Where do I begin?

[DJ2121]

You may find it easier to generate ideas from your interests. Starting a small business takes a lot of work, and since you already have a job you might find it draining to spend your free time learning an industry that you have no inherent passion for. I find that following dreams generally works out better for people in the end than following dollar signs. although those are good too =)

[tjmollahan]

Your business will start with you. I am a firm believe that a business needs to be a function of the individual. Who you are, what you like, your aspirations and skills should dictate the business you get into. If you can nail this down you won't have to work another day in your life.

[vangogh]

I feel like that too. What makes me enjoy my business so much is that it's a good match for who I am outside of the business. In many ways it's simply an extension of who I am.

[MyITGuy]

As others have mentioned, you have to love what you want to do with your business...otherwise you won't have the drive or mindset to make it succeed. If you love what your doing, it makes those 12-15 hour days much more enjoyable.

Regarding how I got started:
I've been in the IT industry for the last 15+ years, and more recently was working as a System/Network Admin and Programmer for the billing/collection industry. About 3-4 years ago a colleague from another company and I started talking about going into the consulting business that caters to our industry (We we're both very vocal on our industries discussion boards answering questions that others had). The colleague later left his job and started consulting with a few clients of his own, promising to bring me on-board when more clients signed on.

About 3 years ago, the company I was working for was acquired by a larger organization, after several months I saw the writing on the wall that I was going to be laid off soon.

2 Years ago, the colleague I mentioned had enough clients to warrant me joining his group. Instead of joining as an employee, I started my own company and signed a sub-contracting agreement with my colleague. This way I'm free to do what I want without being focused on the specific industry he's targeting.

Approximately 6 months ago, my old employer reached out to me to perform some work for them, I learned that out of the 6 employees they had in the IT Department, they let all but 1 go about 6 months after I left. Talk about perfect timing!

To be honest, I don't think I would've done it had my colleague not approached me on this venture as he was able to provide my company with a guaranteed income...had I not have had this I wouldn't be where I'm at today and would either be on unemployment or be employed with another company.

[tylerhutchinson]

First, pick a field you have experience in and you are good at. Make a list of 3-5 that you will enjoy doing and can do.

Second, do a market research of your area for competition and find out how much your competition is making. There are several steps to review and analyze this.

Last, find income and write a very detailed business plan. The more detailed the better. Once it is up and going make sure you advertise so people know you exist.

[billbenson]

In selecting a business, pick how much money you want to make. If you decide you like being outdoors so you start a lawn care business, you probably won't make a ton. There are plenty of other businesses that can easily make 100k plus. Then again, you may not enjoy the types of businesses that are in that category. Of course in the whole process you need to factor in your skill set.

[bizmultiplier]

Whatever you do, don't let fear stand in your way. You just have to go for it. Everyone gets held hostage by fear at some point, but the really successful people know how to put fear aside and just go for it. Have confidence in yourself and don't look back. Even if you fail, it's not a failure, it's a learning experience.

[vangogh]

Good point. So much of success is about confidence and overcoming fear. Many successful businesses are successful simply because they hung in there for the long haul and didn't let anything stand in their way.

[huggytree]

no one can tell you what business to decide on.......

choose a business, learn about it by working in the same field(become an expert)......look for things your boss is doing wrong or services he could add...

save $$...have tens of thousands saved if possible
learn how to read people, network, sell product---the more people you know and know you the better
start out part time if possible
when you get overloaded then go full time

i always recommend finding the easiest path to $100,000 +............so many people choose something where they are their own boss, but make no more than a workers wage.........if your going to risk everything make it worth it....you should make alot of profit, not just wages.........

[Martin Jofique]

I have just joined this forum. And this is my first posting. So may I say, hello to everyone. In particular, "Hi, to: on_my_own." You wrote, "Where Do I Begin? The title of a great song by Andy Williams. Well, as the song went, "With this first hello, she gave a meaning to this empty world of mine". So, let's try and give some meaning and give you a starting point.

Like you, I recently started out to create my own online business. I contine my journey and finally found the fortitude to join a forum to share and learn from the experiences of others. For some reason, up to now, I have always shied away from forum discussions which, I now realise, was a seriously bad mistake. And because of that attitude, I really did feel I was "on my own". Silly me. I finally came to realise there is a wealth of information available through shared experiences.

I perfectly understand why you want to be the captain of your own ship and not be at the "beck and call" of an employer. First thing though, as I've found out, you must know what your destination is. You must know what market you want to operate in. Unless you have a clear idea of where you want to go, you have no idea of where you're going and when, or if you end up somewhere you won't even know if this is the place you actually want to be!