Carving Out Your Niche

Finding a specialization you love is key to developing a sustainable — and enjoyable — business for yourself. By Martin Grebing.

Now that you’ve committed to starting your own animation business and have budgeted your six- to 12-month rampup period (as discussed last time), perhaps the single most important item remains. All aspects of your business will stem from one solitary concept: your niche.

Your niche is what separates you from everyone else. Your marketing efforts, target clients, web site, business cards, identity and entire business model should be based solely on your niche.

When you are well niched, you are very tightly focused. What you have to offer is perceived as special and unique, if not the only game in town. Your niche distinguishes you from everyone else.

It’s never a good idea to try to be all things to all people. This approach confuses your client base and only succeeds in lumping you in with every other service provider clamoring for scraps. Generalizing can make you virtually invisible when the goal is to stand out. A jackof-all-trades and master of none never made anyone very successful.

If at all possible, try to carve out your niche with as much consideration given to your personal preferences as your business considerations. Knowing that you will be spending your waking hours for the next X-number of years Your niche is what separates you from everyone else. Your marketing efforts, target clients, web site, business cards, identity and entire

business model should be based solely on your niche.