Whatever business you start, you want it to be rewarding, successful or fun — hopefully, all of the above.
To be fun and rewarding, the business must be something you enjoy doing. Generally, we enjoy things that we’re good at doing (but keep in mind you can always get better at something if you work at it). So the first set of questions you should ask yourself is: What am I good at? What am I good enough at that, with practice, I could get better? What kind of work do I enjoy doing? What do I consider fun?
It might help to think of kinds of businesses rather than specific businesses. Do you like being outside? Maybe lawn-mowing or other types of yard work would be good for you. Are you a serious morning person? You might want to think about bringing newspapers from the curb to the doorstep.
Are you good at figuring out technology? Do you love animals? Do you care passionately about the environment? Do you like to cook? Do you like to create arts and crafts?
Turn something you’re good at into a business (e.g., repairing bicycles, installing software on computers, installing apps on phones). There is bound to be some business idea you can come up with that you will love doing.
But loving something — and even being good at it — is only half the battle. You may be the best Mortal Kombat player in your neighborhood, but if nobody is willing to pay you to play Mortal Kombat, you won’t have a successful business.
If you want the business to succeed, it must fill a need.
It can be new idea, old idea or new twist on an old idea (gluten-free lemonade?), as long as you are filling a need.
If you want to fill a need, sharpen up those powers of observation. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. For instance:
— Get ideas from your friends in other areas for services you can bring to your neighborhood (or while on vacation, look for services offered there).
— Ask family members and friends what services they need (or listen to what they complain about).
— Keep your eyes and ears open!
To help you figure out what kind of business might be a good fit, try out our interactive quiz, which will ask you some questions and then give you suggestions of businesses.
