So many people think starting a business happens in this order: You have an idea for a business, then you create the business. But this is false. You can want a business of your own without having an idea first! SO MANY people have come to me with a dream to start a business but have no idea what they’d sell. That’s totally okay! There are tons of people out there who feel a pull inside of them. Who want to help others. Who want a flexible lifestyle to stay home with their babies, or to work for themselves, but have no idea how to do that or what product to create.
It’s all about finding your niche.
In order to find your niche you need to do a lot of brainstorming with certain prompts that will help you find the lane that works best for you. You’ll want to think about your stories that were turning points in your life. Then, you’ll want to find the connections that make sense for both your passions and your talents and blend them together into your own niche.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming is easily my most used and most favorite tool when coming up with new ideas for products, marketing, writing, etc. I use Post-It notes and stick them on the wall or on my whiteboard. But you can use a Google Doc, a blank piece of paper, the Notes section of your phone, a whiteboard, whatever works best for you!
Here’s what I want you to think about:
- What makes you unique?
- What skills do you have that can help others?
- What are some things that bring you real joy?
- Ask friends and family to tell you what they think you’re good at.
- What are some things others ask you for help with?
- What do you think your talents are?
- What are your hobbies?
- What are your passions?
It’s so easy to overthink these questions. To think of them in terms of business. But on your first brainstorming session, don’t think about it that way. You don’t have to be an expert in any of these fields. Just write down what comes to mind and work out the details later. This should be a freeform session without rules, so just write what you think!
Write Down Your Stories
I don’t know about you, but I have a few stories that were turning points in my life. Some are serious, some are funny, some are amusing. Some are things I think about personally, others are stories I tell in social groups, some are stories with lessons that I tell my kids. Think about some of these stories for yourself.
Here’s what I want you to think about:
- Three stories that are sad
- Three stories that are hard
- Three stories that are happy
- Three stories you’re proud of
- Three stories with a mix of emotions
Again, don’t think about these too much. Don’t overthink the brainstorming process because that can often lead to roadblocks. And if you can’t think of some of these, just move on to the next one!
Find the Connections
Once you’ve answered some of these questions, now is the time to start thinking about the things you’ve written down. Are you starting to see any ideas taking shape? Do you see any connections? Maybe you wrote down these things:
- My empathy makes me unique
- Running marathons is my passion
- People ask me about good running trails
- My kids bring me joy
- My hobby is photography
- My mixed emotions story is when I ran my first 5k for breast cancer after my mom died
Do you see the connections here? The niche for this person might be fitness, working out and mental health, fitness and family, outdoor running, trail running, 5k for beginners, gentle motivation for beginner runners, photography for runners, etc.
Some connections may not be as clear as these ones are, it’s just an example, but the task here is to find these connections in order to discover your niche. The next step is creating a digital product, but sometimes finding your niche is the hardest part!
Having Trouble?
If you’re running into roadblocks, do these brainstorming sessions again. Try different questions, ask family and friends to help you. Sometimes our talents and unique traits are hard to see ourselves.
And if you want even more help, I have a free 5-Day “Find Your Path” Challenge built around helping people find their niche in order to create a dazzling digital product! We do a lot of brainstorming and provide an entire community of people just like you who are also looking to find their niche. Click HERE to learn more!
You have something about you that’s unique. Your niche is all about discovering what that is and using it to help you create your own business.
Did you discover your niche? Tell me what you found out!
xo Natalie
P.S. My Free 5-Day “Find Your Path” challenge can help you narrow down your niche! We start soon, so click HERE to register for your spot today! For free!
