Review of Niching Up

[Sarah D 4]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Niching Up" by Chris Dreyer.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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As a small business owner, I was initially intrigued by the title of the selection. In the business world, niching DOWN is the more common usage. I wondered whether niching UP implied a technique or benefits I was unaware of. Turns out it was both.

Dreyer presents a thorough, logical analysis of the why’s and how’s to selecting a specialty. He shares his own story as a personal injury lawyer, from his experiences to data analysis. And though the author has found great success by niching, he is upfront about the inherent risks.

This book is not merely an attempt to convince anyone to focus on a specialty. Dreyer goes to great lengths to reiterate that there’s an appropriate time and method to achieve niching success. This is mentioned in pretty much every chapter.

The bulk of the book focuses on each potential benefit of niching. A chapter is devoted to each of the following— awareness, expertise, premium pricing, conversions, relationship equity, referrals, and efficiency. And though I work in a niched area of wedding photography, I can clearly see and appreciate how niching up ( or down) further could be a benefit to my business.

The author draws on advice from well-known business leaders and companies, covering quotes and anecdotes from Dale Carnegie to the story of McDonald’s. This guy has done his research. His writing style is easy to follow, and he seamlessly meshes his own experience and advice with a touch of conversational humor.

I found this book to be a business owner’s gold mine. Whether considering a business change or not, the author gives so much to think about, and he hasn’t sugarcoated the niching concept. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for both readability and content. The only things that could possibly add to the content are graphics to further illustrate the data and/or a case study of another business covering their niching challenges and successes. This is a great read for any business owner.

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Niching Up
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