Carving Out Your Place: Finding a Business Niche That Fits

Today’s healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, creating fresh opportunities for new ideas, innovation, and emerging industries. As the population ages and the global nursing shortage persists, nurses are uniquely positioned to respond to these changes by developing creative solutions and addressing critical gaps in care.

For those of us eager to address ongoing challenges through business development, the key question is: which niches in clinical care, education, research, or technology are seeking solutions, and how can we align these opportunities with our own skills, experience, and interests?

It’s essential to choose work that can generate income, meaning there are individuals or businesses willing to pay for the product or service you provide. Your niche should be clearly defined so others can understand your offering and see its relevance as a solution to their needs or challenges. While it’s possible to create demand for something new, this often requires greater investment and a strong market strategy.

Starting a business is never a simple decision. Many businesses fail because they weren’t fully thought through, yet there’s a balance to strike. If you wait for the perfect plan and hesitate too long, opportunities may pass you by, but if you leap in without enough preparation, you increase your risk. How can you tell when it’s the right time to take the plunge? Here are a few key points to consider.

What are your skills and interests?

Start by identifying what you truly enjoy in your nursing career. Do you feel most fulfilled providing patient care, or do you prefer teaching—either colleagues or patients? Consider what matters most to you: Is it independence, work-life balance, or leading a team toward shared goals? Reflect on where your satisfaction comes from—individual achievements or collaborative successes. What unique strengths do you bring?

Through your education and experience, you’ve gained important qualifications—degrees, licensure, clinical, and scientific knowledge. You’ve honed skills in communication, teamwork, follow-through, and quick thinking in dynamic situations. These same abilities are valuable assets in the world of business.

What are the nursing areas of business opportunity?

There are many areas to explore, and you can find numerous examples and resources online featuring businesses started by nurses. Some possibilities include:

·       Healthcare or career coaching: Supporting nurses with career advancement, skill development, wellness, or helping individuals of all ages with a variety of health needs. Assisting others with practice startups is also an option.

·       Consulting: Offering expertise in a specialty area, policy implementation, compliance with regulatory requirements, innovation, nursing research, legal nurse consulting, patient or senior advocacy, life care planning, nursing education consulting, or collaborating with tech companies on software and applications.

·       Specialty practice ownership: Starting your practice, such as a home health agency, IV infusion services, child and family counseling, cannabis nursing, night shift baby nurse, private duty nursing, diabetic care, wound care, or foot care.

·       Education and instruction: Teaching nurses or patients in specific areas, offering courses in CPR, childbirth, maternal services, health and exercise promotion, specialty credentials, or tutoring nursing students.

·       Writing: Freelancing as a writer or blogger, sharing insights on health topics for nurses or the public, or working as a medical nurse writer.

·       Conference or event speaker: Present on key topics that engage and inform nurses, patients, or residents of long-term care facilities at conferences, workshops, and classes.

·       Staffing company ownership: Identify gaps for specialized nursing services in your region, such as home health, hospital staffing, senior care, adult day care, or hospice nursing, and build a staffing agency to meet those needs.

·       Health and wellness entrepreneur: Launch a business focused on wellness, such as recommending health, nutrition, fitness services, or providing healthy meal delivery services within your community.

When you search online, you’ll find examples of nurses who have started successful businesses in the areas mentioned. If you’re an advanced practice nurse, you have even more opportunities, such as opening your private practice, particularly in states that grant full practice authority. Some ideas may require significant financial investment, while others can be launched simply by sharing your interest and availability.

Consider whether you prefer to work independently as a sole proprietor or if you want to hire employees to help run your business. Many businesses in the U.S. are operated by self-employed owners without any employees. Also, think about whether you’re interested in remote work or if you’d rather work on-site in an office or healthcare setting.

Is there a genuine demand for your service or product, or could you create one?

Successful entrepreneurship means identifying what customers want, addressing real needs, and offering practical solutions that solve problems and ease frustrations. In healthcare, there’s a growing emphasis on innovation. Reflect on your own work experiences —have you noticed opportunities to improve nursing care or boost efficiency? Are there gaps in healthcare or nursing services in your community that need to be filled? Is there a shortage of nurses in certain specialties where you live?

Often, the most successful ideas come from nurses who recognize unmet needs, take the initiative to develop solutions, and introduce them to the people or organizations most open to trying something new. Innovation and disruption can be positive forces, and nurses are well-equipped to lead this change.

Be sure to put your ideas into a well-crafted business plan. A clear plan can help you attract start-up funding, loans, or grants to test and launch your service or product.

Can your chosen business niche be profitable?

It’s essential for your business growth to eventually earn enough to cover your own salary as well as operational expenses. You might choose to start small, working independently or with a small team of motivated partners. This approach keeps costs low, especially if you operate as a self-employed nurse or independent contractor. With fewer expenses, you may only need a workspace, computer, and phone to get started.

If you plan to grow larger, you’ll need to budget for expenses like office space, technology, payroll, consultants, and more. As the business expands, you’ll face greater responsibilities, but also increased potential for growth and profit.

When you’re ready, you’ll need to decide which business structure suits your goals—options include sole proprietorship, LLC, C corporation, or S corporation. You can remain a solo contractor, form an LLC, or be the founder of a corporation. Choosing a corporate structure may be best if you plan to hire employees, expand your operations, or eventually sell your business as a profitable, recognizable brand.

Consulting with an attorney who can explain each structure will help you make the best decision for your business and personal goals.

What do your peers and colleagues think about your idea?

Reach out to friends and colleagues—especially those from diverse backgrounds and workplaces—to gather their perspectives. Their insights can help you determine if your idea meets a real need or if it requires further refining. Take the time to discuss your concept, network with potential customers, and ask for honest feedback: Are people interested in what you’re offering? Would they pay for it? What problem are you helping them solve?

If your idea is close but not quite there, others may offer valuable suggestions to improve it. Seek feedback from business coaches, social media specialists, or nurses who have successfully started their own ventures—they can provide guidance based on their experiences. Attend professional events and network with other business owners to expand your support system.

Consider starting small by announcing your availability and services to your network, then observe the response. Share your idea on social media, reach out to potential clients, and see what kind of feedback you get. Remember, not everyone will be supportive, but if you receive enough positive input, trust your judgment. You get to decide if you want to invest your time and take the leap to pursue your dream.

To learn more, visit these websites.

Aneesah (April 7, 2024). 43 Business ideas for nurses to make money. AC. Retrieved https://aneesahcoates.com/business-ideas-for-nurses

Dunn, A (2024). 20 entrepreneur and business ideas for nurses. NurseJournal. Retrieved at https://nursejournal.org/articles/nurse-entrepreneur-ideas/

Indeed Editorial Team (2025) 10 ideas to become a self-employed RN (with launching tips). Indeed. Retrieved at https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/self-employed-rn#:~:text=1.%20Provide%20independent

Logan, R (April 8, 2025). 90+ lucrative nurse business ideas to transform your career in 2025. StudyingNurse. Retrieved https://studyingnurse.com/ideas/nurse-business-ideas/

Reese,D. (2025) 15 most profitable small business ideas for nurses. NursingProcess.org. Retrieved https://www.nursingprocess.org/small-business-ideas-for-nurses.html

Riggs, N. (June 19, 2024). How to choose your niche: 8 – step formula + 120 niche ideas. Create and Go. Retrieved https://createandgo.com/choose-your-niche

Terri Kapetanovic PhD RN is an experienced nurse executive, educator, and business leader dedicated to advancing nurse-led innovation in healthcare. Drawing on decades of experience in both clinical care and business operations, Terri empowers nurses to launch and lead successful ventures, drive evidence-based solutions, and transform healthcare delivery through entrepreneurship and leadership