If you are at a career crossroads, either enforced or just feeling dissatisfied; one of your options might well to think about SELF-EMPLOYMENT.

Often the best way to start your own business is to try to set it up in your spare time while still working in another job (ideally part-time). This will allow you to test the water and establish networks of suppliers and customers while still having money coming in to support yourself. If you can work from home initially, this will avoid the costs of leasing premises until you have something established.

Apart from having the right idea and skills you will also need the following qualities to work successfully for yourself.

• Determination and motivation
• Initiative and imagination
• Belief and confidence in yourself and your ideas
• Refusal to be easily discouraged
• Ability to set goals and get things done
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to persuade and negotiate
• Ability to market and promote yourself effectivel

If you are thinking of setting up your own business at all seriously, then you will need to answer in detail a number of questions. They will help you to decide whether or not you have a good chance of success as the majority of new businesses fail in the first year.

If you can answer these questions fully, you will have the basis of a business plan to present to a bank manager or other backers to enable you to get funding. You will have been able to identify and hopefully find solutions for many of the problems you are likely to face in your first year of business.

Are you uncertain what business to start? - well, one of my colleagues ,Pat Frank offers a great service of matching assets, skills and strong interests to self-employment and business ideas. And she's a marketing whiz too, so once you have your business ideas and need some PR and publicity material, she can guide you through that too.

Some business areas that lend themselves to working for yourself :

• Website Designer
• IT Consultant
• Database Consultant
• Programmer
• Computer Programmer
• Computer Auctioneer
• Software Developer
• Freelance Journalist
• Recruitment Consultant
• Technical author
• Artist
• Graphic designer
• Theatre company
• Television producer
• Courier company
• Running a shop
• Running a hotel/restaurant
• Exhibition organiser
• Accountant
• Barrister
• Teacher of English as a foreign language
• Freelance translator/interpreter
• Life coach
• Sports coach
• Complementary therapist
• Marketing Communications
• Consulting Engineer

More resources and links about starting a business and being self-employed can be found here. Alternatively, contact me.

¶ 6:50 am