Finding your Niche as a Freelancer
You found your passion. Now what?
I have always loved creating. But how did that translate into anything more than a hobby or just something I enjoyed? I knew I needed to narrow down what it is I wanted to create.
Welcome to the art of finding your niche.
It was daunting. I didn’t want to do it. And to be honest I didn’t know if I could. I knew I liked laying things out. I could draw and paint. Use design software. Make websites. Write when I needed too. But none of these things seemed to make the direction I should take any clearer.
So why should you bother finding a niche? I am sure there is some great analogy out there to answer this question. To me it’s the principle of by offering everything you end up doing nothing. For the design industry, a bride looking for her wedding invitations is not the same person wanting a logo for their website. These are separate niches appealing to different audiences. Some designers can make it work in the beginning, but then break off toward one thing after seeing what niche brings in the most clients. It’s a constant evolution. But if offering everything hasn’t worked or isn’t working try to focus in and see what you can find.
Here are some random rambles, notes I’ve scribbled, and real, truthful things I have lived and experienced from trying to find my niche. They all add up to what I will call:
advice on finding your niche
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Keep creating. It is again, the very thing I say I love to do. And once I create my work I share my work. Yes, the online and ecommerce world is saturated and at times it feels like social media is on the verge of ending, but it never hurts to share. You never know who may see it and where it can lead. And truthfully, I have met some of the coolest people who are out doing their own badass thing and it’s super inspiring to chat with them and possibly collaborate or at least get to know they exist.
As a caveat, drop the limiting belief that social media is and will be your only ticket to success. It’s not true so, do not spend all your time leaning on it for support. Focus on things you can control like your website. There’s no algorithm there and you chose what you share and when it is seen. A robot does not get to see how rad your work is or how creatively cool you are. Too bad for A.I. Point is share, but also don’t forget to set your sights elsewhere. Social media is just a road to get to your business — a.k.a. your website. -
Tell people what it is you like to do. Often, especially in the beginning stages of your entrepreneurial endeavors, you will find it is your friends, family, former colleagues, employers, and the guy standing on line in front of you who provide the most support and possible job opportunities. So, on your journey to self-discovery share a thing or two hundred. Honestly, it is something I wish I had done sooner because once I did the ideas started flowing and the path began to unfold. It may take someone saying the right thing or better yet, the wrong thing to give you that aha! moment. It’s also a good chance to start getting comfortable with sharing the work you are trying to do. Because no matter how confident you are, we all get anxious and nervous about putting ourselves out there. The old “Isn’t that really hard to do?” and “It only works for some people.” chips at the ego really quick. Don’t let the doubts win. Instead, get insanely inspired.
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Release attachment to the results. Do not put pressure on it having to work right out the gate. Through the creating, sharing, and telling you will find your ideas and the direction shifting from time to time. Or a lot. This is wonderful! It means it’s working. You are on the path to finding your first niche. First? Yes, first. Right now. In this moment. Release all attachment to the first thing you choose to focus on being the one and only thing that will work. Maybe it will for a day, a week, a month, 2 years, or a lifetime. Truth is you won’t know until you try and attaching yourself to an outcome will only make things feel icky and stressful. Ew. Who want’s that? Just release and let your niche do the talking. You’ll know if it’s right. I'm giving you permission to play.
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Keep up the passion. This kind of goes without saying. Finding your niche and starting your own business is a true journey of self-discovery and I think a lot of people would benefit from exploring it. Or at least that is my experience. But if in this process you find that you’re just not feeling it or it isn’t working, know it’s okay to pivot. Most of us may have already made a pivot to get here. Whether it was leaving a job or making a career change. Nothing says that once you are self-employed you can never go and work for someone else again. Treat it like another job. Except, it’s awesome and you get to be your own boss, and do what you love, and learn new things on your own terms. So, keep up the passion. Don’t be afraid to shift directions. And don’t ever stop creating. Sharing. And embracing the crazy path and life you have now embarked on. I promise amazing things will really start to happen.
Wow, so that’s it. Apparently, my list to finding your niche only contains four things. Seem simple? Well, all these things are never truly accomplished. Think of it more so as a continuous evolution along your journey toward figuring out what it is you are trying to do. Keep these tips in the back of your mind as you begin to explore any and all opportunities to finding your niche. I wish you the very best and most fun of times on this exploration. You're gonna rock it!
XX Emma
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