Is your village hall calendar looking a little empty? Do you find yourself constantly competing with other local venues on price alone? In a world full of community spaces, it’s easy to feel like just another generic hall for hire. But what if the key to more bookings wasn’t trying to be everything to everyone, but instead becoming the absolute best choice for a specific group of people?
This is the power of finding your “Golden Niche” — your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It’s the thing your hall does better than anyone else. It allows you to stop shouting into the void and start talking directly to the people who need you most.
Finding your niche isn’t complicated. It’s about looking at your venue with fresh eyes and working smarter, not harder. This five-step guide will show you how.
Step 1: Analyse Your Current Successes
Before you look forward, look back. Your booking history is a treasure map pointing directly to what you’re already good at. Get your committee together and review the last 12-24 months of bookings. Ask yourselves:
- Who are our most frequent hirers? Is it the same parent booking a kids’ party every year? The local yoga teacher who runs three classes a week?
- Which events were the most profitable? Was it the all-day business meeting or the series of art classes?
- Who are our happiest customers? Think about who gives you positive feedback without being asked. Who leaves the hall in great condition? These are your ideal customers.
The patterns you see are your first and biggest clue. If you’re already the go-to place for toddler groups, your niche might be in family-focused events. Lean into your existing strengths.
Step 2: Identify Your Unique Features
Now, put on your estate agent hat. Walk around your hall and make a list of every single asset you have. Be objective and thorough. Sometimes the features you take for granted are the ones that matter most to a potential hirer.
- Physical Assets: Do you have a large, modern kitchen? A sprung maple floor (a dream for dance classes)? A stage with curtains? Large windows with great natural light? A secure, enclosed garden?
- Practical Advantages: What about the things around the hall? Is there ample free parking (a huge selling point!)? Do you have excellent disabled access and facilities? Are you located right next to a park or recreation ground?
- Hidden Benefits: Do you have super-fast Wi-Fi? A great sound system or projector? Are you known for being flexible with timings? Do you have a dedicated, friendly booking manager?
Don’t dismiss anything. That small, separate meeting room could be the perfect space for a local therapist, and your large kitchen could make you the ideal venue for pop-up supper clubs.
Step 3: Survey Your Community for Gaps
You don’t have to guess what people want – you can ask them! Finding out what’s missing in your local area is a powerful way to discover a niche that is crying out to be filled.
You don’t need a complex market research project. Try these simple methods:
- Run a Facebook Poll: Post a simple poll on your local community page with a question like: “What new class or activity would you most like to see offered in the village?” with options like ‘Yoga/Pilates’, ‘Art Workshops’, ‘Youth Club’, ‘Cookery Classes’.
- Use a Suggestion Box: Put a simple box and some slips of paper in the hall’s entrance or in the local shop.
- Just Talk to People: When someone hires the hall, ask them what made them choose you and what was difficult to find elsewhere.
You might discover there’s a desperate need for a regular meeting place for new parents, or that local businesses are crying out for an affordable off-site meeting space.
Step 4: Research the “Competition”
Spend 30 minutes doing some light detective work. Look at the websites and social media pages of other village halls and community venues in a five-mile radius.
The goal here isn’t to copy them. It’s to find the gaps.
- Note what they all offer (e.g., most are good for parties).
- More importantly, note what they don’t offer. Do they lack good parking? Are their kitchens outdated? Do they have limited mid-week availability? Do none of them specifically advertise themselves as being good for business meetings?
Every gap you find in their offering is a golden opportunity for you to fill.
Step 5: Market Your New Niche
Once you’ve identified a potential niche — for example, “The Go-To Venue for Fitness and Wellbeing” — it’s time to own it. All your marketing should be laser-focused on this new identity.
- Update your Website: Your homepage headline should reflect your niche. Instead of “Village Hall for Hire,” try “The Perfect Space for Your Fitness Class, Yoga Workshop, or Wellbeing Retreat.”
- Target Your Audience: Don’t just post on Facebook; actively search for local yoga, pilates, and meditation instructors and send them a direct message. Offer them a special introductory rate to try the hall.
- Use the Right Photos: Your website’s photo gallery should be full of pictures of your hall being used for wellbeing activities. Show a yoga class in session or the sun streaming through the windows onto empty mats.
By focusing your message, you will attract exactly the right kind of hirers, making your marketing more effective and your hall a more vibrant, sustainable community asset. You’ll find that being the perfect venue for someone is much more powerful than being a generic venue for everyone.