New here, Hello, right... now to work!

[hereincornwall]

Just joined Mumsnet - just moved back to the UK after 6.5 years (and 2 kids) abroad. Now I need to start a business and start earning some money. Bah ha ha. I have just read the 'make a £1000 a month' and 'entrepreneurs start here threads'. Brilliant stuff! Very inspirational bunch.

My head is in the right place (I think) to start a business. I am motivated, I have some time (mainly evenings) and next year I'll have a lot more time when my youngest goes to pre-school. So now seems like a good time to start something.... giving me 6 months+ to get it up and running and making money?!

BUT, I have a head full of ideas but nothing that really shouts out - YES, that's brilliant - go for it! I have a couple of small website ideas and one product idea, which needs some researching. So my question to some of you is HOW did you work out what business you would do and be good at? I've had a fairly good corporate career, but I'm not a 'professional' in anything in particular.

Anyway, I'm rabbiting. Just popping in to say hi really and 'I'll be back'....

Well hello! Welcome - I too read that same thread and it was a humdinger of a thread. Lots of positivity.

I know how you feel. I have ideas all the time which can make it difficult to focus. I think our insecurities often talk us out of what is a very good idea so that we then start to think it's not that good after all!

I personally have become an independent distributor with a network marketing/direct sales company. It provides a structure and a focus on a main business. But I then have a minor online business which ticks along without too much input from me. I then also blog - about whatever comes to mind but also about my two businesses. Doing things this way gives me a primary focus and allows me to engage in networking/blogging so that I have the creative release I also need.

I chose my primary business mainly because of the person who enrolled me (I've known her online for 7 years, admire and respect her business acumen, knew her track record of success), the product itself and the results I could see people getting with it and the FUN that I could see people having in the company. The compensation plan didn't figure in those main deciding factors - essentially, I guess I'm saying this: If you're going to be spending time doing something, make it be something you would do for FREE because you love it so much. Why? Because there will always be those days from hell where nothing will go right and at least, if you love what you're doing/the product etc it will make those days a little easier to bare!

I wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you go on to do!

I'd go for the one you feel "passionate" about - the one which you will get up at 5am when the children are asleep to work on.

We are all SME's in something, but that doesn't necessarily translate to what we want to do. E.g., I can build you a beautiful datawarehouse, but I don't give a monkey's about it and would find myself led by procrastination...

Products take cash, but if you're good and can raise the funds either yourself , loan, investors or angel investors then that's possible.

You can teach yourself new business skills, but if your heart isn't really in it then I can't see it really working.

I say this as a woman who started a business at the start of the year in a venture I'm good at but am now shifting to something I love! :)