Know Your Niche: Beating the Competition
By Frederick M. Hueston
Finding Your Niche
Most of us got into this trade thinking we’d take on any stone job that came our way. Floors, counters, showers, monuments, terrazzo, you name it. And in the beginning, that makes sense. You need the work, and you want to learn. But if you really want to separate yourself from the pack, you have to figure out what you do better than everyone else, and lean into it. That’s your niche.
Why a Niche Matters
The stone industry is crowded. Contractors come and go, and plenty of them race to the bottom on price. If you’re just another guy with a floor machine, you’re competing in that pit. Specialization lets you climb out. Clients notice when you’re the “go-to” expert in a specific type of work. You stop being compared to the lowest bid and start being valued for expertise.
Examples of Niches in Stone Restoration
A niche doesn’t mean you only do one thing forever. It means you market yourself as the expert in a focused area. For example:
- Historic stone restoration: Churches, courthouses, and monuments. These jobs demand knowledge of preservation standards and materials. Few contractors have it, and those who do command top rates.
- Commercial marble floor programs: Specialize in high-traffic buildings like hotels, airports, or malls. Selling ongoing maintenance contracts becomes easier when you can show a track record with large commercial spaces.
- Stain removal expert: Not everyone knows how to deal with iron, oil, or biological stains correctly. If you do, market yourself as the one who can solve “unsolvable” problems.
- Exotic materials: Petrified wood, quartzite, soapstone, terrazzo, quartzite. The more you understand these less common surfaces, the fewer competitors you’ll face.
Beating the Competition Through Focus
Your competition may try to undercut you, but if you’re the recognized specialist, price stops being the deciding factor. Think of it this way: A general contractor might polish marble floors. You specialize in bringing back historic terrazzo or removing deep-set iron stains. The GC may be cheaper, but the client wants the job done right the first time, and that’s where you win.
How to Carve Out Your Niche
- Look at what you enjoy: If you hate restoration in showers, don’t make it your niche. Focus where your passion and patience line up.
- Check your market: What’s missing in your area? Maybe there are five guys polishing hotel lobbies, but no one understands terrazzo or exterior stone.
- Invest in training: Once you pick your lane, get as much education as you can. Take workshops, read, practice, fail, then practice again. Knowledge is what makes you stand out.
- Market yourself that way: Your website, business cards, and social media should tell people you’re the expert in your chosen specialty.
Leading, Not Competing
You don’t have to give up every other job, but if you want to beat the competition, don’t just be another contractor with a grinder and a bucket of diamonds. Be the contractor who owns a niche. When you’re the name that comes up every time someone has a historic project, a terrazzo issue, or a stone failure no one else can figure out, you’re not competing, you’re leading.
