Who wants to be an entrepreneur? Start here... (and those who are, help here please!?)

[WilfSell]

OK, I was inspired by the 'earn 1k a month working from home' thread, which turned into an inspiring if terrifying 'don't sell yourself short' thread. And wondered if, those of us who might like to work for ourselves but don't currently, could get started here? I aim to keep my job, and perhaps try to move to part-time at some point. I have some business ideas, some good, some over-ambitious, mostly attempts to roll-out my current skills into a private consultancy, not necessarily linked to my existing job (university research/teaching).

I know it is an incredibly tricky time to think about this, and I'm sure it is not easy or comfortable to make a living... But some people manage it, so why shouldn't more of us?

Great thread. Really interesting insights.

nankypeevy sorry you aren't doing a launch, but I think your new suggested order of things sounds just as good. I would have to say as well, as time goes by if you are pushy enough there will be opps to appear at the events of others. Where you have none of the hassle of organsing and you can still reach an audience.

Plus once you get going other opps will come your way. The sport massage person (I mentioned on the other thread) I saw has just moved into a really well situated room above a yoga studio following his connections etc.

Re putting yourself out there. I saw a tweet when I first started (marketing freelancer) about a Council organised event for International Women's Day, and I volunteered myself to talk and they agreed. The audience was mainly lots of older women, many whom were unemployed - so not really my target audience - in a Church Hall. However, it helped build my experience. And a local competitor came up to me and introduced herself and made a point of saying that she was a "Chartered Marketeer" (highest level of the Chartered Institute of Marketing membership). Childishly that made the event for me, because however 'decorated' she was, I was the one addressing the audience. I think it is just confirmed that you can, to some extent, make your own luck/opps.

Good luck to everybody on this thread.
WS

I've just had another idea for you physios. Physio parties! You know you go to someone's house, someone pours the wine. You pay the host a cut to get 4-6 people together,or however many you can manage. You get your massage table out, show people a few neck and core strength exercises, a bit of acupuncture here and there...?

I'd totally book that to give me, my bad back and my middle aged friends a quick once over and it would surely lead to repeat business...

I have, um, realised my talents are in drinking socialising networking and having a short attention span being an ideas person...

There's some great advice on this thread. Can I join in please?

I've been a self employed graphic designer for a few years and compared to being employed, it's great.

If anyone's got any graphic design questions please ask, I love talking about work.

The thing I'm trying to get better at is networking online. In-the-flesh networking is a bit tricky with family commitments, as it always seems to take place after work, away from home.

And so I am going to try and join the FB group from this thread...

Oooh, Wilf - could be something in that...

I've been on a thread about stress incontinence (which made talk round up, do I get a badge?)

I am not sure about prodding about with drunk women's necks - but, a pelvic floor party? That would totally work. And, the attendees would all know each other and could self support (ahem) afterwards...

You know how you were looking for a change of direction? Could "the only way is up" party biz be it?

Am away to ask what they think...

Hahaha, Pelvic Floor Parties, with Wine, is TOTALLY Mumsnet. Go for it! I'l host one but a bit far away praps...?

Oh. Um. Yeah... That'll be 50 quid please nanky...

Joking. But seriously, how do I make money selling IDEAS? Any ideas?

It is what I'm good at.

Fifty quid?

That's a looong way off 1k, you are not getting into the spirit of this!

Will try to have an idea about your ideas.

Ah but it only took me 30 seconds to think it. That means I only need to work for 10 minutes a day...

Nicebiscuits - what sort of design? But I can heartily recommend virtual networking via Twitter and blog. I've 'met' all sorts of nice people that way, and as a bonus side effect get to ask them useful work questions too. All while sat at my desk at home and theoretically attending to the hoousehold.

Oh and I got two projects (small books) from being on Twitter too.

Wilf - make up television programmes. I will write them up in tv bullshit style. We will stit back and watch the format fees roll in.

And if anyone knows a nice radio production house, I'd like to meet them please...

Perhaps Xenia was on to something, if women will pay $$$ to be patronised about their weight, $$$$ to go under the knife, why on earth wouldn't they pay $$$ at the promise of being "honeymoon fresh" once again? 50 quid? Pfff... how much does a vaginal tightening cost?

I suggested Harley St weight loss clinic above or on the other thread and also helping infertile couples have IVF bu surrogate abroad eg in India. What you need is to own your clinic and have people working for you rather than being the person on the minimum wage doing the work.

If you have particular skills then it is worth looking at how women on mumsnet earn £1k a day and why some do and others hardly even make the minimum wage and what accounts for the different. There is nothing very special about me. I am sure you could compare me to others mumsnetters who make very little. What led one person to earn more than others?

onesandwich
? identity, publication and website design.

Great you got a couple of books from Twitter. Are books your thing?

Thinking about the £1000k per day challenge, I'd need to work for clients who've got that kind of budget. A pharmaceutical company, for example, doing their print/web ads and other marketing.

Hmmm.

I would go to a physio party - but perhaps not the pelvic floor one ;)

£1000 a day is not that rare a consultancy rate for many women actually which just show how useless many parents and schools are in helping teenage girls pick better paid jobs.

I am going to bed but here is a task for some of you.
Go to www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

Cameron (one of the few promises kept) has made all Government contracts over £10k be published. It is a goldmine of information but few people seem to be looking at it.

Search on the right side - what is being bought by Government in a sector you are interested in eg accountancy services or whatever and see what you can find just to see who is paying what although the state sector given cut backs is probably not a massive gravey train at present. On the other hand they supposedly favour small businesses particularly female owned ones - mind you see £1k a day thread - I have 100% failure rate at bidding for state work.

Hello :) I'm joining in this one too.

I've been self-employed for nigh on 18 years. The first 8 years were fabulous fun - right place, right time, really good skills and was earning upwards of £1K per week in IT.

I burned out, but kept pushing myself as I had a specific and fabulous contract, then I met DH & fell pg. I became a grateful SAHM then started up a publishing business when DD was 2. Just as that was taking off we moved overseas and I had to sell up . (Realise I'm totally outing myself here, but never mind.) I am limited by visa restrictions on the work I can do - it has to be in the home, really, which suits me fine.

I then did some freelance writing and had another little business going on too - earned next to nothing but kept me occupied. Then we moved again - still overseas. Had to close the little business and gave up the writing a year ago to concentrate on studying and other things.

Currently I'm struggling very much with a graphic design course, which is MUCH harder than I expected and an almost vertical learning curve. I WILL complete it, but in the meantime I'm taking a short break to create an online consultancy business.

At least, I think that's what it will be - the idea is semi-formed and I'm not sure how to move ahead with it.

It was going to be a book, but I think online to start with is a better idea. I can use my IT skills and writing skills to create the site; my limited design skills are being used to attempt to create some artwork for the site header (hence taking a break from it to come on here!). Nothing has been written yet so the site isn't live.

If anyone can help, please; I need advice on how to market the site via social networking and how to move forward into paid consultancy work - bearing in mind it will mostly, if not all, be done online. Oh, and how to get money from the website/blog while I'm back studying!

hi peripathetic PM me and join our fb group. I have a background in IT so have found all "that sort of thing" - for me the marketing has been my vertical curve. But I'm getting there - we have several marketers in our group and one "twitter expert" whom I believe is going to do a free webinar for us to get us started with social media.

If you're still in the EU you can apply for the contracts Xenia mentioned. Local governments, councils, etc., also publish their own contracts and are worth registering with. Also check out the Irish sites. All these contracts are "fair game" until they start being registered over at TEDS (european commission site) as that's when the big price barrier occurs and it seems awfully hard to break in to that. Like Xenia, I have a 100% failure rate with my pitches/tenders, but it doesn't hurt to submit - especially as most of them are e-tendering which doesn't cost you a penny.

Some people are making money from "niche marketing" websites which is a very passive income once you're up and running - however, Google et al take a very dim view of such sites and it's not unknown for your site to be blacklisted - and once Google have you on the blacklist game over really isn't it!?

Have PMed you.

The site won't be a marketing site, it's an article-based advice site but I'm sure there are companies who should advertise on it

Dolomites - have I just had a FB friend request from you? A.S. ?

PS, I might have failed at the rare attempts I made to get Government work but in a sense that does not matter as a lot of other things succeed. As I think I said on this thread or the £1k a day one if enough of what you try works then failures don't matter and I listed my many failures.

Most successful people have a lot of failures but it does not bother them - they optimistically bounce back and carry on. I am not sure I will make £1k today because I need to do some other things but it certainly has an impact on how you see your time where if you take a day off you lose £1k.

Peri Yes, that's me. :) I haven't figured out yet how to add people to the group without being connected as "friends" - but I think you can de-friend me afterwards without leaving the group iyswim.

I think optimism has a lot to do with it - in the sense you have to be able to say "bugger, that didn't work so next time I'll try x and y and I must really get around to doing z". No falling at the first hurdle around these parts!

I think perhaps I've been under-estimating what I might achieve - I'd been hoping to top 1000 euros a day, but why not aim for 1000 sterling?

OK! Gotcha - just wanted to check 'cos I've had some odd friend requests recently.

I'm a born optimist, but struggling a bit today after accidentally defrosting the freezer, killing a v expensive cardi and battling web design & hosting.

I've had a break, done a spot of gardening and am back on the case (as far as DH & DD will allow without interruptions).

Mme Lindor not even if there was fizz and, ehm, lindors?

I'm a wee bit startled at the response to the pelvic floor thing. A few PMs from the thread, and a chance chat at the school gate - about 6 people interested in the idea of a private, frank and fresh chat and advice session.

My stand up stuff is about life with a young family - one of the props is a giant fanjo bag. It's not very Naice, but it is funny. Might be a handy visual aid for pelvic floor stuff...

...mmm, mulling. Might do a trial locally and see how it goes.

We have a very odd attitude to failure in the UK - it is actually a great way to learn about how to do things. Try and re-frame failure as a great lesson, and use it as a way to step up to success.

"I learnt so much from my failures, I can't wait to make some more" - can't remember who said that but it stuck in my mind.