3 years, 2 months ago
What is the best market niche for my writing and consulting business in st. louis?
I'm a contract writer with experience writing and leading creative projects for great clients--the Smithsonian Insitution, W.L. Gore & Associates, Abbott, Genentech, Colonial Williamsburg, and more. I specialize in corporate/business history, pharmaceutical/biotechnology product marketing, and corporate storytelling.
I'm new to St. Louis, Missouri (I moved with my husband so he could take a job here), and I'm having trouble figuring out who my best potential clients are here and how to best pitch myself to them.
I'm new to St. Louis, Missouri (I moved with my husband so he could take a job here), and I'm having trouble figuring out who my best potential clients are here and how to best pitch myself to them.
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M$1 Answer
I've watched this go unanswered for too long. ;-)
While I'm not in St. Louis, I have parlayed my writing into a consultancy business recently and I can offer a few pieces of advice.
By biggest tip is, don't limit yourself to your local market. Whoever you know, wherever you know them, contact them. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how excited people were to work with me again. Much easier to tap existing relationships than to make new relationships.
The second tip is, try to own as much of the client as you can get. Don't ever position yourself as a freelancer. "Freelance" is code for "cheap labor." Be a consultancy rather than a consultant in your thinking and your pricing. Clients pay agency fees to agencies, so there is no reason they won't pay you the same.
Also, don't be afraid to put together a package project and contract other vendors. One of my best profit centers is marking up services of art professionals that I partner with. Charging an agency fee, but paying a freelance fee is a legitimate practice, especially since you are offering management of the team.
Finally, I know you are looking for a niche in your market, but I would say find a niche of your own talents. Look at your strengths and then create a story around those strengths. You can look at my consultancy website below to see how I achieved that. And you can look at my blog and podcast website to see how I've backed-up this story with a volume of content.
Good luck.
While I'm not in St. Louis, I have parlayed my writing into a consultancy business recently and I can offer a few pieces of advice.
By biggest tip is, don't limit yourself to your local market. Whoever you know, wherever you know them, contact them. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how excited people were to work with me again. Much easier to tap existing relationships than to make new relationships.
The second tip is, try to own as much of the client as you can get. Don't ever position yourself as a freelancer. "Freelance" is code for "cheap labor." Be a consultancy rather than a consultant in your thinking and your pricing. Clients pay agency fees to agencies, so there is no reason they won't pay you the same.
Also, don't be afraid to put together a package project and contract other vendors. One of my best profit centers is marking up services of art professionals that I partner with. Charging an agency fee, but paying a freelance fee is a legitimate practice, especially since you are offering management of the team.
Finally, I know you are looking for a niche in your market, but I would say find a niche of your own talents. Look at your strengths and then create a story around those strengths. You can look at my consultancy website below to see how I achieved that. And you can look at my blog and podcast website to see how I've backed-up this story with a volume of content.
Good luck.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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