Where Do I Start???

So you are considering starting a business? BUT you have no idea, what kind of business, All you know is that you are sick and tired of your task master of a boss, your shady coworkers, and being UNDERPAID & OVERWORKED by your company. Instinctively, you just know, it's time to become your own boss. Deciding on becoming an entrepreneur is a BIG STEP but deciding what business to start is perhaps an even BIGGER STEP. I will not pretend to have all of the answers or even possess the absolute best answer for you, but I do believe I can provide a starting point that will satisfy most. When you are unsure of what business to start, you must ask yourself 2 questions. These 2 questions must come before considering anything else. Without answering these questions, it would most likely not benefit you to proceed.

1) What am I good at or what talents do I have? or What are my biggest strengths?

This question is important because it would greatly increase your chances of having a successful business if you are utilizing your strengths rather than trying to form a business around your weaknesses. Many experts agree that starting a business around your strengths gives you a jump start in the right direction. For example: John has always been good with his hands, especially when it comes to fixing appliances. Would John be better off starting a mobile handy man service or a dry cleaning business? I believe most of us would agree that the odds are that John would be more successful as a mobile handy man than as a dry cleaner. Now John may have some knowledge of the dry cleaning industry, but his greater strength is fixing appliances, so why not utilize his greater strength? Of course we are not considering the opportunities that are available in his area because we are not trying to be to analytical in this example. My point is that any many cases, it would be better to consider your strengths and/or talents when starting a new business.

The next question to consider is just as important as the first:

2) What do I love to do or at least what I am interested in? (Another question could be: What are my hobbies?)


Perhaps you love to go bowling, play poker, travel, meet people, redecorate rooms, paint, play  in a band, etc.. Maybe you love children or animals. Perhaps you are interested in becoming a private detective or a real estate agent. It doesn't matter, doing what you love does not seem like work, even if it is. Have you ever met someone who loved their job? I mean really loved their job? These days it is becoming very difficult to find people who love their job, but believe it or not, they still exist!!! But what if you found someone who loved what they do  and was the business owner instead of the employee? That would be even more impressive!!! Loving what you do gives you that extra boost of energy to go out and do it and do it well, while hating what you do can cause you not to perform at your full potential, cause problems  (please refer to Former Gators Head Coach Urban Meyer), cause you to become irritable, depressed, or even angry, etc... So why be miserable doing what you hate or working where you do want to? By starting your own business, you can control what you do, so why not decide to do what you love? Hmmmm sounds like a no brainer to me.

Now that you have asked yourself both essential questions, isn't it a lot easier to decide what business you would like to start (please place picture of yourself nodding your head right here). After asking the right question, the answers start to appear.

Have you consideedr how wonderful it would be if you both loved to do it as well as it being centered around your strongest skill sets. WOW!!! That would be great to be able to combine what you love and your talents together in the same business. It happens and you never know if it will happen to you, until you start asking yourself the right questions.

Edward "Drew". Andrews                                          
Senior Marketing Consultant
E.M.C. Marketing Solutions
614-388-9660
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