When Your Business Feels Like an Arranged Marriage
Q. I was laid off six months ago. Jobs in my field are scarce so I moved to a new town to start a home business. People have paid me for everything from website maintenance to pet sitting. But the money seems to be small and slow. And frankly, I really want a corporate job with benefits. A. Welcome! You're what I call a reluctant entrepreneur. Often we start a business, write a book or develop a talent out of a deep and boiling passion. But sometimes we begin reluctantly, out of necessity. Sometimes the odds of finding a job are considerably less than the odds of succeeding in self-employment. Still, we feel like we're trapped in an arranged marriage - not a romance. The good news: Arranged marriages can become success stories! Working towards one goal, however reluctantly, will eventually lead to success and fulfillment - which may come from a totally different direction. 1. Listen to messages from your environment ("the universe," if you prefer). You're getting business right away, while your job-hunting efforts are going nowhere. When clients are willing to pay you real money - regardless of the amount - you're getting a message, "You have a market for your services." And when you attract clients effortlessly, you're getting a strong "yes" message from your environment. So should you stop job-hunting? If you really want to return to corporate life, keep looking. Don't be surprised if you lose interest in a "real" job as time goes on. And, most of all, pay attention to what is happening. 2. Evaluate your most lucrative options. Can you command a high price for your services? Maybe. Some services have a ceiling and people won't pay more, no matter how great you are. If the ceiling is ten or fifteen dollars an hour, you'll need to review your strategy. Can you tap into a market with deeper pockets? Or package your services to avoid the dribs-and-drabs syndrome? Even a simple pet-sitting service can come up with creative strategies. Consultants, designers, coaches and professional services: package for profit. 3. Expect to invest time before you get results. One newcomer to my town complained, "I'm not seeing any money. Maybe I should just take a low-paying job." I asked her how many hours a week she would work in the low-paying job. Thirty to forty, she said. And then I asked, "How many hours are you investing in your new business?" Silence. "And how long have you been building your business?" "A few months. Okay, maybe a few weeks. "Put in thirty to forty hours a week, for six months, and you'll be amazed at what happens." 4. Get a second opinion. If you're working hard but seeing no results, add a new brain to your team: a consultant, coach or mentor. Choose wisely! Bad guidance will feel like driving ninety miles an hour going against traffic on a busy Interstate Highway. Based on my own experience, I've put together a collection consultants who really help - not just tell you to "dream and you can do it" or "clear clutter." Tip: Best question to ask: "What have you learned lately? What are you doing differently now, compared to six months or a year ago? 5. Be ready for surprises. As you work, you'll encounter new ideas and new people. You'll actually become creative and confident. Accept any assignments and clients that match your skills, talents, experience and personality. If you're not sure, offer to do the work "on spec," which means you'll get paid if and only if your client is satisfied. Don't be surprised if you find your niche by accident. Most people do. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps midlife professionals create small, medium and huge career changes, start a business or start over. Fr^e Report: Ten secrets of managing a major life change. Mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com Contact cathy@cathygoodwin.com or call 505-534-4294
MORE RESOURCES:
A mother's invention matches women's skills with employers' needs - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com
work at home mother mom entrepreneur - Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs Does it seem like everyone and everything is vying for yourattention all at once? It can be hard for solo entrepreneursto know what to do first, let alone try to find the time to get caught up. Here are some time management tips that will help youto stay on top of it all:1. Creativity & Entrepreneurship: The Secret to Discovering Your Purpose in Life! Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!In the second course on Creativity & Entrepreneurship we begin with a guided meditation that I created entitled: Dream Keeper-Gift Giver. You ask: what in the world does this mean? Well, it's a very profound secret I discovered about myself fifteen years ago. Franchises - Emotional Fulfillment - The Challenge Does A Franchise Meet Your Needs?Do you look forward to Friday afternoon or Monday morning? Perhaps that's the true litmus test of happiness. If you're thinking about the fact that there's only one day to go before the weekend, when you just got back from lunch on Wednesday, it may be time for a change. Could a Non-Profit Structure Be Right for Your Business? If you have a business idea, or an idea for a servicefor your community, there's one decision you must makeearly on: are you going to structure your project as afor-profit business, or as a non-profit corporation?Now, it may be that you already have a clear idea aboutthis. Some business ideas are clearly "for profit". Creativity & Entrepreneurship - Key Questions From My Students Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!Thought for the day:"It is not easy being an entrepreneur, but it is always rewarding. It takes great discipline, self-motivation, hard work and perseverance to achieve your dream. Boundary Setting 101 for Solo Entrepreneurs Select the best response to the statement below:As a solo entrepreneur, setting boundaries is all about?.a. Playing Hookey Can Help! A Surprising Secret To Small Business Success! Would you like to increase your chances of business success by 350%? The good news is that you can! Before you start working harder or learning the latest business theories so you can work smarter, try something different. You can increase your chances of success by as much as 350% by being more innovative and uncovering dramatically different ways to look at your business and develop your product or service. Methods of Generating New Ideas for Entrepreneurs Summary: Even with a wide variety of sources available, coming up with an idea as the basis for a new venture can still be a difficult problem. The entrepreneur can use several methods to help generate and test new ideas including focus groups, brainstorming and problem inventory analysis. Are You an Entrepreneur That is Starved for Time? Being an entrepreneur and running a successful home-based business is stressful at times, and can be hectic. Success within a home-based business though, absolutely demands time management skills, or the chores that need to get done will be left undone, and procrastination, as well as a serious "personal time deficiency" will occur. Customers - Why Should They Buy From You? There are a whole range of reasons why customers buy aproduct or service. They usually buy to solve either real orperceived problems. Definition of Entrepreneur EntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is a man who organizes and manages the business. The following are the responsibilities of an entrepreneur that what he has to do?1. 3 Essential Elements of Operating a Successful Business Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live your dream? A good place to start would be to recognize that there are three elements, and only three elements, that separate success from failure. If you exercise one of the elements, you might just be successful. The New Paradigm for Entrepreneurial Success Entrepreneurship is a great magnet to deliver new ideas, unique approaches and innovative technologies. When conducted in a proper way, turning people into entrepreneurs improves a country's economic situation and aids sustainable progress. Profile of Women Leaders Leadership is based on two words, "pressure and support"and that the leadership is the power to influence people to move in a direction that you believe in your heart is a good direction for most people" (Fennell, 1999, p. 267). Face The Fear, Ladies Okay, I'll begin by telling you that I've been divorced for about 5 years, have an amazing family and by anyone's standards, I have a wonderful life.I worked in the film industry for almost 9 years for my ex-husband's company. Territory Limitations Policies for Franchised Companies All franchised companies must have Territory Limitations to maintain the peace within their systems. Often the unspoken ethics of territory limitations are blurred with mobile, home based or online franchise companies. Cross Polination of Innovations in the Cleaning Industry According to the latest edition of Pool and Spa news; the costs of maintaining a pool, maintenance service averages about $30.00 to $150 per month depending on competition, size of pool and area you live in. Find Me the Expert on This! Many people who set up as consultants never make more than a minimal living. They get some clients who like them, but are so dependent on these few businesses that the resignation of a key contact can destroy their business for months ahead. Differentiation - Smart Marketing Strategies for the Solo Entrepreneur Are you ever frustrated or hesitant when you talk to prospective customers because you can't readily explain why they should come to you rather than go to your competitors? Sure, you might have your 30-second elevator speech, but then they ask you that dreaded question, "So what makes you different?" Then, all those self-doubts creep in, and you just aren't sure what to say. Differentiation can boost confidence--yours in yourself and that prospective customer's confidence in you!-- Dif-fer-en-ti-ate v. Its Good to Know Your Banker Recently my bank opened a new branch that is a few miles away from my house. I used to visit the local branch that was located in the grocery store and enjoyed seeing the ladies on a weekly basis who were the tellers.
|
| Section Home | Section Site Map |
Copyright © 2005-2007 by A Christian Mother's Guide. All Rights Reserved.
Web Development by Cotton Graphic Design
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |