In my last post I outlined 10 reasons your online business may never be successful.
One of those being that you aren’t passionate (or even remotely interested in) your niche. If that's the case, don't feel bad - you're not alone.
Countless people have chosen niches based on things like assumed profit potential, market research strategies they were taught, etc.
You'll know, without a shadow of a doubt, if you chose the wrong niche or the right one. And there is no right or wrong outside of what is right or wrong for YOU. Given a bit of market research combined with a bit of common sense, of course.
Considering all the potential topics, niches and markets there are... it makes no sense to work in a niche you don't truly ENJOY. There are entirely too many options. Why even start a business that isn't profitable and enjoyable?
"It won't be hard if you're doing what you love more than anything else. I don't care if your passion is rehabilitating abandoned ferrets; if you learn to tap into everything the digital world has to offer, you can turn water into wine - you can transform what you love into a legacy-building business that makes a crapload of money, and still be true to yourself."
-Gary Vaynerchuk, Crush It!
How do you know if you chose the right niche?
You're having FUN. Period.
If you're struggling to create content, get engaged with your market via Social Media channels, get traffic, or dread working on your site/blog... you probably chose the wrong niche. And I don't mean struggling as in figuring out what to do and how, but struggling as in you dread it worse than a root canal and procrastinate constantly just to avoid doing it.
Working in a niche you love means you actually LIKE the market, you probably *are* your target market, you consume content from the Market Leaders, and you truly enjoy talking about the subject.
(It's incredibly difficult to serve a market you can't really relate to or connect with.)
"I'm convinced that if something is your true passion you can find 500 things - 500 *interesting* things - to say about it. Most people talk themselves out of success before they even start. Their passion is stickers, but they think, "There's no way I can make a hundred grand talking about stickers." That's why you're going to crush it - because you're the type who's going to say, "Stickers? Hell yes, stickers!" -Gary Vaynerchuk, Crush It!
Now What?
I don't need to get long-winded about this topic. You know in your gut whether you're working on a business you LOVE, or whether you're selling yourself short.
And let's be honest. You're not just selling yourself short if you're in the wrong niche. You're selling your market short. Both of them actually - the one you're trying to target, and the one you're ignoring too.
Your DNA dictates your passion - whatever it is you were born to do; being authentic, and being perceived as such by your audience, relies on your ability to ensure that every decision you make when it comes to your business is rooted in being true to yourself." -Gary Vaynerchuk, Crush It!
Are you being true to yourself and your values in the online business you started? Are you an asset to your market? Do you wake up every day thinking about, and ultimately talking about, something related to your niche?
Just to clarify, learning the technical stuff and having the occasional bout of writer's block isn't a sign that you're in the wrong niche. You KNOW if you are or not. Some telltale signs might include: you wouldn't discuss it with your mother, the topic *never* comes up in casual conversation, or it feels even slightly "slimy" or "spammy".
If you did choose the wrong niche, no big deal. Jump ship, sell the site on Flippa.com, and start working on something you look forward to every day!
Starting your own business should be liberating and fun, even when the hours are long. In the right niche, you can work 18 hours a day and love every minute of it!
Consider this your free ticket out of Niche Hell.
It's never too late to start over and do it right. 😉
Best,
p.s. I shared several quotes from Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk. AWESOME book. It's full of niche ideas, success stories, inspiration & how-to. I highly recommend you grab a copy if you haven't read it already!
Also See: How to Choose a Niche
About Lynn Terry
Great article, and quotes, Lynn! I was fortunate enough to be front row when Gary Vee did his Crush It! book tour.
(Okay, I admit, I decided to go at the last minute, got caught in traffic, couldn't find a place to park, and only caught the last 20 mins (from the last seat, in the front row), but it was a life-changing 20 minutes.)
And looking back, it wasn't even so much what he said, it was HOW he said it - with more passion than most people will ever know. I guess he chose a great niche!
Hey Lynn,
There are several of your posts that I come back and read from time to time. This is one of them. I'm starting to figure out that if you aren't passionate about something or in the business you should be in, none of the advice and how-to's you get will make any sense.
Now that I'm deciding where I need to be, whether it makes money or not, I re-read posts I have bookmarked and they click a little more each time. 😉
Yes, probably the most important thing when starting id to choose the right niche. There is no hard work that is gonna help if the niche is not filled with potential. But even choosing the wrong one can provide benefits in terms of learning various stuff that can be used with good niches in the future.
P.S. great and useful post, cheers.
Like Patti - I've read this post before, but reading it again makes even more sense.
For me it boils down to being able to sustain a level of interest in your business subject because when the going gets tough (and it will again and again), this is one of the things that will carry you through.