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Ask HN: How can I adapt the business model to better serve a niche industry?

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Ask HN: How can I adapt the business model to better serve a niche industry?

Post by parkern » Sat, Jul 17, 2010, 6:13 PM UTC

run a web app that allows people to create custom online stores that is tied into a fulfillment system. We originally created the site geared towards everyone: artist, designers, clothing companies, etc. We have discovered that this is just too large of a bite to chew.

I wanted to see if anyone had any advice or ideas on a niche market that could benefit from a platform like this? Basically what group we might be able to repurpose/reformat this for.

Re: Ask HN: How can I adapt the business model to better serve a niche industry?

Post by Scott_MacGregor » Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 12:01 AM UTC

Maybe pick a particular multi-level marketing company that is well known and successful. Contact their CEO and pitch him/her over the phone on endorsing your business for their business people to use. Maybe price it to the public at $X, but for them special deal "today only" $X-$y. Let them contact their people and do brochures or whatever it is they want to do to promote it.

Powercall 10 of these places in 1 day and see if you can get through to the CEO's and get some heat built up for your business. Basic business to business. Offer them the special price for a $10,000 fee to make sure they will follow through on their end. Be ready to close the deal, and be ready to bill for the fee if you get any takers.

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