Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 3

Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 3

(This is part 3 of Starting Your Own Business. Click here to read part 1 of Starting Your Own Business or Click here to read part 2 of Starting Your Own Business.)

 

I was almost finished with this article and I received this e mail from a reader. Instead of me writing about the positive side of starting your own business, I will let her tell that part. I thought she did a great job explaining the positives of having your own business.

Here is her e-mail and my answer:

 

From: Luann

Like everyone who reads this newsletter and blog, I love it. You stated that Microsoft was started during a resession.

I have just opened up a new used furniture store in our small home town. Though I have been thinking about it for a long time, I felt the time was right now! My husband was slightly unsure. I feel that, yes, times are tough and because they are tough people can not afford new things. Yet, though they cannot afford new things does not mean they still don’t need things. People will still need to replace a worn out couch, chair or table so what will they do? Buy used.

I search auctions, newspapers, listen to swap radio stations; many things to find the best bargain for the best furniture and decorations I can find. Many people do not have the time to do this, nor do they want to. I do. My goal is to provide the best things for the best price I can and still keep my doors open. If I have to paint or repair pieces of furniture to make them alive again, I do.

I am lucky I was raised by a thrifty Mom who did this and taught me to do it. I have a desire and love for it. I was searching for the right job for so long that would fit me. I have found it! My store is not open yet, but I have been working on the furniture and store for 4 weeks now, getting ready to open.

People have come in so happy. (They have also purchased 1/3 of the things I have. I could not say "No, wait 4 weeks." I am not nuts.) Everyone that I have talked to either here at the store or in the hardware store, where I am on a first name basis with the clerks, are very supportive and encouraging.

In this short time my husband has come around and is enjoying the store also. He is so handy fixing things, with comments like, "oh this will be easy" and ocassionally it is. My main point is yes, times are hard, but there are options out there. Just sit quiet for a few minutes and listen to GOD, he has the answers. Like they say at the start of the service in my church on Sunday, "God is good all the time and All the time God is good!"

Thank you for letting me tell my story!

      -Luann

 

Luann, it sounds like you are off to a great start. I had to chuckle, though, because there are days I think God has a great sense of humor. Would you believe that last night I was finishing writing an article for a future newsletter and in most of it I wrote all of the reasons why you shouldn’t start your own business at any time and then I received your email. Too funny!

I did talk about when you should start your own business and you definitely fall into that category. One of the main things I said you needed was a passion and excitement for what you are doing, that you need to do research and have the strength and personality to keep going, even when you hit roadblocks.

Top that with the fact that you know it is God’s will and nothing can or will stop you. That is great. If you don’t mind I might use your story to illustrate the flip side of my reasons why not to start. I kept telling God the article seemed so negative and I didn’t want it to be that way, so this will be the great positive I needed.

There’s one last thing I need to warn our readers about, which we have been dealing with recently. Tawra has been talking to many other people who have websites and blogs for their businesses. They have been telling her they are making huge amounts of money and/or working very few hours. Tawra keeps wondering, "What are we doing wrong?" We all work long hours for not very much.

When asked, one woman said she made almost $30,000 a month but didn’t mention she had made that amount only once because of a fluke. She didn’t mention that, other than that one month, she normally makes $100 a month before accounting for any business expenses.

Another woman said she was making quite a bit of money and was only working part time hours but later we found out she had been working 60-70 hour weeks until it became too much for her and she hired other people to work for her.

I tell you this so you will be very careful not to be blinded by other people’s stories. These women weren’t really lying. We just didn’t have all of the facts.

      -Jill

In case you missed the other parts of this article:

Read Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 1.

Read Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 2.