First, let me just say that I know you are thinking “too hard”. Finding a good niche is not rocket science, but it does take time and effort.

Failing is not the huge problem you are making it out to be.

I have failed. Yes… my first website was a big fat failure. I tried to step into a huge niche that had a ton of big name competition… and compete. Well, that didn’t work.

photo credit: j-e-m-s (dos chicas)

Oh… I had done my research, and thought I had cracked the code. I was so wrong, and lost money. Did it hurt? Yes.

Personally, I have had too reel in the fast track - let’s get into “many niche” idea - and focus on the niches that I love to write about and find interesting. They are not “big money” niches. They do make money, consistently. And… they make more money for my family, each month.

They are sites that the search engines like. Some of these sites are almost 3 years old. Some are new niches that I have just started recently.

How did I find these niches to create my business around? I had a mentor tell me flat out… start with an idea you already talk about all the time… and then go deep into the research within that topic and find out what others need help with the most.

Then take that deep, deep idea and start working on the keyword research…. and start writing articles to put on your website from the day you find your “golden nugget”.

You won’t find an internet marketer that hasn’t failed in his business in some way. You just won’t! You have heard that you must walk before you can run. I’ll bet you let those words go in one ear and out the other… Yeah, Yeah, Yeah… not just show me where the “easy button” is and how to push it.

Well, my friends… You must fail first before finding a niche.

You’re stuck… I know it. You just can’t decide where to get the next big idea. You need help figuring out how to find a niche.

photo credit: brain malfunction

To find a new niche… one that you probably know you should pursue, but it’s hidden deep inside your brain… you need to dig it out!

It’s like a treasure hunt inside your mind. What it really is… is a brain dump on paper. You must not use a computer for this… seeing it on paper is so much better. The idea is so simple… that you may think it’s silly. You would be so wrong… some of the greatest marketers in the world use paper, napkins and white boards to come up with their best ideas. Why should you be any different?

Okay… the brain dump:

• Everything you think of is a potential market… what you are working on today is finding the potential market that is unique to you.
• Stop everything you are doing. Look away from the computer screen… (after you finish reading this)
• Get a very large pad of paper or preferably a large notebook - this is not a throw away list, it’s a keeper.
• Sit down in your favorite room, the one that you do the stuff that makes you happy. This might be a hobby room, your kitchen (if you love to cook) or maybe it’s outside on the patio. Just find the place you gravitate to when you are having fun or feel the most relaxed.
• Now… the fun part. Look around… just look at everything.
• Start writing down everything you see. For instance: If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen because you love to cook, start listing -
  • tools
  • cabinetry
  • spices
  • pots and pans
  • decorations
  • lighting
  • cleaning products
  • linens
  • interesting food items you really like
  • magnets on the refrigerator
  • rugs
  • tile, counters, flooring
  • bar stools
  • coffee maker - are you a coffee diva like me?
  • love to bake? list out what you love to bake…
  • are you a clean freak? what do you use to make everything sparkle? are you into the “green” cleaning products?

Keep it going… go deep… the first part of the list will probably be to broad… as you get going, you will start to get down into the recesses of your mind and start noticing little things that are your favorites.

You can do this brain dump in a variety of places. Drive around you local area… what are your favorite stores? places to dine? do you gravitate to certain places? Do you love to shop for decorating ideas? Shoes? Farmers Markets?

See where I’m headed? It’s like digging out all the little gems from the bottom of the treasure chest. Those little gems that have fallen to the bottom are what you are trying to find. The big stuff that was easy to find on the top… are the broad niches. The little tiny pebbles that have fallen between the cracks are the real gold.

The one thing I learned about finding my own niches… choose something you really like to talk about… alot! I have several old websites that are just sitting their without any new content… or products to sell… because I just have no interest in that subject. It was a fleeting interest… something I was very interested in at the moment… but after a month or two, I had covered all that I knew on the topic. Dying a slow death.

Need ideas to get started: Niche Ideas 

I hope you find a niche you will love for a very long time.

How small does your niche need to be? How small is a good niche for public domain products? You need to get into a smaller segment of a large market.

This niche must be tightly focused so that you can reach an audience. You know… have traffic that can find your site and fall in love with your new product.

It really is best to work on something you can live with doing for a very long time, not based just on making money… but because you love to talk about it and could write enough great articles about this hobby or interest to fill a book.

Also… it’s good to be giving in your niche. Spill out everything you know and how to do it on a blog… really. Give it all up… and then learn more and share that as well. It’s like a huge wave of people will come and find you and latch on to your coat-tails. You are building yourself up as an expert and when someone finally gets the point that you are… they will buy almost anything your recommend. It works… it takes time… but it works!

Find something in an area you are comfortable in that isn’t saturated on the internet. Competition is good… that means their is an interest. To much competition in your tiny little niche is a bit harder to overcome. (please don’t create another dating, gambling or porn site)

• Cars is to broad

• Old Cars is a niche

• Radical hot rods is a focused niche

Their are thousands of untapped niches… by race - age- demographic or occupation.

Let’s take age for example:

• I have used 50th birthdays as a niche… I haven’t used public domain information to create a product yet. Why? Because… I’m still testing the niche to see what product they are not finding yet. What “itch” I can scratch. Am I selling affiliate products? Yes… most definitely.

• Think of the baby boomers that are coming of age. Think of the baby boomer women? What are their problems. Lot’s of us boomers use the internet everyday in search of answers specific to our problems.

How about location... where you live. Could you do a blog and provide useful products related to your area?

• How about a blog on the topic of Southwest Travel… hmm I’ve done that… could I use public domain material that is available about the southwest us? yep… been their - done that.

• How about a calender using public domain images from your home town? Haven’t done that yet… but it’s on the list.

What hobby do you have? What do you collect? How about scrapbooking? What’s available in the public domain that you could use in scrapbooking?

• How about creating printed 8 x 11 sheets of old ephemera… (that is stuff like pictures, receipts and ticket stubs). Did I do that? How? I found old stuff and set it up so that the images could be easily cut out and pasted in scrapbooks. I used a high quality scanner to print these images, using inks that didn’t run and were archive safe. Where did I sell them? On eBay of course.

What do others ask your help with? Do you have a talent that others are always asking you for help with? Could you share this information with others? Don’t you think that there is information on this subject in the Public Domain? Of course! There is even information about computers and internet available in the Public Domain.

There is stuff in your head that others will pay to learn… Really! We all know something that someone else doesn’t know… and we can fill in with Public Domain information where we have gaps in knowledge.

Key to this: The fact that someone else knows the same information you do… isn’t the point. Someone asks you about this information because they trust you! They find you easy to talk to and you help them through their problem. They love you for that. Get the point?

Do you love to travel? Maybe you love to go to Disneyland? Hmmm… would that be a good niche. Guess what I found in my stash ‘o stuff from my mom’s house? An old movie that my grandfather took at disneyland when I was about the age of 1… that was over 50 years ago. Now… as a Disneyland buff would you like to see what it looked like over 50 years ago? You would if you were a die hard Disney freak. This stuff sells on eBay like crazy. I had it digitized into a DVD format for about $25… and guess what? I’ll bet you can guess…

You can find stuff to sell online even in your own families treasures. Have you looked for old films yet? They can be digitized for a reasonable cost and then you can sell it over and over again. What a windfall?

Okay… so maybe you think some of these ideas are just plain silly… or not anything you are interested in.

• Pottery
• Glass Blowing
• Sewing
• History of…?
• Beekeeping
• bookbinding
• hypnotism
• magic
• maps of…?
• basket making
• trains
• wooden toys

Did you know that public domain information is available in all these niches? Maybe you did. But… maybe you didn’t know that you can find ton’s of information about any subject to do with gardening? Has gardening really changed all that much over the years? Are their secrets and old ideas that might be useful for someone new to gardening?

Refinishing old furniture… could someone use information about that? What do you think? Is their information in the Public Domain? Yes.

What style of furniture are you going to be teaching how to refinish? How about GUSTAV STICKLEY and the CRAFTSMAN style? Now that’s a tiny niche with rabid fans… (I’m giving away an idea I should have kept to myself!)

Okay… if you still can’t find your niche, you can always ask me to help. Yes… I will help you find a niche topic… and it’s one-on-one!!! Yep, I am going to help you find a profitable niche. One that shows so much promise that you would be just plain silly not to exploit it!

How do I do this… I have my own way of doing market research. I use a tested “path”… and it works like a charm. Has every bit of my research produced profitable niches? Yes and no… for every niche that I truly devoted the energy to make an online presence… it has proved profitable.

What do you have to do to get me to help you? It’s really pretty easy… just click on this link: Public Domain Niche Help.

and see how easy it will be to get started today!

Read more about niche research.

Did this article help you figure out how small is a good niche for Public Domain Products? Leave a comment with your ideas!