Читать книгу Entrepreneurial Itch - David Trahair - Страница 25

For many people, the type of business they are going to start is obvious: it’s what they have been trained to do. The landscaper starts a landscaping business, the doctor becomes a general practitioner, the lawyer starts a law firm, and the contractor starts a construction business or provides general handyman services. This is the simplest route to take and generally has the highest chance of success because the individuals already know how to do the work of the business. It isn’t a guarantee of success, however, since there is more to running a business than just doing the work (remember my description of the three-legged stool in Chapter 2?).

But maybe you’d like to do something different. Maybe you’re after a change, a challenge, something you’ve always dreamed about spending your time doing. Now is your chance to explore that dream. It’s a chance to make a change in your life that gives you the ultimate satisfaction — doing what you love every day.

Let your mind wander for a bit. What are you keenly interested in? What are your hobbies? Maybe there is a business opportunity here. Let the following stimulate your thoughts:

• Listen to your friends and business associates. Simply keeping your eyes and ears open is one of the best ways to find a new business idea. Listen to the people you respect. Ask them for their ideas. Is there a service or product they need that they aren’t getting?

• Think about your education and experience. What are you good at doing? Maybe you have a knack for selling to customers. That opens up huge opportunities. You aren’t limited to what you are selling now — think about what else you could apply these skills to.

• Have a look at what others are doing. The Internet is great for this type of research. Don’t forget to look at what is going on in other countries as well. Maybe the answer is a variation of what you are currently doing rather than a major change.

• Keep current on news and trends. Maybe your business can offer a product or service that is not available yet but will be in demand in the future. For example, there is an aging population in North America, and a large number of baby boomers are approaching retirement. What are they going to need?