A niche is a useful promise

"We work with ambitious businesses" tells a buyer very little. Almost every business would like to qualify. A useful niche helps the right buyer recognise a familiar problem and understand why the adviser is likely to handle it well.

Industry is one way to define a niche, but it is not the only one. The specialism might be a transition, a recurring operational failure or a buying situation. An adviser helping founder-led firms appoint their first commercial leader has a more precise promise than an adviser offering general growth support.

Precision has a cost. You will exclude work you could technically perform. The question is whether the narrower promise makes your expertise easier to recognise and your delivery more repeatable. A niche that creates recognition but no viable pool of customers is simply too narrow.

Test the promise against three things: the buyer's language, the economic significance of the problem and your access to credible evidence. A clever label that buyers never use may make the website memorable while making referrals difficult. A common problem without a budget owner may produce enthusiastic conversations and little paid work.

Start with a niche you can explain using a recent type of situation, rather than an invented category. "We help regional agencies move from founder-dependent selling to a shared process" gives someone a practical reason to remember you.

The promise can widen later. Early clarity is valuable because it tells you which conversations, examples and partnerships deserve your limited attention.