Question sent to
me recently:
I am looking to telecommute
or work-at-home. I have no idea where to start or what to
do. I am willing to go back to school, but I don't even know
where to start. Do you have any suggestions?
My answer:
If you don't
know where to start then how in the heck do you think I
would know?
Sounds flip, huh?
But really it's not. This question is actually a representation
of many people crying out for help when instead, they should
be looking inward. Basically, this person is asking someone
else (someone outside him/herself) to make a Life Choice
for him or her.
Unfortunately, no
one can answer that question . . . no one can do that but
you. You must decide what you would like to do with your life
and how you are going to do it. No one else can direct you
in this. It comes down to asking yourself some very hard questions.
I created a helpful
list of questions that I found myself asking wayward friends
looking for their wise man and searching for that "something"
in their lives.
1. List all the
things that you like to do.
Not all the things
that you can do, but all the things that you like to
do -- things that give you joy and purpose. Actions that when
you're doing it you say, "This is okay, I don't mind doing
this." And yes, everyone has this type of "thing". Don't give
me bull about not having anything that you like doing.
2. List all the
things you do well.
Yes, this is a different
category. There are many things that I do well, but I don't
like doing. For instance, I change diapers really well. I
am the epitome of efficient time and effort when changing
a baby. Even though I'm quick, the child comes out of it comfortable,
happy, squeaky clean and smelling of fragrant baby lotion.
I hate doing it. I hate the smell, I hate the filth, and I
hate every aspect of it. But I'm darn good at it nonetheless.
I would put "changing stinky diapers" in this list.
3. Are any items
on either list the same or compatible?
Really look at your
lists. Take five to ten quiet minutes and figure out if you
can combine several of these tasks or if these skills are
at all complementary. If you find one, two or a few things,
you have potential success.
4. If you find
something compatible from both lists, how can you make this
interest a job that you can work at home? Could you find employment
in this endeavor? Research this.
When I say to research,
I mean really research. Get on the Internet and go to a mega-search
engine and type in the terms. Then really read. Take a pad
and pencil out and write notes as you are reading. Jot ideas
down. Are there businesses that supply services or product
in this realm of possibilities? No? Good! You may have found
your niche. A niche is a specialty that only a few can provide
to the few willing to pay for the service or product.
Get on a few discussion
boards on this topic. Your goal is to ask them, do they know
if there is a need for the service or product you have in
mind. Congratulations, you have done your first market research!
Yes, it's as easy as that.
5. If it looks
like employment is not an option could you open a home business
using these skills? Research this.
There are so many
free resources that give step-by-step instruction on setting
up a home business.
Work at Home Moms
http://www.wahm.com
Liz Folger's Bizy
Mom's Business Center
http://www.bizymoms.com
Home Business Tools
http://www.homebiztools.com/start-a-biz.htm
IdeaCafe.com
http://www.ideacafe.com
Small Business.com
http://www.smallbusiness.com/sb/home
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Copyright c 2000 Rosalind Mays. All Rights Reserved.
Rosalind Mays may be contacted at http://telejobs.cjb.net
Rozmw@aol.com. Click
here to view more of their articles.
Rosalind Mays, best-selling author of The Real Deal
on Telecommuting
, and works at home
as an Internet Researcher. She hopes her advice and report (which
compiles all the information she found while searching for her
current job) will shorten other job seeker's time in finding
legitimate work at home opportunities. Visit http://telecommuting.cjb.net
for a free list of telecommuting jobs compiled monthly. Go to:
http://www.siennapublishing.com to learn more about her books.
She may be reached via e-mail RozMW@aol.com.
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