How to find a free niche to start a business. All profitable business niches. How to choose a niche for business? Determining the target audience portrait for a business idea

Opening another business in a crowded niche is futile - more experienced competitors will win the fight. There are sectors with little competition and untapped markets. How to choose your own business niche and which search model to use.

Beginning entrepreneurs, as a rule, are aware that they are about to enter a market where competitors are already waiting for them. The only way to avoid the struggle for a place in the sun is to find a business niche that is free from competitors.

It may seem that the modern market is replete with all possible offers, but upon careful examination it turns out that opportunities for development exist. You can consider two strategies when looking for a free niche to develop a new business:

Development of the old market with new offers

We are talking about a narrow sector with little competition. The trump cards in this segment will be the high quality of goods and services or unusual offers.

New offers in an untapped market

This strategy is much more complex because it requires trading, production, or services that are unfamiliar to the consumer. In this way of business development, significant costs will be required for organizing a new type of production, registering a trademark, advertising campaign, market promotion, etc. It must be recognized that the chances of success with such a strategy are higher.

You can find an unoccupied niche by taking a closer look at the market, discussing with friends and relatives the needs for goods and services, and analyzing the state of a particular market segment. As a result of such research, it is quite possible that a niche will be identified, poorly developed or even free.

For small entrepreneurs, which is quite understandable, narrow market niches are attractive because they:

Little competition.
Individual approach to consumers.
Stable, albeit small, market capacity.

It is not easy to master a narrow market segment; it is necessary to carefully analyze all the positive and negative aspects, study the new product and the attitude of potential buyers towards it. Only after studying the characteristics of the selected segment can an advertising strategy be formed. If you decide to promote a completely new product, you will have to organize an unconventional advertising campaign to attract the attention of buyers.

Apparently, there is no way to guarantee an unmistakable choice of your place in business. In each individual case, the personality of the businessman himself will be of great importance in determining the direction of the business.

Apparently, the widespread opinion has a right to life that when choosing a direction, you need to evaluate the market and choose a niche with the least competition and a good margin. It is believed that this method guarantees successful entry into the niche. The method of choice seems certainly reasonable, but if you think about it, everything is not so simple.

Let's look at the automobile market - huge and highly competitive. Suddenly you realize that the trade in premium cars is completely undeveloped in your city. Those who wish cannot buy a Ferrari either in your city or in neighboring cities, and in the nearest metropolis there is only one showroom offering such cars. Here it is - an unoccupied niche with no competitors and with unimaginable margins.

With some effort, you open a car dealership with Ferrari. But for some reason there are no queues lining up for you. Despite all the favorable conditions - demand, purchasing power of the population, absence of competitors - trade does not take place. What's the matter? It turns out that in order to sell a very expensive car, you need to belong among people who can buy it. This example, of course, is somewhat exaggerated. But the same principle applies to selling tomatoes at the market. When trading, it is impossible to achieve good results without mutual understanding with buyers.

Therefore, we will not risk confidently asserting that there are fail-safe algorithms for finding a successful business niche. Luck is a capricious young lady, it is impossible to be sure of her favor. But we can tell you three ways that will reduce the risks when entering your chosen niche.

Innovation model

This strategy is good for romantic businessmen who dream of changing the world for the better. Within this model, you don’t need to look for a suitable niche, but create your own. To implement this strategy you need a solid budget.

For example, you invented a pillow for insomnia. Now you need to not only produce your miracle pillows, but also convince people to buy them. You don’t even have to invent something yourself, you need to be able to push a completely new product onto the market. This is how we treat them as innovators or, but they were not pioneers in their industry. But it was they, not Xerox and Creative, who created the innovative niche.

Frankly speaking, it is unlikely that a mere mortal is able to create an innovative niche. You need very special conditions or unprecedented luck, or outstanding charisma, or a lot, a lot of money to be able to push your new niche onto the market. If everything succeeds, you will get everything at once - all the cream is yours. The obvious disadvantage of the strategy is high costs with a high probability of failure.

Verified models

Universal strategy. All the most advanced technologies are based on basic things. Sometimes, to enter an undeveloped niche, it is enough to choose an unpromoted base.

Here are examples of several “eternal themes”:

Money. There is no need to explain to anyone why they are needed. And bankers are needed to streamline cash flow. Working with money is not new, but it is always attractive.
Safety and Health. These are eternal values, since everyone wants to be healthy and confident in their own safety.
Relationship. Hot topic. Skype brings in billions because they were able to offer us new ways of communication. There is something to think about - an unlimited audience is waiting for new proposals.
Visual appeal. Everyone wants to be not just beautiful, it is very important to have a bright personality. Any help in creating an attractive image will be received with enthusiasm.
Time– a non-renewable resource. Any automatic device that saves time finds many consumers.
Entertainment. This market is truly inexhaustible - people spend money on pleasure without deep thought.
Subculture. There are many types of subcultures, you need to identify and use them.

The list goes on, but you already understand that this method does not require discoveries. You just need to use mechanisms that have been known for a long time. True, many people prefer to use this method, and finding a fresh direction for business with financial prospects can be difficult.

Hobbies

Quite often, entrepreneurs’ hobbies become business projects. What's wrong with combining business with pleasure? For those who have decided to do business, but do not yet know how, this method is the most favorable. Monetizing a hobby is an easier form of adaptation in the business world. You will do what you do best, and even with the worst start you will not lose. You will get pleasure in any case - whether you can create a profitable business or not.

Summarizing

Choosing your niche is always difficult. If you find an unoccupied segment in which, in your opinion, there is a lot of free money and miraculously there are no competitors, do not rush to rejoice. Most likely, the “gold mine” is empty because competitors left it due to lack of prospects. Although it is possible that you have actually come across “new lands” - go for it!

Successful business development requires many aspects, including choosing a niche wisely. The project must correspond to the needs of society and trends. In addition, it is important to select the target audience and act quickly. In the modern world, many ideas lose relevance within a few years or even faster. How to choose the right niche for a business is described in the article.

The importance of choosing a relevant high-margin business idea

A good idea is ninety percent of success, as many entrepreneurs say. If the project is relevant and potentially profitable, then finding an investor is very easy. In order to find a worthwhile idea, you should be guided by the following principles:

Find a problem that needs a solution. For example, this is how dry toilets, laptop computers and TV remotes appeared - a person experienced inconvenience and proposed a solution that was liked by the whole society. Sometimes the ideas are not so large-scale, for example, opening small specialized stores or workshops inside a residential complex helps citizens quickly use the services.
Use working technologies. In the modern world, the statement that to succeed you need to come up with something new is not entirely true. As practice shows, the most successful projects are those where an already working system is slightly improved. For example, it turns out that there is better service or additional options.

Choosing a relevant business idea is indeed the key to success, but just thinking is not enough. It is important to take action as soon as a good theory appears.

For what purposes is market analysis needed?

Not every great idea will be realized if the market is saturated or does not have potential consumers in its composition. The starting step before implementing a project is to conduct a market analysis. The main stages include:

determining the territory that the business will cover if we are talking about a stationary point, for example, a retail store;
for online businesses it is advisable to determine sales channels;
assess the saturation of the industry, how many entrepreneurs work in a specific area, providing similar services or goods;
identify the strengths and weaknesses of market players;
determine the number of potential consumers, because if there are not many companies represented, this may be caused by a lack of customers, for example, children's clothing stores are not so relevant in areas where retirees live.

Competent market analysis is a lengthy process that requires sensitivity. It would not be a mistake to visit the area, talk with local residents, and identify their needs. Based on the data obtained, we can draw conclusions regarding development prospects.

Starting a business, starting from scratch

Starting a business is one of the most important stages, since it is easier to maintain and expand a project; you already have working capital and working technologies. At the start, it is important to determine the following provisions:

an idea, what is special about the project, what problem it will solve, how it differs from existing businesses;
starting capital, how much money is required, where to get it from, what type of investment to attract;
like-minded people and associates, no business can be developed alone, you need people with whom the idea will be realized.

When starting a business, a person experiences increased stress, since he, as a rule, uses borrowed funds, and no one can provide guarantees of success.

Implementation of a new product idea

Introducing a new product or service to the market requires a serious marketing policy, which requires not only analysis, but also an implementation program. Before launching something new, it is important to determine the main purchasing motives of potential customers. These include:

safety – confidence in reliability;
status – prestige;
novelty – openness to new options;
personal preference.

The question is what is most important to the target audience. The easiest way to introduce a product is for those who value novelty. In addition, you need to think through a marketing program. Advertising is most often used, particularly on the Internet, on billboards and on television. However, you should not neglect the recommendations. For example, give copies of new products to loyal customers, people from the environment and those who have a large number of contacts and influence.

It is permissible to hold special drawings and lotteries, events in support of the launch. You can also stay within a small budget, for example, by promoting the opening on the street by distributing balloons and special leaflets.

Increased competition in existing businesses

Even successful businesses can face challenges due to competition. For example, a person opened a small store near his home, and since there are no alternatives, most people go to it. A few months later, a location of a well-known chain opens next door, with lower prices and higher brand recognition. Most of the clients go there. In this situation, the entrepreneur needs to do something urgently. Some options include:

Atypical operating mode. If competitors work on schedule, then you can make the store open around the clock or at least increase the work by several hours compared to a well-known chain. This way, some customers will return.
Offer an original product or service. Selling a specialized but in-demand product will not only generate traction on it, but will also increase sales overall. Few people will go elsewhere for the rest of their groceries if they can buy everything at once.
Conduct a campaign campaign, provide discounts and bonuses. In particular, additional privileges for those who bring their friends.

These ideas apply to all industries, the main thing is to quickly respond to changing conditions and offer something original, distinctive and unique. With this approach, there will be no end to customers.

The economy develops in cycles, so a market downturn is inevitable. In difficult situations, creativity and the right reaction are especially important. It's no secret that during a crisis many people go bankrupt, but there are always those who succeed precisely in difficult periods.

It is easiest in difficult times for those who work without borrowed funds and have managed to accumulate a certain amount of capital. For example, you can buy equipment cheaply, reduce the rental price, since demand is low and the owners are ready to make concessions, and possibly expand the business. The increase will not only gain new customers, but also increase brand awareness.

How to choose a new interesting model for organizing a small business?

If we are talking about selling a familiar and familiar product or service, then an original idea for organizing a business will allow you to stand out. Thus, many enterprises have switched to the online platform, in particular to social networks. The undeniable advantage of this form is the minimal start-up investment. But there are also a number of disadvantages:

people have established consumer habits, changing them takes time;
Many people still have a mistrust of online shopping;
it takes significant time to develop and maintain a community.

Another original form of business is a mobile or mobile enterprise, for example, a van or car. This method allows you to reach a larger number of consumers, but makes it more difficult to create loyal customers.

Identifying your skills, abilities, preferences

Finding out the strengths and weaknesses of competitors is not enough; it is important to determine your advantages. Forming a team can be a solution since everyone has different talents and abilities.

A striking example is the creation of the Apple company. Jobs managed to unite the best experts in their fields and develop the personal talent of a manager. In business, not only a set of specialized skills is important, but also entrepreneurial abilities.

Most of the skills can be developed if desired:

Negotiation. The more you communicate with people, the better your skills will be. It is recommended that after each communication you work on mistakes, track what was good and what needs to be improved.
Public performance. Speaking in front of an audience is necessary for any entrepreneur. If there is fear, you have to go for it. It is recommended to prescribe the speech in advance and place emphasis.
Time and money management. The best option is to find a mentor. If this is not possible, then you should immediately start reading business books and listening to training materials.

Whatever aspects of your personality need to be honed, with time, anything is possible. The main thing is to plan and consistently approach the process of acquiring knowledge and skills.

Market situation analysis

The analytical process involves assessing the following parameters:

How in demand is a product or service of this type among the population;
how many entrepreneurs offer a similar range of products;
Is your competitors' business profitable?
how the idea can be improved, what innovations will strengthen the business.

And, of course, it is necessary to carefully study the target audience - potential clients.

Determining the target audience portrait for a business idea

The portrait of the target audience is the image of the ideal end consumer. When creating it, it is worth answering the following questions:

Who is interested in the product - is it relevant for everyone or only for a limited audience, for example, housewives or students.
Why will people choose my product - who are the people who are interested in purchasing goods and services, for example, active users of social networks or, on the contrary, those who like to shop.

In accordance with the product, it is worth indicating the main age, gender and social status of people from the target audience. It is these people who will be the main focus, although, undoubtedly, the clients will be different.

Target audience segmentation

If a business is aimed at different categories of the population, then it is necessary to segment the target audience. It involves dividing all consumers into groups according to the similarity of needs and preferences.

REFERENCE! Each category has its own tools and technologies. Thanks to this, people receive messages in the form that is most convenient for them. As practice shows, with equal investments in advertising and marketing when working with segments, the yield is better.

The main segmentation criteria include:

socio-economic status – income, education, wealth, professional prestige;
geographical location - city or small village, this affects both mentality and financial situation;
demographic cross-section - age and family composition, young people are more prone to impulse purchases, and adults make larger transactions.

A complete understanding of the division will ensure the most effective marketing policy. In fact, the client will feel an individual approach, which will increase his loyalty.

Drawing up a business plan to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project

Drawing up a business plan suggests thinking through the sequential steps to implement the project. It is advisable to start with how the idea will bring profit. This point is of interest not only to potential investors, but also to the novice entrepreneur himself. The goal of a business is to generate income, so this step cannot be avoided.

Next, the plan includes an analysis of the market, target audience and benefits of the project. The last point will be the answer to the question: why will some clients switch to this entrepreneur, because people are already spending money in other businesses anyway.

It is recommended to indicate weaknesses, as well as ways to overcome problems. For example, what to do if there is a downturn in the economy or stronger competitors appear. The prescribed options will not only instill confidence in investors, but will also help the businessman to plan actions in advance in conditions of force majeure.

Niche in business - what is it?

A business niche is a specific, defined area that can be identified either by a target audience or by geography. The key feature is the dissatisfaction of the population with the products presented on the market. For example, when people are not satisfied with the service provided by entrepreneurs, or there is too little product, which is why the price is set high.

If a person is just trying his hand at business, then it is advisable to turn to experienced specialists. Finding a mentor is the best option, it can be a person who is not only successful in the relevant industry, but also interested in the success of new entrepreneurs.

To choose a direction, you should ask yourself the following questions:

What would I want as a consumer?
What problems exist where entrepreneurs are not operating effectively enough?
What can I offer to society? What problems can I solve?

The result will be an idea and a plan to achieve it. Some projects will require money, while others require minimal starting capital. You shouldn’t start a big business right away, it’s better to start small, learn the principles and system of work. In the future, with the successful implementation of the first projects, you can move on to more complex industries.

IMPORTANT! Receive large financial investments when a person has successfully proven himself, both as a businessman and as a lender. But this is impossible at the start. Except in cases where there is patronage in the form of guarantors, or real estate serving as collateral.

How to explore free niches?

The easiest way to quickly achieve results is to find a free or partially occupied niche. Today there are practically none. The supply on the market more than covers the demand. However, there are still industries that have free zones. It is important to sense economic trends, monitor changes in consumer preferences and act as quickly as possible.

How to test popular business ideas?

In order to check how effective and in demand an idea is, it is necessary to analyze the market and find similar or similar projects. The profitability indicator will not always be the flow of clients, although it reflects demand. The key criterion is business expansion; if an entrepreneur opens or at least plans new outlets, this is evidence of the relevance of the project.

Choosing your niche

Choosing your niche is not only related to its obvious relevance. It is impossible to effectively and efficiently develop something that is not interesting. You need to be passionate about business and strive for maximum efficiency. The largest number of discoveries in science, as well as the largest businesses, appeared as a result of the fact that someone wanted to solve a problem that he or his loved ones faced.

Viability testing

Often the viability test occurs during the implementation process. But some types of businesses allow you to make an estimate in advance. For example, if a person wants to launch a new product on the market, then he can give several copies to those around him before mass production. If they appreciate it and agree to make a recommendation for it, then it’s worth starting the procedure in full swing.

Development of marketing moves

There are many marketing techniques. When choosing one option or another, you should pay attention to the features of the service or product provided. Not every idea can be implemented using the same methods. When in doubt, it's worth paying attention to what kind of marketing your competitors are adopting.

How to find an unoccupied niche for an online project - popular internet business options

Almost all businesses today are moving to an online platform. Along with this, completely new projects are appearing, the implementation of which is possible exclusively on the Internet. To find your niche, it’s worth checking whether there are already similar businesses in the communities. For example, a girl wants to promote crafts through social networks, but there are more than ten thousand similar pages on the Internet. She should determine whether there are differences in their offers and hers, and think about how she can attract a client.

Own blog

Today you can make money literally out of thin air; one of these options is running your own blog. Of course, no one pays a person to talk about his own life. If a blogger attracts a large mass of people, then he becomes interesting to other manufacturers. When such a person appears on air wearing a branded T-shirt or talks about visiting a certain cafe, the owners of these businesses pay them like advertising. Experience has shown that this form of advertising is no less effective, and in a number of industries, brings even greater profits than banners or video clips.

To create an online store you do not need a lot of investment, but you should acquire quality contacts with suppliers. Indeed, in fact, only pictures are presented on the site page, but if the client has expressed a desire to purchase this or that product, then it must be delivered, and on time.

It is best to create an online store on something that is in demand by a wide range of people. Along with this, there are also specialized trading pages, but when creating one, it is important to focus on a narrow target audience and develop a marketing program for them.

Online courses

Online learning is another new, but actively developing area. In the twenty-first century, it became possible to receive knowledge from people from all over the world in real time.

If a person has any specialized knowledge, then he will be able to find his students - people who will be willing to pay for training and courses. Today, it is possible to realize oneself in this direction in almost all areas.

Popular Russian courses have been tested. An empty niche provides an opportunity to develop growing and profitable projects. You shouldn’t hide the list of options, it’s better to find out and test. The School of Life provides the best experience.

Sales of information products

Information products are intangible goods that, despite the fact that they do not have weight or shape, have a specific price. There are savings to be made when working with such materials, but it is important to remember that the content must meet quality standards and be useful to consumers. Determining prospects, selecting products that will gain popularity, and checking success are the tasks of a businessman in the Russian Federation.

The modern market of goods and services is moderately full. If thirty years ago it was enough to present a product and people would buy it, today it is necessary to stand out from the crowd, to be at the forefront and ahead of customer expectations.

The business plan should contain step-by-step implementation steps, ideally up to the point of full payback and profitability. The more detailed all aspects are thought out, the easier it is to follow the plan. Of course, adjustments along the way are not excluded, but the key line must be maintained. There is a parable that says that goals and principles are made of stones, but plans and actions are made of sand, that is, they are more flexible.

Usefulness of a business product in Russia

Business in Russia has existed relatively recently, but today consumers are quite demanding and are looking for the best of what is on the market. Not only quality plays a role, but also pricing policy. The usefulness of a business product is assessed based on customer loyalty and so-called repeat purchases. We are talking about the percentage of customers who return. The higher the percentage, the more effective and promising the business.

When clarifying how to test a niche for a business, it is worth stipulating that everything will begin with a general analysis. Invisible projects, at first glance, can become a novelty and represent an unfilled area. Invisibility is also available for beginners.

Expertise in the chosen field of activity

In the modern world it is impossible to succeed without being a professional. To achieve the best results, you need to become an expert in your industry. Moreover, you don’t have to know everything yourself; it’s enough to involve a large number of professionals. Henry Ford was not a master in the construction of cars and machine tools, but his team included the best minds of the time. Based on this, he can safely be called an expert.

Free niches in business in Russia are an advantage in new industries. Employment in them involves studying Western experience. The businessman may have to face a challenge, since the project is not always immediately profitable.

A policy of secrecy and deception will never provide the opportunity to build a stable customer base. Many entrepreneurs use cunning to sell their products and then look for new consumers. This approach is not only not long-term, but will never create the proper image and brand.

How to find your niche in business? We need to find a profitable and profitable option that will allow us to take a confident position in the market. The activity should be interesting to the entrepreneur and respond to customer requests.

Constant self-development, search for new forms and strategies of business

The world is changing extremely rapidly, and without constant development it is impossible to continue to move and improve. Every entrepreneur is recommended to constantly read, explore new opportunities, follow fashion trends and changes in consumer habits.

Choosing a niche for a business from scratch involves the need to analyze various sources and allocate time and money profitably.

Speaking about how to choose a niche for a business from scratch, it is important to note that it is necessary to carefully research the market, communicate with potential consumers, study trends in the economy and look for a problem that needs to be solved. A person must be dedicated to his project and concentrate on it as much as possible.

In contact with

Any business starts with choosing a niche. This stage is necessary in order to further determine the target audience and, accordingly, the marketing policy. The problem is that many entrepreneurs do not know how to find a niche for a business, and they take on the first idea they like. But to achieve success, you need a more balanced approach.

What is a niche?

A niche is an area of the market that is potentially profitable and the development of which makes it possible to build a business. A niche can be either wide or narrow. A broad niche includes a large number of products or services and has a large potential market. A narrow niche includes a small number of products, or even just one, and has a clear specialization.

For example:

Transport.
Cars.
Imported cars.
Expensive imported cars.
Expensive imported cars of a certain brand.

Each item can be a niche. In this example, the first niche is the widest and the last is the narrowest. Almost any niche can be narrowed down using the same principle. A niche can include goods or services for both end consumers (B2C) and businesses (B2B).

Where to start choosing a niche?

First you need to define the search area. Make a list of interesting ideas and then use elimination to select the best ones. It’s good if you manage to make a list of 50-100 potentially interesting niches. Let there be enough of them to choose freely, but not too many, otherwise the procedure will drag on for a long time.

With a clever niche approach, firms with a small market share can earn high profits because profit margins are higher than usual. And companies that already occupy a large market share, turning to unoccupied niches, strengthen their positions and receive additional profits. How to notice, evaluate and master an empty niche in time? Advice from practitioners will help answer these questions.

When new niches are needed

You shouldn’t expect that every new project will immediately generate significant income, but developing a new niche can significantly support the company’s core business in difficult times or allow it to find new markets. And in order to fully use your resources and feel confident in the market, today you need to be as mobile as possible, use all key opportunities in non-core markets, find new uses for old products and resort to atypical ones for your profile.

Before making a strategic decision to find new niches, it is necessary to determine why changes are needed in the enterprise. First of all, of course, due to declining sales and a reduction in the number of customers. There may be several reasons for this. There are those that you cannot influence, in particular the increase in the welfare of the population and, as a result, a change in purchasing behavior. And those that you can influence are the level of prices for services, the level of customer support, the company’s advertising policy, etc. To form a working and effective development strategy for the company, it is necessary to carry out systematic measures that will help you decide whether to look for new niches or revive relationships with existing clients (Figure 1).

Assessing the role of a new niche in business

When looking for new niches, you need to clearly define the company's goals. A new niche may be necessary both to increase market share and to survive if the company, for example, operates in a dying market. The search for a new market niche is carried out when entering new markets (for target positioning), working with the assortment matrix, and determining ways to diversify the business.

Thus, when launching a new product of the FMCG group in the “Grocery” category, where the level of competition is very high, during the research, a market niche for healthy food was identified with an emphasis on the objective properties of the product. And if the “Healthy Nutrition” category is already highly saturated, then the use of the objective properties of the product (in this case, the aleurone layer of grain, which was preserved thanks to a unique processing technology) became the basis for product positioning and made it possible, among other things, to achieve target strategic indicators.

If the company’s goal is to strengthen its position in the market, in parallel with developing a development strategy, it is advisable to implement a set of low-budget measures that can bring a positive effect for the business in a short period of time. This is an increase in the level of interaction with customers at all stages, from the first contact to purchase, the identity of advertising messages at all points of sale, customer feedback, the most convenient, understandable and comfortable website for customers and much more. All these activities will help you maintain balance in the market and focus on finding new niches for further business development.

In 2005, the Lan Ch company introduced the Lunchhall brand to the market for the segment of class A and B business centers. An architectural concept, design and free-flow production model were developed - free movement of the client in the distribution area from one food station to another. With this brand, we quite often won tenders, but over time, competition in the business center segment became tougher, turned to price, and we began to compete solely on the size of the rent. Analyzing the segment, we realized that there are business centers that do not have catering at all, located in old mansions, where there are not even communications for organizing at least some kind of cafe, as well as small modern business centers that also do not provide catering. For them, we developed the concept of a prepared food store, where the client can buy sandwiches, salads, hot dishes (which only need to be heated in the microwave), hot and cold drinks, desserts and pastries. All products are in disposable modern packaging, convenient for use. All dishes are delivered and not prepared on site. One of the variations of this concept did not provide for the presence of communications, and the area of the premises was required to be no more than 20 square meters. m. In addition, this format is well suited for large business centers that already have organized catering, but in the new format there is still little competition, and we work as an alternative to canteens.

Where do ideas come from?

AsstrA is an international logistics holding. Grew from AsstrA Associated Traffic AG, founded in 1993 in Switzerland. It has four structural divisions, each of which has its own specialization. The company's 800 employees work in the CIS countries, Western and Eastern Europe and Asia.

Every successful business, like the development of a new niche, begins with an idea and an author who takes upon himself the courage to speak out and convey it to others. Then estimation, analysis, calculations and risk, because the investments that will be made in a new project will pay off, of course, not immediately, but in the third or fourth year.

But although the company’s position regarding the search for new niches is directly dependent on the activity of the ideological engine of the business, in addition to this, the company’s strategic self-determination for a more or less long-term period is very important. In the mass segment, specialization, differentiation and uniqueness are more important for successful development, while in the niche segment, specialization, differentiation and uniqueness are more important.

The behavior of a company in the market depends on the type of management of the company. Of course, each of them is rare in its pure form, but the above classification allows us to assess the company’s predisposition to perceive and search for new ideas.

Our company, belonging to the third type, generates the main sales volume in the mass segment - cargo transportation. At the same time, the holding also has niche products - contract logistics, project logistics, logistics consulting, IT integrator in logistics. There is a development committee - a structural unit that monitors markets for the most interesting opportunities for expanding the holding's business and plans investments for relevant projects.

Ways to find new ideas

In my opinion, for the search for a new niche for business development to be successful, the main thing is the ability to allocate a special resource, primarily time, to generate ideas. In our holding we are looking for ideas not only outside the company, but also inside it (Figure 3). Surely these are not all search methods, but these are the ones we use and consider to be the most effective.

Our company's experience in finding new niches is quite diverse. Let me give you a few examples.

Intermodal transportation. Ten years ago, seeing the deterioration of infrastructure and technological equipment in Russia, we organized a division of intermodal (different types of transport with transshipment) transportation of oversized and heavy cargo. Most often, large industrial equipment and special equipment are transported as part of this service. One of the popular schemes is the transportation of cargo by road from the manufacturer (owner) in one of the European countries to the city of Brest (Belarus), transshipment by rail with subsequent delivery to the recipient in the CIS. There is also a demand for a scheme with delivery by sea to one of the Baltic ports with subsequent reloading and delivery to the recipient. The company's specialists determine the optimal route for each shipment, coordinate the delivery process, obtain the necessary permits, and provide support. The direction operates successfully to this day.

Outsourcing logistics. We began providing contract logistics services more than five years ago, seeing the opportunity to popularize the topic of outsourcing logistics, which has become especially relevant in crisis conditions. At that time, companies actively refused to spend on non-core functions, tried to tie costs to specific sales results, and therefore reduced their own logistics departments. The economy regime also forced us to actively look for ways to optimize costs for logistics processes. Having extensive experience in this area, we have determined what will be of interest to such companies and how we can bring them tangible benefits.

IT for logistics. Several years ago we realized that information technology would play an increasingly important role in logistics. This is how the EBS Partners sub-holding was created, which specializes in the development, implementation and technical support of software products for logistics. For example, one of the key products in the company's portfolio is Oracle Transportation Management (OTM). This solution integrates and optimizes transportation, payment, and also automates business processes associated with any type of cargo delivery. OTM is integrated with the ERP system from Oracle OeBS Oracle e-Business Suite and the business intelligence system Business Intelligence, through which we build a cockpit, or speedometers, that help managers make the right management decisions. The company already has several clients who require full integration of information systems (online information exchange, paperless document flow) to work with them. Taking into account market conditions, we expect that the share of such companies will only grow.

Methods for assessing the prospects of the chosen niche.

Before entering a new niche, a company usually conducts thorough research to gain an understanding of the market situation. The most common methods of assessing business areas are experimental-extreme (combat assessment), professional examination and interviews with the target audience.

Our company has outlined the process of developing a business plan, which contains a set of tools that allow you to assess the prospects of a new business direction. An analysis of the market capacity and its development potential is carried out. We usually proceed from macroeconomic indicators - the GDP of countries and the share of industries or segments, development programs implemented by governments. We track trends. Entry barriers that must be overcome to develop the segment are taken into account. For example, in the transport services segment, such a barrier may be the availability of specialized or specially equipped transport (for transporting certain goods). Competitors and consumers are analyzed. A risk management policy is developed based on existing market threats. For example, today we are working on a program for hedging exchange rate risks (our corporate accounting currency is the euro), which greatly influence export-import cargo flows and the results of our activities. We also conduct another analysis based on the tools that are used in modern marketing science.

And the more we manage to do this, the more informed the decision on the prospects of developing new segments will be made. But of course, each situation is unique in its own way, so the experience and strategic thinking of business owners, and sometimes their intuition, also play an important role, because choosing a new business direction is a kind of creativity that cannot be killed by administration.

Often it is our partners who give us hints for new ideas and solutions. Technical specialists solve a specific problem for the customer, and the result is a solution that can become an independent line of business.

We are currently actively developing a new direction - the production of cooling systems for communication base stations. The new niche arose in collaboration with one of the Big Three mobile operators, which was looking for a way to reduce operating costs at its base stations. One of the prerequisites for trouble-free operation of equipment is good cooling and timely removal of excess heat. Traditionally in Russia, all base stations are equipped with household air conditioners, which are inexpensive, but have two big disadvantages. The first is that their resource is not designed to work in harsh conditions where cooling occurs continuously, so the equipment wears out quickly. The second is significant energy consumption.

Taking these shortcomings into account, we, together with our partners, developed an air handling unit with a free cooling system and heat recovery. It consumes less energy, and in the cold season it generally operates due to the street cold. In addition, the installation is equipped with software for remote monitoring, control and diagnostics of the system, which allows the operator to save money and time on maintenance and management of the system.

From idea to implementation

If we talk about a new niche in the exhibition business, of course, we will talk about the development of new themes for exhibition projects. Many topics have already become hackneyed, exhibitions on them are held not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in a number of regions of Russia, and it is very difficult to come up with a new one.

Both here and abroad there are very few people who are the authors of new topics for exhibitions in their country. Over 25 years of work in exhibition activities, I have developed four or five of my own developments. Their creation is very difficult and requires a lot of time and intellectual investment. But new ideas are always needed, this is life.

Planning a project

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the demand for the topic in the country. There are, for example, areas of business that are characteristic only of Asia and the Middle East. They are not developing here due to climatic conditions and many other reasons; accordingly, exhibitions in these areas in Russia will not be successful. Next, you need to study the world schedule of exhibitions on similar topics. If there are no such exhibitions for at least two months before and after our planned time, we can begin to develop a project. Then specific work begins: partners are found who could act as co-organizers, and leading companies in the industry are selected. An exhibition operator cannot be a specialist in all areas, especially when it comes to a new project for him: there are thousands of topics, but there is only one operator, so, naturally, you need to rely on the help and support of the structures that work in this business. Moreover, when creating a new exhibition project, we plan it not for one year, but for the future.

Assessing the prospects

We can talk about the prospects of a niche if it is supported by business representatives in the country, leading foreign players, associations, and associations working in this industry. We can also talk about the prospects of an exhibition project if a serious business program has been developed within its framework, which brings together leading representatives of the industry. We see the most important indicator of prospects at the end of the exhibition, when we distribute diplomas to participants and invite them to submit applications for next year. If many people express a desire to participate in the future, then we can safely say that the exhibition is promising. It is very difficult to choose a new topic, but it is even more difficult to develop it. The most important thing is for the participants to see for themselves the success of the event. An exhibition is a tool for business development; if it helps to receive new orders, develop current programs or legislative initiatives within the framework of the congress that will go to government agencies, then it will develop and definitely move forward.

Analyzing a successful project

The most striking and classic example in the search for a new niche is Tele-Radio Broadcast Expo - an exhibition of television and radio equipment. This was Crocus Expo IEC’s own project, our partner was the National Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters. When we came up with this exhibition, we were supported by leading players in the Russian market. The exhibition took fourth place in the world almost from the first year. Today she ranks third. This is an example of the correct selection and development of a new niche from our past experience.

A more recent example is the international specialized exhibition and forum “Road”, which is held with the aim of identifying and solving problems of the Russian transport complex. Understanding the relevance of the issue, we were confident that the event would attract great attention. After all, this niche was completely empty. And the result met our expectations. Today, this is one of the most significant events dedicated to the development of road infrastructure in Russia.

The idea of renting restaurant equipment was suggested to us by clients of the Parad Catering catering restaurant. Requests for renting restaurant equipment without accompanying an event were received frequently, and at the same time, the company had the opportunity to rent it out during free time from orders.

After some thought and calculations, in 2004 we launched a separate service - the provision of equipment for restaurants for rent for a period of three days. Now free plates did not sit in the warehouse, but brought additional profit. The option eventually began to gain popularity, and after four years the division became crowded within Parad Catering. This is how the Rent4Party brand appeared. The emergence of a new brand was influenced by the constantly increasing flow of orders, expansion of the geography of activity and an increase in the range of goods and services of the company in the field of catering business.

After Rent4Party became an independent entity, yesterday’s competitors began to contact us - leading catering restaurants and event agencies, that is, direct competitors of Parad Catering. Thus, the new company, which was the result of a narrowing of services, identified a new niche in the business. A more targeted use of material resources opened up a promising direction and allowed it to develop into the formation of a separate brand.

How to find a business that will help people and make a profit ,

Denis Dmitriev will tell you,

entrepreneur, inventor and dreamer.

As a very young child, I traveled all over the country with my parents and the Italmas ensemble, my mother worked as an administrator, and my father played the balalaika. After his career as an artist, my father became an entrepreneur, and I constantly went to his office to sit at the computer. I remember back then there was an Internet connection at a speed of 2400 bits per second, which is 20 thousand times less than now via a smartphone. Access to huge information resources helped me develop quickly. Then I became very interested in high technology. I started my career as a system administrator in 1998, then worked for 10 years in marketing, PR, insurance sales, and HR consulting.

But I really felt happy when I returned to the technology business. I started working as a regional manager at LG Electronics in the Volga region and rose to senior regional manager. Then I was invited to one of the most technologically advanced companies of the smartphone manufacturer HTC, remember the first pocket computers with styluses on the Windows system? And then the first Android smartphone for Google. In this company, I developed sales in the regions of Russia and created 60% of the company’s total turnover in the Russian Federation. At the peak of success at HTC, I was invited by the Canadian company BlackBerry to join the development team for Russia and the CIS countries. Now they are used by many leaders of countries, for example, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel. I started at BlackBerry as a Distribution and Marketing Manager and ended my hiring career as the General Director of BlackBerry Russia & CIS. Over the 7 years of working in foreign companies, I gained enormous experience, which I applied to Russian regional business.

Now I devote myself entirely to my own business and am looking for partners who will work with me on a common goal: to make the world a better place.

How did I find a business idea I liked?

I was interested in exploring a market where the possibilities are almost endless. I looked around, looked for what every person had and thought how I could do it better. When I looked out the window at the city, I realized that behind each same window there lives a different person with his interesting story and different life situations. I looked at my window sill with a layer of black dust and thought how nice it would be to make the house feel fresh without having to open the window at all. I looked for various solutions, including studying fancy split air conditioning systems and expensive supply and exhaust ventilation systems. But it was all too complicated for the common man.

Using inaccurate analytics, I calculated that there is one window per person in Russia, which is about 146 million windows. Some of them have already been updated to plastic structures, and the second part has yet to survive this.

Germany is considered the birthplace of this homemade miracle, but the technology quickly spread to other countries. Therefore, plastic windows are also produced in Russia. The only difference between Russian windows and German ones is that ours have no ventilation, while German technology is not suitable for our weather conditions.

The lack of supply ventilation in Russian windows has given rise to a lot of operational problems. From the unpleasant, for example, fogging of windows, stuffiness, fungi, mold, drafts during ventilation, to the shocking - explosions of houses from the accumulation of gases when using gas stoves, children falling out from the ninth floors, when mothers try to ventilate the apartment and do not have time to keep an eye on the child who climbed onto the windowsill with the window open.

Our engineers could not accept these problems and developed ventilation technology suitable for Russian conditions. This know-how was invented in the city of Izhevsk(this city is famous for its engineers, for example, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov) and began its use in a device that we called. This is a high-tech plastic device that is installed in the profile of any plastic window and allows you to ventilate the apartment when the windows are closed.

A distinctive advantage of our development is that the windows do not freeze and their basic properties, such as sound insulation and thermal insulation, are not impaired. We installed a filter in our design that cleans the air from dust, pollen, black dust (rubber crumbs from car tires rubbing off on asphalt) and harmful impurities in the air. We purchased expensive Korean plastic that does not fade or crumble, and produced the first batch for retail customers. Our production is located in Izhevsk and can fulfill any orders in a short time, so we decided not to delay scaling.

Why franchising?

When I thought about a retail project, the idea immediately came to mind to use a business model proven by such giants as Samsung, HP, Xerox and many other successful manufacturers of printers and cartridges for them. I decided that we would help solve the life situations of our clients in a “single window” mode and with the highest level of service. We will install window filters and service them with replacement cartridges and related services directly from our service managers. This provides a lifetime guarantee of the quality of the window filter and maximum satisfaction of our client. In order to bring the opportunity to use our services to the entire population of our great country, we began to develop a business scaling model through a franchising system.

We want to control the quality of our service at all stages and will entrust our trademark (guarantor of service quality) only to trusted people who will immerse themselves in our common cause with all their soul and responsibility.

To make franchising accessible to any level of entrepreneur, we have waived lump-sum fees and royalties. This will allow you to start a business in almost any city. Even a city with a population of 50,000 people can generate a stable income not only through the installation of window filters, but also through maintenance (changing cartridges) and additional sales of accessories and related products. For example, we are currently developing a household air quality monitor in an apartment, which any family can afford to buy, while similar professional devices cost about $400 and their functionality is difficult to understand. We are constantly improving and finding new development opportunities, primarily technological ones. For a year now we have been working on a new version of the window filter, which will attract a very wide audience, especially we want to attract young people. I can’t lift the veil of secrecy, but I assure you that the device turns out to be very interesting and has potential for the international market due to its versatility and manufacturability. We are currently working on a patent for a new model, after filing a patent application we will publish the data.

Social responsibility

We try to make our filters available to everyone, so we hold various charity events within our network.

Imagine a large family. Mom and dad work hard to feed everyone. Winter is coming, small children are playing on the floor, the house is hot and stuffy. No one can stand not opening the window. There is a draft in the apartment, and the children can get sick. What burdens will the whole family bear in this case! You need to pay for medicines and treatments, take time off from work. But these could be our new cosmonauts and inventors, great writers and actors. We may not have dinner in a restaurant with a large group or miss another trip to the south and this will be quite enough to provide this family with window filters.

Imagine labor veterans, and maybe some even disabled people. They gave most of their lives to ensure our future. They now have to stay at home almost all day and night. They won't keep the windows open all the time. It's cold in winter, noisy and dusty in summer, and there are a lot of cars. Constantly getting up and walking to the window to ventilate the apartment for 5 minutes is difficult and dangerous.

Who will help them if not ourselves? You must always start with yourself. We want to set an example for ordinary citizens and businessmen to do the same. We are now implementing charitable projects entirely at our own expense, and will always do so, but this is not enough to cover the needs of many people in need. We plan to raise funds using different methods, from promotional stands in public places to individual orders. Soon we will we will launch a new project “Green Window Filter”, it will actually be green, we have a sample in our office in Izhevsk. All proceeds from this window filter will go to charitable projects. Install the “Green Window Filter” for yourself and someone who no less needs it will have exactly the same one. When “Green Window Filters” are increasingly visible on our windows, we will notice how the world is becoming a better place.