Five Year Self-Employment Plan - The No Hype Way Into Business
by: Larry Eastman
First, allow me to explain that this article isn't about a get rich scheme that's intended to draw you into a scenario of spending your hard earned money on something. This article is intended to highlight some experiences of how I was able to become self-employed and hopefully can pass on some suggestions to you. Perhaps, you may find these suggestions helpful in reaching a goal you choose, whether it be for a part-time or full-time business.
I'm one of the two founders of EastmanPublishing.com and also own and operate another off-line wholesale business that was established in 1986. I mention these two businesses because they were both started with a five year business plan, in mind. Now, if you can bear with me, I'll pass on some self-employment business information to you and it won't cost you a cent.
Some people measure success only by monetary achievements, however, others, such as myself gain by how his work can effect an individual. For instance, my nephew (who is in his late 20's) told my wife that I was an inspiration to him in reaching a goal of owning his own business. Of course, I was certainly pleased to learn his comment and started to reflect back on ways that helped me get to where I'm at today. One of my thoughts was to try and help others with what I've learned through the twists and turns on the road up the steep mountain to owning and operating my own business. I'm not going to paint some pretty picture, just give you the facts!
My tips won't apply to those who are seeking a "get rich now scheme." This isn't the article to gain any ideas on how to create a business overnight. You must first figure out what's going to make you happy, and what you consider being successful. Be sure to create business goals in your mind that are realistic. Then, take steps towards those goals. I believe there are two important factors, among many others, that a business minded person should have, and they are to "believe in yourself" and be "persistent."
I also believe that having an independent nature within one's self is a key point to succeeding in business. I've always believed that if I had the know-how to do something, of course, also having the tools and means to do it with always helps, I could achieve a set goal I was after. This brings us to a brief story of how another person can effect and improve on your way to succeeding in business. I'm going to pass on a proven tip that a successful business man informed me about. Two times that I know of, this tip has worked for a retail furniture maker and myself. Both of us have that independent character and the willingness to succeed as a goal. Please bear with the following because there is an important point to make.
After coming home one evening and discovering our television wasn't working, my wife and I decided to take it to a nearby repair shop the next morning. While the television repairman was trying to figure out what was going on with it, we browsed around the furniture section and checked out the new televisions available. Soon the repairman told us the problem with the set and how much it would cost to repair. He showed us the unit within the set that had to be replaced, which would have cost hundreds of dollars by the time he was done. My first thought was, "ya right!, you saw us checking out the others and you're trying to sell us a new one instead!." I guess it's a reasonable first reaction. After pondering and discussing the situation with my wife, and reviewing the other sets with the now "salesman," we decided to go down the street and have some lunch and discuss this dilemma further.
Can you guess who decides to also get some lunch and join us? If you guessed the television salesman, you're absolutely correct! Actually though, it was a nice meal, very friendly and informative. To be fair, the salesman was/is a nice guy and we was pleased with the purchase of the "new" television. It turned out that the television lasted many years and we returned to purchase a new one from the same place after it quit functioning. Okay, now back to the lunch time conversation.
It so happened that this gentleman apparently left his salesman's hat in the furniture store and didn't try any sales pitches on us during our lunch. Our conversation soon turned into his and his brother's business life, as both were partners running the furniture store. From what I recall of the opening of the conversation, I mentioned what nice furniture they offered within the store. He said, his brother made some of it and that they purchase from another furniture maker that is located in Massachusetts. As a fellow woodworker and a wannabe self-employed, this certainly sparked my interest, so the first question came out automatically, "How did you guys get your business to where it's at now?"
This gentleman soon explained that they worked in the nearby factory full-time while also making furniture. They moonlighted creating the furniture and began selling to individuals, which helped with extra income in order to invest in the business. He explained about the quality of the furniture they made over large manufacturers, which brought them repeat business. Although this statement stuck with me, it was his next statement that helped my mind's conditioning towards my own business. He mentioned that his brother and himself set a goal of working in the factory full-time for 5 years while they worked on expanding their furniture business. Within that 5 years, they made enough extra furniture to create an inventory to supply and open their own outlet store. This gentleman also went to school to learn television repair, which helped to enhance their business. Once the goal of 5 years was completed, these two entrepreneurs had one goal in mind, to quit the day jobs and work that newly available time in their own developed business. By this time they had acquired all the tools needed to create fine furniture, an outlet store, another sideline with television sales and repair business, a couple delivery vehicles, and most important for any business, a very satisfied clientele of repeat customers.
The non-working television and that lunch with the repairman/salesman/gentleman ended up effecting my life tremendously. After that lunch-time conversation, my life took on an approach that I probably never would of thought of before. As I was already working full-time for someone else and starting a business on the side, my new thought was to set goals for the following 5 years and certainly had incentive to meet them. Going to work full-time for someone else had a new meaning, especially when you start to see your extra hard work through the part-time sideline business start to pay off and you have a feeling that someday your going to say to the boss, "I'm taking my talent elsewhere."
Those 5 years of working for someone else and running my own part-time business passed many years ago. I'm just pointing out, that an idea such as working full-time and part-time for 5 years has worked in the past for those previously mentioned furniture makers and myself. Of course, there are pros and cons to everything. Being self-employed doesn't mean that you give up your day job and so goes the boss right along with it. Now that you've created a new full-time self-employed business, you're taking on many new bosses, such as your customers. Each of your customers are actually your boss in one way or another. So now you've taken on many bosses, which are your customers or clients and they are now paying your income, and if you don't produce a quality product that they find useful, you may find yourself back working for someone else.
In my opinion, those previously mentioned furniture makers were successful because they created their own quality furniture and was able to gain a market through retailing their products. However, they may not have been so successful if they hadn't taken the five years to introduce their quality products, build their own outlet store, and have their already established clientele.
Again, my intention of this article wasn't to paint some pretty picture of you being able to be self-employed. There certainly are pros and cons in gaining some type of independence through self-employment. The point of this article is, if you want to be self-employed and don't expect things to drop into your lap, you can succeed if you work at it and give enough time for your business to grow. So, take your time and proceed towards a business if you desire. With a five year business plan, two things you might be able to avoid, one is developing burn out, and another is keeping yourself from taking out a huge bank loan and becoming financially in debt in the process of business development.
About The Author
© 2005 by Larry Eastman - Courtesy of EastmanPublishing.com at http://eastmanpublishing.com
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Choosing Room Colors Change The Way A Space Looks As Well As The Way Furniture Is View
Choosing Room Colors Change The Way A Space Looks As Well As The Way Furniture Is View
by: Roger King
It is important that the color in the different rooms around the house come together logically. Analyze each of the tones; determine which colors, and in what proportions, they complement each other to give the final result.
Here are ten household helpful hints for choosing room colors:
1 Brighten up the darker spaces by painting the walls in pale colors.
2 If you paint a high ceiling a dark color, will make it look lower.
3 A light blue or a gray make a small room seem wider.
4 Use the wall colors to mark off areas according to actives.
5 Red and reddish tones are bold, exciting colors which stimulate movement. They are especially suitable for work areas.
6 Yellows are warm, bright colors, ideal for dark spaces to make us feel cozy.
7 Green is essentially linked to life; it reminds us of nature and...
Choosing Room Colors Change The Way A Space Looks As Well As The Way Furniture Is View
Furniture > Choosing Room Colors Change The Way A Space Looks As Well As The Way Furniture Is View
Three Tips On Choosing Stylish Furniture
Three Tips On Choosing Stylish Furniture
by: Dakota Caudilla
Stylish furniture is not just what is considered to be fashionable right now. If you browse through magazines devoted to home decorating you will see all the latest trends in furniture, but not all of these trends are stylish. A stylish piece of furniture is much more than a cool, trendy or modern piece. Stylish furniture should pass the test of time, should be of high quality and should also be comfortable to use.
Test No. 1
Styles come and go, but furniture shouldn't. A stylish piece of furniture should be an investment. As such, it should be designed so that it doesn't age and become unfashionable very quickly.
While it isn't always easy to tell if a piece of furniture will pass the time test, there are some basic rules to go by.
Stylish furniture should have a sleek and simple design. Something that is understated and pleasant to the eye will often pass the...
Three Tips On Choosing Stylish Furniture
Furniture > Three Tips On Choosing Stylish Furniture
Add to Your Home's Living and Entertaining Space Without Costly Construction and Renovation
Add to Your Home's Living and Entertaining Space Without Costly Construction and Renovation
by: Jayson Gerth
With more and more homeowners trying to maximize their home?s living space, it is no wonder home construction and renovation companies are recording record profits. But by assessing what you have and with a little creativity, new living and entertaining spaces can be had without spending thousands of dollars.
Late winter and early spring are great times to assess how space is used in your home. Often, decks and patios go unused or underused. Places you wouldn?t normally think of for use in entertaining ? flat, shady spots in the yard, for example ? may also lie empty. Many times, there are ways you can create ?backyard retreats? in these underused areas without much trouble or cost, and truly bring the ?indoors-out.?
One such way of designing your new patio, deck, or garden living space is with a furniture grouping that matches aesthetically....
Add to Your Home's Living and Entertaining Space Without Costly Construction and Renovation
Furniture > Add to Your Home's Living and Entertaining Space Without Costly Construction and Renovation
6 Factors That Affect A Bedroom Design Project
6 Factors That Affect A Bedroom Design Project
by: Shrinivas Vaidya
Dear friends,
If you are planning to design and decorate your own bedroom, then you must know that there are many factors that can affect the outcome of your creative exercise.
Let's have a look at some of the possible factors.
1)Furniture: Furniture occupies maximum space in a room. The size and style of the furniture you choose will directly affect the way the space is perceived after the decoration is complete.
Furniture pieces, which are abutting the walls such as dressing tables, wardrobes, cabinets, form the face of the walls which were previously blank in an empty room. Because of this the face of the furniture is a major factor is creating the mood of an space.
2)Interior Color Scheme: Color has a direct effect on human mind. Color can make the room smaller or bigger than it is. For example dark rooms are perceived smaller in volume than...
6 Factors That Affect A Bedroom Design Project
Furniture > 6 Factors That Affect A Bedroom Design Project
Home Furniture Safety Tips to Help Protect Your Family From Accidents and Injury
Home Furniture Safety Tips to Help Protect Your Family From Accidents and Injury
by: Bridget Mwape
Thousands of People are treated annually for injuries associated with furniture. The majority of these injuries and deaths are to children. Here are tips you may use to make your household environment safer for yourself and your family.
1. Falls are a leading cause of injuries and deaths in the home. To lessen the likelihood of falls, eliminate clutter, be sure rugs have slip-resistant pads, keep electrical cords out of walkways and clean up spills immediately.
2. Position or Place furniture in low-traffic areas such as corners and sections of the room, out of the range of mobility so that people do not accidentally run into furniture.
3. Shelves should be strategically placed in bedroom and living room areas to limit reaching. They should be low enough to avoid using a step stool but all items should be at eye level in order to find...
Home Furniture Safety Tips to Help Protect Your Family From Accidents and Injury
Furniture > Home Furniture Safety Tips to Help Protect Your Family From Accidents and Injury
Furniture razr phone Five Year Self-Employment Plan - The No Hype Way Into Business
Home Equity Loan Comparison - Access Your Home's Equity Through A Second Mortgage Or Equity Loan
Home Equity Loan Comparison - Access Your Home's Equity Through A Second Mortgage Or Equity Loan
by: Carrie Reeder
You can access your home equity without the cost of refinancing with two financing options. A second mortgage will give you a lump sum check with a fixed or adjustable rate. A home equity line lets you tap into your equity when you want to. Both options allow you to write off interest on your taxes and avoid high financing costs.
Benefits Of...
Furniture financing
Furniture > Home Equity Loan Comparison - Access Your Home's Equity Through A Second Mortgage Or Equity Loan
How to Obtain Better Gas Mileage
How to Obtain Better Gas Mileage
by: Ken Reno
During the early years, ten dollars per barrel was just the price of oil, but nowadays, it has reached a staggering price that makes ten dollars per barrel prehistoric in proportion.
Everybody has heard the news, (if really it's considered news at all), that gasoline price is continually increasing, which brings us to the question: ?Can we do something to prevent gas price hike??
The world can?t do...
Furniture tires How to Obtain Better Gas Mileage Five Year Self-Employment Plan - The No Hype Way Into Business
Furniture > How to Obtain Better Gas Mileage
Furniture pool table Five Year Self-Employment Plan - The No Hype Way Into Business
Furniture
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