Tips for breaking into the health industry

The health industry is a booming business with a growing number of business opportunities. People of all ages are looking to get and stay healthy, whether it's losing weight, stopping smoking, or receiving health care treatment in their own homes.

As with any business, it is easy to get pushed aside when there is a lot of competition. The health industry is no exception. The following are a few tips for helping you break into the health industry.

Find a niche
A niche is a specialized area that you can focus your marketing efforts on. When you specialize in a certain aspect of the health industry, your business is more likely to succeed. Say for example you have developed a product to soothe very dry skin. In order to distinguish yourself from the competition, you can establish a niche that will set your products apart from everyone else.

This basic principle applies to all businesses, the health industry included. In order to find the right niche, consider the following:
- Do your research. This is perhaps the most crucial aspect of finding a niche. Many failed businesses result from choosing the wrong niche. The business owner may choose a niche that is too popular and wind up competing against millions of others, like a weight loss product for women. Or, they may find a niche that is too small to turn a profit. Don't start your business or begin marketing your product on impulse; this results in a lot of wasted time, money, and effort. Instead, make sure there is enough of a market for your product that it can bring you money without drowning in the competition.
- Market in the right places. Once you've determined your niche, make sure you market it in areas where people who will be interested in your services can find it. For example, if you start a service that supplies health equipment to the elderly, don't just advertise your services in the newspaper. Instead, market directly to your niche by advertising in places like convalescent supply stores, geriatric nurses, and so forth. Marketing in the right places is an important part of finding your niche.
- Narrow your product down. You may have a product that people of all ages will enjoy. Let's say you sell lotion. Instead of marketing the product to everyone, focus in on a niche. Lotion is popular for women, but let's say you want to market a lotion for men. Now you can focus your marketing efforts on men instead of the population as a whole.

Use your contacts
When it comes to breaking into the health care business, it's important to network. So if you know other people in health care, ask them to recommend your services or products to the people they serve. For example, if you are selling products to the elderly population, consider talking to any nurses you know or people who deal with the elderly. They may be willing to endorse your product and recommend it to their customers and patients, which can in turn get your foot in the door.

Breaking into the health care industry can be difficult, particularly because you can expect to face a lot of competition. Finding a niche to market your products to and using friends and others in the health care industry you know to endorse you can help you break into the health industry.