Niche Market or Generalist?

Niche markets offer a great way to target specific clients and build a marketing strategy. The problem is that when we think about niche markets, we typically think about specializing in one particular product or service. It is important to remember that niche markets also mean targeting one particular industry or type of client.

Being a Generalist in a Niche Market

Niche market and generalist are not mutually exclusive terms. While you shouldn't try to be all things to all people, you can provide general services to one type of client. This is where the two strategies intersect particularly well for the computer consultant first starting out. Develop your niche market by marketing yourself as the general point of contact for just a select group of clients.

When you're just starting out it’s really important that you don't invest dozens and dozens of hours and thousands of dollars in classes, certifications, tests and prep work. You need to be developing contacts to get paying contacts rather than contriving a niche market. Use the skills you have right now to get those clients. And if you already have a specialized skill set, you don't want to commit to a very narrow niche market before you have a good handle on how profitable that niche is.

Once you see that your paying clients have some common threads and you can anticipate a common set of needs, that is when you should think about further developing a niche market. Get the clients first, then look for trends and opportunities for niche markets.

The Bottom Line on Niche Markets

Creating a highly specialized niche market is not necessarily the way to build a computer consulting business. You can't be all things to all people but you should start off with a niche market that is defined by the client not by your services. By doing this you have a larger opportunity to build a strong client base and often times niche markets will naturally evolve from there.

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Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at http://www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com/blog/