Selecting a Niche...

[hahndds]

Alright, I have a problem.

I have too many interests. I am/have been trying to select a niche for way too long. I have had my fingers in almost everything. It is quite frustrating. I have decided I need help! So, I ask for some "outside" opinion of what I should look into, knowing what I do and what my strengths are. Here is a quick synopsis of me:

34 year old
German and American
Cosmetic Dentist (for 10 years now) - one of 260 in the world that is accredited through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Enthusiastic Inventor (my true passion)
Have a patent issued for a dental device (search my name in google patent search - Christian Hahn)
Have a patent I wrote myself pending for a dental instrument (see www.inventaholics.com)
Have written many privisional patent
Speak/lecture about natural and holistic dentistry
Own a natural products company - www.drhahnsnaturals.com that currently does not sell anything as the investment is too large right now
Own about 100 domain names - whenever inspiration strikes :)
I am an outgoing personality - have been told I should be a motivational speaker
I get off track easily...tend to do too many things at once. When I do focus on something it usually turns out great.
Am a perfectionist.
Niches I have considered: Inventions - bringing a product to market, teeth whitening - too much competition, natural products - too broad, inventing things - doing it already, SEO - know nothing about it, writing e-books on dental related stuff - boring but know a lot about it

So, for more info, check my dental site www.idealdentistry.com (this is where I actually work). Now you guys know more about me than most people! There is more, but I will refrain from boring you all to death.
Thanks for any help.

[badhank]

hello hahndds and welcome to the forum

I saw ur other post, and you sound like an interesting person, and possible a sufferer of adult ADD (not that its a bad thing).
Alright, you have a lot of ideas. The one that sticks out is the invention/modification of dental tool(s) if i caught your meaning, huge $ in that, from what i have heard. Sounds like you are well on track with that one so we will leave it alone for now.

I too have so many ideas that it becomes overwhelming. Maybe you should take some time to write them all out, and put some thought into how much work will b required to bring each one to fruition. From there you can compare, get a better idea of what would b the easiest to start with. Keep in mind that you dont have to write an e-book just cause its easy and the flavor of the week, especially if you have a few other valid idea. Hope this helps you a little. keep posting ur thoughts.

[hahndds]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I have realized that focus is key. Everytime I do something I find a way to improve it, which inevitably leads to more inventions. I have books full of ideas and therealike.

The dental tools are good, but the problem is the one I invented will make money but it lasts too long, is not disposable and will take some time to get everyone to use. I will continue in that field as well, it is muse #1.

My goal is 5 years 5 muses...then work for fun!

I want to use my "brain" to make a muse, I figure I put enough time in to be worth something ;) That is why I was considering e-books or information marketing. I just don't know where to start...

[badhank]

well just as an idea, maybe you can think of what info you wish was easily available to you when you were in school, or even something like what common business opportunities dentist can (and according to you "should") get into to supplement their practice etc etc etc

[hahndds]

Yes, I have thought of that, but here is the problem. I feel, maybe I am wrong, but that the dental population is so small compared to other markets. There are about 160k dentists in the USA. I have begun a few projects geared towards new grads, but most of them think they know everything already and want to just get out and make some money.
It seems that the inventor group may be better as they are hungry for information. Who knows, hence my whole problem...I think big, sometimes almost too big ;)

[badhank]

what about pitching dental benefits to the med-school crowd? i know my brother (who is 3rd year med-school) was definitely considering dentistry

[hahndds]

Dental benefits...? Not sure what you mean. Can you elaborate please?

[badhank]

as a career? perhaps contrasted against their current path?
lifestyle, pay, etc etc etc

[TimW]

Hank

The confusion was that "pitching dental benefits" sounded like a reference to selling dental insurance...(i.e. benefits)

[hahndds]

Yeah, thats where I got lost...

I actually think I MAY be onto a small niche that I could explore. Not my final niche, but it might work...I will keep you all posted as I am sure I will need some help!

[Sven]

It's the path that matters. There wil never be a be all and end all muse. But there may be muses that turn in to a great succes.

Try to be a perfectionist at the process, not the result.

[hahndds]

I have learned a lot from all my "failures", and I don't think there is a way to really succeed without failure...if that makes sense. So, having learned "so much" over the last few years, I now am finally seeing the light! All I need to do is stay on track and focus on one project at a time, doing a little towards it each day with a set timeline.
I am working on my first true "information marketing" item and have a completion date set for June 19th, the latest. I will post more about this once I get closer - hopefully I can get some good critiques.

[badhank]

glad to hear you have pointed yourself in a direction you intend to follow, and have set an aggressive due date! remember to keep us updates and ask questions if you need anything from advice to motivation

[EditorDude]

There's an old saying - 'Fish for whales - not fishes' - meaning if you go after a whale, it will not only pay for the whole voyage - but also bring in a large profit. Thinking big does have its merits.

[badhank]

There's an old saying - 'Fish for whales - not fishes'
I believe whales are mammals, so "Fish for whales" is inherently flawed as "fishing" does not apply to things that are not fish. Someone should have run that one past the editor first :D

*btw i agree with ur point

[EditorDude]

Hey - I didn't come up with it lol.

[eknapp]

Hello Dr.,

Well, after reading this thread, it seems to me that you do lack some focus, and its understandable why you are here. You have many "pans in the fire" that seem to me, with a little more effort, would put you where you want to be.

I looked at the product website, the one that sells nothing yet. That is a good start on a promising niche. If those products do exist, I would think with your contacts and network, you should have little trouble pushing forth with your own line of health products. Follow some of Ferriss's ideas on private labeling if you don't have an exact recipe yet, maybe someone can whip it up for you.

That whole setup is ideal for you to follow the 4hww plan. Start by doing and documenting the "trial marketing", then use the data to prove the market to product suppliers. Once you can prove their is a market for your formulas, it won't be hard to get them mass produced.

If you can take the time to focus your thoughts on this one muse, in three months you will be able to step back from it and take a mini-retirement. There you can decide on which idea to tackle next.

Cheers,
Eknapp