Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Need advice...  My husband has been unemployed for 1 year.  I have been in the educational field for 30 years.  The business would be run by my husband while I supply the knowledge and expertise.  I have done educational consulting in Texas and outside of Texas and hold down a full time job as a literacy specialist in Special Education.  What I want to do is provide an on-line website for orders relating to materials that would be the best materials purchased for special education students and bilingual students.  A collegue and I have developed a Spanish reading intervention program that I am considering marketing as well.  My husband would do the business end with ordering and mailing.  Over the summer and through the internet, I will handle the marketing.  We would really appreciate any advice you can give us.  I have been searching for support for unemployed individuals starting up a business this morning and can't locate anything that is helpful.  We live in Houston, Texas.  

Targeting special education students with great learning materials seems like an interesting idea.  Have you researched the size of the market? Are these products typically bought online?

Without knowing anything about the market, my hunch is that you could make this a profitable niche business.  Start-up costs would also be relatively low.

Before developing the website, you may want to try and sell a few products on eBay to determine the demand.

It sounds like a great niche for you.  You have the experience and you are working in the field of Special Education.  I am assuming that you have the right contacts, knowledge and experience to make this work.

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Kate

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hi

i am neeraj from india i provide some info The business would be run by my husband while I supply the knowledge and expertise.  I have done educational consulting in Texas and outside of Texas and hold down a full time job as a literacy specialist in Special Education.

I think it is a good nitch you are trying to target. However, you must find out exactly what value you are trying to provide. Working in a field for more than 10 years give you good knowedge in that filed, but you still have to find the righ biz plan and approach.

-chris

I agree that if there are enough "buyers" for a given topic, , that is, people willing to spend money, your business should be a profitable one. To add to the ebay idea, I would also suggest selling stuff through Amazon (the personal account, there you don't pay monthly fees) and similar other stores. While expanding your exposure through marketing, keep your expenses to a minimal, because this is just your "testing period" and I also guess your finances are low this time.

Good luck. :)