Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi Joel (Stephens)!

I feel like Craig hit it right on the head! Whatever you do decide to do, realize it will be like a marriage-- (yes, it digressed from dating to marriage :) Some point along your path ahead your business will be all-consuming and you`ve got to think, "Can I really see myself doing this 24/7? Can I love it that much?"

Everyone is good at something. Perhaps it is not even that you possess some deep passion for an activity, maybe it is a task you naturally excel in, like helping children or maybe good at selling people things. First things first, write it out. Write out what you`re good at, what you like to do, write out what you don`t want to do. Sometimes the best clarity is reached when we recognize where we don`t want to end up.

Go to Rich`s Life Plan and concretize your dreams. Everyone`s gotta start somewhere!

Good luck!!

Carli R Kiene
{inkedFingers Fotography}
www.inkdfingers.blogspot.com

All the advice is the same, do what your good at. Nonsense! What I’m good at and what I enjoy doesn’t pay very well, what I’m good at lots of people do, What I’m good at is hard to market over the internet. I’m ready for a change of careers.

Now what kind of business can I start?

Work from home
No cold calling sales
I don’t have a lot of capital
I’m willing to invest up to 2 years in part time study (less full time) to master a new career.

This is a pretty generic list of requirements and answering most of them with a short list of business that he could start would go a long way to helping him figure out how to match his needs with whats available.

I grant that it is small, but small markets provide one really big advantage.

Once you know what business is right for you, developing your business strategy is really pretty straight foreward:

1.  Clearly identify a problem, an unfilfilled need, or dissatisfaction that exists in an identifiable segment of the market.  You`ll get this from the survey.

This is a great question, and unfortunately, as I read through all the responses I didn`t see an answer to your question.  I`m going to try my hand at an answer, but keep in mind, this is just my opinion.
 
First, I hope that you, and anyone else that read those rhetorical questions about "What you want out of life?", laughed like I did.  That has to be the most ridiculous BS ever.  The answer from every living human being that has any bit of entrepreneurial sense is; "I want to work as little as possible and make as much money as possible in the shortest period of time possible!"  And the other ridiculous question, "What would you do if there was 5 million dollars in your bank account tomorrow?"  Well, first of all there won`t be 5 million dollars in my bank account tomorrow, but instead of answering my question with a question, how about telling me how I PUT 5 MILLION DOLLARS IN MY BANK ACCOUNT TOMORROW. 
 
All of you people that come up with these crazy irrelevant positions on philosophy and advice about how my life will magically get better with NO FACTS - Please, please, please....GO AWAY..you are not doing anyone any good!
 
So, here`s the real deal:
 
I`ll give these folks one thing.  The reason they ask all of these rhetorical and hypothetical questions is because they are working on your attitude.  Their position is that attitude is very important.  Actually, I believe that attitude really is everything.  I could go on forever about attitude, with examples, but here is the bottom line;  You have to be convicted to whatever you do as you set out on your adventure.  You better never use the word "can`t", and you need to learn how to push everyone out of the way that says the word "no" to you.  If you can do that, then you have attitude all wrapped up. 
 
But aside for attitude, you need facts.  You need factual information about the opportunities that are out there.  You need to know how much money and time you need to invest to make a profit.  This is what you really want, as this will help answer your real question; "How do I make as much money as possible, with as little effort as possible, in as short as time as possible?"  Your adventure into the entrepreneurial world is an investment.  And as with all investments you have to measure the risks.  Most likely, you need to measure an entrepreneurial investment against the investment of full or part-time employment.  i.e., how do you start a new business and leave your day job still manage to make the mortgage payment.  Unfortunately, you can`t measure these investments this without facts.
 
So, how about some detail from these folks.  Cause that`s what you really need.
 
Well, I can give you my experience and details, and that may help you find your way, but you you will have to contact me directly for me to provide that information.  If you interested, send me a note via my linked in account:
 
http://www.linkedin.com/in/drewfrazier
 
Good luck, and I hope to talk to you soon.
 
-Drew

-------------------------

Regards,
Andrew (Drew) M. Frazier
Find me on Linked-IN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drewfrazier

No one is saying you don`t need to discern the scope of opportunity in any given business idea.

The question being addressed with these replies has to do with where do you start. 

Every thread of real factual evidence supports that a person should start by evaluating their true desires before they start analyzing market trends, buiness models, and compensation plans.

The notion the the best business is the one that generates the most money with the least amount of effort is an immature and somewhat limited view of the realities of creating and enjoying a successful, accomplished, and rewarding life.

And still...you are entitled to you opinion.

Steve