Seek niche ideas out, they are everywhere, anywhere and nowhere! Perhaps they are not as conspicuous as the real big dollar earners, they do exist none the less, are well worth the time spent researching and can reap great rewards. Form a habit of seeking "the niche"!
We run a two companies, a Speaker Bureau, The Entertainers and a speaker management company Speakmark, two different beasts to be sure, hovering over the events industry and beyond.
The workload is often overwhelming, juggling the various aspects of running businesses, however always at the forefront of our thinking is "where are the niche ideas/speakers/events.?"
We are attracted to niche like a magnet, our conversation constantly revolves around it, we practice niche, we read niche, we spray it on like deodorant, we eat it for breakfast, niche is a habit worth forming!
Perhaps if I give you a first hand example of how this process worked for us recently.
While consuming the daily breakfast of fruit and coffee (my morning addictions), I mentioned to my wife and business partner Michelle Burgan that I had seen a LinkedIn post about a consultant by the name of Cynthia Dearin. I had admired Cynthia's presence and profile for a few years after coming into contact with the organisation that Cynthia was CEO of, the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
I said to Michelle, "I believe Cynthia works in a niche area of business and commerce, perhaps we should contact her and see if she has representation with regards to speaking engagements."
Founder of Dearin & Associates and certainly doing some niche work around building Australian businesses intentionally, I called to enquire.
I had done my research, I knew that Cynthia was working in a niche market, the question I asked was "Are you looking to do more speaking work?"
An emphatic "yes" followed from Cynthia, with an equally emphatic "we would love to work with you", which has formed into a tidy working relationship between Cynthia Dearin and Speakmark.
Now while it is true that I am shamelessly plugging the amazing work that Cynthia Dearin does, which is assisting businesses find opportunities on the international stage-
- Export strategy – helping our clients create or refine their export strategy so that they get the most out of the export experience.
- Cross-cultural management - training and problem-solving for companies working outside Australia or with clients and counterparts from abroad.
- Strategic business connections – we facilitate links between projects and investors and put clients in touch with the best networks and contacts in new markets.
- the real essence/lesson of this post is to always be on the look out for the hidden gems which could be sitting right in front of our eyes.
Here is some good advice if you are struggling for ideas on how to create something from nothing.
Look up Nils Vesk, we have learnt much from both his teachings and his book Ideas with Legs, in fact buy the book it is just a fantastic guide to help you become upwardly mobile with your ideas. I guarantee that you will find ideas and methods in this book which will enable you monetize your ideas.
To sum up, with so much content coming at us from a a few dozen different sources, niche is definitely where it is at! If it is not niche then it is just harder, not impossible, to sell or market.
Look, look, look....try to see what no one else see's, this requires practice and you need to look harder to find the magic in the ordinary.
We live in a world where niche is KING! Ohhh yes! Remember to look Cynthia Dearin up the next time you are looking for an excellent speaker!
