If you struggle to jump out of bed and get to work every day, it might be because you are sorely unfulfilled by your day job. The 9-to-5 drudgery can become tedious, monotonous, and unchallenging. Answering to a clock and a boss every day gets old fast. When you factor in your commute time, along with the expenses to fuel, maintain, and park a car or take public transit, the overhead cost just to get to your place of employment can be massive. Do you have children? Many working couples find that they spend more on daycare than one spouse makes in a year!
If any aspect described above applies to your life, it may be time to fire your boss and venture out on your own. Starting a small business may seem like an overwhelming mountain to climb, but millions of people do it every day.
Consider trying some of these alternatives for income:
1. Become a Virtual Assistant
They key term is “virtual”. This means that you get the flexibility to work from home as well as the ability to work for several different companies at once. How much of the 8 hours at your office job do you actually spending hard at work? Imagine making the same money 3-4x per day by layering the same tasks for multiple employers. You’ll have to actually work hard, but you will be very well rewarded!
∙ This is a good option if you are good at computer work, managing tasks, filing paperwork, or customer service.
∙ There is a lot of foreign competition and it may take time to get your VA business off the ground. A good virtual assistant can command a high price for their services, especially if they have much-desired technical skills.
2. Sign up for a Multi-Level Marketing company
These businesses have clear pros and cons. If you want to give MLM a try, be sure to do in depth research and know how to get out of it if you don’t think it’s for you.
∙ Be sure the company you work with has a rock-solid track record. You can confirm this by speaking with representatives at the company, calling the Better Business Bureau, and looking for MLM review websites online.
∙ Also, know that there is either a sign-up fee or pre-order of product that can be up to hundreds or thousands of dollars.
∙ Many people have unbelievable success as a multi-level marketer, but countless others fail to make money and end up disappointed. Research ahead of time what you’ll need to do to succeed in your chosen niche and know that you can do what it takes. Many people are lured in by the promise of huge profits, but they feel uncomfortable selling to their friends and family and don’t want to cold call either. There’s no money to be made without one or the other.
∙ Be informed about the business before you sign on the dotted line and start buying product or handing your hard-earned money as sign up fees.
3. Sell your own homemade crafts
Do you work well with your hands? Websites such as eBay and Etsy make it very easy to sell your own products. There are always local arts and craft shows. Many artists can make a substantial living selling homemade creations.
∙ Unique, small batch items sell at a much higher price point than mass-produced low quality products from China. You won’t have to sell very many to turn a profit.
4. Get into life coaching
If you enjoy listening and providing advice, becoming a life coach may be intriguing to you. A life coach gives advice to people relating to a particular area in their life.
∙ A life coach can specialize in an unlimited number of different areas. For example, some coaches deal with stay at home moms. Others help those wanting to make more money at their job, lose weight, parent better, or be a better spouse.
∙ You can go for training to become a certified coach at a local college or online.
∙ Promotion and marketing are key to this business and it will take some time to get the business moving. If people begin to crave your advice, this can be an extremely lucrative endeavor. Just ask Tony Robbins.
5. Become a Caterer
If you can cook well, then starting a catering business may be something worth exploring. Start small by catering a friend’s kid’s birthday party or a small gathering. Take the money you make and get some better equipment and transportation. This is a great business to start slowly on the side before making the leap to a full time small business.
∙ Ask friends and family and to spread the word about your catering business. Word of mouth recommendations are your best marketing.
These are just a few ways to fire your boss and start your own business. The next step is to decide where your passion lies.
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