Do you have a passionate streak in you that just dreams of turning your hobby into a flourishing business? Why not do what you love and get paid! Answer these 5 thought- provoking questions and start your own business.
Have you ever wanted to start your own business?
There are no limits to the types of paying occupations in the world today. Everything from creating a shampoo for dogs to using your pickup truck to haul people’s trash to the dump. If you have a skill and are passionate about it, you might have exactly the right thing for a particular customer. You can start your own business (or at least think about it and work towards it).
Play by your own rules
Once you realize there is a need for what you are offering, you can collect all the things you’ll require to start your own business. These things may be tools, information, education, a vehicle or extra money to pay for some work related items. All of this can be achieved with some planning, a concerted effort and minimum money. Just use your imagination and see what can blossom from an idea. Here are some things to ask yourself before starting your own small business.
5 Questions to ask before you jump in and start your own business
- What am I truly passionate about? Do I love art, gardening, public speaking, cleaning, or even helping remove rubbish?
- Is there a customer base for me to sell my idea or service where I live?
- How much money do I have to invest? Even if I do not have much or any, things can still work just fine.
- Can I work around my regular job until I establish customers? Maybe work a few hours at night or on the weekend until I am ready to quit my day job.
- Do I want to get more education before I start? YouTube is the best! I don’t need to go to fancy schools anymore to gain knowledge. The internet is amazing for this. A short term trade school could also be an option.
Did you come up with some great answers? I bet you did! Now, let’s get motivated to start your own business and flourish
7 cool business ideas to inspire you
Personal shopper
Do you just love to shop? How about organize things? A personal shopper might be your ideal job. Wouldn’t it be great to get up every day, go shopping AND get a paycheck? When your job is to visit retail outlets and make purchases for others, it is bound to be exciting. There are many reasons why someone might hire a personal shopper.
Are you an excellent communicator?
Your client may need advice or guidance when purchasing certain things like fashion. They may have little time to do these types of purchases so you would be a trusting partner in helping them look and feel good. You may have to buy gifts for family members or business partners as your client is busy doing their job. You should have fantastic customer service, excellent communication skills and be able to do any type of online ordering and merchandise returns.
You can freelance yourself out and have multiple clients. This article from the Washington Post is quite interesting- You can work for a CEO of a business or even be a shopper for a senior citizen, making sure to get the proper medications and groceries to your client. The salary of a personal shopper varies with each client and with your overall experience.
House cleaner
Grab your mop and bucket and let’s go clean! Do you have a thing for keeping a really tidy house and you think you could improve someone else’s life by helping them with their daily or weekly chores? If so, being a residential house cleaner might be perfect for you. If you specialize in a particular area like floors or wall cleaning, you can specify as such.
Do you specialize in something?
Regular house cleaning usually involves dusting, vacuuming, mopping etc… if you specialize in deep cleaning carpets, curtains or washing big windows, you can add that to your charges.
So many options
You have 2 options when deciding to clean houses, you can purchase your own equipment and cleaning products or sometimes utilize the client’s items if they have a particular allergy to certain things or would rather you use their stuff. The best perk of having your own business, is you can choose to work part time, full time, hourly, daily or weekly. Your business, your
It is all up to you and the clients. If you decide to take on a bunch of clients then maybe a partner to help with the bigger jobs, can also be beneficial. You can do more houses and in turn, make more income.
Post Construction or Office Cleaning
Post construction or office cleaning is a valuable resource when builders are getting ready to sell new homes or open up new businesses. These types of jobs require heavy duty equipment so it may cost a little more to start up but will be well worth it once you get out there, do a fantastic job and make a name for yourself. If a construction crew or office staff are required to do a big clean up themselves, it takes them away from the work that they need to be doing for their business.
If you do an incredible job, your name gets passed around and people will call. If you don’t pay attention to details, your name could also be passed around in a more negative way. So, learn what needs to be done and practice!
Office cleaning can be done at night when everyone has gone home. It is important to be bonded when doing jobs like this. Being bonded means you have a liability insurance that protects you and the company if anything goes wrong or you have an accident on the premises.
Education is everywhere
Getting educated has never been easier. From e-books to free YouTube DIY channels, there is never going to be a shortage of great things to learn. Use your imagination and choose a career in something you love.
Lawncare maintenance
Do you own a truck, a used lawnmower, your dad’s old weed trimmer and some pruning shears? If so, you can start mowing lawns today! You just need to create a business card or flyer and go door to door advertising what you do. If you take your tools with you and have your boots on , some people have odd jobs you can start on right away. Get to know your neighbors and charge accordingly.
If a senior couple is having difficulties keeping their yard tidy, maybe offer to do it at no cost and watch how much they share your kindness with others. If you love sunshine and beautifying yards, you can make a great living in lawn care maintenance.
Planting a food garden for another
Do you have a little extra knowledge about gardening? If flowers are your thing, you can create beautiful flowerbeds around someone’s home and come by once a week to maintain them. They may require special attention or fertilizer a few times a year.
If vegetable or fruit gardens are your specialty, maybe you can help a busy family or a group home to create and maintain a bountiful garden that supplies plenty of good food. I know a few assisted living spaces that had the senior clients work the garden during the week as therapy and it was wonderful to see. Everybody benefits in this case. I think creating a wage depending on who you are working for will vary among clients. Make sure you get paid fairly for your time and supplies.
Cake baking and decorating
Do you absolutely love to bake cakes, cupcakes or pies? Are you talented with icing and decorations? Why not advertise that you do this specialty job and make cakes for a living? You may be known by your friends and family for creating divine wedding or birthday cakes so they may love testing your products and spreading the word about your new business.
Making special cakes, breads or beautifully wrapped cookies for workplace birthdays and staff parties is also a great idea. The farmer’s markets in your area will probably let you set up a table. Why not give it a try? Use your imagination and see where it can take you.
Selling your art on T-shirts, mugs and more
Do you want to see your art on t-shirts, mugs, journals, calendars and more? With the help of some very simple printing websites that offer this service like Vistaprint, Cafe press and Zazzle, you can do this. You can also create your tshirts at home if you have a good printer.
Open an online store
T-shirt art is really popular and with amazing technology, iron on transfers come right out of your printer in just minutes. If you are more interested in selling at the market, you can gather a bunch of cool items and set up a table and show off your talent.
Nowadays, it is a great idea to also have an online selling platform to serve a more broader audience. You do have to ship stuff so keep that in mind. There are a few fantastic companies that offer packaging and shipping of your products as well.
To summarize
Take into account that you can invest lots of time or just a little depending on how far you want to take this new venture and how much time you have in your day. It really is up to you. It is surprising how many people have branched out and created a job that is not only unique but necessary in the world. This big leap to start your own business could be the best idea you’ve ever had. You might be the next big thing. Like the person that created toilet paper. 😉
When you start your own business, remember that if it doesn’t pan out, everything you did was a fantastic way to learn and gain experience. Not every idea works and sometimes a different path is taken. You have to give it a try. We all can do something well and there are people out there that need what you have to offer. Maybe you’ll have to pivot and turn occasionally. That’s okay. Adversity builds character. I wish you success and happiness if you decide to start your own business. Be well. Shannon
