We tried contacts in other countries. It seemed easy because many of our customer are multinational companies (British america Tobacco, Kraft Foods, Colgate Palmolive and so on) but our position was already taken in other countries. If not, I'd have set up offices in a couple of countries. Tried and failed.

Your second point was exactly what I was looking for, ideas on new niche market, fast growing. I can dedicate personnel to get experience in the new market, also I can invest in new technology. I don't want to be limited to our existing experience because I have searched for sub-exploited fast growing niche markets in our field and haven't found any.

I got a friend who started about the same time I did. He specialysed his company in software solutions for sea transport cargos. Big market now, he is already in 10 countries and have a couple millions in his bank account. Good timing, hes the industry leader for this software.



>>Hello all.
>>
>>I have a big problem. We are in a niche market, our vertical application is software for massive sales. You have 100-200 salespeople who visit customers and returns with orders to be batch proccesed and dispatched the next day. So far so good, we are THE SPECIALISTS in that niche and now we get good cash on it. The problem? The market doesn't grow. It's hard to export to other countries (It took us 2 years to get our first big customer and we need to have a support staff on site, big costs). Also, developed countries usually have solved this problem having the customers ordering via phone/internet, so the sales people doesn't work the way the system works. Also, there are market leaders already.
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>>I think in 3-5 years our target market will decrease. As you can see, we now have cash but can't reinvest in our core business because the target market is too small. I'd like to invest into development of another fast growing niche market application who can support my company in the future. Any ideas?
>>
>>TIA
>
>Hmmm... It seems you either have to
>
>A. Get contacts in other countries - mainly developing countries, judging from your description. Or
>
>B. Find other kinds of markets, i.e., develop other kinds of applications. You may want to start with things that are similar to whatever you know best, what you are currently doing.