Finding Your Niche

Starting a small business is exciting—and overwhelming. When you first begin, it’s tempting to say yes to everything: every client, every product, every opportunity.

But here’s the truth most business owners learn the hard way: trying to do everything is the fastest path to burnout. Finding your business niche isn’t about limiting yourself—it’s about building a business that’s profitable, sustainable, and actually enjoyable to run.

Let’s break down how to find your niche and set your small business up for long-term success.

What Is a Business Niche (and Why It Matters)?

Your niche is the specific product or service for a specific group of people. It’s what makes someone say, “Oh, you want that? You HAVE to work with this business”

A strong niche:

• Attracts the right customers

• Clarifies your messaging

• Simplifies your offers

• Helps you price confidently

• Makes marketing easier

• Differentiates you from competitors

When people understand exactly what you do and who you help, trust—and sales—follow.

Ask Yourself These Questions

Before committing to a niche, get honest with yourself:

1. What do I genuinely enjoy doing? If you dislike it now, you’ll resent it when demand increases.

2. What am I consistently good at? Your niche should highlight your strongest abilities.

3. What fits my current lifestyle and capacity? Your business should support your life—not consume it.

For myself, I knew I enjoyed baking cookies and that people liked them. I'm an artistic person by nature so I wanted to do something that leveraged that skill. I had never actually made frosted sugar cookies but I had watched enough tutorials and videos to feel confident I could make them.

I also lived in a 875 sq ft condo at the time and while I loved baking cakes, I did not have the fridge space for that big of an endeavor. Cookies were smaller and more shelf stable so they made more sense for the space I had.

Research Your Market (Without Overthinking It)

You don’t need a complicated market analysis to get started:

• Look at competitors in your area or online

• Notice gaps in their business

• Observe which offers get the most engagement

Your goal isn’t to copy—it’s to position yourself intentionally.

When I did this, I realized that there were a lot of cake bakers, but nobody was making cookies - frosted or not. There were cake pop makers, but I had tried my hand at that in college and didn't like it. There was a significant lack of cookies in the marketplace so that's where I went.

Test Your Niche Before Fully Committing

You don’t have to decide forever on day one.

Test your idea:

• Bake for your friends and family

• Take some cookies to local businesses and create a cute little survey for people to send you feedback

The turning point from me was when I went to the dry cleaner's and explained my business idea to the owner. It was an accidental conversation that changed my life. After our 15 min discussion, she ordered 2 dozen cookies - before I had even fully committed to a business.

After this, I began baking for coworkers who started asking for cookies and that's when I knew this could work.

Start Small and Stay Focused

One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make is launching with too many offers.

Instead:

• Choose one core service or product

• Build systems around it

• Refine your process

• Expand only when it supports growth
  

The initial plan was to expand Love and Baking to cakes and cupcakes. However, the demand for cookies just grew and grew. I now offer drop cookies, and cookie classes and for me, that's so much more fulfilling than making cakes. I'm actually really glad I didn't go the cake route. Even though I have my own space now, with my lifestyle now, cookies just make more sense.

Your Niche Can Change—and That’s Normal

Your first niche doesn’t have to be permanent. As your skills grow and your circumstances evolve, your business can evolve too. A good friend of mine loved to make cookies and wanted to create a cafe for people to come enjoy, and maybe take some cookie classes. She soon realized, she didn't love the retail business and changed direction. She now solely focuses on classes and corporate orders. For her, this made more sense and has been able to continue to grow in this new path.

Final Thoughts

Finding your business niche is about alignment:

What you enjoy + what you’re good at + what people will pay for.

When those overlap, you’re no longer just running a business—you’re building something you and others will love.

Talk soon Cookie Lovers,

-Ashley B.