Choosing a niche in the type of clientele you attract means you can become an expert at working with a particular type of client. You’ll then start to build a reputation as the ‘go to’ provider for that particular client type.

There are many ways to niche. The most obvious one would be by business sector. Business owners often think that if they don’t just deal with a particular type of industry then they don’t have a niche. It’s surprising how many business owners niche without even realising they do it! For example you may choose to niche in a specific business structure, for instance specialising in dealing with Limited Companies. Niching down doesn’t mean that you only have to deal with this client type, it just means you specialise in it and the majority of clients you deal with fall under this criteria. At LJM Bookkeeping we deal with services based businesses and the only software we use is Xero. This means we have the knowledge and understanding of dealing with the books of service based businesses therefore we can make suggestions based on experience. Only using one type of accounting software allows us to use the software to its full potential, giving our clients the best possible bookkeeping service.

Finding your niche

1. Identify who you enjoy working with

The more experience you have in business the more likely you are to be able to identify who you like working with best. If you’re going to niche down then you need to enjoy doing it. There may be certain types of clientele who you wish to avoid working with as you find them too challenging or time consuming, so this will give you an idea of who you can rule out. Look over your current client base. Which ones do you enjoy working  with most? Find a common interest in these clients and you may have found your niche!

2. What problems do you solve for your clients?

What part of your job do you find the most rewarding? We enjoy helping businesses to get back value time by introducing them to automation and new technology. You can niche dependant on service type. You don’t necessarily have to stop offering other services, but if you enjoy a specific area of your job more than another, then get promoting this! You’ll attract the clients you want to work with most by solving their problems.

3. Identify your ideal client

As we touched upon earlier you can niche by identifying your ideal client. This doesn’t have to be based on industry; this can be gender, age range, location they live in etc. There are many ways to discover your ideal client. Think about your current clients and who you would like more of and why.

4. Experiment

Finding your perfect niche may not come to you straight away. It may be trial and error. Don’t be afraid to change it up. If what you originally start with isn’t working out, review and go back to the drawing board. Your ideal client is out there, you just need to identify who they are and make it work for you both.

5. Marketing

When putting together your marketing strategy keep your niche in mind. Consider what you think they may want to see on your social media. Identify problems they may come across which you can resolve and talk about it across your social media platforms. Think about where your ideal client would hang out and be visible where they are. 

Building a client base around your niche means you will be a happier business owner. Happiness in your job gives you greater ambition and motivation. Working with people who you share interests with and who you like spending time with will make you much more productive. Having strong healthy relationships with your clients will encourage them to talk about you and tell others just how good you are. Word of mouth goes a long way in business! Be sure to let your clients know that they are your ideal client so that they can be sure to recommend you to others just like them.