To want to have a small business with no *real* skills?

[gracke]

I'm really just looking for advice/guidance/ideas here.

I'm a young mum with young children and I've been thinking for a while about how I'd rather not be employed (especially while they're young, in particular). I envy those who are running successful small businesses, so instead of sitting jealous, I've decided to start brainstorming/seeking advice to see if it'd be a feasible idea for me to do alongside home-studying a degree.

I have my A Levels (high grade) and some work experience. I drive.

I'd love to become an author but I'm looking to do something in the very near future when I commence my degree.

Does anyone have any ideas for small businesses? Or any way to figure out for oneself what the best thing to do is/where talents lie?

DP seems to not take me seriously when I talk about wanting this as I don't have a clear direction of what I actually want to do!

Self employed here, successful business, part time employees. There is no way on earth I could work enough whilst looking after two small children and studying for a degree, the business would just grind to a halt. It gives me a very nice lifestyle but I regularly work a 60 hour week. I'm in the process of starting up another business and just finding a few hours a week for this is very difficult. I think a wfh admin job may be best until you have more time.

From experience I'd say a major key to success is having real drive to do whatever you choose, and from this it follows that you really need to focus on it yourself rather than ask others for suggestions

Certainly others can offer input about whatever you select, but the impetus really does need to come from you

@LesGiselle if you have managed to look after small children with no childcare, study full time for a degree and set up a new and successful business all at the same time then hats off to you. When did you actually get chance to eat and sleep? You must have had a very supportive other half.

When did you actually get chance to eat and sleep? You must have had a very supportive other half

Very supportive DH and my business was/is doing something I absolutely love - that makes a huge difference. I didn't watch television, I didn't socialise, I didn't have 'free time' as such while I was starting out. I just worked bloody hard in the early morning and the late evening.

My clients were mainly on the US west cost, so the time difference worked in my favour: they were in office hours while I was in burning-the-midnight-oil hours.

It's possible if - as I said initially - you have support and the right business model, and the temperament/time managements skills to drill down and keep going.

GreenManalishi is definitely right. And start small and keep going. You'll develop the skills.

I'd rather not be employed

I take your post to mean that you would like to earn money in a way that would fit easily around your existing, really quite onerous commitments.

One way to earn money if you don't have any ideas for a business, is to work for someone who does have ideas.

If you could find a job that was flexible enough, would you be happy to do that or do you really have an itch to own your own business ?