Find a Niche for Profit AND Passion: Advice from 45 Top Bloggers

Here’s one of the most common questions I get from people who are fresh off the turnip truck:

“Moe, how can I find a niche that is profitable AND one I’m passionate about?”

I personally don’t believe you need passion for the TOPIC of your business, as long as you have an interest in some aspect of your business (which for me is niche research and product creation.

And I’ve proven it’s possible to do so. I’ve sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of my own info products in a micro health niche that I don’t have a passion for.

But I wanted to learn what other successful online entrepreneurs think…

So I sent emails to the top bloggers on the web – and 45 replied with an answer (bless their hearts!)

What’s interesting about the responses is that there are a few common threads that run through most, even though I contacted bloggers from a range of niches (including many outside the “make money online” niche).

But what’s even MORE interesting is the “contrarian” advice that some bloggers provided. They went WAY outside the box of the usual “do what you love and the money will follow” mantra.

Below you’ll find tips on how to find a niche for profit and passion from bloggers in niches as diverse as:

Learning a new language fast
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Photography
Book design
Minimalism
Online dating
Spirituality
Jazz

And, of course, making money online!

Enjoy the responses, and make sure to leave a comment below – what do you think is the best advice?

Here are the 45 bloggers:

1. Andrea Olson: GoDiaperFree.com

“I suggest brainstorming a list of your biggest passions and things you’ve found a knack for (or a solution for).

Go crazy with this list and let your pen move for a good 10 minutes without stopping. Then take a look at the list and select your favorite or most compelling three.

Do some keyword analysis (using Google’s Keyword Tool or Market Samurai, look up search quantity, Adwords value, and competition) and select the niche that seems most profitable from there. And let it rip.

Connect with your audience, help people, and include your link in your byline or signature. Create a movement. And sell them something useful…regarding something that you’re already passionate about.”

2. Anita Campbell: SmallBusinessBranding.com

“This is a tough one but I think it involves knowing thyself. Look within and ask what is it we really enjoy doing?

For some adults, this is a hard question to answer because we’re so used to doing what we have to, getting up and going to work daily, that we forget the things we used to enjoy in our early years. So you may have to dig deep for that.

Here’s a question I saw once that might help. “If money is of no issue, what would you be doing daily?” and no, you can’t say sleep or hang out by the beach every day because even that can get old.

Once you have a list, do your research. Are there industries within and surrounding these areas of interest? If there are communities, businesses, and publications who are already making money there – then chances are, your efforts will be profitable and you’ve hit the right one.”

3. Barbara Turley: EnergiseWealth.com

“My advice is this:

Before going online to look, asking anyone or hunting for an answer – list everything you are truly passionate about right down to the most obscure thing you can think of. Be VERY specific i.e., don’t just write ‘I am passionate about helping people’.

THEN check out the depth of competition online for that topic.

Most people get very disillusioned when they do this and see the competition is high. They throw their hands in the air in despair and give you. Don’t do that! Find your unique angle into the topic you are passionate about, your point of difference and target that.

Find the questions people are asking online, the frustrations and position yourself into that angle. Use your own story of the passion as further inspiration.

Most people are struggling to find something they are passionate about that is profitable because they believe that what they are passionate about is not profitable or too competitive already. ”

4. Benny Lewis: FluentIn3Months.com

“Passion should be at the front of the line and 99% of your effort. I blogged for free for a year before ever even *considering* monetizing my blog. I pour all my energy into free blog posts, very informative emails and videos on Youtube (that don’t have any pitches).

It grows my audience, it grows their confidence in me, and it means that when I *occasionally *do have something of value to share with them that can help support the blog, they are all over it because they know I’d only share quality stuff.

The bottom line should never be what your bank balance is, it should be if you are making a difference and doing what you love. A little effort into making this a financially stable model is all you need if most of your time is spent making what you do excellent.”

5. Brendan Hufford: GiReviews.net

“Write down 10 things you’re passionate about and narrow that down to 3.

Write out 100 blog/podcast/video topics for each of the 3 and you’ll quickly find that you’re much better at creating content for one of them than the others. A really fast way to burn out and start to hate your passion is to turn it into work.

If you can come up with 100 topics off the top of your heard, you’ve found the overlap between profit and passion.

I also want to add that with profit and passion, you’re missing the most important “”P”” … PATIENCE. Passion will get you through the first six months, or even the first year, but you need to know that patience is the only key to getting to profits. Put in the work, every day, for three years and you’ll find your profit :)”.

6. Carl Mattiola: ClinicMetrics.com

“It’s a good topic and you’ll find my answer to the question in detail here:

8-steps-to-choosing-the-right-market

Feel free to reference that in your article…

For me it’s about data and affinity.

Choosing a market is a math problem to see if it can afford a product and is big enough to serve your revenue goals.

Aside from that you must have an affinity. I don’t have a process for finding affinity or passion in a market. Basically list out the shit you like. It does not need to be more complicated than that.

Don’t choose a market just because it’s profitable… In the long haul you will hate it and the business will suffer.”

7. Chris Guillebeau: ChrisGuillebeau.com

“I’d advise aspiring entrepreneurs to forget all about the niche. Life is too short for that — they should focus on crafting a career around all of their passions, or at least many of them.”

8. Chris Guthrie: EntrepreneurBoost.com

chris-guthrie-photo “Focus on your interests from your personal life but don’t be afraid to branch out into areas that you know to be profitable. For example, I am sort of a tech guy but not really an expert.

But that didn’t stop me from building a review website that was focused on technology that I sold for six figures.

Ultimately not every niche can work to be profitable. Just make sure what you’d like to do has the potential to reach your revenue goals.”

“Focus on your interests from your personal life but don’t be afraid to branch out into areas that you know to be profitable. For example, I am sort of a tech guy but not really an expert.

But that didn’t stop me from building a review website that was focused on technology that I sold for six figures.

Ultimately not every niche can work to be profitable. Just make sure what you’d like to do has the potential to reach your revenue goals.”

9. Chris Ducker: ChrisDucker.com

ChrisDucker “Instead of focusing on a broad niche – for example the ‘hobby of fishing’, I’d focus on niching down the niche itself – going from the ‘hobby of fishing’ to the ‘hobby of *fly fishing’.

* Doing this allows you to become laser focused on creating super helpful content, for a smaller demographic – yet one that will fall head over heels in love with what you’re all about, and ultimately spend money with you… time and time again.”

10. Daniel Nahabedian: Canvas-of-Light.com

Daniel-Nahabedian “In this era, almost anything can be turned into a profitable business. My advice would be to take a day off, go for a long walk and figure out precisely what fuels your passion and drives you forward.

It may not be easy to nail it down at first, but it’s ok to start with a wider scope and narrow it down as you build your business foundation.

Focus on what YOU like (and not just what’s popular), build your skills every single day, never stop learning and, very importantly, be professional and learn the basics of running a business. Your passion will remain a hobby if you don’t treat it as a business.”

11. David Risley: DavidRisley.com

“Instead of getting potentially mired down in “”I need to find a niche”, you should instead be guided by how you can solve people’s problems.

Then work it backwards. Profit will come from solving people’s problems, and I tend to think you’ll find the passion if you’re getting paid and see you’re getting results. :-)”.

12. Farnoosh Brock: ProlificLiving.com

“My advice is to think about where you spend your time and energy doing something you thoroughly enjoy and as you identify this thing – whether it’s talking to people, writing, solving problems, making stuff with your hands, even making green smoothies (one of my hobbies that turned into a niche passion and 2 best-selling books!) – pay attention to it.

Then ask yourself: Why do you do it? What makes you happy about it? What problem does it solve or what pain and frustrating does it take away? And would you like to bring this “why” and this solution to others who can benefit from it?

Do this exercise for 20 of your passions and go with the strongest reason that emerges.”

13. Greg Hickman: MobileMixed.com

“Start by leveraging skills you already have and figuring out a way to monetize them as fast as possible. A great way to start is by productizing a service as if it were a product and market that to an audience that needs the end result.

Don’t wait for your passion. You’ll be waiting forever. Start with something you know how to do and get good at monetizing. You’ll either fall in love with it and or that will lead you to a new opportunity that you become passionate about.”

14. Jaime Tardy: EventualMillionaire.com

“I suggest people to start a “”beta”” group. Think of something that you THINK would sell in the marketplace. Don’t even worry about creating it yet.

Try to see if you can start a small group of beta users (and make sure to charge them because they will get value out of the group and you want them to have some level of commitment!).

That way you can see if anyone will buy first AND if you like delivering whatever the product or service is. :)”

15. Joel Friedlander: TheBookDesigner.com

“The subject you choose has to be meaningful to you, something you are truly passionate about. Avoid choosing a subject just because you think it will be profitable. Why?

You won’t be able to persevere through the effort and time required to build an audience big enough to sustain you if you have no passion for the subject.

Virtually any niche can be made profitable, but you can’t fake the passion. Lead with your heart.”

16. John Lee Dumas: EntrepreneurOnFire.com

“*’Join free but engaging Facebook and LinkedIn groups that are full of people that have similar interests as you. Become a member of value, ask questions, answer questions, provide guidance where possible.

Always be on the lookout for common complaints and struggles people in this group are having. Probe them further on these struggles, jump on a call if possible.

These interactions will show you what is missing in the world, and then like Ghandi, you can ‘Be the Change you want to see in the world.’*”

17. Joshua and Ryan: TheMinimalists.com

“Here’s something that isn’t talked about much: ‘follow your passion’ is shitty advice. No one was born for any one particular vocation: you were not born to be a writer or yoga teacher or astronaut.

The truth is, there are thousands of things you can be passionate about. The key, then, is to find something that aligns with your values and beliefs, your interests and desires, and *cultivate* that into a passion over time.

Ergo, you must be willing to put in the work if you want a real payoff, because real passion is birthed from boredom, tedium, exhaustion—not excitement. Although of course we often confuse passion and excitement, don’t we? But they are not the same thing.

More times than not, passion is unexciting, tiring, banal. But then there are the times, once you’ve drudged through the drudgery, that there’s nothing better in the entire world. That’s real passion. So: don’t follow your passion, *cultivate *it. “” —Joshua Fields Millburn, *TheMinimalists.com*

18. Jules Watkins: VideoHero.com

“My tip would be put a business twist on your passion. When I started out I had a TV Directing background and like many creatives the notion of ‘business’ felt a bit dull. But it can be interesting and creative.

The benefit is the audience has money to spend and if you provide them a solution and help grow what they are doing their investment becomes a no-brainer.

So as a random example, rather than “How to take beautiful portraits” there’s a gap right now for ‘How to take Business portraits” This could suit a frugal business owner who needs regular office portraits, or could create a new skill and income opportunity for someone who buys your product.

Not to say general portraiture isn’t a profitable niche – but if you can find a business audience faster and target it more efficiently, you can stand out from the crowd and make six figures from this idea I am sure!

So think about where “passion meets business” would be my tip.”

19. Lance Nelson: BanskoBlog.com

“I would advise newbies to focus on a niche they really can enjoy writing about. Yes, we all know that, but you have to be realistic about one’s own motivation to keep writing about stiff you are not passionate about.

I would then consider combining your blog with a podcast and to set up an ebook to build an email list.

Use Facebook with video, and other social media, to spread your content around the world.

Try to serve a small niche very well and most of all do not be afraid of how you look or sound to others.”

20. Lewis Howes: LewisHowes.com

“Figure out what you are passionate about in your daily life, what makes you want to wake up in the morning, and follow that into your niche.”

Poll enough people and get some similar answers, and you’ll have found yourself with a niche within your passion. (As I did with Workable Wealth, helping GenY make smart choices with their money. It’s an ignored generation and group in the financial planning industry, and one that I’m passionate about helping.)”.

21. Mary-Beth Storjohann: WorkableWealth.com

“Many people will say that you need to find a need and then creating a product or service to fill that need. Before that though, you have to figure out what really interests you.

Are you passionate about coaching entrepreneurs? Fixing up old cars? Landscape architecture?

Whatever it is that interests you, start there and dive in. Ask questions of others in the industry to figure out what would help them succeed. What’s missing in their business? What do they dislike doing / could do better / need assistance with?

22. Matt Donley: MasterSketchup.com

“In my niche, I teach people how to use 3D design software. I realize now that people will buy knowledge, products, or services if it helps them learn or save time using the software because it’s something they use professionally to earn income themselves.

So, if you can find a way to help people earn more money or save more time in their business, that is a good indication that your business will be profitable.

It will be easier for you to demonstrate value by having a clear ROI from the perspective of your customers.”

23. Meagan Francis: TheHappiestHome.com

“I think almost any niche can bring you profit if the passion is there.

It’ll read loud and clear in your words, your dedication and commitment, and your enthusiasm and energy. Your audience will respond to that.

I think if a niche is particularly crowded, you may just have to get creative with the way you deliver your message – but stick to the message that matters to you, and people will respond.”

24. Richard Eastes: Eastes.com.au

“Find something that you can be the best in the world at. Examples:

– Best handyman in the world who services suburb X
– Best oragami teacher for english speaking people.
– Best youtube video producer to learn about online marketing
– Best email spammer for financial services
– Best actor in the world for playing the part of a grumpy middle-aged man
– Best computer game player in Australia”

25. Ryan Lee: RyanLee.com

“Always start with a specific market in mind. And it’s best to go with a market you know really well. Think about your past experiences. Your skills. Your hobbies. Your work history. Your training. Your education.

Remember, you are creating products for people. You must always start with the people BEFORE the products.

Then, ask your friends what THEY think you are really good at. Pretty soon, the answers will become more clear. It’s like a puzzle and you start to put the pieces together.

When I started online, I created products around what I loved, what I was good at and what I was educated in… and it was training athletes. I was a college athlete, always loved fitness and received a graduate degree in Exercise Science. I knew this market (athletes) inside and out, so creating products that resonated with them was really easy.

This is the best way to start. MUCH better than entering some random “”keywords”” in a keyword software tool. In my experience, when you try to start a business based solely on keywords, you create a short-term “”product””, but not a long-term business.

When hone in on a specific market that you truly know and understand – you will also know their biggest challenges. And then, you solve their problems with your products and services.

Make no mistake, you are in the problem-solving business. And when you build a business around a market you know, love and understand… it becomes so much easier (and more profitable too!).”

26. Scott Valdez: VirtualDatingAssistants.com

“The easiest way I’ve found is to pinpoint a burning need people have; a problem that they want to solve to improve their lives so badly that it keeps them up at night.

That’s exactly what Virtual Dating Assistants does. Men are frustrated with how much time online dating takes and their lack of results from it. And many of them desperately want to have better dating lives and, ultimately, find their ideal girl. But they don’t have the time and/or the skills to do it without a little help from the experts.

Being passionate about what you do is a huge bonus. But if nobody is hurting for what you’re passionate about, it can make selling much more difficult.

So, start by identifying potential pain points in the marketplace, and then align your passion with one of them. If you like helping people, there are so many topics you could become passionate about when you know you’re changing lives forever.”

27. Sean Webb: IAmSpirituality.com

“As a specialist in human motivation and happiness in business, and as a person who has coached executives in the largest corporations in the world, the advice I would give to a younger version of me or someone new to entrepreneurship would be to…

1) make a list of your passions first – the things that drive you – the things that you would do for free if you didn’t need money – then…

2) from that list and ONLY from that list select the activity or niche that could be most profitable for you or easiest to execute. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT STRAY FROM YOUR LIST to chase money, even if you think you could make that other off-list idea work!

Science shows us that the biggest lie ever propagated on the entrepreneurs of the world is the one that says success comes first, then happiness follows as a result. But in fact the studies on motivation and happiness show just the opposite. In the vast majority of cases, happiness must come FIRST before success can be achieved.

Dr. Dan Pink is a world’s leading research expert on motivation, and he wrote a book called Drive that explains all about extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, and explains why intrinsic motivation has a dramatically higher rate of success than people trying to motivate themselves or others with the lure of money. It just doesn’t work.

So from here you have two choices:

1) Decide to ignore all the science and chase the money, only to later come to the conclusion that you wasted all your time and effort and have to start over.

2) Pick a life and actions that have meaning for you, and although you may never be the next Mark Zuckerberg, you will not hate putting in the hours required to succeed and most importantly BE HAPPY WHILE DOING IT (which will help you succeed more).”

28. Srinivas Rao: UnmistakableCreative.com

“Create something you want to see exist in the world. I created a conference I wanted to go. That’s how the Instigator Experience was born.”

29. Steve Nixon: FreeJazzLessons.com

“I see a lot of online newbies starting with the wrong question. They’ll say, “”how can I make some money?” This is very one sided and often times produces unsatisfying results as a result.

We don’t enter into relationships and trust with people who are trying to serve themselves first and foremost. The better question to ask is, “what can I create that will serve an audience?”

Everything starts from satisfying the wants and/or needs of a group of people. It doesn’t start from satisfying yourself first.

Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t immensely enjoy this process of serving other. In fact, it can be incredibly fun and rewarding in so many ways. Solving a problem for a group of people, especially in regards to something you’re passionate about, is a great way to achieve so many goals you have in life. Be it spiritual, connection with others, financial, contribution, etc.”

30. Steve Scott: SteveScottSite.com

“Over the past few years I have focused all my efforts on writing amazon books. At first glance someone might not think amazon books need a “niche” -but they really do. Being a success in publishing means building a catalog of books and building trust, which means you need to be focused in a specific area.

But how can you find this niche?

Passion is of course a key. You do not need to “”love”” a topic, but you certainly need to be interested in it, have fairly deep knowledge, and a keen interest on continuing to learn and grow in that niche. After all this will be something you will be talking about for years to come.

Once you have a topic you enjoy, you will want to do some market research. All the passion in the won’t matter if you pick the wrong niche market. You will want to see how your competition does for sales. Both traditionally published books and other eBooks.

Like in any niche, your competitions success, quality and control of the niche will be your best barometers of a niche’s possible success.

If you are interested in finding out more about finding these amazon niche ideas check out my book: Discover Best Selling Nonfiction Book Ideas”

31. Sunil: ExtraMoneyBlog.com

“* list out your areas of passion * go through them one at a time and conduct keyword research, search amazon/clickbank for products, evaluate competitive landscape – competition is good and means there is money to be made * marry the critical mass between passion and profitability and select the one that is highest on the list”.

32. Thomas Smale: FeInternational.com

“Imagine you have been given zero preparation time and you have to give a 5 minute presentation on any topic that would keep the audience engaged. Would you talk about your passion for food or clothes?

Perhaps you’re a keen gardener or an expert in business. Write down these topics and now think about a problem that exists in these areas. In the health and fitness arena, people want to lose weight and tone up.From that ‘problem’ we now have a vast array of solutions from workout courses to supplements.

If there is a problem without a solution in an area you are knowledgeable and passion about that people are willing to pay for, you have yourself a profitable niche!”.

33. Andrea Vahl: AndreaVahl.com

“Finding a niche that you are passionate about and one that is profitable can be challenging. You have to think about a problem that people have where they would pay for a solution.

People might have a messy sock drawer and you may be passionate about neat socks but are they going to pay for a solution? Probably not.

Make a list of your passions and do some searching on what is being offered already. Usually if there are people in the market already that can be a good indication of a viable market.

If it’s something brand new then see if you can generate some business from your immediate circle of contacts without too much trouble.

The other thing I would suggest is to have a different angle. I came at my niche of Facebook Marketing with a different angle by combining my love of humor and entertainment by blogging as Grandma Mary – Social Media Edutainer.

That wasn’t a gimmick for me, it was something I loved doing as an Improv comedian. Your different angle may be just combining a hobby you love into the theme of your site. Or focusing on one aspect of the problem and going deeper than anyone. Find your unique angle and you’ll stand out from the crowd.”

34. Anil Agarwal: BloggersPassion.com

“Before searching for keywords that are profitable for your business, make sure to first DEFINE your targeted customer. Without knowing your prospect, you won’t be able to make a sale.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to know your targeted customer.

1. Where am I really good at? (focus on the topics you’re really interested in)
2. What are the problems that are bugging people in this area? (focus on the problems)
3. How can I provide solutions? (focus on giving “”best solutions””)

Once you know these answers, you’ve already defined your potential reader/customer. Then, you can perform proper keyword research to turn your visitors into sales.”

35. Chris Garrett: ChrisG.com

“My approach is to see where my passions and the most profit potential intersect. We normally have multiple topics that we are interested in, so filtering out the UNprofitable is a good start.

Next, find where people are already spending money in your niche(s). If there are print magazines on the stands for your topic then that is an indication that people are buying those magazines and advertisers are advertising in them.

If your niche has no successful products and no advertising then that is a bad sign. All that said, you can be a success in a field you have zero motivation for, it is just harder to keep your momentum.

It’s also my experience that turning your passion into “”work”” can kill your interest in the subject – that happened to me with photography.”

36. Christian Hollingsworth: SmartBoy.me

“Finding a niche to be used for blogging for profit must be looked at from a perspective entirely pulled away from the money factor.

First know and believe in your passion, and be willing to share it with the world. Then get to work. Your passion for the niche is what will ultimately bring profit, as all blogging ventures operate just like any other business, community or brand. Patience pays.”

37. Daniel Scocco: DailyBlogTips.com

“I believe the answer depends on your goals. If your goal is mainly to have fun with your website, and possibly to make some money to supplement your main income source, then by all means focus on the passion side.

If, on the other hand, your main goal is to make money, then I think it would be wise to start with the profits in mind.

That is, make a list of all the profitable niches you are at least somewhat interested in, and then filter the ones you feel like you could work on for a long time. If you pick a small and non-profitable niche it will be very hard to make significant money in it, despite how passionate you might be about the topic.”

38. Eugene Farber: Buzzergy.com

“I would say the key to this question is the “passion” requirement. Finding profitable niches isn’t *too *difficult…they are countless. But finding one that you are passionate about really limits things.

The truth is, most people have multiple passions. And unless *all *of your passions are about something obscure, you are likely to find at least one that has a profitable market.

If your passion has a publication (like a magazine), then there is money to be made. If there is an online forum, then there is money to be made. If there are other websites in the nice, then there is money to be made.

Don’t look at competition as a bad sign. Rather, look at it as a validation that the topic isn’t a complete bust.

For beginners it’s best to really narrow down the focus, at least at the outset. Rather than focusing on “basketball” as a passion, for example, you might want to focus on basketball drills. You can narrow that down even further to focusing on basketball shooting drills. Or on weekly fantasy basketball lineups.

When talking about passion, the process really becomes a lot less technical in the beginning. Rather, it’s very personal. The focus should really be about what you could see yourself spending a lot of time on … and then validating that there is enough interest out there (people aren’t all that unique, if you have an interest chances are there are tons of others that do as well).

Of course, depending on your passions, the time it takes you to break ground in the industry is going to vary. If you want quick success, however, I suggest becoming passionate about the process rather than topic.”

39: Jeff Bullas: JeffBullas.com

“Find the intersection of your passions and that is your sweet spot as a blogger, as passion and purpose is not a singularity. Then write that down as a mission statement in 20 words or less.

That is a tweet! Just chasing the dollars will not provide a long term and sustainable blog. It needs to be congruent to your purpose on the planet, then the money will follow”.

40. John Chow: JohnChow.com

“Use a keyword research tool to find the search volume for the iche you’re thinking of blogging about it. If it has enough volume, you’ve found your niche. If not, then go to you number two passion and start again.”

41. Jonathan Mead: PaidToExist.com

“Good question. I don’t recommend that anyone “”find”” a niche. That usually leads to making yourself small and unnoticeable. I recommend that you create your own niche, the one that is burning a whole in your gut.”

42. Kelly McCausey: SoloSmarts.com

“I practice a Big Tree Business Philosophy. Choose One Community you can feel a part of, sink your roots deep and grow your branches strong, far and wide.

For me, that community is Solopreneurs. Solopreneurs create businesses that can be run light and tight on purpose, yet never have a cap on profit potential.

When you’re considering the community you want to build your business around, don’t just think about money.

If you’re only about money you’ll get bored – or you won’t be able to truly engage the market. Instead of money, think about what makes this community amazing. What do you want to celebrate about them? How would you like to equip them? Protect them? Promote them?

If you can get excited about the community itself, if you can identify problems to solve and needs to be met – the money will come.”

43. David Aston: IncomeDiary.com

“I work with and am in the presence of aspiring online entrepreneurs every single day, and this question comes up quite a bit.

First and foremost, I don’t think you should be “”looking”” for the niche you’re passionate about. It should be quite obvious what your passions are.

Establish what it is that you talk about most and look forward to most. What is it that you’re proud to discuss and indulge?

Once you’ve established this “”passion””, you must provide relatable value. The “”simplest”” way to provide value is by solving a (common) problem. No matter what you’re passion is, I’m certain that there’s a common problem shared by those who have a similar interest.

To help you gain clarity on the potential profits of your particular passion(s), I’d highly recommend creating an empathy map of your ideal customer, who is going to share these similar sentiments.

What does this person think & feel, say & do, see and hear? What is their greatest pain and what is their greatest gain?

I’ve included an empathy map to help you out.”

44. Michelle Dale: VirtualMissFriday.com

“I think the focus should first be less on the niche and more on the passion, and then the profit will naturally become a by product of that. Brainstorming is awesome for this.

Take a marker and a large piece of paper or a white board and in the centre ask yourself the question " What Makes Me Happy"…

– then start brainstorming, once you’ve written down a reasonable size amount of answers, then take a highlighter or a different colour pen, and circle the ones that you believe have a market, such as, if your passion is photography, is there a market out there that you could sell your knowledge and skills within that passion too, …

…and then start making smaller brainstorms of what that market could potentially buy, maybe you could provide online courses in how to take awesome photos, or you could take those photos yourself and sell them as royalty frees stock images, or you could set yourself up an an online freelance photographer where people can come and request specific photos from you for a fee.

There is so much potential, and multiple income streams available when you start brainstorming the possibilities.

Then narrow down from there as to what possibility sounds the most personally fulfilling, and really look at setting up those multiple income streams surrounding that product, something you could blog about, talk to people about on forums and
social media and even hold webinars or teleseminars on.

And just go for it.”

45. Yaro Starak: www.Entrepreneurs-Journey.com

“To find the sweet spot of something you love and a topic that can make money, it’s important you do research to clarify two things –

1. What is a strength you have that can be leveraged in an online business

2. What do people currently spend money on

The clients I work with are usually subject matter experts, so they have a strength in creating content about a certain subject.

However that’s not the only kind of strength you can have. Some are very good with numbers and creating systems, so don’t need to be subject experts, they just need a good system to follow.

When it comes to finding out if there is money to be made in a market, the best first step I recommend is see who is currently making money in the industry and how they do so. The internet is mature enough that most subjects are catered to, so you don’t have to guess – just do your research. What products and services currently sell?”

About the Author Moe Muise

I've been making money online since 2009 and have a passion for research. My focus is niche research: finding profitable niches, keyword research, and competition analysis, as well as creating outstanding content.