Starting any business in the modern age takes a lot of hard work and determination. After all, no matter what industry you work in, you’re sure to have several local competitors, and if you live in a large city, your competition can be staggering.
But if you’re going to make it in the contracting world, you’re going to need to narrow down your market and choose a niche where you’ll fit the best.
Most people think of construction work when they think of contracting. But the fact is, contracting includes so much more. This is an industry that includes many disciplines and specialties, and often professionals within these disciplines cross over and take on other roles.
But if you’re going to market yourself effectively, you’ll need to focus on one key niche. And chances are, this is what you’re going to be known for going forward.
In this short guide, we’ll explore a few of the many niches that you can consider when you start building your contracting business.
Before You Begin
Before you get all ready to jump headfirst into whatever job comes your way, you’ll need to ensure that you’re prepared. But being prepared depends on what niche you decide to get into. And this is because you’ll need specific tools in order to get the job done in the proper fashion.
However, one of the biggest mistakes that most beginning contractors make is looking for jobs without having attained a professional appearance. As such, you’re going to need to ensure that you have a free of the following items ready when you set out to land your first job:
- Business cards
- Business website
- Social profiles
- Professional attire
- Professional logo
- Flyers and signage
- Planning software
Going out to try and land a job without being prepared will start your career in contracting off on the wrong foot. So be sure to dress the part and have all your bases covered.
Additionally, if you don’t have a professional looking work vehicle, you’re going to need to acquire one. If you can’t afford a new work truck, you can rent one as needed at flexfleetrental.com; your customers won’t know the difference, and the money you save can be put toward other aspects of the business until you can purchase a truck of your own.
Niche Markets
If you’ve ever heard of the saying “finding your niche,” this is simply the act of finding where your skills and expertise fit the best. As such, you need to locate your niche market. And in the world of contracting, this can be one of several areas of specialization.
Cabinet Making
If you’d prefer a life of skilled and detailed carpentry work, cabinet making might just be the perfect niche market for your skills.
Building cabinets takes time and precision. And people looking to buy homes will pay big bucks for ornate cabinet designs.
Most homes built today have basic, attractive cabinetry installed as a necessity for the kitchen. But many homeowners like to make their spaces fit their personal sense of style. And this is where you’ll come in.
If you have a knack for precision carpentry and carving out unique designs, custom cabinetry can be a lucrative job for you.
Demolitions
Were you a kid that just loved to take things apart and pulverize them until they were tiny little pieces? If so, this destructive skill just might serve you well for a contracting niche.
Demolitions don’t always include elaborate building implosions or explosions, though some demo work does require this sort of tech. But most home demolitions require a hands-on approach. And this is going to require a lot of manual labor, and perhaps an ax and a sledgehammer.
Demolition work can also be quite lucrative if you land a major city contract. This is because numerous cities around the country have what are known as “blight” properties that cause neighborhood depreciation. Having these blights removed can help to restore a neighborhood, and offer you a handsome payday as well.
Framing
Framing or building houses is perhaps one of the more common contracting jobs around. But this type of contracting work will likely require a crew to help.
If you don’t mind being in charge of others and you’re an ace when it comes to structural home engineering, throwing your hat into the home construction world just might be a lucrative strategy.
The human population has nearly doubled in the last 40 years alone. As such, with more people running around, they’re going to eventually need places to call home. This is why home construction offers career security. And it can pay pretty well too, as long as you have the right skills.
Masonry
The title of Mason goes a long way back into history. And while you’re likely not going to become a member of a secret society, having top-notch masonry skills is a trade that not many today can say that they possess.
Masonry work can involve anything from building brick facades to the laying of foundations. And no matter your specialty, if you produce quality work, your name is likely to get tossed around in circles where you might be able to land bigger jobs.
A mason is handy for a lot of different contracting jobs. But you’ll have to be prepared for some hard, physical labor.
Roofing
You can’t have a home without a roof. As such, roofing contractors have excellent job security because an average roof needs to be repaired frequently due to inclement weather. And roofs are recommended to be replaced around every 15 years on average.
Additionally, roofers live demanding lifestyles. And you can’t be squeamish when it comes to working in high places or on vaulted planes.
But with the basic need for all homes to have a roof, if you do choose this niche market, you’re likely to have plenty of work coming in for the foreseeable future.
At the end of the day, when it comes to contract work, you should choose the niche that suits you best and set out to do the type of work that you absolutely love. This way you’ll be less likely to become bored or tired with your profession, and you can look forward to going to work every single day.
