Passionate about the problem, but not about the industry. Should I pursue this business?

Hi Aaron --

It sounds like the content that you're considering is more relevant for the customers of your audience (ie. peopel that need haircuts) than for hairdressers themselves.

If you wrote about the challenges of being a hairdresser / contractor, running a small, appointment based business, dilemmas they face, how to deal with difficult customers, etc., does that make the content more appealing?

I agree that there's a strong content angle here, but I think it might not be for organic search, at least at first. It might be for Facebook groups / forums / "dark social" channels that people in this industry use to discuss work. These groups definitely exist, they're just less trackable.

Hope this helps!

Hairdresser businesses in your city/area can be part of your content marketing strategy. Make section on the site that is featuring business overview of salons that use your booking tool. Each page could be like a small presentation of their business - few photos of salon from outside and inside, product lines that they use, specific features of salon, specific services that they do in addition to regular hairdressing business (maybe makeup, wedding hairstyles, etc), contact details and address...

Basically you promote them and you have some content, and they have another source of information about their business. They can share it to their followers, you have free marketing of your post and potential new clients and salons, do the same thing for them and let them promote, ... Churn would be lesser, probably, you are not just another service but you have their business on your page, that is whole new level of customer appreciation.

Also you can do the "interviews" with salon owners, how they started, their struggles, their opinions about industry or predictions of future hair styles or whatever could be interesting for their friends and followers. Again, they would do the distribution of content for you, for free. Who else interviewed them and asked them something they care? People are your free but valuable assets, you just have to reach them and show interest. You can do that over email, too - find several questions, themes and pain points they can write about and post it as interview.

solve the problem. worry about the market later.

if you solve the problem really well, then, you'll have customers and a business. let's do that.

My opinion is to find a way to make it interesting to yourself, or change industries. Every business has boring drudge work, sure. But life is too short to be apathetic about the entire industry you're starting a business in. I could be wrong, but based on your description above what it really sounds like you're interested in is writing code.

@csallen Could I maybe have your perspective on this?