Did you know that we found our niche market by accident? My dad was in the Air Force when I was a kid and we moved around a lot. We didn’t have a lot of money so my mom made most of our clothes growing up, but while my dad was stationed in Taiwan for four years she had no access to commercial clothing patterns and we were growing fast.
Taiwanese seamstresses didn’t need patterns because they were taught to make their own patterns, as a result my mom promptly hired a translator to go with her to pattern making classes so she could learn too. Once she was happily making clothes for all of us again other people started asking her to teach them how to make their own patterns.
Mom taught a few friends, then was asked to teach a few classes, then she turned her notes into her first book, which has now become a series of books on pattern making. She taught me to create my own patterns as well and by middle school I was designing and making my own clothes and clothing patterns.
You can find your own niche market by accident too!
Think about it. When was the last time you needed or wanted something and couldn’t find it? If YOU are looking for something and can’t find it then the odds are pretty good that many others are looking for a similar item or service as well.
A student of ours recently gave birth to her first child and was having problems finding affordable and attractive nursing clothes. She said everything looked the same, was way overpriced, and she couldn’t find any nursing patterns. So she has started designing her own line of patterns for nursing garments. She found a need and she’s filling it!
Have you ever searched for something to no avail? Has anyone ever asked you if you could make or create something for them? Do you have a problem that others haven’t been able to solve? Can you solve a problem better than the other guy?
Assess your own skills and interests and look into any unmet needs in markets of your choice. Perhaps you could work with a friend and do some serious brainstorming about the possibilities. The opportunities are endless and you never know when you may stumble on your niche!