So you want to start your own business. Awesome! There is only one small catch - what type of business to start?
Deciding what type of business to start can be a difficult decision - or not. If you base your decision on your skills and interests, coming up with the right business for you can be a relatively simple decision. The first step, then, is to determine what your skills are and how they relate to your interests.
I am very good at teaching and coaching others. I am also very efficient at organizing things. I love to talk and write and I've been told I communicate very effectively. Math and science are a breeze. And I have an amazing memory for facts and figures. I have also been told I have quite the flair for the dramatic. I am extremely quick at learning other languages.
I'm not very artistic. I can't draw a straight line. Even my stick people look odd. I am also not very athletic. I enjoy some sports and I love the outdoors, but I am not going to win any medals. I get bored easily and I detest routine and repetitive tasks.
I love music, art, travel, books, gardening, teaching, parties, cooking, theater, animals, outdoor activities such as camping and hiking, science - especially astronomy and physics, history - particularly medieval, languages and I am quite the do-it-yourselfer.
Now, taking a look at my skills, my interests, and areas where I'm not so skilled - what types of business are good for me?
First, I got started in meeting and event planning. I'm a good organizer. I love to travel and have parties. I'm great with words and language (helpful in reading and understanding contracts) and I communicate well and love to talk (helpful in contract negotiation). I enjoyed it and probably would still be involved if not for the current economic situation. More and more companies are cutting their meeting budget.
I like animals, I love to travel, and I write well. Sounds like the start of "Traveling Bob." A travel blog and site written by a dog? Why not? It's been fun - and profitable. Creative enough to hold my interest (remember I tend to lose interest quickly). Unique enough to catch the public attention.
I still needed something else to do. I am a certified master trainer. I love to design training courses and curricula. And I love to help others, especially those who are much like me. BoomerBizCoach is the perfect business for me. It taps into many of my skills and interests. And there is a definite need for this type of service.
The point I'm trying to make is that by combining your skills and interests, and making sure you account for the areas you are lacking in, you can easily find the perfect home business for you.
I have a friend who is a military wife. She is also the garage sale queen. She loves everything about them - organizing and running them, shopping at them, finding that perfect item for a great price, or selling an item at a great price. She watched as military family after family held their own garage sales either before a transfer or right after. And she listened as most of us grumbled and groaned about it. And she saw a niche for her perfect business. She organizes and runs garage sales for military families. She does all the work. Clients pay her a commission out of their earnings. And these are usually more than average since Chris is very good at what she does. Chris has been doing this for a number of years now, and still loves what she does.
Jessica loves photography. She takes fabulous photos. But she doesn't stop there. She then uses photo editing software to turn them into truly unique pieces of art. Now she has a very successful photography business. People come to her to get work they can't get anywhere else. I even have one of her photos - a portrait of the women in my family that looks like we all posed together for it, when in reality, my grandmothers and my mother had passed on many years before the photo was created. It's beautiful and one of my treasured possessions and I gladly paid her price when I saw what she had put together.
David, a client, loves computers. He also loves to write and does so very well. After several years at the local poultry plant, David was offered the chance to write the company newsletter and a new business was born. David now publishes newsletters for several local businesses who don't have the staff to create their own and gladly pay him to perform that service for them.
I could give example after example of friends and clients who have taken what they know, combined it with what they love, did a little creative brainstorming, and came up with the perfect home business. You can do it also. Not sure how to get started? Take advantage of my free workshop that helps you do just that. You get all of the tools necessary to help you assess your skills, talents, passions, and interests, plus a 60-minute coaching session with me where we work together to help you find the right path for your business. Interested? Contact me at mwhiteley@boomerbizcoach.com. Let's find that perfect business you can run from home.
