Job Seeker vs. Entrepreneur

It's been months and maybe even years since you have had a full time "permanent"  job and you're beginning to feel that the job you're seeking no longer exists.  You've attended every job fair, searched the Internet for openings in your field and applied for countless jobs without  getting an interview. Now it's time to try something different.  It's time to use your skills to work smarter and perhaps you should consider working for yourself. 

Rather than to continue your fruitless job seeking ventures, start thinking about how you can best utilize the skills you have to create a successful business.

• What is it that you love doing? 
• What marketable skills do you possess that you can use to start a small business?
• Are you skilled enough to become a tax preparer for individuals or small businesses?
• What about becoming a barber or cosmetologist with a high end shop that offers light refreshments and soothing music?

Find a need or demand that is not being filled and ask yourself if this is a need you can fulfill as a business. Decide on a target audience such as babies, teens, older adults and even pets.

Business brainstorming 
Visit Job Seekers to assess your skills and interest. Seek volunteer opportunities to acquire new skills or join a social or business organization to network with people who may be willing to join you in a new business venture. Contact small business owners and ask them how and why they started their businesses.

Don't try to create a business just because you think it will make you rich overnight.  Watching television shows such as The Sharks or Undercover Boss might give you a feel for the businesses that are being created and what it takes to start and to maintain a business. Your public library is certainly one of the best places to start researching businesses.

Internet resources
Accessing the Internet can also provide information about grants, small business loans and workshops for potential entrepreneurs. Other organizations such as the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration should also be explored as additional sources of information.  

Library resources
Visit the D. C. Public Library's new Digital Commons at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to utilize the latest technology.  Digital Commons is equipped with Mac computers, a 3-D printer, a Dream Lab with Smart Boards, video conferencing and conference space and many other features. There is a wealth of material available in print, audiobooks, ebooks, DVDs and CDs on starting businesses.

A few of the titles you might want to check out include:

• Start Your Own Home Business After 50: How to Survive, Thrive, and Earn the Income You Deserve 
• Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Ditch the Day Job and Start Your Own Business
• How to be an Entrepreneur and Keep Your Sanity: The African American Handbook & Guide to Owning, Building, and Maintaining Successfully Your Own Small Business
• What Color Is Your Money: Your Personalized Roadmap to Business Success