Over at the Small Business Trends blog, Anita Campbell looks at the rise of one person businesses, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Anita has a nice chart and a link to more detailed statistics. In addition to just proving to yourself that you’re on the leading edge of a national movement, you might be able to use the statistics to help you target new business.
In a quick review of the numbers I saw that the following three categories account for about 7 million one-person businesses:
- Professional, scientific, and technical services—This includes services such as:
- legal advice and representation
- accounting
- bookkeeping
- payroll services
- architectural
- engineering
- specialized design services
- computer services
- consulting services
- research services
- advertising services
- photographic services
- translation and interpretation services
- veterinary services
- other professional, scientific, and technical services
- Other services—This includes:
- equipment and machinery repairing
- promoting or administering religious activities
- grantmaking
- advocacy
- drycleaning and laundry services
- personal care services
- death care services
- pet care services
- photofinishing services
- temporary parking services
- dating services
- Construction—This includes:
- contracting
- remodeling
- carpentry
- cabinetmaking
- painting and wallpapering
- plumbing
- stonemasonry and tilesetting
- electrical
- landscaping
- flooring installation
- roofing
- solar energy contracting
It’s possible that you’re in one of these lists, probably the first list above. Take a look at the other types of businesses. Do a quick search through your local phone directory and see how many of each of these businesses are listed.
- Can you provide bookkeeping services to people in the construction trades?
- Can you write web pages and brochures for people in the verterinary, personal care, or engineering businesses?
- Can you provide engineering services to contractors?
- Or can you provide landscaping services to engineering firms to offer to their clients?
If you find plenty of companies in a niche industry locally, you can create an identity for yourself as an authority in that niche. Serving a particular niche makes it easier to market to and maintain a solid client base. You become the expert to call for your services, whether writing, bookkeeping, web design, paralegal services, or other offering, in the target niche.
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