Baking With Kids!

Creative Thinking: Coming up with a marketable niche

Are you a mom ready to return to work?  Maybe you have a job, but it's time for a change?  Have you ever considered creating your own career?  Create a Passion List first.  Then try the following method to see if you can make a living doing what you love.

Using your passions list:

1) Research

Start with the internet to search passion words.  Type in your key passion words and see what pops up. For example, if your passion is gardening: search “gardening”

If your passion is more targeted, such as roof-top gardening or herb gardening, use “roof top gardening” or “herb gardening”

Make notes of the TYPES of businesses, PRODUCTS and SERVICES that pop up from your search
Also make notes of the FORUMS and BLOGS that pop up from your search

You can also modify your search by adding "Businesses" or "unique" or "popular” or other reasonable keywords. For example, your passion is pets: try searching “pet businesses”, “unique pet businesses”, “top pet businesses”

-Again, make notes of any relevant results

2) Now visit the blogs and forums resulting from your search. 
Take a quick moment to scan for popular topics, and common needs or questions that relate to your passion.  For example: a large pet forum has a special section dedicated to pet travel.   You notice a lot of questions related to "tips for transporting a pet" or "finding hotels for pets", and even "How can I find a hotel that will let me brings my dog, but doesn’t smell stinky or look ratty?" 

If any of these topics interest you, jot them down.   It doesn't hurt to do a quick search on these expanded topics to see what businesses are currently doing to address them. 

Example: Search "problems finding hotels that allow pets" or "hotels pets accepted"

If you find there's not much of an industry, or if you find businesses aren't properly addressing customers' needs--voila, you may have found a potential career opportunity.

3) Discover a super-niche

-Another way to find a potential market is to create a niche

For this example, let’s go back to pets.   Make a list of the potential markets related to pets: pet shops, kennels, pet parlors, pet bakeries, etc.    Pretty common stuff, right?   Common can mean a lot of competition.  You don’t want common.  You want unique. 

Back to creative thinking: zone in on some of the markets that interest you.   It might be a good idea to refer to your Passion List, if you can’t remember what some of your other interests are. Use the market ideas and trends to come up with ideas that pair your interests.

For example:  Not only do you love dogs, but you enjoy sewing. Instead of selling standard pet products,  why not sell handmade sweaters for dogs?

Now take your niche to the second level—the super-niche, a niche within a niche.  After all, there's surprisingly a lot of competition for people making handmade sweaters for dogs. 

So how do you niche a niche?   Simple:  make that niche even more unique.  The trick here is to be reasonable.  (Don’t go for freaky or something that will make people think to themselves, “What drug is she on?”)  

Here’s a reasonable example of taking a niche a step further: Selling dog/owner coordinating sets: handmade sweaters for dogs and matching sweaters for the owners. 

Okay, I admit that sounds silly—actually creepy and way to obsessive of an owner.  But what about trendy sweaters for dogs and matching scarves for owners?    It’s cute, fashionable and fun.  I don’t even own a dog, and I love this idea! 
 
Passion Career Example: Painting Children's Bedrooms

Test your idea:
Enter your super-niche and see what comes up.
Ask trusted friends (make sure they fit your target market) what they think of your ideas

-Don’t worry if you think your idea is too narrow—super-niches have specific purposes and can be a great marketing tool.   See upcoming blogs that explain the value of super-niches.   Also coming soon: blogs on how, when and why you should expand beyond your super-niche.   Super-niches are NOT meant to lock you in to a limited market.  They are great starting tools and for marketing purposes.  

If you’ve found your super-niche or a low-competition niche, you are well on your way to your Dream! 
 

FYI, if you're a newbie interested in a market with a lot of competition (such as writing), don't worry too much.  The most important step in following your dream is to get started.  Find motivation in the A Better You Section section.

One foot in front of the other

Never Work A Day In Your Life

You’ve heard the sayings before:

Live to work: don’t work to live.

Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.

Success doesn’t create happiness; happiness creates success.

Chase a dream, not a pay check.

Okay, I made the last one up.

Why?  Because my dream job is to make things up.   (I'm a writer and that includes fiction.  I really do get to make things up.)  I’m a journalist too, so don’t worry.  I’m happy to work with facts when my job requires it.

Whoa--did you see that?   I used happy and job in the same sentence.   Believe it or not, you can too!  I’m not talking about getting rich quick or work-at-home schemes.  I’m talking about honest-to-goodness hard-word, pounding the pavement every day (and sometimes every night), and just plain putting yourself out there for the business world to see.   The difference is you are putting your “true” self out there.  The self that makes you comfortable, makes you smile, makes you shine.  Make no mistake about it, when you shine you become easier to see!

If everyone on this planet had the same interests and capabilities our progress would be very limited.  It is our differences that provide value.  It is our interests that provide that drive.

So, why is work so hard? According to a quote released in an article by Forbes.com, “Some surveys have found that 87 percent of Americans don't like their jobs.”  (Sorry, no sources were cited for these surveys.)  Whether accurate or not, plenty of people can’t stand Monday morning.  Or Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, for that matter.  Friday’s a toss-up.  That's because they've found a job, not a passion.

Well, I’m doing what I love and what I’m good at.  While I’m not a millionaire, nor will I ever be (unless I win this week’s lottery, and you’ll know it if this is my last blog); I hope I never return to the 9 to 5 scene.

How did I get here?  For the record my background includes marketing, public relations, advertising, sales and writing.  I haven’t always liked all of those tasks, but apparently I was good at what I did.   I was willing to work hard and cared about my reputation.   More importantly, I found out what I loved to do.  Even more significant, I figured out how I could make money doing what I love to do.

To find out what you're passionate about check my Passions blog!

What's Your Passion

If everyone on this planet had the same interests and same capabilities our progress would be very limited. It is our differences that provide value.  It is our interests that provide the drive.

Know anyone driven by a hobby?  Someone who spends their evening tinkering in the garage? Or the weekend chasing deals at flea markets?

What about you? What's your passion?  If you don't know what drives you, it's time to find out.  If you already know what you love, find out how you can make money doing it.  In the next few days I'll be adding posts to help you find a career niche.

Determine Your Passion
Step One: Start with a "Passion" List
-What hobbies/activities really get you excited?
-Write down all the things you enjoy doing on your free time
-Write down all the things you wish you could do or have always wanted to do
-Write down the "activities" you would do if you had a free weekend all to yourself.  (Note the word activity.  Sleeping does not count!)
-Try this link for hobby ideas

Step Two: Evaluate your Passion List
-Circle any repetitive or similar answers
-Put these items in order by preference or enjoyment level
-Consider your top choices.   These should reflect your current interests.  If you don't feel comfortable with the results, search the web for more ideas.
-Whittle down your Passion List to the top five, or better yet, the top two favorites.
-But DON'T delete your other entries.  Dream jobs often combine several passions and hobbies.

Step Three: Consider what you currently think your dream job would be
-What do you think your job dream is and why?
-If you need some dream job ideas check out tomorrow's Career blog

Step Four: Evaluate your dream jobs (try to choose less than four jobs)
-How do your dream jobs match any of the favorites on your passion list?
-Did you choose your dream jobs for the money potential?  Did you choose them because you've heard others describe them as exciting?   Or did you select these jobs because they truly fit your interest level?   Remember, just because someone else has found the "perfect" job, doesn't mean you'll find it perfect for you.
-If you feel any of these dream jobs fit your personality add them to your Passion List

Step Five:  Consider your Passion List for a few days-Add or remove any items you feel is necessary, or change the order of the top listings
-If you haven't already done so, whittle your list down to the top two

Step Six: Determining your skills-Make a list of all the skills you have (include hands-on learning, actual training, education and experience) that relates to your Passion List
-Make a list of all the skills you have that relate to business or could be considered useful.   Examples include: sales experience, organizational skills, people skills, writing, seminar training, phone skills.   Also consider any additional skills you are good at, particularly if you enjoy them.  Examples include: bargain shopping, internet research, texting skills, etc.

Step Seven: Creative Thinking-This step is the most critical and the most exciting part of the whole process.   If you're ready for this stage check out Creative Thinking in the Career section.

No Excuses

 

 

NOW is the time to make the changes you've always wanted.