Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello Startup Nation.  I`m a first-time poster with a lot on my mind, so please allow me to get a few things off my chest. 

I am 48 years old and in dire need of a career change.  I`ve been with the same company now for 25 years.  I`ve busted my hump for this global entertainment company and have carved out a pretty nice life for my family.  A lot of people would kill for a job/life like mine.  So what`s the problem?  I`ve reached the boiling point. What I thought was exciting and fun when I was in my 20s and 30s, I find intollerable in my 40s.  I merely in it for the paycheck at this point. 

I dream about being my own boss and doing what I what to do.  I have several hobbies which I am passionate about.  Even fanatical about. I have racked my brain trying to come up with a viable business out of them. 

 I cannot, at this stage of my life, risk a six figure job, 25-year pension with great benefits, on a business that may or may not work.  I would love to start a web-based soda shop and provide hundreds of hard-to-find brands from all over the world.  It`s not original.  I did find some online.  Would I love doing it?  You bet.  Will it pay the bills and send my son to college.  Who knows.  Is the country crying out for a cucumber flavored soda for  south american????

I actually do have a question for the Nation.  I have what I think is a fresh idea in the internet dating arena.  I really think I could make it work.  The problem is, I`m not passionate about the "internet dating" business.  I am however passionate about the potential this idea has.  Is it bad to follow a business idea that you are not "passionate" about?

Hi there :-)
We`ve had numerous discussions on passion and its association with a business. You could do a search in the forums, and see a lot of that thought.

Bottom line, you can do anything you want. The problem is that no matter what business you start, unless you`re radically outside the "norm," you`re going to face a lot of problems, downslides, and periods of not much activity.

A passion for your business not only will get you through the startup blues, it`ll also generate an ongoing "Idea Mill" during those slow times. You`ll continue to, and constantly be thinking about the business, which will generate ways to make it better, change it, fix it, or whatever else.

Without the passion, you`ll just be switching jobs. Sure it`ll be exciting for a few months, just getting out of the boring old job. But soon, it`ll be just another job, likely paying a fraction of what you were making.

The better solution, from what you`ve written above, would be to pursue your entrepreneurial ideas as hobbies for now. Part of you life plan could be to set a time when you`ll leave the entertainment world completely. Figure out what you`ll need at that point, when it`ll be, and then start storing away money.

At that future date you could potentially convert a working hobby into a regular business. But to believe you`ll substitute ANY new business idea for a 6-figure job is pretty unrealistic. Not to say you`re being unrealistic...only that it almost assuredly won`t happen. To that end, look at it as yourself investing in your future self as a capital lender.

I feel your pain. Here`s my two cents worth: 

Joan makes a good point in her story.  Leaving a job to pursue starting your own business doesn`t have to be a `quit on Friday and startup on Monday` kind of event.  That kind of drastic switch is a common mindset.

Great word:   "transition."

Hi,

I started writing a reply and it turned into a report on the dating industry.  I LOVE the idea of following your passion about hard to find sodas.  If you plan your internet business correctly you can develop software that can be used not only for your soda passion...but other hard to find products....your soda site may/may not make a million but if you have 10 sites that track down hard to find products that may.

Before you start a dating website read this:

http://blog.webbizideas.com/starting-an-online-dating-website-is-it-still-profitable/13/

Jeff

I just read a great line from Brad Metzler, novelist, about online dating:

Too funny.  Not only are you filled with wisdom, Craig, you`re always good for a good chuckle.