Although We Sometimes Forget This Fact, Business Isn't Totally About Money. It's Also Important to Love Your Work and Have Fun.
By Bonnie Drew
Harvey Mackay, one of America's most well-known entrepreneurs, said, "Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
Successful entrepreneurs do not hate their work. They choose businesses that allow them to do work they love. You and I may think these people are working, but they aren't. They're having fun.
You can do the same. Start by making a list of money-making opportunities that match your interests. If you want to enjoy your work, choose opportunities that allow you to do what you love. You're only limited by your imagination. Here are some examples:
* If you like children, you could put on puppet shows, be a birthday clown or teach crafts.* If you like working outdoors, consider painting house numbers on curbs, cleaning pools, or landscaping.
* If you prefer indoor jobs, start a baking service, teach music lessons, or specialize in cleaning closets.
* If you love animals, try a pet photography business, raise tropical fish, or offer flea baths for dogs.
* If you enjoy computers, you can offer word-processing services, print banners for garage sales, or publish a neighborhood newsletter.
Once you've made your own list, it's time to begin choosing a business:
STEP ONE: Create a List of Best Ideas
How many of the ideas on you master list match your special talents and abilities?
Take a highlighter pen and review your master list of money-making ideas. Highlight only the ideas that match your personal talents. Then transfer the highlighted ideas to a new list titled "Best Ideas for Me."
If you have carefully considered your opportunities, you now hold a very exciting list in your hands--your personal Best Ideas list. These are the current business ideas that offer you the greatest potential for satisfaction and success as a young entrepreneur. These are opportunities you would enjoy exploring further.
STEP TWO: Measure the Possibilities
Smart entrepreneurs base their choice of a money-making opportunity on many factors. The first question they ask is: Would I enjoy it? But equally important are questions about the possible success of the business idea. The entrepreneur studies the facts and asks, Will it work? Is it a "feasible" idea?
The dictionary defines "feasibility" as "capable of being carried out." Another word for "feasible" is "possible." Before you make a final decision about a business opportunity, you need to ask: Is it possible?
Take time to study carefully the opportunities on your Best Ideas list. Cross off ideas that are least feasible--those that seem least likely to be a success.
STEP THREE: Consider the Profits
When you get down to only two or three ideas on your Best Ideas list, the decisions get harder. All of the ideas may be full of possibilities and sound like lots of fun. But since you need to decide on one idea for now, break the tie by considering overall profitability. These are the questions to ask:
1. Which requires the least risk?2. Which is the fastest to get started?
3. Which will bring the greatest income?
You can use this same system for choosing opportunity again and again in your career as an entrepreneur. An easy way to summarize this system is to remember three questions: Will I enjoy it? Is it feasible? Is it profitable?
Each time an idea pops into your head, quickly evaluate the opportunity by asking your three questions. You'll become very accurate at discarding ideas that are a waste of time. And you'll become very good at recognizing opportunities that are right for you.
Bonnie Drew is the author of FAST CASH FOR KIDS (2nd edition), published by Career Press (1-800-227-3371). She is also the creator of the KIDS BUSINESS software for young entrepreneurs, available from Homeland Publications (713-332-9764).
Drew is also Editor of YoungBiz online magazine, published by Kid's Way, Inc., a company that helps youth prepare for business and the workplace of the 21st century. For more information, write to Kid's Way at 5589 Peachtree Rd, Chamblee, GA 30341 or call toll free 1-888-KidsWay (1-888-543-7929). YoungBiz magazine can be found at http://www.youngbiz.com
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