How to Start a Niche Business

Brian Vermeire's hand once carried important information such as appointments and to-do lists. He scrawled quick notes on his palms. Or, like so many of us, would scrounge through piles of wadded notepaper to find the address of his next meeting. It was a tough way to act professional in Los Angeles where Brian is an actor and stand-up comedian. He had to call his agent or manager if he couldn't find his audition information.

"And they weren't happy about it!" he told me.

He noticed his friend Kristina Hughes kept her audition information neatly in a college-ruled notebook.

"So for Christmas in 2000, I created a log book where she could track her auditions and she loved it," he said.

Friends Fueled Their Idea

During New Year's, a friend who knows software development told them they should get it produced digitally. Then other friends who were also performers saw them each using their log books and asked where they could get copies.
That spring, March 2001, Brian and Kristina spent $800 and filed for a California LLC.
They created a log book to help actors track audition locations, expenses and other relevant information then they created a Web site that fall called Holdon Log.
During the early months, they tried to get shelf space at the Samuel French book store - an essential shop for actors, models, musicians and other performers in Los Angeles. But they kept getting turned away until a manager finally gave them 10 minutes and took an initial order for up to 20 copies. Today, they have prominent space at Samuel French.

A Need in a Niche Market Kept the Idea Alive

They also maintained a solid belief in what they were offering to actors and performers of all genres.
"The importance of our books and software is helping performers track the Return on Investment," said Brian.
During the six years they've been operating they have kept marketing consistently, a principle small business owners must always remember. They started marketing via email and flyers. They still attend performer trade shows around the U.S. and they also launched a newsletter called "Actor Nation." Their subscriber list now stands at 20,000 active readers who span an international audience stretching from the U.S. and Canada to Singapore and Japan.

They also put on free seminars and have earned respect from many in the entertainment business. Kristina attributes it to the value they place on each person they meet.

"In our seminars, we love having a large group," said Kristina. "But a small group of 10 to 15 people can impact you as well. If they like it, great, they'll go tell a few friends. But if they don't like it they can tell another 10 to 15 people. Borrowing a phrase from L.L. Bean 'treat your customers like human beings and they'll always come back for more.'"

It's that concern for others that now allows Brian and Kristina to move beyond operating their business day-to-day or month-to-month. Their planning now forges 5 years and 10 years out as they constantly seek to improve their product line and stay up-to-date with industry changes.