Yesterday I received an email from a new subscriber of mine. Here is a snippet from it:
“I seriously have my doubts that anyone can emulate your success in such a short time unless they went and did stock trading or were lucky enough to find some really hot trendy niche market.
I challenge you to prove me wrong.“
This is a very fair question and something that echoes the sentiment of many people who wish to build a residual income from the internet.
So although I’ve replied in full to this subscriber personally, I thought we’d bring this issue out in the open here on the GHG blog.Â
The #1 Myth
A commonly held belief is that the only people who make money are teaching other people how to make money online.
It’s understandable and I in fact was swaying towards this belief during my “struggle” in 2010 when I was starting out.
Now, it’s certainly true that many people have only made money online by teaching others about it.
But the truth is that the majority of money that is made is from other niche markets. These are real people making real money providing help, advice and information outside of the field of internet marketing.
One example is my own success in stock trading but you certainly don’t have to pick this market in order to be successful. It suited me because I managed investments professionally so had some great strategies and tactics that I could share. But that’s just me. We are all different.
So to blow the myth apart let’s take a look at 10 examples of successful niches online…
1. Cooking
In The Devils Kitchen is a site run by Kevin Riley a very successful Canadian marketer living in Osaka, Japan. He shares his passion for cooking on this site and has built a list of subscribers using the opt in form on the right hand side the site.
2. Herbal Remedies
Herb Mentor is a membership site which has thousands of paid members. It’s run by John and Kimberly Gallagher who, together with other content creators provide training and information on how to use herbs and plants to improve your health.
3. Fitness Workouts
Two of my favourite marketers online are Alica & Carrie, otherwise known as “The Bootcamp Girls”. Here is their site which helps fitness professionals with “done for you” training programs that they can provide to their clients. They have also turned their blog into a membership site where they help their clients with the marketing side of their fitness business.
4. Magic
UK based marketer Chris Burton runs his site called Secrets Of Card Magic which helps people learn and master the art of card tricks. Another real person making real money in an unusual niche! Chris started from scratch with zero internet marketing knowledge to build his business very recently.
5. Self Improvement
This is a CLASSIC example of how you can make a lot of money online WITHOUT being an expert yourself. Marketer Lanny Morton approached personal development expert Bob Proctor to provide all the content for his site Six Minutes To Success. This site has generated millions of dollars online even though Lanny is not that well known and can be consider somewhat of an underground marketer!
6. Photography
I first met Arran Wulf at a conference in June 2011 when he was just starting out with his site Become A Photographer. He interviews pro-photographers and asks them to share their tips and advice on how amateur photographers can go professional. Then he packages those interviews up and sells them! Again, a brilliant strategy which you can adopt even if you’re not an expert.
7. Woodworking
Ted Mcgrath runs his online business under the name of Ted’s Woodworking. This is a HOT product on Clickbank currently selling very well. Customers get thousands of woodworking plans so help them with their own projects.
8. Dog Training
This is known as somewhat of a “Rock Star Niche” after one particular guru marketer (Frank Kern) did very well in it. Secrets to Dog Training from Daniel Stevens is currently making a lot of money online.
9. Model Trains
Model trains are something I know virtually nothing about but really fancy getting into! Model Trains For Beginners is a good example of one site in this niche which is making a lot of money through Clickbank.
10. Women’s Business And Self Improvement
I saw Marie Forleo last year at a conference. Rather than being behind the scenes like some of the other examples in this list she runs very much a personality based 6-figure business. One of our members is currently working on a similar project and I’ve directed her to Marie’s site as there’s just so much to learn about her marketing.
So…
I could literally find a hundred of these examples but I’m not sure whether that would push home my main point any further which is that there is a profitable niche for us ALL and you don’t need to be an expert already.
Here are some important points to consider:
- I’ve met and spoken to many of these kinds of marketers and they are no different to you or I. In fact, Chris (from Secrets Of Card Magic), Kevin (from In the Devil’s Kitchen) and Alicia & Carrie (the Bootcamp Girls) have all been special guests in our archived Expert Interview Mastermind Sessions inside our Gain Higher Ground Members Area where they explain exactly the steps to their success.
- They have ALL started from scratch and just learnt the marketing process and implemented the steps to become successful. Many have full time jobs too and have developed their online incomes by working in the evenings.
- They all build email lists of customers and prospects. The BIG key to success online!
- Most of the websites are built on WordPress a free, flexible and easy to use platform. It’s just point and click and doesn’t require any “coding” knowledge at all.
- The start up and running costs are extremely low compared to any other kind of business.
- All of these successful marketers have made many mistakes. They refuse to give up, enjoy the learning curve and “fail forward”.
This is the kind of thing that I LOVE about this business!
Are you inspired? Still have objections on why you couldn’t possibly replicate this kind of success? Disagree, Angry, Confused? I’d really like to hear you thoughts on this post more than any other so please click LIKE (if you liked it) and drop your thoughts below….
Hello Rob …
Interesting content … The only comment I wish to make … is that it is upto us, as your subscribers to prove you right via your guidance … Time will reveal all …
Best regards … Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Yes but hopefully the post shows that people are already doing this and it’s totally doable. We’re all in the same boat.
Got to keep pushing forward to make it happen!
Cheers – Rob
Hi Rob
I must admit to having shared the same doubts as your subscriber.
However, I can see that people are doing well on the internet using the marketing strategies that you teach – so I do think that it can be done.
But I’m not sure anyone could make a business out of a niche/trend that they don’t feel some passion about – I believe that people can only make a go of things that they have a genuine and deep interest in.
If it’s something that doesn’t really excite them – then how on earth can they make others believe in their product/service etc.?
You’re a case in point Rob – it’s obvious to anyone just how much enthusiasm you have for internet marketing/business, and that you enjoy teaching and mentoring others in this area. I think that it’s this enthusiasm that attracts people to you and your site rather than the subject matter itself.
It promotes interest and (more importantly) trust in your readers.
I have been on other people’s lists where it was obvious that all they were doing was trying to sell me something and that they saw teaching internet marketing as the way to do that. I soon lost interest in what they were saying to me.
Kind regards
Kevin
Hey Kevin,
I hope you are well – nice to see you here again on the blog!
You’ve made some excellent points here and I agree completely:
It is VERY hard anyone can be successful in any business (including an online one) if they don’t have a continuing interest in the topic. I do feel “passion” is word that often gets overused though (more and more these days or is that just me?). You don’t need to be passionate, just have a good interest.
What you also DON’T need to be is an “expert” any your niche. I’ve written about this extensively before on the blog and there are plenty of example of extremely successful people who are not experts (including Lanny Morton mentioned in the post above who has generated millions). But of course, he was *interested* in the niche and the marketing side.
Glad my enthusiam shows through Kevin – I try to just be myself here and I appreciate your genuine thoughts too.
On and up! Rob.
Hi Rob – you’re quite right about the overuse of the “P” word….I don’t often use it myself because of the very reasons you have outlined in your reply. It obviously slipped past my “cliche” detector this time….lol
No worries Kevin – I use it far to much myself too! Find it hard to stop…
Clear excellent guidance, Rob, Thank you.
Colin
Thanks Colin, glad you liked it!
Keep up your good work 🙂 Rob
hi.i always get confused.as there’re so many “gurus”saying do this do that,go this way that way,buy this and that.Just wish you could have some one 1-1 take you by the hand etc and tell you step by step how to build your future
Thanks for your comment Paul.
Always happy to help. You might like to consider joining us as a member, there’s a special $1 trial running until Thursday March 15th midnight EST
/7pm EST (pls see here). My coaching there will take you completely by the hand and show you everything you need to get this done. You also get total on going support from me too.
Please feel free to drop me an email at rob [at] gainhigherground.com too if you would like to get in touch directly.
Hope this helps 🙂
Rob
Passion, or great interest is a must to do anything in life. I’ve owned two mortar and brick businesses, the first was a taxidermy studio, the second an advertising firm, both did well but I lost enthusiasm. Why you may ask, because I needed greater challenges. So, I went back to school, graduated and started a family counseling practice, and was a minister for over 30 years. I won’t consider a project if it does not challenge me. The key to business success is doing whatever turns you on, but it takes right thinking, time, effort (work), and commitment to start. The main thing is don’t start unless you can commit, otherwise you just waste money and time. I’ve been there, a lot of money and time wasted, because I did not commit and this I discovered was due to FEAR of not succeeding. Yes, I’ve had successful events in my life, but also failure due to doubt and worry that lead to fear. Find your fear, dispel it and move on. You all can do it, I’m 65 and still kicking high for more challenges in my life. And, I’m wheel chair bound.
Mike,
This is truly inspirational. I really can’t add anything to this except to emphasize your line on “Find your fear, dispel it and move on. You all can do it.”
I love it! Thanks very much for sharing.
Rob
P.S. Passion and enthusiasm is what I look for in a mentor and Rob has shown that to me. That’s why I’m sticking with him, he has gained my trust. Mike
Hi Rob
I have just read the comments from other readers and I have to agree with Kevin. His point about the need to be passionate is spot on. I have been reading your reports, idea’s, tips etc for some months now and have still yet to bite the bullet and GET ON WITH IT!
My biggest problem is finding the right niche for me. I work in the packaging industry (not the most exciting of industries) but it pays a wage. I really want to get off the treadmill and do something for myself, but without the risk of going full out and leaving my job.
My main interests are football and DIY but I feel that these topics are already over subscribed. Maybe I’m wrong, with so many other people having the same barriers as me, I might get the inspiration to look at it from another angle.
Great blog Rob
Cheers Mart.
Hi Mart,
Great to see you here on the blog – thanks for “getting involved” and making a comment, it’s great for all of us to hear your thoughts 🙂
Yes, niche selection can be a challenge. But there is a process to brainstorm, check for profitability and homing in on what is right for you.
In the 2 areas you’ve suggested, certain areas of DIY are very popular (not least woodworking as I mentioned in the post) and football betting is very profitable also.
I won’t worry to much about competition, there are many ways to get around this. The KEY thing is you really need a strong interest in it like you say.
A good test is: Ask yourself if you can really have enough interest to continue working in your niche 6 months down the line.
Hope these brief thoughts help a bit Mart, talk soon I’m sure.
Cheers- Rob
Hi Rob
I’ll go with all the bullet points!
The Bootcamp Girls Interview is truly inspirational. I am going through the ’15 Steps to Success’ and moving towards setting up a webform! I have already built my website and yes, it is just ‘point and click’ using the WordPress platform! The start-up and running costs are negligible and I won’t even consider giving up!
I appreciate the feedback from other members!
Peter
Hi Peter,
You are a real action taker and that’s a great thing! Well done on your progress, glad you are enjoying it (very important) and the attitude not refusing to give up is exactly the key to success in my book 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Rob
Hi Rob,
Good one. It’s easy for people to doubt the success that others have had, but so what?
You have given us all such a clear pathway here and your guidance and support is second to none. It’s up to members to prove to themselves that they can be a success.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s webinar.
Keep up the good work, Rob. We’re hanging on your coat-tails!
Colin
Awesome Article!
Thank you for Sharing.
Robert
Hey Robert – you’re very welcome, glad you enjoyed this post!
Hope to see you back here on the blog soon?
All the best,
Rob
Hey Rob, very good!!
I looked up the word “passion” and here’s the what I found…
intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous, ‘fiery’ about something…
I suspect what begins as something of a casual interest can defo turn into a passion.
For me, with regards to my blog just for example. There’s been times when I’ve become dispassionate, and at those times I rarely write anything for it. But when I find something I’m passionate about that’s relevant to my blog, I go shoot up a post.
Thus I tend to agree with Mike and Martin here. Being passionate about what you do online in terms of business (or off line for that matter) is part and parcel of success.
And I’m pretty passionate about this post as a matter of fact, hence I’m gonna feature it on my blog as part of my “passionate posts” write up that I’ve embarked on recently. Do be sure to pop on over and let me know what you think when the post is live. I’ll come back and pop the link to it in your comments section.
Good job, Rob!!
Joseph
Joseph,
It always great to hear your thoughts.
That’s interesting on the definition of passion. It does seem like it is overused to me though! Maybe I’m just a bit over sensitive sometimes….
I totally understand what you mean about your blogging. I is hard to come up with content sometimes. But I think your approach is spot on, the posts of mine which become the most popular tend to be the ones which have been inspired but real personal experiences and things I feel strongly about.
“Passionate posts” sounds like a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?!? Doh. Thanks for considering to include this one – I shall look forward to reading it on your blog…
Cheers for now,
Rob
Here ya go Rob…
http://www.josepharchibald.com/10-little-businesses-thriving-online-make-money-online-niche
Joseph
Rob, that’s a nice cross section of a variety of different niches that you’ve presented. I think it’s a good representation and shows that you don’t have to have something super popular in order to be successful. But it does take a lot of perseverance, more than I think most people realize. That’s where the passion comes in handy.
Hi Stephen,
Great to see you here, thanks for your thoughts 🙂
Agreed – it does take perseverance but the alternative is what? Working until your 65 or 70 probably and that requires endurance! I rather take a few punches and roll with them than just do the 9-5 until I’m too old to enjoy the benefits…
If you’re interested in something this is absolutely the key – you’ve hit the nail on the head I think there.
Cheers- Rob
Hi Rob
This kind of thinking is probably the biggest one putting people off doing things, not just Internet Marketing: it’s too hard, I will never be able to do this, other people are more lucky/knowledgeable or have more money/time etc etc.
I struggle with this one myself (the time bit mostly) but your videos keep inspiring me and keep me picking up my project when I am flagging a bit, cheers!
Maybe another niche ‘how to motivate yourself’ or ‘how to gain the confidence to achieve what you want’…
Maybe will see you on Monday at the Internet Marketing Meetup?
Kati
Hi Kati,
Thanks for your comment, I hope you are well 🙂
Yes, I relate to all of your experiences there. It’s just natural to feel daunted when it seems like you’ve got a mountain to climb. Small baby steps forward are much easier. But you DO need a good map before you enter the woods!
Glad you’re enjoying my content – thanks for letting me know.
Cheers,
Rob.
P.S. Can’t make it Monday as I’m at another event but I hope it goes well!
Hi Rob.
I am a newbie. I have a website and a product from a very successful marketer, but it is not launched yet. Soon though!. I also have a blog to go with that website. I won’t talk about either until I begin actual promotion and talk it over with my coaches. Yes, even I know enough to have coaches.
The problem other newbies seem to be stuck on “niches”. How come experienced marketers won’t come right out and tell them that there ARE NO NEW “niches”. Yes, broadly speaking, they are all pretty well covered. As Martin above noted, (as an example) “football” is pretty well covered. But doesn’t he realize that someone is making an absolute killing on researching about the cleats on players shoes? I bet he didn’t even think about this topic even though he may be “passionate” about football.
This is a niche within a niche, and they are NOT all well covered. Gurus discuss this, although they use the industry term “long tail keywords”. My own site and blog is based on this idea.
This idea hopefully will get the juices flowing for all the newbies out there. Remember, I am one also.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for commenting, it’s great to hear you views and experience on this.
You’re right about the niches, some of my most popular posts and emails have talked about niches so there’s a big demand for information on this. It’s easy to think traffic and production creation are what people want but actually there’s no point in talking about those until you’ve zeroed in on your niche first.
Good luck with your projects Pete, drop back and tells us how you are getting on 🙂
Rob
Great to see such a varied list. Although, Marie Forleo’s work is aimed at business women I’m a subscriber and find she has great info for everyone
Before you include somebody like Ted McGrath (****** name), do your research first. 16,000 woodworking plans is nothing more than a scam. l know. l bought the product and it’s just a ripoff of other people’s plans (copyrighted). Furthermore, you never get 16,000 woodworking plans. More like 300! Just goes to show the ethics of Clickbank, who don’t have any qualms about including scammy products in their portfolio
Hi Bob,
Thanks for your comment and thoughts.
Perhaps I should have been clearer in the post: The examples here are not product recommendations or reviews (no affiliate links were used either). They are just examples of profitable niches.
I’ve not purchased or seen the product you mention but if it is indeed low quality like you say then my only comment in the context of this post would be that you have found a bad product which is selling very well.
This can be taken as a very good sign because it means 1) Money can be made in the niche and 2) You have at least one weak competitor (obviously more favorable than if you have bunch of very strong high quality competitors).
Hopefully that makes sense Bob.
Cheers, Rob