Every business starts with an idea, whether that’s an idea for a product or a service you could provide. That idea might decide which industry you work in, but that’s not always the case. For instance, if you start a consulting business, there are various consulting niches you can choose from.

This article will list a few of the best ideas for consulting niches and explain what a consulting niche actually is. The topics we’ll cover include:

  • What is a consulting niche?
  • Why is it important to have a consulting niche?
  • What are the best consulting niche ideas for businesses?
  • How can Countingup help your consulting business?

What is a consulting niche?

A consulting niche is a specific area or industry that you provide consulting services for. It may be that your consulting business has multiple niches, and can provide services to clients from a variety of fields. 

Smaller businesses are more likely to focus on a single niche. They provide very detailed consultations for the industry in question, instead of spreading themselves thin by assisting many clients with vastly different needs. 

Picking your niche is an essential part of starting a consulting business. This is because the field you choose to consult for will decide the clients you’ll get, the training you’ll need, and may affect how much it will cost to start the consulting business

Why is it important to have a consulting niche?

Provides focus 

When you come up with a business idea, it provides direction for your company. Similarly, deciding on a consulting niche is vital because it will decide on how you market your business, the kind of people you employ, and the sort of clients you’ll need to deal with.

Your consulting niche will also affect the competition you’ll face, which will also help to focus your business. For instance, you may start with construction as your consulting niche, but specialise even further within that industry to avoid competition from a similar business.

Simplifies marketing

You may be wondering how to promote your consulting business, as there are hundreds of different marketing strategies to choose from. Picking a niche helps with this, as it provides you with a target market to focus your advertising towards.

Once you’ve picked a niche, you can more effectively research the potential clients within that niche, and the kinds of marketing that might appeal to them. It can also save time and money as you can stop any marketing activities you’re directing elsewhere. 

What are the best consulting niche ideas for businesses?

SEO consultant 

The internet is an enormous place, and it can be tough for a business to be found if they don’t have a good grasp of online marketing or SEO. This is where your business would come in.

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a huge part of modern business. Good SEO means that when people search for the sorts of products you sell using Google or other search engines, your website will be at the top of the results page. 

If you want to select this as your consulting niche, you’ll need a good understanding of things like keyword searches and website structure. This field is very popular due to the current boom in ecommerce, so there are a variety of easy ways to find work as a freelance SEO consultant

Environmental impact consultant 

This is another consulting niche that’s very popular in modern business, due to the onset of climate change. An environmental impact consultant helps businesses lower their environmental impact by helping them change how they manage waste or make their products.

Governments offer a lot of incentives for businesses that are taking steps to protect the environment. These incentives mean that working in this niche also means showing clients how being eco-friendly can help their business.

This niche may require a scientific or engineering background, depending on the sort of clients you’re hoping to have. At the very least, you should make sure that you’re up to speed on the current scientific research surrounding climate change before selecting this as your consulting niche. 

Image consultant 

This consulting niche has become very popular due to the rise of social media. An image consultant provides advice to companies or individuals on the best way to market themselves to the world at large.

An image consultant deals with their client’s ‘image’, which refers to the general public’s perception of the client. This means the consultant must have a broad range of knowledge – they should know a little about everything from fashion and social media, to current events and social trends.

Operating in this niche might not require a lot of formal training (although a degree in marketing or business studies can help) but does require a keen awareness of what’s happening in society. Your job would be to ensure your clients also have this awareness, so they don’t say or do anything that would negatively impact their brand. 

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