Small Business Marketing Series - Choosing a Niche Market

Many smaller businesses choose niche markets for various reasons and these niche markets can be very lucrative. This article will look at ways to identify and assess whether they are right for your business?

For many smaller businesses it is important to have a focused strategy which enables them to operate in a small part of a chosen market with great success. This has a further advantage of giving the smaller business a way to compete with larger organizations and achieve a level of protection against competition.

How is it Relevant to You as Owner?

As the owner of the business, you decide on the business strategy and make informed choices as to where the business will be going. Being clear on possible niche markets or a niche focus of your business can be crucial to the ultimate success and sustainable growth of your business.

The advantage of operating in a niche is that you can specialize in a small market and hence become a leading supplier of that specific product or service.

Niche marketing can be extremely cost-effective. For instance, imagine you offer a product or service that's just right for a select demographic or population group in your area, such as South Africans or students. You could advertise in newspapers or websites that focus on them, which have considerably lower rates than stations that program for broader audiences. So your marketing budget would go a lot further, allowing you to advertise with greater frequency or to use a more comprehensive media mix. Taking on a new niche can be a low-risk way to grow your business, as long as you keep in mind several important rules:

Here are a 4 steps to consider when choosing a niche market.

Step 1