Someone asked me recently about how I found my niche online and how can they find theirs. Well, my niche sort of found me.
I was working in a totally different industry when I discovered I was rather good with computers. My company discovered it too, and had me start teaching all of the computer courses.
My interest in computers evolved into websites and the internet in general. Despite my focus on the internet, or maybe because of it, I began to think about putting my other hobbies onto the internet. Doing so, lets me start a new hobby (radiant barriers) and instantly turn it into a website (www.smartenergyideas.com). My hobbies and interests can change every day/week/month/year but the central theme is still putting those interests into action on the internet.
Any of the books you read, you can turn into a website (fansite, book review, topic discussion, critique, etc.). Any of your interests can be converted online in some way. The difference will be what type of income you can earn from each source.
Be careful though, because spreading your attention between too many different websites will split your focus. Focusing on an individual site will pay off quicker than doing only a little bit for 20 sites. You will end up with 20 sites that don’t make any money and take up too much of your time.
Finding your niche is about selecting an interest that you can focus on AND making sure that you can convert that effort into dollars. Keep in mind, a hobby is something you like doing so you spend time and money on it. A business is something you spend time on and make money at. I combine these concepts in order to enjoy what I do and have it pay for itself.
What I suggest for you, is to start trying out your interests from a new perspective.
Start thinking about how you can add value to the community of people who share your interest rather than just being a passive consumer. Be an active producer of something valuable. You will help the people in your niche and pay for your hobby at the same time. If the niche is big enough, you can turn it into your main income source.
Don’t be fooled. Time is a factor here. Get rich quick schemes only allow the person who is selling the scheme to make money, not you. Be prepared to spend time on your site in order to build up a following. This is a slow buildup. Even slower if you split your focus between multiple ventures. This also means learning to listen to your audience and working with them to give them a better experience and more value.
There are many examples of people who put effort into their site for years before being able to make a living at it. Giving up after 2 months is why some people fail while others push on to succeed.
Picking the right niche will also determine the speed of the buildup. Underwater basket weaving may not have a big following, but if your website is the only supplier of waterproof materials and HowTo videos, you could find your niche to be extremely valuable, very quickly.
Because success takes time, I highly recommend always keeping your day job and starting your online business on the side. This turns your current employer into your biggest investor. That’s a really neat way to think about the company you work for. It makes the working day go by faster when you no longer worry about losing your job. You are really just losing an investor. I started the same way.
Even today, I still have corporate clients I do work for. The difference is that I see these clients as investing in my business rather than just paying me to do work. They also help me determine what a good niche is.
Here’s an important tip. If someone is willing to pay for a product or service, that means there is value. Where there is value, there are dollars.
When your hobby or interest is in sync with that value, you get to enjoy what you do for a living, instead of it being “work”. It’s always nice to be able to tell someone, “I don’t work for a living”.
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