Entrepreneurship: The First Steps to Making Cash + Finding Happiness in Your Job.

Throughout my child hood, my parents showed me how simple entrepreneurship could be. Mom and dad were constantly trying out different kinds of business ideas. They owned everything from thrift stores to hair salons to adult video stores to rotisserie chicken restaurants.  (Yes, really.) I worked at each of them as a child, watching, learning and soaking in their confidence and happiness of being a business owner. They made it look easy.

Because it is easy.

Yeah, I said it!

Starting your own business is easy.


I loved the idea of making my own money long before actually starting a business. Having a life where I would not be constrained to a weekly schedule, wearing a dorky uniform, dealing with unhappy clients and miserable coworkers, while doing something I actually enjoy sounded only like a dream. So what's not to love?

Making money for your self is down right invigorating, freeing, and AMAZ-EEENG! 

Starting your own business on the other hand, is pretty damn daunting and scary. I understand this feeling. I get you. I've been there. 

But I'm here to make it a little less scary. 




Step #1: Find SOMETHING for them to buy.

The beauty of this is that it can be ANYTHING.

It can be tangible or intangible; a service you provide, a fabulous talent you have to share, things you make by hand, a genius invention you've got locked away in your 6th grade science notebook. ANYTHING. Say it with me... ANYTHING.


People buy things. Lots of things, every single day. The average American spends on average $100 on stuff. That's $2.8 billion people You do the math. You see the potential

People LOVE to consume. Consumption is a huge measurement of wealth, success, and beauty in Western society -- all of which we all strive for. Even me. And yes, EVEN YOU. This makes for a great business opportunity.

Regardless of the "economic situation" -- people still obviously have money to spend. People have money to use to buy your product. You just need to know how to get it to them.

Just remember that you are really selling yourself. Yes, commodification  is no fun -- unless it feels good to you and you're making money. Yes, capitalism can be an evil and unfair institution -- but you can make it feel good.

We'll get to feeling good later.



Step #2: You need a name, a good one. 

So, make a name for your ANYTHING that you want them to buy. Make it catchy, short, and easy to remember.

Think it through. Try out a couple google searches with the name to make sure it's not already used. Keep it short so it can be easily found by a search engine.

Ambiguous name are cool, yeah I get it, but make sure it reflects you and the stuff you sell and people remember it. 

Find it, take it, and roll with it!



Step #3: Make a strong presence.
 
This is VERY essential to your new business.

The internet has completely revolutionized the way in which we learn, socialize, SHARE with others, and consume stuff.



HELLO Social Networking! 


Meet your new best friend for your business and your empty little bank account.

If you've haven't been living under a cave without wi-fi signal since 2000, you most likely have a Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Tumblr, Blogspot, etc. Of course you do! (How else would I have gotten you to read this post?)

You know how to use it, so make a new one for your business and promote the fuck out of it. 

The internet is an INCREDIBLE outlet and resource for marketing and business professionals and you MUST utilize the hell out of it.

Listen to me:

Sharing is key.

Didn't hear me? Again.

SHARING IS KEY.

Make yourself easy to share. People need to know where to go to get your stuff. And it needs to be easily accessible all the time and every where.

Face it, we are lazy human beings. If it's hard to find or inaccessible on your Facebook profile -- people will ignore you and they wont buy your stuff.

So what do you do? Listen here:

Start a fan page on Facebook so people can see you stuff and tell their friends about your stuff so their friends can tell their friends about your stuff.

Start a blog where you talk about your stuff and other bloggers can talk about your stuff. Link your blog to your Facebook Page.

Get a Twitter account so people can re-tweet about your stuff and know what's the latest news going on with your stuff. Link your Twitter to your Facebook and your Blog.

SHARING YOUR STUFF = MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU = CASH (Eventually, when done correctly)


I have come to understand that creating a strong online presence is key to your success that it warrants another post dedicated to using social networking for this. I'll show you how to be seen, heard, and shared on the internet, so stay tuned for that.



Step #4: Find Your LOVE.


Yes, yes, it sounds mushy and sentimental, but keep reading. This is probably the most essential aspect to your success as a business owner. Without some kind of love for the thing you want people to buy -- you wont make money. Why would they care, if you don't care?

You can't force this love though. It has to be real. This love is something that's already in you and it feels GOOD to you.

Find what makes you happy and DO IT. This is your business opportunity.

Deep down inside the depths of your soul, you know what truly makes you happy. If making art makes you happy, stop ignoring it because you're afraid of becoming a starving artist. Do it and never look back.

Hint: Think of that dream job you would love to do even if you didn't get paid.

(BUT, you can do what makes you happy AND get paid too, remember?).

If it feels good to you, then you're in the right place baby. >>Insert Dirty Minded Thought HERE<<

If you want to make a real business opportunity out of this fabulous idea of yours, it needs to be sustainable. This means it has to be something you can do for a long time and not run dry of ideas, energy, or most importantly lots of L-O-V-E.


So there you have it. The first steps to shifting a business idea it into a business opportunity and conquering the world while making some nice cash.  

I'll be honest with you though. I'm still working on some of these points myself as a blogger and online shop owner. I wont lie, it takes commitment, time, and a bit of know-how about the internet.

However, if you find that thing you LOVE and follow it, the stuff I talked about above will not be so scary.

Now that you have this information, go out there and start your business.