Rahul Mehta
It’s often said that being a master of one trade is always better than a jack of all. Freelancing is a profession in which having multiple skills and expertise helps in landing more clients and projects as it increases your target market. But finding a niche can have an extremely positive impact on your career and is often the best way to go to the next level.
One might argue that have a wider array of skills might help you to tend to more clients at the same time and subsequently help you increase your clientele. But often when trying to be good at a plethora of things, the freelancer might end up excelling at none. Clients will almost always prioritise quality of work over quantity.
Finding your niche can result in more projects and work, boost your income, and ultimately make you happier with what you do. But discovering your niche can be difficult — how exactly do you do it? Here are five tips that will get you well on your way towards finding the thing you’re really good at:
1. Try out a lot of stuff: Having different kinds of experiences is one of the most important prerequisites to finding the perfect niche for your business. If you’re not sure what you’re great at, try as many things as you can. Talk to people who focus on different things and think about what drives them. When considering niche ideas, think about the following: Who are your ideal clients? Why do you want to work for them? How will you help them? These questions can help you narrow down your options. Once you have a good idea of the niche possibilities, you can move on to the next step.
2. Study the market: Choosing a niche gets much easier once you’re able to get a grasp of which markets you want to operate in. it has to be something you perceive as profitable and viable in the long run. The best way to start this step is to analyse the different markets you are currently operating in. Ask yourself a few questions like: Do I have enough skills to excel in this market? Is this market profitable? Is there any growth potential? Will this market sustain over the next 5 years. This will help you think in a rational manner and make a calculated decision.
3. Passion and intrigue: So once you’ve tried out a lot of stuff and studied various markets, it will be much easier to identify a combination which will be both, profitable and sustainable in the long term. But for a freelancer, choosing a particular niche to specialise in is a long term commitment and can only be realised to the full potential if he is passionate about it. Think about the following: Your interests. What you have the most fun doing What have you done well? How do your passions align with your business goals? These questions will help you put a lot of things in place and find your passion. Remember, it’s not all about what’s most convenient or profitable. It’ll get really boring really quick if you don’t love what you do.
4. Master of the trade: Now that you have found a potential niche which you are passionate about, own it. Chances are, you already know quite a bit about it. But “quite a bit” is not enough, you have to push your advantage even further. Don’t just know more than most, be one of the few that knows all there is to know. Read articles, find books on the subject, or look for insights from the leading figures of that particular field. This is how you become an expert.
5. Get the word out: You might think that once you find your niche, your work is done. But in practical sense, your journey has just begun. The next and the final step is to hit the ground running by letting people around you know about your newly identified and mastered niche. Advertise yourself through social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. Get yourself registered on various freelancer platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. Connect with other freelancers, especially the industry leaders and learn as much as you can.
Ultimately, it all comes down to whether the freelancer wants to have a niche to excel in, or try to serve various industries. Both have their own merits and demerits. But only by having a niche will a freelancer be able to be the leader in his industry.
At Feige, we want freelancers to be the leaders in their respective industries and have a sustainable and successful career. If you are a freelancer who is looking at geeting his new business off the ground, get in touch with us at — support@feige.io
