Kickstart 101: The Worst Advice You Will Hear About Starting an Online Business
You probably already heard it.
“Find a Niche”
It is a typical advice you will hear on how to start an online business.
So you put your head down, do the research and identified the niche to best start your online business. But as you take the next giant leap, you could be misled into following an advice that could cost your a lot of time and money.
The idea of going niche is that people are desensitized by the constant bombardment of advertising messages.
Hence, “the best way to set your business apart is to target a unique segment of the market that has gone unnoticed. Reach out to that segment of the market. Connect with these people, making them more likely to hear your message and buy whatever you are selling.”
Not exactly a bad advice. In fact, many members here in Wealthy Affiliate have success starting their online businesses by following this advice.
A one size fits all formula that guarantees success for your online business? Unlikely.
But with so many bloggers, marketing expert and “gurus” often pushing this same advice, you might be misled to think it is the best, or even the only way to market online and build a successful business.
Another Way to Start an Online Business
I use to think that Apple simply become one of the most successful companies in the world by appealing to the young tech savvy niche. After all, aren't all Apple users young and hip like myself.
Well no. You see my mother in law uses an iPhone. My dad who has never used a computer owns an iPhone. My grand aunt uses an iPad to keep in touch with her grandchildren overseas.
I’m sure you can find more examples of people in your life who do not fall into the typical stereotype of the tech savvy niche. Can we understand the wide segment popularity of Apple with just niche marketing? Or something simpler?
This morning, I realise I hardly ever leave my home without first consulting my iPhone to check the train schedule. Or how essential it is to have my iPhone while traveling on the train. In fact, a good portion of this article was actually written on my iPhone during my train commute.
Sure I can do without my iPhone but it would be at great inconvenience.
It kinda dawn on me, people generally don’t spend money just to buy duds. One of the reason why Apple is so successful is that they create products that are really useful.
How to Create Something Useful (Simplified)
So the real secret to creating successful online businesses is to create useful products or services? Not exactly helpful is it?
Now, if niche marketing works for you, by all means stick with it. If it doesn’t, what then? Rather than targeting yet another obscure niche that you may or may not have any connection with (which can be boring and uninteresting), what if you model your business… starting with you in mind.
One of the easiest way to create a great product, service is to create something you want to use. Take Basecamp for example. They first started out as a web design company. Frustrated by a lack of proper tool to manage multiple projects they do for their clients, they developed their own online project management tools, shared it with their clients who also enjoyed using them and an entirely different business emerged.
How about writing for yourself? Nicole Johnson did just that. The owner of The Baby Sleep Site actually struggled with her eldest son’s sleep problems when he was a baby. Parents with a baby will understand the lack of sleep agony. Through her research, Nicole was able to overcome her son’s sleep issues. She now help parents with their baby’s sleep issues through her Baby Sleep Site, using reading resources, blogging, and online consulting methods.
You can also start a business by simply sharing what you like. One of my favourite example is how Jules Yap started IKEA Hackers. It began in 2006 when Jules was looking for ideas for her own home and saw how IKEA furnitures were being modified and personalised by ordinary people to better suit their needs. Jules founded IKEA Hackers because she was inspired by the ‘IKEA hacks’ she found and was sure others would be too. The fan-run website is largely contributed by IKEA hackers worldwide, a one stop go-to site that provides alternative ideas on IKEA products.
Or how about just doing something you like. Initially, Scott Schuman just wanted to photograph people he met on the streets of New York who he felt looked great. His blog The Sartorialist showcases the photos he taken and is now an international renowned fashion site (apparently a lot of people like his work).
Many successful businesses started as a problem, frustration, inconvenience or discontentment. Is there something that irks you or something you really want to do? In a global population of over 7 billion people, there is a very good chance of finding people who feels the same way as you.
Here’s what you can do next:
Got a business idea floating in your head yet? It could be a product, a service, a blog topic, an experience or something you like to do. Now go google your idea. There is probably already someone with the same idea or already doing what you want to do. Which is good news! It is a sign that there is demand for what you have to share. I will be more worried if you search came back nothing. After all, you can’t do business with just me, myself and I.
Now don’t let it just sit in your head. Your customers and critics awaits. You can start a blog and publish a page about your business idea today (Yes, you can start a free one here which will work just as well! Click the green Get Started Here icon on the left to learn more). Then start sharing with the world what you think is wrong and how you can fix it. See if you have an audience or just a good idea.
Need a kind critic on your business idea? Share it in the comment below.
Recent Comments
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You are probably going to have some eyebrows raising around this post, my friend. But you are right. Going passively into a niche is not enough; your heart has to be there too. As for myself, I prefer to think that each of us IS the niche we are looking for and we just have to translate that in whatever passion speaks to us the most. That seems to be, however, the reverse way many people think about making money online.
I agree that we can be the niche we are looking for. After all, we are also consumers of products and services. I just wanted to give a different view of how online business can be started and a niche is just one of many many MANY WAYS to think about it.
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hi norman - your post may start out slightly controversially but at the end shows that the business model here is one which works!!
you need passion - you need to solve a problem - you need to be into it!!
otherwise it will not succeed
you need to pick a niche that is little explored to make a great difference to your life and theirs.
is it one niche fits all?no - you are encouraged to try to find your own niche - maybe not strongly enough! but a lot of people - myself included - try out the bootamp first.
i realise that i am learning a busines model, a franchise, which works. all i need to do is to bring the passion - oh and an idea.
i look forward to more from you
phil