3 of 5

Write now Article Tools

Potential. It's the thing that Real Estate Agents try to sell us on, and it's the thing that will enable you to build your successful home business. But what business should you be in?

The first thing to do is to take a long hard look at what you have to offer. If you suffer from really poor self-esteem, I would suggest finding a friend to help you do this. You will need to look at your work skills, your hobby skills and things that you think you might be good at, if you ever got the time to work at them For the purposes of research, here are mine:

WORK SKILLS

Web page design and authoring (HTML, design, Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash etc.)
Information searching and provision
Talking to people
Copywriting
Office management and administration
Musical performance (singing, playing harp, bagpipes, guitar, flute)

HOBBY SKILLS

Fibre & fabric crafting (crochet, knitting, sewing, spinning)
Creative writing
Gardening
Chicken-keepin g
Baking

THINGS I'D LIKE TO BE BETTER AT/SKILLS I'D LIKE TO ACQUIRE
PHP/Java programming
Dressmaking
Drawing/ Painting
Beekeeping
Video shooting/production
Photography

Now, having made these lists (and accepted that I haven't got everything on the first pass - I reserve the right to add things at will), the next stage is to go through the lists and identify where I can use existing skills to make some money. If the biggest money-making potential exists on the third list (things I'd like to be better at/skills I'd like to acquire) , then I should be seriously looking at whether I can develop that skill whilst earning some money from it, or offset a course cost against my tax income

It's important to realise that however much we enjoy doing something, there are greater opportunities for money-making in some areas than in others.

For me, the greatest money-making potential is definitely in the first list. I love to bake, and when combined with talking to people', I *could* look at having a stall at the occasional Farmer's Market to sell baked products. However, a little research done into the subject shows that I'd need to put money and time into getting a Food Hygiene Certificate, hiring the stall and designing/packaging my product. Partnered with the time involved in producing the cakes/biscuits etc., there would just be too many overheads to make this work unless I was prepared to attend more that "the occasional Farmer's Market". I can also forsee that when I'm baking on a professional level, I may well lose some of the joy and relaxation that I find in it. Whilst

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to establish a successful company from your home?
We want to hear your view. Write now!