\u2019m going to rip apart those words \u201cVA\u201d and \u201cCoach\u201d and set you up with something better so that you become irresistible to your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s all about really zoning in on what you do and why you need to be super-specific here so that you stand out from all the people in the online world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at my real dictionary \u2013 yes! I have a proper paper dictionary \u2013 good for Scrabble arguments. <strong><em>Niche is defined as:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>a position exactly suitable for the person occupying it<\/em><em><br><\/em>and<\/li><li><em>of or aimed at a specialist group or market<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because we\u2019re bold leaders, we can\u2019t faff about with a generic business idea which a gazillion other people are going to be doing. We need to mean business from the outset so that our business makes it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, I promised you I was going to destroy the words COACH and VA!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>People aren\u2019t looking for coaches or VA\u2019s, they\u2019re looking for solutions to their problems.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you want to eat Thai food \u2013 do you go to Google and type \u201cfood\u201d? Or do you go to Google and type \u201cVegan Thai restaurant near me\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more specific you can be, the more you\u2019re going to stand out in that niche and be found by the people who really want to find you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to buy blue suede shoes with tassles? Gonna go to Google and type \u201cshoes\u201d and hope that Google throws up those cute blue ones for you? No way! You know what you want \u2013 <em>I\u2019m reluctant to use the word \u201cneed\u201d when it comes to pretty shoes\u2026 \ud83d\ude09<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your niche is too generic people just aren\u2019t going to find you, understand what you do \u2013 and not be interested in having to research you to try and figure out whether you can help or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are lucky enough to find any customers \u2013 it\u2019s more than likely you won\u2019t be a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because they didn\u2019t really know what they were looking for and you didn\u2019t really know what you were selling then nobody\u2019s expectations are met and this isn\u2019t a nice feeling for either of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019ve really nailed your niche and you\u2019re selling the one thing your customers <em>really<\/em> want then the chances are you know you\u2019re going to be a great fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You both know what service is being sold and you both know the expected outcome and results and this makes for <em>h.a.p.p.y.<\/em> people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Life coach<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re calling yourself a Life Coach then I believe you totally when you say you\u2019ve been through a whole heap of shit and have come out the other side still standing, still surviving and still thriving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But honestly? You\u2019re not an expert in all facets of life \u2013 and it\u2019s disingenuous to suggest that you actually do know all the answers to everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, your kids might believe that \u2013 but back in the real world we know it can\u2019t be true. If it were true there would be statues, museums and airports named in your honour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you need to decide on your pure focus and zone of genius here \u2013 and name it \u2013 E.g., Ugly divorce coach, Parenting pre-teens with Autism, Confidence after weight gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get my drift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all specifics which would fall under the umbrella of \u201clife coach\u201d, but you\u2019re narrowing your focus \u2013 which actually is inversely proportional to the interest you\u2019ll get!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019ve got this generic business name and focus then you don\u2019t appeal to anyone \u2013 people want to know your expertise and how you can help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Business coach<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Really? Big claim there if you\u2019re just starting out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How about you\u2019re an absolute expert in closing sales? An expert in HR? An expert in communications, Pinterest Guru, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your aim is genuinely to be a business coach and help other people create their businesses then that is a fantastic goal and I wish you all the very best luck with it \u2013 and I believe you can do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But right now you need to build your credibility and expertise. I\u2019ve seen far too many women attempt to crack the \u201cBusiness Coach\u201d industry when honestly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They simply don\u2019t have the experience of creating or running a successful business and in many cases came from a background which didn\u2019t map either directly \u2013 or indirectly to this niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can build your credibility by selling the expertise you have in one specific area of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this means for example that you\u2019re a real Queen at sales \u2013 then you go out there and you sell yourself as <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> woman who can help you sell!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you do this you\u2019ll learn about other parts of running a business and not only will this allow you to see whether you actually are on the path you <em>thought<\/em> you wanted to be on \u2013 but it\u2019s going to increase your expertise in more areas which you may be able to sell in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>VA<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nooooo!I don\u2019t want a VA!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want to employ someone who\u2019s an absolute whiz with Dubsado or can set up some email sequences for me in ConvertKit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am not going to sift through your website and try and figure out what you\u2019re good at \u2013 then potentially call or email you and ask if you\u2019ve got any experience with Dubsado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m going straight to the woman who\u2019s very clear she knows Dubsado inside-out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t have either the time or inclination to teach someone how to use Dubsado for me. If I had that kind of time I\u2019d be doing it myself and saving the $$$.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, you\u2019re not going to be an expert in all systems relating to running a business \u2013 and that\u2019s OK too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just own the thing you\u2019re bloody amazing at and make no apologies for not knowing #alltheotherthings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Name your fine niche \u2013 that one thing you\u2019re going to known for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t get ahead of yourself and start imagining all the things you\u2019d want to be doing 6 months from now \u2013 you\u2019re going to have time to expand on your niche of now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Right now you need to focus on that one zone of genius.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got regular money coming in and you\u2019ve built that credibility, <em>then<\/em> is when you can increase your reach with new offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next stop is looking at your Strategy Statement (elevator pitch) to reflect that zone of genius \u2013 and I promise you, I\u2019m not going to be fluffy and nice about it!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m really excited for you as you make these changes and tune into what you\u2019re best at and how this is going to work for you, and I\u2019d love to know how you\u2019re getting on \u2013 so you can always drop me a line at alex@alexsheach.com to run your idea past me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phew \u2013 well done! I know that because you\u2019ve reached this far, you\u2019re an action-taker who\u2019s really committed to building a sustainable and successful business and you\u2019re serious about getting it right \u2013 so I\u2019m utterly thrilled to have you here \u2013 <em>THANK YOU!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I really appreciate it and your feedback will <em>help me help other women<\/em> who are making changes to their lives too. Now is when we bring all your hard work and ideas to their glorious finale!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re going to create an Elevator Pitch which conveys instant clarity, expertise and demonstrates the solution you provide. <em>*<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your Elevator Pitch is your 30 seconds of glory when you\u2019re riding the elevator and someone strikes up conversation and says \u201cSo\u2026 what do you do?\u201d. But realistically it\u2019s the way you talk about your business when networking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should roll off your tongue without sounding feeble or half-hearted \u2013 and it shouldn\u2019t make your audience cock their heads and give you the WTF look! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want to keep it under 30 seconds so we\u2019re not talking AT any potential clients and you don\u2019t have a chance to bore the crap out of people and make them immediately want to run away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A common mistake I see at this stage are when people either over-complicate things in an attempt to sell outside the niche they worked so hard to define \u2013 and\/or wow with industry specific buzzwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me give you a few examples of these generic elevator speeches which talk to nobody \u2013 and run the risk of being nothing more than word salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019m a life coach who helps women achieve their soulful purpose.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI help women live the life they deserve and feel content.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019m a business coach for female entrepreneurs who want to grow their business.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI empower women\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The response you\u2019re going to get from any of those is \u201coh right\u201d and probably an accompanying puzzled look!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of them provoke questions or discussion \u2013 and personally, I have no <em>frickin\u2019<\/em> idea what \u201csoulful purpose\u201d is supposed to me for me right now in my life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ditch the vague and ditch the buzzwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I worked with someone very recently who\u2019s a psychic. She works with women who feel somehow stunted within their life but can\u2019t quite put their finger on what the problem is and so they can\u2019t solve what they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve worked with her and she\u2019s great. She said I needed to forgive myself for my divorce because I was still harbouring so much anger towards my ex-husband and that I needed to forgive myself for \u201cgetting it wrong\u201d and marrying him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She picked up on that even though I wouldn\u2019t have in a million years admitted that to anyone because I was so ashamed I married him and that I\u2019d \u201cfailed\u201d at marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But within her pitch she was using the phrases: <em>\u201cIntuitive Healer \u201cfreedom in your soul\u201d \u201caligned with your own authentic power\u201d \u201cyour own intuitive gifts\u201d \u201cstep into your divine mission\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, 1: it was far too long and 2. I have absolutely no bloody idea what any of that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might be going off like a klaxon to others of the \u201cwoo-woo crowd\u201d, but unless she was planning to sell her services to those ALREADY in that crowd then it\u2019s just word nonsense to those of us who haven\u2019t had any contact with this niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But herein lies the rub. She actually wants to sell to women just like me \u2013 i.e., practical, average types who have never even considered working with someone who uses their intuition to help them solve their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I helped her halve it in length with harsh editing \u2013 and also remove those \u201cindustry\u201d phrases and replace them with words which convey the message to the \u201cwoman in the street\u201d rather than the expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She wanted to keep a little of the woo but we steered it more towards: \u201d I\u2019m xxx and I use my intuitive and psychic gifts to anchor you. I work with ambitious women who are held back by secrets they don\u2019t want to admit because they don\u2019t know how to move past them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is now short and punchy and can be understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The 3 main elements to your pitch:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> The specific person or niche we serve \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E.g., \u201c<strong><em>I work with dauntless women<\/em><\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absolute clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do not work with people who are living in fear and I\u2019m not interested in working with men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.<\/strong> The problem our customer is having \u2013 or what they want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E.g., \u201c<strong><em>arm them with the no-BS skills and strategies<\/em><\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3.<\/strong> The solution or end goal of what you provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E.g., \u201c<strong><em>to run an online business without the drama<\/em><\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I use \u201carm\u201d rather than \u201cI help\u201d because it sounds less passive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although many templates and examples will suggest you use \u201cI help\u201d, ask yourself whether there is a better verb you can use to fit your own business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A jumping off point for creating your pitch will be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>I [verb] with [your niched client] who [their problem] to [your solution].<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This epic guide will walk you through choosing and defining the perfect and profitable niche for your online business. We\u2019re in the middle of the \u201cGreat Reset\u201d and things are changing for all of us. Never in our lifetimes have employees been on such shaky ground and because the future looks so uncertain, one of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"The Complete Guide to Finding Your Perfect Niche","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexsheach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}