how did you start your own small business?

[bostonkid92 10+ year member]

so much helpful information. i will reread it again and write down all of the things that i should be doing. i am afraid of losing money but there is usually no reward without taking risks. you have to take chances in life and that's what i want to do. i honestly feel like some people are meant to work as an employee and some people are meant to run their own business. i feel like i am meant to run my own business. i actually have a small business right now buying and selling items, mainly car audio, but i want to step it up. it's nothing to live off of right now, just some extra income. although it isn't anything to live off of yet, i feel as though it showed me that i can keep a business going. it's been a little over a year since i started it and i've done great. i know it's only been a little more than a year but it's enough time to show me that i enjoy helping people, marketing items and selling items. i'm sick of working my 9-5 selling $1,000's worth of electronics and not getting anything out of it other than hourly wage. i have a lot of thinking to do but this thread alone has helped me out a lot so far. thank you everyone who has contributed to this thread so far, please keep the advice coming!

 

[jdawg90 10+ year member]

The number of local e cig stores here is growing fast. I know one started out as a single store 3 years ago and now they have 8 in the area. You're going to need money to get anything going, if there was no risk everyone would do it. My advice (and what I need to do, I'm in the same boat as you) is save your money and when you find something to invest it in jump on it.

Another idea is kitchen vent cleaning. Most companies are just a crew of 2-4 people that come in after the restraunt closes down to powerwash the vents.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Well, if you're selling drugs that could be considered a business, or a business to get into. Buying and selling, seeking new clientele, flexible hours, potentially lucrative - it's a win-win!

And a great retirement package. 3 meals a day, a bed, and all the *** you can handle.

i feel like you have so much information to share, thank you so much. i love the sentence about how it could be anything. it really could be. how would I go about performing a general needs assessment of my area? the only thing that's really holding me back from getting it started is figuring out what I want to sell so that general needs assessment would really help

If you're thinking of a type of business, walk in or call every one in the phone book. If they're busy and/or booked out for months it's a winner, if they're not busy or can make an appointment the next day the market is saturated.

Also there's a show in Danvers Saturday night. you should come.

Another idea is kitchen vent cleaning. Most companies are just a crew of 2-4 people that come in after the restraunt closes down to powerwash the vents.

Anything that's so gross that nobody wants to do it is a good racket. Washing windows is pretty decent as well.

 

[bostonkid92 10+ year member]

i have work on saturday again. i feel like i miss every single show. hey, if i had my own business like i want, i could come to a show every now and then haha. and by the way, that phone book idea is very good. i may try that if i can narrow down some things i want to do

 

[E-Rock 10+ year member]

I'm interested too. I plan on starting up a business once I finish my degree in Business-Entrepreneurial Management. I've noticed there are no German restaurants in my city and there are a ton of people with German and Scandinavian lineage in my area. If I can find a good location near the local bar scene that would be awesome to have a restaurant/beer hall so in the day customers can have awesome food then at night all the college kids could chug good beer. I'll have to do research as to why there isn't a German restaurant already. Just trying to corner a market.

Restaurants are hard work, but my friend's grandpa said it has been so enjoyable and worthwhile. If that doesn't pan out I have thought about a gun/sporting goods store. I love firearms and plan on getting a certification in machine tool tech. People will always want firearms and/or various parts to be machined. Heck, I'm really creative, once I scribbled some made up name on my water jug of BCAA's as a joke and I got a ton of likes from bodybuilders and gym rats in my area just for posting that picture on facebook. I also think lighting stores are awesome for some reason, combine that with home and car audio and I have a niche electronics store.

Possibilities are endless. I suggest taking at least a few intro business classes to help get you started.

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

You can never go wrong with oil and guns. It's the yank way.

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

Where you live, buy a lawn mower an a snow blower, get a business license in the name that you will be trading as "Mow-n-Blow". Print 1000 fliers go to the post office and have them sent to 3 or 4 neighborhood in your area that are 1) upper middle class 2)within 20 min of your house. get connected with Angie's List, open a facebook page under your company name and post pics of the awesome houses with the benz parked in the drive with a recommendation by the client... Work your *** off, put 50% of your earnings in an expense fund not to be touched except for taxes and other annual business expenses. Never use more than 80% of that fund, always keep a reserve!

You will learn the rest as you go.

 

[bostonkid92 10+ year member]

bump for more advice

 

[thatguy12 10+ year member]

scrape together 300 to 500 bucks and go take a buisness class at a local tech school. my college has amzing buisness corses that go over so much. many will also make you create a buisness plan, real or not. just so you learn. the credits may not help you later in.life but the knowladge you cohld earn in a few week class is worth it. they will also answer all the questions you Aasked.

 

[jdawg90 10+ year member]

Mobile car detailing is another option (where you have a truck or trailer with your stuff and go to them- provided they have water and power). You need to know what you are doing and have had some experience with cars that aren't customers.

 

[bostonkid92 10+ year member]

i'd like to take a business class but i'm already planning on going to school for business. idk, i feel like i'm good at marketing. i've done well selling many different types of items. i know how to market whatever i need to sell. it may be a good idea to keep in mind though. as for the detailing job, i have actually thought about it. i'm not sure though. i've had jobs that require intense manual labor, it's just not my thing. i'm more into selling goods rather than services. i'm just stuck on what to sell. i know it will come to me, i'm just getting very impatient lol

 

[freerunner]

hello so just a thought i have had i to have been thinking alot about starting a small business i am young to think somting like this but my plan to do this so far is i am starting collage in aug for auto tech the eltronics of vehicals becuase my i guess what you call dream is to start a small car audio installation shop after collage go to work for an already set up car audio shop and start off from there some how i guess its along shot for me but its the most logical plan i have that is what i want to do so what im saying is if this does go through for you or if i can help i will be very intrested to know how it goes or how yoyu did it .. so please reply with any help any1 has to further this idea for me thank you

 

[des343 10+ year member]

I don't own a business but I can tell you its all a matter of 3 simple things

Who you know

What you know

And How far your willing to go