Gaining a foothold in any industry can be a tricky task in this digital age, as it’s never been easier to set up a website and start trading in any sector in a matter of minutes. With easy-to-use platforms such as WordPress available, even those who have negligible design and technology skills can register a domain, build a very basic portal and get up and running.

Naturally, there are business basics that everyone should adhere to, and the above process, while simple, is unlikely to succeed. A strong business plan, funding and high-quality staff are among the obvious requirements for any startup, but even that may not be enough.

Finding Your Voice

The fact that it is so easy to get online and trade makes competition rife in any sector, so what can you do to give yourself a chance of success? SEO practices and the art of getting your name on the first page of Google can be expensive, but if budgets are tight, you can still make yourself heard.

Being truly unique is very tough, but it’s far from impossible to find a niche, certainly on a local level for a product or service that has less availability in your region. Here are a number of examples of companies within the area and beyond who have recognised that fact and gone on to enjoy success in their respective industries.

Eyes Down…

“Bingo” (CC BY 2.0) by cote

Online bingo and the gaming industry as a whole is a great example of just how crowded one sector can be. The first internet bookmaker started trading in 1996 and in just over 20 years since that date, literally hundreds of brands have followed suit with more setting up business in each passing month.

As a new and progressive online bingo operator, you have to find some USPs – but how do you do that with a game such as bingo, which is essentially played in the same way right across the world? Fabulous Bingo are one bingo operator that have sought to address that, by providing a welcome bonus plus a range of promotions that change across the calendar. It’s easy to stand still in the gaming industry but by changing the offers regularly, players will keep coming back to see what’s new.

The choice of games is important, too, with bingo developers such as Playtech turning to established IPs such as Deal or No Deal to tie into their titles. There are lessons for any industry here; keep changing your offers and incentives, build an eye-catching website and the package will keep your buying public interested.

Beer Specialists

“Belgian Beer in Amsterdam” (CC BY 2.0) by cheeseslave

The Fat Cat public house in Norwich has won many awards over the years and in the modern day, it’s unusual for a pub to succeed without placing a heavy emphasis on food. There are bar snacks available but they are secondary to a huge beer list which promises over 30 real ales and a vast imported section.

This is great example of how specialising can fill a niche demand. Alongside the traditional real ale enthusiasts, there is a growing demographic for Belgian beers, beyond the usual Leffe and Hoegaarden in particular and global beers as a whole. As a result, those with an interest will make a specific pilgrimage to the Fat Cat from all over the UK and even beyond.

Beam Me Up… to Norwich

Staying in the county town and we head to the centre, where Norwich’s Television and Movie Store is another business that attracts a global customer base. Unlike the Black Cat, they also have a thriving online store, too – so how do they do it?

Once again, this is a company that appeals to an important niche. Sci-fi collectors spend significantly on action figures, T-shirts, DVDs and other memorabilia and it’s all stocked here; much of it is very rare and hard to find anywhere else – even in the more familiar online portals. More standard items are here, too, but regular customers know that they can always find an unusual gift or item to add to their collection and the physical shop is busy all year round.

Paintball and More

“Dec21-89” (CC BY 2.0) by Justin Capolongo

There’s nothing really new about paintball but in Thetford, one company shows us an important lesson in diversification. Combat Paintball in the heart of Thetford Forest also includes 3D archery, laser clays and laser tag combat so there are some high-tech pursuits to enjoy, along with the more traditional.

You can get paintball with a twist, too, with zombie-themed events for the not-so-faint of heart. Combat Paintball show us how you can take a niche that is starting to get crowded and innovate to give the public something different. Like all of the businesses listed above, they show how creativity and appealing to niche audiences can help us all to succeed.

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