Would you start a business in an area you weren't passionate about at all

[WinkyWinkola]

but that you felt would make you a good living?

I'm talking about stuff like a cleaning company, a language school or a garage.

Is it deadly to go into an area that you're just not that bothered about purely for financial reasons?

I have a few things I am passionate about, but none of them will earn me a living.
So do what earns the best money and spend that on holidays and doing the things you like.
I feel what ever job you do you may at some time grow to hate it.

I don't think there's a right and a wrong answer, I can only give you the benefit of my experience.

I launched 2 businesses in 2012, one at the start of the year, the second with a hiccup or two launched late-December.

The first I "knew I could do" and I did everything I was supposed to do in the right order of execution.

The second I love. I live it, breathe it and it pushes all my buttons. I want to be a UK authority on the subject and have plans and ideas up to my eyeballs, scrawled across notebooks, tacked to my office walls and notes in electronic organisers.

I've had more business in TWO WEEKS (!) from the second than I had in nearly a year from the first. I think my enthusiasm must be infectious and clear to my clients that I believe in my service.

All that said and done though - Andrex have made a fortune out of wiping your bum and I doubt that particular passion appeals to many! Did Mr. Andrex wake up one morning and think "I love touching my bum I want other people to do it too". (Er, their own bums, not his! )

My DH and and I have a scaffolding company which is nearly a year old. Not exactly a subject I am passionate about (although he is). We are making a lot of money.

I also make and sell on eBay as an aside. I get much more pleasure from that, which makes me pennies.

I LOVE having £££ in the bank from our scaffolding firm though. So yes I think you can easily start a company you're not passionate about if you know you will be successful. If the money is important to you.

I don't see why u have to live in an area to work in it? I think u should have a passing affection for it, or a nice coffee shop nearby so u dont hate being there but hopefully u would be too busy to be outside?

I don't think OP means geographical area!

Oh this is such a dilemma for so many people, knowing you can do well in something and make money but also knowing you are not inspired by it at all!

Basic point is that we all have bills to pay. I also have two businesses, the first a cleaning franchise I bought while I was still teaching full time and ran on the side so I could have my son and work from home. Believe me there is nothing inspiring about running a franchise, let alone a cleaning one. However it pays the bills and gave me some freedom in my working week to spend with the family and then later a little more time to create a business that I adore!

I agree with DolomitesMonkey that working on a business you are really into is no hardship!! If you really love what you do and believe in it then you'll spend every waking moment working on it, strategising (oh dear that's a little American), creating, building and promoting without ever feeling burnt out or burdened. Self employment can be tough, isolating and stressful so doing something you love really tips the balance.

There's nothing to say you can't start with one business and move on to another, it's not a marriage for life, you can sell it, pivot it or wind it up whenever you like. Most successful entrepreneurs will have tried several businesses before they build their most successful and you can guarantee that's the one they loved the most!

Probably not. I could go into a business that interested me mildly if I knew it would give me good returns but only if it "sat well" with me. If it was going to involve a lot of hard work then I would need to be a whole lot more than mildly interested!

I couldn't start a business that I didn't completely agree with though (e.g. DH jokes sometimes about buying a McD franchise because he knows he'll get The Look)

I had a fairly successful "business" as a self-employed therapist in the UK - I really loved what I did, so it wasn't really a hardship - but I don't think I would have wanted to take it any further in terms of expanding to get my own clinic, bringing in other therapists, that kind of thing. I was quite happy just being self employed.