DIY Entrepreneurs: How To Find Your Niche
If you’re lucky enough to be a full-time mom, you’ve probably felt tempted to start a side hustle. It’s not that you have the extra time—y’all don’t!—but you do have the flexibility and the opportunity to turn a profit from your creative efforts. If you’d like to make some money, be strategic. Successful DIY entrepreneurs have tips for how to find your niche that can set your business apart.
If you love making something from home, the odds are there are plenty of other DIY enthusiasts with the same idea. If you’re selling online, you don’t want to join the masses by touting the same products as everyone else. Customers won’t find you in a category like “jewelry.” Y’all need to give them something they can’t get anywhere else, like “body chains made from antique false teeth.” Find your niche.
Find Your Passion
If you’re creative or crafty, you probably enjoy making a variety of things. Which one will have the best customer base? Make a list of everything you’re good at, even if it doesn’t seem marketable. Figure out one thing you’re truly an expert in, and pursue that. If the gothic costumes you make for your terrier get a lot of compliments, write it down.
Do your friends always come to you with questions about a particular activity? More expertise and knowledge will lead to more possible niches.
Solve a Problem
What kinds of things do you shop for but can never find? Where have you noticed voids in an industry? What’s missing that you can give the world? For instance, you might see someone on social media complaining that there are no greeting cards for National Talk Like a Pirate Day. If you love art, calligraphy, and obscure holidays, get out those watercolors, and get to work.
Customize Your Wares
Even if the market for what you want to make seems saturated, you can find something new to offer. For instance, there have been quite a few kinds of lipsticks produced since Cleopatra started using red ochre, but there are more to discover. You can add your own twist to a lip product’s ingredients, color, scent, finish, form, and so on. You might have a great gimmick for packaging or a way to target an underserved demographic, like “organic cosmetics for American Girl dolls with blue undertones.”
If y’all have any aspirations to be one of many DIY entrepreneurs, spend some time learning how to find your niche. Creating your own projects at home is always a great way to spend time with your kids and express your creativity. But you know what could make it even more satisfying? Getting paid for it.
