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So, You want to be an Entrepreneur - Turning your Idea into a Business - Part 1

So, you want to be an entrepreneur.  It's intriguing, it's sexy, it's the dream to be the captain of your ship!  At least that is what they say ... Now, how to take that little idea and turn it into a viable business.  This is part 1 in this series, and please know that these are my ideas, suggestions, but this is the real world, and this is not a guarantee that you will be successful in your entrepreneurial quest.

Being an entrepreneur was not my childhood dream, it was not something I even expected to be doing when I was 18, 21, 25 or even 28 when I became self employed.  I became an entrepreneur over time, and I didn't even realize that I was carefully planning and laying my foundation for success.

If I told you the product lines that I started thinking of initially, versus what my product lines are now, you may be surprised that they are much different.  Although one of those products became my focus, not all of them stood the test of time.  Be open to letting ideas go along the way.  Not every idea you think of needs to become your business.

When I started my business in 2005, ecommerce shopping was a much different place, and creating a shopping cart on a website was an incredibly laborious task.  Luckily today, that has changed and there are many options for websites that can be set up quickly and look professional. 

You may be wondering; do I need a website?  Yes, you do.  In this world we live in, people do not want to make phone calls and need a place to easily find you on the internet.  At minimum you need a page that tells people what you do, answers the most common questions, and how to contact you.   All these things can be done low or no cost, and with very little time. 

Although a snappy website may not be the most important item on your list, if you cannot easily write a sentence describing what you sell.  So, before you get excited about making a website, spending time thinking about exactly what you are going to sell, and who you are going to sell it to, is where you need to start.

A little about me ... I have been self employed since 2003, with a couple of stints of working in the private sector, part time.  I fell into being self employed after the company I was working for closed all their local offices, and ultimately, I was hired as a contractor working remotely.  I started my first handmade business in 2005 with my own website and doing craft shows.  I opened shop on Etsy in June 2008, in addition to my own website, and have tried many different selling platforms.  Every selling platform has its strengths and weaknesses, but the basic needs of an entrepreneur setting up on these sites is the same.  I now run two different handmade businesses (since 2005 and 2015) and consult other entrepreneurs (since 2013).  There are several other opportunities that I have tried along the way, however, these three have been the ones that have become my focus and provide me with the most joy.  This group and blog were born out of my consulting business as I have found the needs and questions from entrepreneurs all have similarities.

I believe that everyone can be a successful entrepreneur, if they recognize the most important things in entrepreneurship.  Lots of people incorrectly think that having a great product or service is the key to a successful business.  However, I have seen over and over, people with excellent products and services fail, while others with less desirable products and services are very successful.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to have a willingness to learn, a willingness to research, a willingness to recognize when things are not working, and a willingness to adapt to the changing marketplace. 

If you want to be an entrepreneur and you have all those things, tomorrow we will begin with   product lines and developing those ideas.  If you already have a product you are selling, stay with us, because there will be information there for you too!  And if you are a blogger or selling services, you will find out why you also need to follow this product line plan.  If at any time you would like more personalized advice, please feel free to contact me, I am always willing to work with people despite monetary challenges.





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