How to be Successfully Self-Employed

The holiday season is often the time of year when people start to think about running their own business. Why? The sociable and happy time of year helps people to rekindle their dreams, hopes and ideas. Ideas that were previously considered too basic, simple or non-creative can suddenly come out of hibernation. Do you have a passion to break free of the corporation? Do you think you have what it takes? Click here for more information.

Self employment success stories

It doesn’t take an earth-shattering idea to develop a successful business. Anyone can create a thriving business. Every business starts with a simple idea. Will your great ideas be actioned or put on hold in 2015?

The best piece of advice someone once gave me was, ‘You need guts to run your own business.’ ‘Guts?’ I asked waiting for further clarification. ‘You will know what I mean when the occasion occurs,’ was the reply.

Having guts is really about taking risks. Are you a cool operator when faced with a challenge? Can you commit to something even if you don’t know for sure what the financial return will be? Can you step forward and keep going when you are faced with temporary setbacks?

The road ahead isn’t paved with gold but it is paved with possibilities, opportunities and personal satisfaction. If you have specialist knowledge, a passion for what you do and can work hard, then this is the route for you.

Here are a few tips to get started

Listed below are a few tips to help you to get started. Whatever you love, you will do well. Stand up for what you believe in and action what you feel is right and just. See how you get on.

1. Start with your passions What is it you love to do? What gives you a feeling of accomplishment or success? Accomplishment for some people is an increase in self-esteem and self-confidence. For others it is an inner knowing that they have made a difference to commerce, industry, the environment and/or other people’s lives. And for others, it is the fact that their work has turned into a purposeful mission and experience for them. Excited? Great! Being your own boss carries such a high price tag because job satisfaction cannot be bought or sold; it can only be experienced. And sometimes this frustrates people because they know they want to run their own business but they can’t come up with the idea or haven’t got the financial confidence to quite do it. To help you through this transition, focus on the purpose of the idea. If you had no restrictions on money, what would you do to make a real difference to the lives of others? If you knew the work-world would reward you for your efforts, would you do it? Lastly, if you knew that you would never look back and regret your decision, would you do it now?
2. Look to your hobbies and your outside interests What do you do in your personal time? What would you do if you had the time to do whatever you wanted?
3. Brainstorm to get more ideas Become business aware. Read through lists of new businesses, most successful businesses or business ideas either on the Internet or in your local library. When you hit an idea that you think is good, add it to your list without analysing it. What trends do you notice? Is there a common link between what you have come up with?
4. Get technical Do you need any special certification to implement your business ideas? Are there any legal restrictions to what you have come up with? Who is currently doing what you are proposing? How are they doing it? Who uses their product or service? Do you need to get your work or ideas underpinned by a professional body, institution or person?
5. Be aware of your major personal strengths and weaknesses The person who is fully aware of his/her personal weaknesses is usually making an honest effort to correct and manage them. You cannot be all things to all people, so you must be aware of when you need to bring in assistance, guidance and help.
6. Get a head for finance Begin to sketch some numbers together. How much do you think the business can generate in a year? What will be your costs? What do you personally need to take out the business? What capital do you feel you need to raise and list some sources where you might obtain it. And most importantly consider your cash flow, as over 70% of companies that fail are making profits at the time.

Everyone wonders at some point in their career if they could go it alone. Self-employment is rewarding but it needs to be fully researched and planned. Firstly, you need to understand yourself, your personality and your passion for your idea. In addition, you need to understand your product or service, industry and sector. What is your unique selling point? Take the time to ask your potential clients and customers what you would have to do to win their business?

Successful Self-Employment Jobs

Career Consultants offers personality profiling and telephone career consultancy for those people who wish to explore this concept further. Research suggests that some personalities are more successful at running a business than others. Do you wish to discover if you have an entrepreneur’s profile? Click here for further information.