Brainstorming an Idea here.

by Mrnace
12 replies
Okay.

So, for years now I have been trying and failing, yet learning how this online marketing/entrepreneurship stuff works.

I've not made a penny for the countless hours i've spent writing content, on social media and doing other things.

I except that I haven't been good enough to push on and make that 1st dollar, let alone go on to make a decent living from this.

My first blog was called mynewlifeacademy.com and to be honest, it was terrible, i couldn't write, the blog was terrible, I didn't have a clue how to use social media to build traffic, email lists, tags, or any of the basic and more complicated skils and knowledge for it to succeed.

It was a self help blog, that needed help.

Then there was my T-shirt venture. I spent £130 on 25 awful t-shirts with my own design on it to sell on ebay.

I only sold then to friends and family.

Then there was applanddevelopment.com. the clue as to what that was is in the domain name.

It was a website were people who wanted an phone app created and I'd outsource the work.

0 sales.

Then, my last venture was becomethemonster.com.

Now, this was my best venture yet, taking on all i'd learnt so far and putting it into this second self development blog.

Then, after 18months or so I'd lost interest and motivation to write about it and I felt that it hadn't built enough traction to take it on any further. I felt i was wasting my time with it and gave it up.

So, on to my next "idea".

I want to go through it with you guys and gals, to tell me what you think about it, how you all think it will do and lay a basic foundation of how it could do.

Now, I don't expect anyone to do the work for me. But any help, advice and guidance will be greatly appreciated.

This new idea stems from what I have been doing in my day job with more than 12 years of experience in and counting.

For those years, I have been a retail worker, working face to face with the public who buy our products and have learnt many skills that have eventually got me into a supervisory position at my current job.

The blog will basically be somehting for the retail workers, to help them improve what they do, somebody on their side, who can understand the frustrations and show them the right way and to become the best retail assistant possible and progress their career.

I will also be writing content about my own learning. I have, at the posting this thread, been in my first managerial/supervisory position in my retail career and learning in every shift I complete.

So this can be expanded to supervisors in retail and other industries too.

What are you thoughts on this niche? have you worked in it? is it viable?

Is there anything to consider before spending money and hours of time setting this up?

Thanks

Nathan
#brainstorming #idea
  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    It all comes down to you and not your niche. If you treat this as you treated the other niches you mentioned and just quit, then it has no chance. You will have to stick with it.

    Now, as far as the niche goes. I worked retail years ago and know some people that still do. They do not want to get better at it. In fact, most just do it because it is the only job they can get. They are underpaid and underappreciated so what is their motivation to be better at it.

    I am not saying all are this way, but if you were to take a little survey, which you should, you would probably find that 90% or more could give a crap.

    I am not saying it is a bad niche, but you really need to do some research on this.

    al
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Do retail workers read blogs?

    Do they buy information products or coaching?

    Answer those questions and you'll answer your question.
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    • Profile picture of the author oda
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      Do retail workers read blogs?

      Do they buy information products or coaching?

      Answer those questions and you'll answer your question.
      DO NOT Worry if they buy coaching or info products, there are so many ways to monetize traffic is just ridiculous.

      Dude, I am ex-retail and a manager too. I like your idea a lot and especially as a place for retail workers to have a winge about a customer to other retail workers.

      Sales tips, customer handling tips, ways to handle your boss, awesome sick day excuses.
      Content will be easy for you.

      Don't worry about MONEY, worry about traffic and getting people to come back to the site again and again.

      Then you can start to look for revenue from advertising, Private mail outs, amazon products, CPA offers just to name a few. I can think of like 20 ways to monetize that traffic.

      The Nice thing about retail workers is the second word. WORKERS, Workers have money to spend on stuff, (you make a commission ) unlike a lot of people in the IM/MMO Niche.

      Cheers Bro, Go hard man!!!!

      Oda
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      • Profile picture of the author Mrnace
        Originally Posted by oda View Post

        DO NOT Worry if they buy coaching or info products, there are so many ways to monetize traffic is just ridiculous.

        Dude, I am ex-retail and a manager too. I like your idea a lot and especially as a place for retail workers to have a winge about a customer to other retail workers.

        Sales tips, customer handling tips, ways to handle your boss, awesome sick day excuses.
        Content will be easy for you.

        Don't worry about MONEY, worry about traffic and getting people to come back to the site again and again.

        Then you can start to look for revenue from advertising, Private mail outs, amazon products, CPA offers just to name a few. I can think of like 20 ways to monetize that traffic.

        The Nice thing about retail workers is the second word. WORKERS, Workers have money to spend on stuff, (you make a commission ) unlike a lot of people in the IM/MMO Niche.

        Cheers Bro, Go hard man!!!!

        Oda
        Thanks for the confidence building post here. Wouldn't there be issues with "bringing the company into disrupte" or something, if a worker goes on a forum, social media or where ever and moans about their boss or a customer.

        Something would have to be put in place to protect them from that. I've known people to be sacked for it.
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  • Profile picture of the author robofx
    Banned
    What's that old saying about "I was an overnight success and it only took me ten years to achieve" or something like that?

    You've certainly got the persistence and thick skin required to succeed!

    Originally Posted by Mrnace View Post

    So this can be expanded to supervisors in retail and other industries too.
    Probably a hugely competitive niche, but if you do it right, I could see you selling it to big retail companies (Target, Walmart, whatever) .. in other words, license it to their corporate training departments.

    You'd need paper training manuals, DVDs etc. You could hire people to conduct the training on-site for you at whatever location your retail corporate clients required (nation-wide).

    The opposite end of the spectrum could be even more profitable with what I'd guess would be just about zero competition along with an essentially limitless pool of prospects.

    Think of all the small retail stores/local chains that are struggling to make a buck.

    What would the owners pay for a training program that they believed would lead to their employees generating significantly more sales for them (assuming you could unequivocally document positive results)?

    As The Donald would say: The potential is "HUGE!"

    Could be a mega-profitable venture if done and marketed correctly. Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    but if you were to take a little survey, which you should
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  • Profile picture of the author Mrnace
    Of course, the research is Key. I think this could have been where I have gone wrong with my other ventures, a loke of good and proper research, do people need more self development content rehashed.

    I am going to get a survey written up and going to contact a retail workers union here in the UK to see if they would be interested in working together to get as many people on it as possible.

    There is definitely a market here.

    The question is, why are retail workers underpaid and unmotivated? From personal experience is a lack of respect for themselves and from others, especially when they work for certain companies. I know Walmart has a bad reputation for the type of customers they atract and I assume its the same for the way people think or their staff.

    I am not from the USofA so can't really say.

    But, when I see people in the 30s and older working in discount stores, I can't help myself in thinking they there is something lacking there and i'd love to help them become better not necessarily at they jobs, but in how they see themselves too.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joan Altz
      Originally Posted by Mrnace View Post


      It was a self help blog, that needed help.
      LOL. I love that line.

      Originally Posted by Mrnace View Post

      Of course, the research is Key. I think this could have been where I have gone wrong with my other ventures
      Yes.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Lots of golden advice given so far. Something else to consider is to find out who your competition is, do you know?. How do they approach the niche? How do they market themselves? How do they monetize and move in that space?

      Personally, I don't think you've targeted your niche specifically enough. The way you described your plan borders much more on a market than a specific niche. Targeting "Retail Workers" covers a lot of territory. You''ll need a lot of marketing muscle, money or both assuming there's a market you can monetize that exist at all.

      A "profitable niche" is ...
      A need you find within a market, no one else is providing or providing as well as you.
      - And -
      People are willing to pay for.


      As others have said only proper and disciplined research can answer that. Don't just settle for ... It sounds like a good idea. Dead bodies litter that road.

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      • Profile picture of the author Mrnace
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        Lots of golden advice given so far. Something else to consider is to find out who your competition is, do you know?. How do they approach the niche? How do they market themselves? How do they monetize and move in that space?

        Personally, I don't think you've targeted your niche specifically enough. The way you described your plan borders much more on a market than a specific niche. Targeting "Retail Workers" covers a lot of territory. You''ll need a lot of marketing muscle, money or both assuming there's a market you can monetize that exist at all.

        A "profitable niche" is ...
        A need you find within a market, no one else is providing or providing as well as you.
        - And -
        People are willing to pay for.


        As others have said only proper and disciplined research can answer that.
        Thanks for the coments.

        This is in the very early stages of development and research. finding my specific niche will get done.

        Are there any good books or resources that can help me develop a really good research plan?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Gordon
    I think you are finally moving in the right direction. Take the base of experience you actually have accumulated, and build on that to bring value to your next offering.

    Good start.

    Where I worry about this idea is that you are still shooting in the dark. Yes, do some research to figure out what the market wants and needs. But I would argue that instead of just building some vague community or training-type products, look for specific needs you can address or problems you can solve.

    People aren't motivated to spend money by anything that falls short of solving a real problem of theirs that they can't otherwise solve for free. If you want to part them with their money, figure out how to deliver extraordinary value that they can't get easily from anywhere else.

    There are many ways to get there, but only one way to survive the trip. Make their time spent with you such a valuable experience that it gives them reason to come back often.

    Being interesting isn't enough. Always look to solve a problem.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mrnace
      Originally Posted by Jack Gordon View Post

      I think you are finally moving in the right direction. Take the base of experience you actually have accumulated, and build on that to bring value to your next offering.

      Good start.

      Where I worry about this idea is that you are still shooting in the dark. Yes, do some research to figure out what the market wants and needs. But I would argue that instead of just building some vague community or training-type products, look for specific needs you can address or problems you can solve.

      People aren't motivated to spend money by anything that falls short of solving a real problem of theirs that they can't otherwise solve for free. If you want to part them with their money, figure out how to deliver extraordinary value that they can't get easily from anywhere else.

      There are many ways to get there, but only one way to survive the trip. Make their time spent with you such a valuable experience that it gives them reason to come back often.

      Being interesting isn't enough. Always look to solve a problem.
      I plan to contact am Union for retail workers and possibly send out a survey to their members and use the feedback to find the problems to solve. then go from there.
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