If you read my earlier post "Use Whatever You Got" I mentioned using any skill you have and producing.
If you like watching other people produce in a field (art, photography,furniture making, building, painting etc. AND you attempted to learn the skill, it is likely that you can be a professional about it as well.
You can start by increasing your knowledge about it, read, watch, see how the other people are doing it. Then really jump into it. There is no better way to learn it.
Expect that you may not be perfect at the beginning but you will be improving along the way.
If you produced and wanted to test to see how people find it, I suggest asking strangers (online or in person) rather than asking friends and family.
The reason is, we trust the people who are close to us. If you get a negative answer about your product, you might end up taking their words for it and loose your purpose.
If you ask strangers, even if they didn't like it, you definitely can conclude as "difference in opinion" easily.
Heck, better yet, keep producing and don't even bother asking anybody!! Just produce and say, here's what I do, if you need it, you can buy it from me!! Everywhere, online, in flyers you prepare, in newspapers...
Remember , even if you are not finding your product stunning, doesn't mean someone else might not
find it that way. People have different likes and needs.
It is not a waste of time because at the least you are keeping yourself busy with something you like, right? And learning more everyday...so it's good.
Per my rough calculation there are 205 million adults between the ages of 18 to 65 within the US.
Most of these people should be producing for themselves, they are not too old, not too young, so no excuse.
Per the census.gov there are only 27 million businesses in this country. 21 million of these businesses have no payrolls (meaning the individual works in his own business). Only 6 million of businesses have payrolls.
So let's figure this! We have 205 million people , let's take out the 10 million stay-at-home moms (I know how hard it can be to have a business while you are taking care of kids) that leaves us with 195 million people.
So what are these 195 million people doing? Looking for employment in those 6 million businesses.
How are you going to fit 195 million into 6million??? You tell me. Of course there is "unemployment", of course there is "competition".
You need to forget about what you learned from your parents (even if you are an adult) and society and create your own employment.
This doesn't mean put on a tie or a business suit....
Use your skills and interests. If you don't have skills, what do you like possibly doing?
Put your attention on it. You can start and build skill thereafter.
We are lacking success as a nation or as the world (per the numbers), but I do know that we do not lack interests.
Many of us have positive interests , singing, dancing, dress making, art making, knick knack making, pottery, designing furniture, photography, writing, cartoon creating, being a positive news agent in town, gardening (sell your flowers!), vegetable growing, painting houses, tile layer, wood works, carpentry, up-cycling furniture, carpet cleaning, gadget making, card making, knitting, ....list goes on and on. You could even think with the idea "what service or tools people need but are missing? "
All these things are needed in the world by people. Just because some people are producing in these fields, does not mean you can't produce.We do need more creation in the world.
The numbers above show (these are only in the US, you can imagine the rest of the world) that we are mostly consumers and literally not confident to produce. When we do this, we are leaving the production area to Pharmaceutical companies, "Healthcare", Armed Forces, "Food" Companies (each put out chemical/food products by the dozens).
We may think, well who's gonna buy my product....it is up to your skill, enthusiasm and how much you are making yourself known .
Skill probably being the least important, especially at the beginning.
TRUE. But how? Imagine you made a rough pottery coffee cup. When you are enthusiastic about it and make yourself known by others as the potter, one soul might find your work interesting. It is likely.
However if you took out the other two (enthusiasm and making yourself known) , it doesn't matter much, how skilled you are or how stunning your product is. How are people gonna know?
Remember you can start small and thrive. Thrive to be known for your product , thrive to produce the best possible product , accomplish a great customer service, create the best image and fame etc.
It can be so small that you are producing 2 items this week and your only customer is your grandma and aunt . Next week try 3-4 and head for local open market in town. The next week produce 6+ go to the local stores, advertise in your local newspaper, use all the social media (which is free), introduce yourself to people.
Eventually you will have a successful business, that's how the businesses start.
