1. 1. Whats your favorite hobby? Sometimes a hobby can turninto a side business, as it did forskydiver Sydney Owen. Whileworking at a public relationsagency, she took up skydivingon the weekends, and thenstarted handling marketing forthe skydiving company. Now,she runs her own marketingbusiness on the side.
2. 2. What do you already do for free? Are you the person everyoneasks for computer help? Orgraphic design insight, or socialmedia tips? If so, that expertisecan turn into a coachingbusiness or consultancy. Thatswhat happened for Douglas LeeMiller, a social media expertwho now consults on the side.
3. 3. Whats your most marketableskill? If youve worked in an in-demand field, from websitedesign to public relations, yourexpertise can probably beparlayed into a side business.Public relations consultantMegan Moynihan found thatafter leaving her agency, shecould pick up her own clientsand work for herself.
4. 4. What kind of legacy do you wantto leave? Sometimes the lessons or storiesyou want to pass on to yourchildren can turn into products thatothers are interested in as well.Prakash Dheeriya initially wrotepersonal finance books for his ownsons, but soon realized that otherparents wanted to teach theirchildren similar lessons. Thefinance professor has nowpublished a 20-book series aimedat young people.
5. 5. Are you part of a community? If the community you wishexisted hasnt yet taken form,you might be able to build abusiness out of creating it.Thats what Emily Miethner,founder of NY Creative Interns,discovered after launching aseries of events designed toconnect entry-levelprofessionals with moreexperienced creative-types.
6. 6. How can your friends help you? Many new entrepreneurs findthat friends are essential togetting the word out about theirnew businesses, especially atthe beginning. Jewelry designerErica Sara had her friends hosttrunk shows for her wares andmade connections with potentialcustomers through her runningblog.
7. 7. Does your full-time job easilyconvert into freelance work? If you work in a specializedfield, such as informationtechnology, public relations, ordesign, you might find that yourskills are also in demand on thefreelance circuit. Websites suchas freelancer.com, elance.com,and odesk.com make it easy topost your skills and search forfreelance jobs.
8. 8. What do you need help with? If you have a weaknessperhapsyou dont know how to use Twitter,or you stumble over propergrammaryou might want to enlistthe support of an online course,ebook, or coach to help youthrough those rough spots. Aftertaking an online course on makingmoney, twenty-something JamesMundia was able to build hissoccer training business.
9. 9. What do you read about forpleasure? As with weekend hobbies, yourreading habits can also provideinsight into how youd like tospend your time, and how youmight be able to make money. Ifyou love reading about newmedia, perhaps a Twittercoaching business is for you. Orif you enjoy perusing Pinterestor Etsy, perhaps some type ofcrafting career is in your future.
10. 10. Can you find a role model? In almost every field, no matterhow niche, there is usuallysomeone already doingsomething similar to what youwant to be doing. That personcan help you, especially if theyblog, Tweet, or write about theirprocess. Seeking out thesetypes of mentors, even if youdont interact with them directly,can help you build your ownbusiness.