My clients tell me a lot of reasons why they haven’t started the businesses of their dreams.

• They don’t have the time.
• They don’t have the money.
• They’re scared of failing again.
• They don’t know where to start.
• Their families want them to play it safe with corporate jobs.
• They’re waiting for the planets to align, for the moon to be in the proper phase, and for their auras to be vibrating at the correct frequency. Maybe starting next decade would be more auspicious.

One reason (or should I say excuse?) that I hear more than the others is that they DO have ideas for the ideal businesses they’d like to create. In fact, they’ve been dreaming about these business ideas for years.

But they don’t want to join a crowded market.

“Sage, I can’t become a coach, jewelry maker, website designer, or fill-in-the-blank! The market is crowded, and I don’t want to compete against a million other people with the same business idea.”

I understand how scary it can be to put yourself out there with no guarantee for success. And how can you compare to those other businesses with their flashy websites and snazzy product lines?

A crowded market might be the last place you want to dive in to, but that’s exactly where you need to be!

As weird as it sounds, your business has a better chance of succeeding if you model it on those that have already succeeded.

Here are 3 smart reasons why you should start a business in a crowded market.

1. A Crowd Means There’s a Need

I can’t believe how many people miss this obvious truth. If there are thousands of other online businesses selling the same things you sell—and thriving!—then that means there’s an audience buying that product.

Take me for instance. There are a million online life coaches, and I don’t offer products or services that are much different than what my peers offer. So why does my business plan work?

I have a 6-figure business today because I realized years ago that women are looking for support, guidance, and accountability…and in this technological age, that means they’re looking for what they need online.

The internet is crowded with online life coaches, but it’s also crowded with potential coaching clients.

2. If They Did It, You Can Too

It’s easy to become jealous of what other people have and the golden opportunities that seemingly fall into their laps. If only you could do those amazing things too.

Well, you can! The very fact that someone else has been successful in a certain area is proof that it can be done. Your competition is human, just like you, and that means whatever successes she’s had are achievable by you too.

Everyone starts at the bottom. For a long time, I had no one following me on Facebook, no one wanted to work with me, and no one wanted to interview me. It sucked!

But whenever I saw one of my peers succeeding in a big way, I reframed it as the universe telling me that I could do that too. This is a basic law of attraction technique. By wishing my peers continued success, I started attracting positive opportunities to me.

3. It’s Your Chance To Do What You Love

Maybe the best reason I can give you for why you should start a business in a crowded market is that this is the only life you’ve got. Don’t waste it by putting your dreams on a shelf to get dusty and forgotten.

What do you really want to do? What do you love? What passion do you want to pursue?

Take a leap of faith and join that crowded market anyway. Remember, no matter what you’re selling, your customers are buying YOU. It’s your authenticity that helps you stand out from the crowd instead of getting lost in it.

This post focuses on Step 3 of the Life Editing Process, Add Good Habits and Routines. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.