Friday, 2 February 2007

Make a Business From Your Skills

One of a clutch of new clients picked up in the last two weeks, is a great example of turning your skills and employment history into a new business for yourself.

First step is to list your achievements, skills, strengths and testimonials from third parties. Then work out the weaknesses, threats and marketing needed to promote your new idea. This has been done with Inspirational Seminars Ltd. A strong skill set in presentation seminars has been augmented by a commercial and marketing team to create a "rounded" business plan.

We are at the point where finance plans are being drawn up and market research is being conducted. Please remember that with e-mail and internet sites, that marketing feedback need not cost a fortune. So a business can be floated at a low cost, that is able to target the right niche market segment profitably.

Get the legal structures right, take advice, insure the assets (including the Talent), find a few "old contacts" to exploit and you have the makings of a business. Plough the initial earnings back into marketing and PR, build a sales "machine" from Web Sites, Blogs, Podcasts and e-mail campaignes to pick up any traffic produced from the PR. This will "kick start" the business.

But remember that returns in the early months will be modest and do not count on a profit in the first year as a minimum. If you beat these targets, its a bonus, and put it towards more marketing.

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