niche-opportunity-finder

name	niche-opportunity-finder
description	Discover untapped B2B software opportunities by analyzing specific industries for boring business problems, pain points, willingness to pay, competition levels, and where to find these businesses.

Niche Opportunity Finder

Find your $15K clients before your competitors do.

What This Skill Does

You input interests or industries you're curious about, and this skill analyzes and reveals:

✅ Boring Businesses with Software Problems - Specific niches ripe for custom solutions ✅ Their Specific Pain Points - Exact problems they're struggling with ✅ Willingness to Pay - Estimated budget and urgency ($5K? $15K? $30K+?) ✅ Competition Level - How many off-the-shelf solutions exist ✅ Where to Find Them - Conferences, Facebook groups, associations, directories ✅ Conversation Starters - How to open the discussion about their problems

Who This Is For

Software Tailors who need to:

• Find profitable niches systematically, not randomly
• Discover opportunities competitors are ignoring
• Target businesses that can actually afford $10K-$50K solutions
• Know where to find potential clients
• Enter conversations with deep industry knowledge

How To Use This Skill

Input Format

Example Input #1:

I'm interested in: Construction and trades businesses
Specific interests: I worked in HVAC before, familiar with that world

Example Input #2:

I'm interested in: Healthcare or medical services
I want to avoid: Highly regulated areas like patient records

Example Input #3:

I'm interested in: Local service businesses that are tech-behind
Budget sweet spot: $10K-$20K projects

Output Format

The skill generates comprehensive niche analysis like this:

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Niche Analysis: Construction & Trades Opportunities

Overview

Why Construction/Trades is a Goldmine:

• Highly fragmented industry ($1.8 trillion in US alone)
• Most businesses run by older owners (tech-averse)
• Operate on thin margins (desperate for efficiency)
• High revenue per business ($500K-$5M typical)
• Willing to pay for solutions that save time/money

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Opportunity #1: Commercial HVAC Service Companies ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Business:

• Service and maintain HVAC systems for commercial buildings
• 3-15 technicians in the field
• Annual revenue: $800K-$3M
• Operate in most major metro areas

Pain Points:

1. Work Order Chaos

   • Dispatchers use whiteboards or spreadsheets to assign jobs
   • Technicians call/text for addresses and details
   • Parts orders get lost or delayed
   • Can't track job profitability in real-time

2. Preventive Maintenance Nightmares

   • Clients on PM contracts (monthly/quarterly service)
   • Tracking which buildings need service is manual
   • Miss PM appointments = angry clients, lost contracts
   • Average PM contract worth $5K-$15K/year

3. Billing Delays

   • Technicians complete work, paperwork sits for days
   • Office staff manually create invoices from handwritten notes
   • Delayed billing = delayed cash flow
   • Average 15-25 day lag between job completion and invoice sent

Software Solution They Need:

• Dispatch board with drag-and-drop job assignment
• Mobile app for technicians (job details, parts used, photos)
• Automatic PM scheduling with reminders
• Invoice generation from completed work orders
• Parts inventory tracking

Pricing Potential: $15,000-$25,000

Why They'll Pay:

• Missing one $10K PM contract pays for the software
• Faster billing improves cash flow significantly
• Can handle more clients without hiring dispatchers
• Average job is $500-$2,000 (losing 2-3 jobs/month due to disorganization = software cost)

Competition Level: ⚠️ MEDIUM

• ServiceTitan (expensive, $400-600/month)
• FieldPulse (basic, doesn't handle complex PM scheduling)
• Housecall Pro (designed for residential, not commercial)
• Gap: Affordable custom solution focused on PM contracts

Where to Find Them:

• Associations: ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America)
• Facebook Groups: "HVAC Business Owners", "Commercial HVAC Pros"
• LinkedIn: Search "HVAC Service Manager" + your city
• Google: "[City] commercial HVAC service"
• Trade Shows: AHR Expo (HVAC trade show)

Conversation Starter:

"I noticed you handle a lot of PM contracts - how do you currently track which buildings are due for service each month? Most HVAC companies I talk to struggle with that..."

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Opportunity #2: Electrical Contractors (Commercial) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Business:

• Commercial electrical work (offices, retail, industrial)
• 5-20 electricians
• Annual revenue: $1M-$10M
• Project-based work (not residential service calls)

Pain Points:

1. Project Tracking Chaos

   • Multiple projects running simultaneously
   • Tracking labor hours per project is manual
   • Don't know if projects are profitable until after completion
   • Change orders get lost

2. Material Management Disaster

   • Buy materials for projects, hard to track what was used where
   • Can't accurately bill clients for materials
   • Overspend on materials = profit erosion

3. Crew Scheduling Complexity

   • Need 3 electricians at Site A, 2 at Site B, etc.
   • Skill matching (need journeyman vs apprentice)
   • Vacation/sick days throw everything off

Software Solution They Need:

• Project dashboard (timeline, budget, crew assigned)
• Time tracking by project (clock in/out per job site)
• Material purchasing and allocation by project
• Crew scheduling with skill level matching
• Project profitability calculator (real-time)

Pricing Potential: $18,000-$30,000

Why They'll Pay:

• One unprofitable $50K project erases their annual profit
• Real-time visibility prevents project overruns
• Accurate material billing alone adds $10K-20K/year to profit
• Can bid more competitively knowing true costs

Competition Level: ⚠️ MEDIUM-LOW

• Procore (too expensive, $800+/month, overkill for small contractors)
• BuilderTrend (residential-focused)
• Gap: Affordable project tracking for commercial electrical contractors

Where to Find Them:

• Associations: NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association)
• LinkedIn: Search "Electrical Contractor" + "Project Manager"
• Industry Directories: electricalcontractor.net
• Trade Shows: Electrical West, NECA Convention

Conversation Starter:

"How do you currently track labor and materials per project? Most electrical contractors I work with don't realize they're losing money on certain jobs until it's too late..."

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Opportunity #3: Plumbing Companies (Commercial & Residential) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Business:

• Plumbing service calls and installations
• 3-12 plumbers
• Annual revenue: $500K-$2M
• Mix of emergency calls and scheduled work

Pain Points:

1. Dispatch Inefficiency

   • Calls come in, dispatcher manually assigns based on location
   • No visibility into who's close to the job
   • Plumbers waste drive time criss-crossing town

2. Parts Inventory Chaos

   • Plumbers stock vans with parts
   • No tracking of what's in each van
   • Plumber arrives on-site, doesn't have the right part, has to leave
   • Lost revenue + angry customer

3. Pricing Inconsistency

   • Each plumber quotes jobs differently
   • No standardized pricing = revenue left on table
   • Hard to train new plumbers on pricing

Software Solution They Need:

• GPS-based dispatch (who's closest to new call)
• Van inventory tracking (what parts each plumber has)
• Flat-rate pricing guide in mobile app
• Before/after photo documentation
• Customer communication (on my way, job complete texts)

Pricing Potential: $12,000-$18,000

Why They'll Pay:

• Saving 30 minutes drive time per plumber per day = 2.5 hours/week per plumber
• 4 plumbers × 2.5 hours × $80/hour = $800/week saved = $41,600/year
• Reducing "no part on van" trips saves $10K+/year in lost efficiency

Competition Level: ⚠️ HIGH

• ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber (lots of options)
• Gap: Most are generic "field service" - custom solution focused on van inventory and pricing consistency stands out

Where to Find Them:

• Associations: PHCC (Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors)
• Facebook Groups: "Plumbing Business Owners"
• Google: Local searches ("[city] plumbing service")
• Trade Shows: PHCC events

Conversation Starter:

"How often do your plumbers get to a job and realize they don't have the right part in their van? That's costing you thousands in wasted drive time..."

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Opportunity #4: Roofing Contractors ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Business:

• Residential and commercial roofing
• 5-15 crew members
• Annual revenue: $1M-$5M
• Project-based (each roof is a project)

Pain Points:

1. Sales Pipeline Mess

   • Get leads from multiple sources (referrals, ads, door knocking)
   • Hard to track where leads are in sales process
   • Follow-up is inconsistent = lost sales
   • Average roof job: $8K-$25K (losing 1-2 jobs/month is huge)

2. Project Estimation Inconsistency

   • Estimating materials needed is part art, part science
   • Over-estimate = pay for unused materials
   • Under-estimate = crew runs out, project delayed

3. Weather Dependency Chaos

   • Rain delays projects
   • Rescheduling crews and materials is a nightmare
   • Customers demand updates constantly

Software Solution They Need:

• CRM for leads and sales pipeline
• Estimation calculator (roof size, materials needed)
• Project scheduling with weather integration
• Photo documentation (before/during/after)
• Customer update automation (project delayed, crew arriving tomorrow)

Pricing Potential: $15,000-$25,000

Why They'll Pay:

• Closing 2 extra jobs/year from better follow-up = $16K-$50K extra revenue
• Accurate estimates reduce material waste ($5K-$10K/year savings)
• Weather-aware scheduling = better customer satisfaction = more referrals

Competition Level: ⚠️ MEDIUM-LOW

• AccuLynx, JobNimbus (expensive, $250-500/month)
• Gap: Affordable custom solution with weather-aware scheduling

Where to Find Them:

• Associations: NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association)
• Facebook Groups: "Roofing Business Owners", "Roofing Contractor Network"
• Trade Shows: International Roofing Expo

Conversation Starter:

"How do you handle rescheduling when weather delays a project? Most roofers I talk to waste hours every week calling customers and rearranging crews..."

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Opportunity #5: General Contractors (Small-Medium) ⭐⭐⭐

The Business:

• Coordinate multiple subcontractors for construction projects
• $2M-$20M annual revenue
• Residential or commercial projects

Pain Points:

1. Subcontractor Coordination Nightmare

   • Need electrician on-site Monday, plumber Tuesday, HVAC Wednesday
   • Subcontractors don't show up or show up late
   • Project delays cost money (carrying costs, angry clients)

2. Change Order Tracking

   • Client requests changes mid-project
   • Hard to track all changes and ensure proper billing
   • Incomplete change order billing = lost profit

3. Budget vs. Actual Tracking

   • Project budgeted at $500K, need to track spending in real-time
   • Don't know if project is over budget until it's too late

Software Solution They Need:

• Subcontractor scheduling and communication hub
• Change order tracker with approval workflow
• Budget vs. actual dashboard
• Document storage (contracts, permits, plans)
• Client portal for project updates

Pricing Potential: $25,000-$40,000

Why They'll Pay:

• One project going 10% over budget = $50K loss
• Better change order tracking adds $20K-$50K/year to profit
• Subcontractor coordination saves 10+ hours/week of phone calls

Competition Level: ⚠️ MEDIUM

• Procore (expensive), CoConstruct, Buildertrend
• Gap: Mid-market GCs ($2M-$20M revenue) are underserved - too big for residential tools, too small for enterprise

Where to Find Them:

• Associations: AGC (Associated General Contractors)
• LinkedIn: Search "General Contractor" + "Project Manager" + your city
• Networking: Local construction networking events

Conversation Starter:

"How do you currently track change orders and make sure you're billing for all of them? I find most GCs leave $20K-$50K on the table every year..."

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Selection Criteria: Which Niche Should You Choose?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BEST OPPORTUNITIES

✅ Choose if:

• You have industry knowledge or connections
• Clear, expensive pain points ($10K+ annual cost)
• Business revenue $500K-$10M (can afford $15K-$30K)
• Competition is generic (not niche-specific)
• Easy to find online (associations, groups, directories)

Example: Commercial HVAC (if you have HVAC background) - Perfect match

⭐⭐⭐⭐ GOOD OPPORTUNITIES

✅ Choose if:

• Moderate pain points ($5K-$10K annual cost)
• Can learn the industry quickly
• Some competition exists but gaps remain
• Business revenue $300K-$1M

Example: Residential plumbing - Crowded but profitable if you differentiate

⭐⭐⭐ MODERATE OPPORTUNITIES

⚠️ Proceed carefully if:

• Commodity problem (everyone needs it, not specific)
• Lots of SaaS competition
• Requires deep industry expertise you don't have
• Business revenue under $300K

❌ AVOID

❌ Stay away if:

• Business can't afford $10K+ (margins too thin)
• Highly regulated (requires compliance expertise)
• You have zero connection to the industry
• Extremely crowded market (50+ SaaS options)
• Businesses are tech-savvy (will build it themselves)

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How to Research Any Niche

Step 1: Validate the Niche

Ask:

1. Do these businesses make $500K+ revenue/year?
2. Are they currently solving this with duct tape solutions (Excel, paper)?
3. Is the problem costing them $10K+ annually?
4. Are there 1,000+ of these businesses in the US?

If yes to all 4 → Good niche

Step 2: Find Them

Where any niche hangs out:

• Facebook Groups: Search "[industry] business owners"
• LinkedIn: Search job titles + location
• Trade Associations: Every industry has one (Google "[industry] association")
• Trade Shows: Google "[industry] trade show" or "[industry] expo"
• Industry Forums: Often old-school forums still active
• Local Directories: Chamber of Commerce, industry-specific directories

Step 3: Understand Their Language

Lurk in their communities:

• Read Facebook group posts (what do they complain about?)
• Listen to industry podcasts
• Read trade publications
• Attend local meetups or conferences

Learn their vocabulary:

• Don't say "CRM" → Say "keeping track of customers"
• Don't say "API integration" → Say "connecting your tools"
• Speak their language, not tech jargon

Step 4: Test the Market

Before building anything:

1. Cold outreach to 20 businesses (email or LinkedIn)
2. Offer free discovery call to understand their problems
3. Pitch hypothetical solution at $15K price point
4. Gauge interest - if 2-3 out of 20 are interested, it's viable

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Multi-Niche Strategy

Don't put all eggs in one basket:

Option 1: Specialize Deeply

• Pick ONE niche (e.g., commercial HVAC)
• Become THE expert for that niche
• Charge premium ($20K-$30K) because you understand them deeply
• Build reputation, get referrals within the niche

Option 2: Horizontal Approach

• Build ONE solution that works across multiple niches
• Example: "Field service management for trades businesses"
• Sell to HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing (same core needs)
• Easier marketing, but less differentiation

Recommended: Start with Option 1, scale to Option 2

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Niche Opportunity Matrix

Niche	Pain Level	Revenue Potential	Competition	Accessibility
Commercial HVAC	🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥	$15K-$25K	Medium	Easy
Electrical Contractors	🔥🔥🔥🔥	$18K-$30K	Medium-Low	Easy
Plumbing	🔥🔥🔥🔥	$12K-$18K	High	Very Easy
Roofing	🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥	$15K-$25K	Medium-Low	Easy
General Contractors	🔥🔥🔥🔥	$25K-$40K	Medium	Moderate

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Remember

The best niche for you is the one where:

1. ✅ You have credibility (worked in the industry, know someone in it)
2. ✅ Businesses have money ($500K+ revenue)
3. ✅ Problem costs them significantly (10%+ of revenue)
4. ✅ You can find them easily (associations, groups, directories)
5. ✅ Competition is generic, not niche-specific

Start with one niche. Master it. Then expand.

Your $15K clients are out there. This skill helps you find them.