So What's Next?

Do you lay awake dreaming of creating your own small business on your terms?

Do you have a bunch of ideas but don’t know which one to start on?

Do you have a copy of Barbara Winter’s book or read her Winning Ways Newsletter?

Any and all of the above are great reasons to join the Joyfully Jobless Jamboree in Austin, Tx on October 15-16th.

There will be some really outstanding keynote speakers who will be announced soon, great workshops on all the facets of being a self-employed person and best of all, a lot of celebration of the fun, freedom and independence that self-bossers enjoy.

Check out the website (over there on the right) for more information and register now to take advantage of the early bird  packages that include some cool perks like breakfast with Barbara!

I’m part of the Posse that’s putting the Jamboree together and I can assure you that you won’t want to miss all the fun and opportunities we are planning!    

Remember when you were a little kid out on the porch in the evening and some grownup said, “oh, there’s the first star – quick make a wish?”   We asked for things like red bicycles, baseball mitts, and dolls.   And those things often appeared on our birthday or as a holiday gift.

I’ve been holding conversations with groups of adults over 50 around the topic of what they are going to do in the next phase of their life, and I find a lot of people start their answer with the words, “I wish……”

For the most part, these are folks who have spent the last 30 years living in the same area, employed in the same career and working hard just to maintain the status quo of their lives.  They haven’t had the opportunity to try to make any major changes so they can’t quite imagine how to start.

At a presentation for The Transition Network here, author Carol Saline (Mothers and Daughters) talked about the many transitions of her life.  She suggested an approach for career and life decisions that reminds us that making successful changes or transitions requires taking action. She calls it FOOFY and I like her philosophy.

•    “Get your Foot in the door
•    When Opportunity knocks, just do it
•    When Opportunity doesn’t come calling, send out invitations
•    If you believe in something Fight for it
•    Just say Yes – never let the fear of failure hold you back!”

Wishing for a different life gets us nowhere until we start doing.

In a conversation over the weekend I discovered that an acquaintance previously served on the Board of an organization I would love to be associated with professionally.

I discovered this only because when she asked “what have you been up to?”,  I didn’t hesitate to state clearly what my immediate goals are.   If I had said that I was just “busy trying to build my business” the opportunity would have passed right by.

She offered to provide an introduction to some current board and staff members and suggested an approach to getting involved with them.

I need to polish my resume and pull together a proposal to present within a week or so and that’s going to require putting in some extra hours, but I can’t ignore this “knocking” on my door.

What have you found yourself wishing for lately?  It’s time to turn some of those thoughts into real concrete ideas and apply the FOOFY principles to your efforts.   Paying attention to opportunities and taking even small actions are the first steps to success.

I had to choose between three possible places to be last weekend.   An internet marketing event in Stamford, CT; a Barbara Winter seminar in Dodge City, KS; and a National Speakers Association workshop 5 minutes away from my home.

Every one of the experts at these events is worth traveling a distance to hear, and all three events were about topics important to growing my business.

A trip to CT would allow me to see a group of old friends, and going to KS would mean finally meeting some cyber world friends in person.  I knew the least about the local event but I had committed to it first, and my intuition seemed to be telling me to stick with that decision.  I reluctantly did.

I know for sure that it was the least fun of the three, and from all reports I missed two other really inspiring events.  But that Saturday morning I had a V-8 for my business.

One of the hardest things about developing a new business idea is figuring out what it is you don’t know.  The only way you can do that is to put yourself out there in places where you can observe and learn and meet people who know what you don’t.

The speaker I listened to intently last Saturday not only knew lots of things that I didn’t, but he was eager to share and taught well.  And a couple of contacts I made there have resulted in networking connections to a group of service providers who are interested in hiring me to do training for their employees.

Yep, I chose the can of  V-8 instead of the fun, bubbly soda but my business will benefit.  I would have picked up great ideas at either of the other events also. You have to make choices some times – trust your instincts to tell you which ones are best.

My daughter called one day last week.  She is 32 and lives in New York City.  She was laid off in March from her job as an editor at a PR design firm.  This is the third time she has lost a job through no fault of her own and of course, in NYC, jobs are scarce.    So, having established a good reputation and a lot of connections, she thought she would try free-lancing for a while.

Of course I encouraged her since I know that she is organized, is better than most people at planning ahead, and is well disciplined when she wants to do something.   But I didn’t think about one aspect of her delightful personality.  She lives in New York because she is a high energy, fast-moving urban type of gal.

“I don’t know how you stand this!”  She sounded like an 8 on a scale of 10 for misery.  “How do I stand what?”  I asked.   “Staying at home alone all day….”    Oh, that.  I laughed out loud.  I had offered lots of advice on how to find jobs, had sent her several links for helpful websites, and was offering lots of cheerleading about how well she could do.  I mean, I am her proud mother, ok?

What I hadn’t done was clue her in to my “work at home” success tips.  Even though I don’t mind being at home alone, I do have to get out just like anyone else.  I plan my work in 3 -4 hour chunks and then take breaks to do other things like walking in the park, going to the gym, meeting friends for lunch, checking out the book store or library, and going to networking and professional events.   I also do a lot with friends in the evenings to balance my quiet days.   But I’m not sure even those tricks would help my sweet social child.

With lots of people looking for new ways to earn income, I know many are thinking of how great it would be to have a home-based business.  There are some great perks – no fancy wardrobe needed, time to exercise, ability to eat food that’s actually good for you, no sitting in traffic, etc.   But there are some requirements that need to be considered.

Here are some traits that matter:
1.    Are you self-motivated?
2.    Can you avoid distractions?
3.    Are you organized?
4.    Can you stay focused?
5.    Can you prioritize your to-do list?
6.    Are you good at managing time?
7.    Are you knowledgeable in technology?

But even if you are good at all of the above, if you are a people person who needs interaction with others, or prefer conversing with humans who will actually answer you instead of a cat who purrs regardless, working at home might not be your cup of tea.   Know thyself….   Try spending a couple of days alone working on your idea to see how it feels.

What if you had a chance to build a business where you get paid to turn your passion for thinking “Outside the Job Box” into an income producing business – and to make a difference in people’s lives
at the same time?

If you are a creative personality who loves to help others, take it one step further and work with them to help them discover ways they can turn their interests into income.

My colleague, Valerie Young, is the Dreamer in Residence at Changing Course. She also is considered an expert on uncovering career options for people who want to do their own thing. Hercareer change advice has been cited around the world. She’s beenstudying creative career change and entrepreneurship for well over a decade now – devouring every book and seminar she could. But, along with being an avid learner, she’s also an educator.

Of course, the question you have to answer right now: Is this the right path for you?

Well, let’s talk about that. Let me ask you this… ~ Are you somebody who’s always clipping out articles for friends and acquaintances? Always turning other people on to resources and alternatives they never knew existed?

~ Are you a creative problem-solver?

~ Do you instinctively jump in to help others?

~ Do you find yourself constantly thinking up potential business
ideas?

If that describes you, then I bet people love talking with you… Maybe they even seek you out. And why wouldn’t they? After all, thinking about creative ways to make a living without a “job-job” is something that just, well… comes naturally to you I’ll bet.

If you’re interested in taking your passion of helping others find their calling, she’s just opened up her registration for her Outside the Job Box Career Expert Course.

In these economic times, there are many more people who are seeking alternatives ways to make a living
without a j-o-b. It’s become increasingly clear that the demand for people who are trained to help folks pursue creative entrepreneurial paths is greater than ever before.

If this appeals to you, you owe it to yourself to check it out.  Now is just as good a time as any to consider becoming an independent consultant.

Here’s the link to check out her course:

http://ChangingCourse.com/cmd.php?af=958047

Don’t delay! She started taking registrations earlier in the week. You really can create the life you really want. But it’s not going to happen without you taking action.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me.