Find a gap in the market. Find your niche. Stand out from the competition. Over and over we are told that what is important when we start a new business is to find a niche. Having a niche and narrowing down to serve just those people will make us more successful. It means you can focus on a specific group of customers whose need you can fill. This seems like very sound advice but I have spotted a little flaw in the premise. We often think finding a niche comes first, but what if we’ve got it the wrong way around. Hear me out..

My first business, Nourish Natural Soaps was something I grew from the ground up and ran for 15 years. When I first started brainstorming my soap business, back in 2012, I was driven by my passion for earth friendly ingredients. I also had a real interest in creating products that were sustainable, beautiful and above all – useful. A practical product that would help a lot of people with their skin conditions. Soap became the perfect expression of those interests. I remember making that first batch of soap and feeling so fulfilled at how many boxes it ticked.

So how does this apply to you? When you look backwards at your life, certain themes will start to surface. Through lines that weave through your life and that just keep showing up. They often center around your values and interests. If you are still scratching your head, perhaps you can answer some of the following questions:

• What topics to people always ask you about?
• What work makes time disappear?
• What have you spent years learning without being told to?
• What problems do you genuinely enjoy solving?

The clues to what your niche is are often hiding in plain sight. Once you see them they are so obvious – its the very essence of what makes you tick.

Unbeknownst to many of you, my first business was not making soaps. Back in the early 2000’s I started Mighty Mama. It was called Mighty Mama and in it I created beautiful, practical, handmade products that helped mothers nurture their children. We sewed and sold baby nappies and baby slings. After 4-5 years and when my daughter outgrew her baby nappies and slings, I moved on. Then came the soap business. After selling Nourish I ventured into website design for small business and then Build Gently. In both of those I am also creating beautiful products that are practical and help a segment of the population. It wasn’t obvious to me at the time, but now the thread seems impossible to miss.

The products changed.
The purpose didn’t.

My niche has stayed the same all these years even though I’ve expressed it in different ways.

I feel like running a business is exactly that—a journey. You’re allowed to follow your curiosity and not have everything figured out from the beginning. Most successful businesses weren’t born fully formed. They evolved through experimentation, paying attention and having the courage to keep taking the next step.

Takeaway

Don’t worry so much about finding the perfect niche.

Instead, pay attention to the themes that keep showing up in your life. Your interests, values and natural strengths are already leaving clues. The more closely your business reflects who you really are, the more naturally your niche will reveal itself.