I am sick of working for someone else!

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   aDayInMyLife1posted 12 years ago

   I would love to have my own business some day but have no idea where to begin. Any suggestions for a beginner? I do not have a lot of disposable income yet, so I would need to start small. I would love business venture suggestions, tips and tricks, things to consider or research that you may have found helpful on your journey. Thanks in advance for any advice or guidance you provide me.

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      heavensalterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Youre a writer..so get paid to blog like me: http://www.empowernetwork.com/aracelitorres/

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      nightnightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi. Most of the things that I want to say have already been said by lots of the hubbers already. But if your interested in online stores I think that you could easily get going in that department quite quickly without too much cost. I would suggest that if you have no css/html knowledge that you take a look at Wordpress and custom theme creators like elegant themes. They can provide templates for your online store…. here is an example of one:
      
      http://www.elegantthemes.com/demo/?theme=Boutique
      
      I have a few articles around these topics if you want to take a look

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      dove777posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      figure out thethings you actually like to spend time doing, and dont compromise, find a way to do exactly those things while making money from them.

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   zulumuscleposted 12 years ago

   I don't know about starting your own, business but I have to say it would be a difficult thing to do successfully. If you want to go into business think of something that you love doing, have a lot of knowledge about, something you have always wanted to do (you could take a couple short business courses to begin with). In terms of income, if you have a solid business plan you could go to a bank and apply for a loan, as your starting capital.

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   WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

   When I became sick of working for an employer, I trained in my spare time to become a book indexer. In the meantime, I also found that people wanted to pay me for translations and liked my work enough to keep coming back.
   
   I spent about three years moonlighting as an indexer and translator. This meant I worked most nights and weekends. After this time, I felt confident I could make it as a full-time freelance.
   
   My initial investment was a couple of hundred pounds for the indexing course. As time went on, I invested some of my earnings in specialised indexing software and translation memory software so that I would meet client expectations.
   
   I chose to follow a path that involves me providing a service that is dependent on my skills alone, rather than on facilities, employees, raw materials, business premises, goods for sale, etc. As a result, I was able to achieve my goal to break free with minimal investment of money, but it did require a lot of investment of time.

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   BSloanposted 12 years ago

   It really depends on what you want to do.  First and foremost you need to choose something you really enjoy doing.  When we do what we love, success soon follows. 
   
   Do you want to work at home or have a physical business?  Do you like to work alone or want to work around others?  Do you enjoy making something you can later sell? 
   
   There are many ways to make money online.  If you enjoy writing, you have Hubpages that can begin to earn you an income.  If you enjoy making things, you can sell them through a webstore or on ebay or esty. 
   
   I do think you should take the time to plan out exactly what you would like to do, how much money you would like to make, and how much time can you put into building your own business.  Do as much research as possible on opening a business.  There are many books in the library that can help you choose a business, write up a business plan, and help get you started.  Try to talk to others who currently own their own business and get their advice on the advantages and disadvantages of having your own business. 
   
   I recenly left my job of 20 years and now own a webstore and enjoy writing on Hubpages.  It took me about 3 years of planning and working in the evenings to get my webstore to make a profit, but it has been well worth it.  I work harder now than before but it's all mine.  I make the choices and reap the benefits.
   
   Good luck!

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      aDayInMyLife1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I work as a nurse delivering babies and love what I do, but the bureaucracy drives me insane, and income has a cap. I am a people person and think that an online store of some sort would be right up my alley. I have been reading books. Do you have any suggestions? I have also been trying to network with other business owners. At this point things seem so overwhelming I just don't know where to start but I am excited. What can you tell me about starting an online store?

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         grumpiornotposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Online stores can be lucrative, but as Njames mentions, what type of store interests you. With the best will in the world (or massive returns, possibly) your enthusiasm will wane if the subject matter of your business does not interest you.
         If you enjoy business, start something relating to that. If your passion is the environment, then look at something in that area. Whatever it might be, starting a business is difficult enough, particularly if you must do something that does not hold your attention.
         Many people can acclaim to affiliate marketing, but to a degree, you will primarily be enriching somebody else. If you are able to, and the opportunity exists, find something that interests you, but that might also be a niche service or business in your area.
         With regard to the niche, talk to everyone you know in the area in which you live or "have influence" (e.g. within physical region if you plan on delivering real services like delivering flower bouquets or corporate clothing and gifts; postal district if your product will travel easily with postal service; or within your internet reach in most other cases) and invite as many ideas as possible.
         If you and your friends/family can conceive something you wish was available online, but which is not, currently, then you are on to a winner!
         Good luck and wishing you every success.

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   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   Low cost start up ideas - Lawn care, house sitting, dog sitting/walking, home  made jewelry maker, house cleaner, ebayer, and child sitter just to name a few. Tons of business can be started with very little start up if you put your mind to it. The key is making sure you pick something you really want to do.

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   njames306posted 12 years ago

   What kind of store are you interested in?

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      aDayInMyLife1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'm open. One thing I have thought about that is kind if a hobby is making baby beads, but that required me to produce a product and sell it. I love interacting with people so I have thought about offering services like selling utilities, pampered chef or something more social. eBay sounds intriguing... What are your thoughts?

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         BSloanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I saw that you posted that you work as nurse delivering babies.  How about classes for new mom's who are about to deliver?  Many moms are anxious not knowing what will happen during the delivery, you could answer many of their questions about what to expect during and after delivery.  How about writing several hubs or a blog on the delivery and what you have experienced first hand that can help new moms?  You can earn income through ads posted on your blog.

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         Sarra Garrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I opened an eBay store and it does take time.  What I did was handmake windchimes out of seashells and I would go to Goodwill or any thrift store, purchase items that were maybe broken or needed refinished.  I would purchase these for less than what they were asking for so most of my purchases were for $1.00 or $.50.  I would fix the items and place them on eBay making a profit.  You do have to put time into it but you have to do that with any store you start.

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      njames306posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I run a business from home in the skin care niche ...... anti aging in particular, its not for everyone, but millions of dollars are spent on skin care ranges every year. If you would like more details, please don't hesitate to ask, I will help you all I can to get started.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Working for someone else does have it's advantages.  Like affordable health insurance and a retirement plan. I won't be risking full self employment until my 401 is stuff full of money.

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      WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Despite the risks involved in losing the corporate-related perks you mention, it was so very important for me to attain my goal: "free before I'm 50", that I walked out of my job as soon as I felt I could survive, and started out as a full-time freelance on 1st January 2004. My 50th birthday was on 12th February of that year.
      
      People may think I am crazy. I certainly will never be able to retire. However, my work is intellectually satisfying, doesn't feel like work most of the time, and keeps my brain active. If I ever to get to the point that I cannot do my work, I will be too senile to notice that I cannot fund myself, stay in my home, etc, etc.

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         wheelinalloverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         One of the hardest things to create is a residual income. This is what most people are really searching for. There are a few places where you can earn now and resudual for the future. These are hard to accomplish for most.
         
         The most important thing you have to consider is passion. Base you choice on what you would be doing if you had all the money you needed. This way you succeed no matter how much you earn. I love what I do and it never feels like work.
         
         When you can say this you will know you have chosen correctly. When we start building a brand the first question we ask is are you passionate about what you want us to create. If your not it is back to the drawing board. If we didn't do it this way we wouldn't have satisfied customers. No one truly succeeds in business unless they are passionate about what they do.
         
         No matter what you do be prepared to learn something new every day. It takes both personal improvement and learning about whatever business you decide on. Learning for business people is a never ending process.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   It's a personal choice.  I am more risk averse and keep standard employment part time, for the benefits.

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   kathleenkatposted 11 years ago

   I highly recommend getting your MBA, or at least taking some courses on business. There is a lot of math and trends to be considered with businesses. I know a few people who own their own businesses, and lets just say, the ones who are earning a liveable income (not talking Etsy businesses here) have MBAs, or a bachelor's with a major in business. You also may find it easier to get a loan to start a business with a degree

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