Open Your Horizons
Five ways you can be an entrepreneur that you probably don't think about

Submitted by glassfighter     October 15, 2009    

4.3 (3)

1. Nonprofit

2. Blog niche

A lot of people would like to have a successful website, but few figure out how find the industries where you can make it happen. From blogs to ecommerce, profitable niches in the cyber world are growing by the day. You don't need to reinvent the wheel to make an impact; you just need to put a new useful twist on something people value already.

Web projects have several advantages. With their ease of entry, you can start several websites with little capital, and experiment with which ones work. Additionally, the multiplicity of revenue sources makes monetizing your idea easier. Finally, the ability to easily contract out or outsource tech work makes the time commitment easier to make.

In the web world, traffic equals potential revenue. If you have a lot of eyeballs looking at your page, you will make money. The key to your success is experimenting with different ways to attract existing audiences to your new twist.

3. Artist/Performer

Have you ever developed a performing arts talent? If so, you should think about using it for your personal gain. If you haven't developed one, it might be time to try.

Becoming a musician or entertainer has several advantages. First, the entry barriers are amazingly low to perform on a part-time basis. From parties to dive bars, there are lots of people willing to pay a little bit of money to be entertained by anyone.

Second, great value is shared by all. Music, comedy, and other performing arts are visceral and enjoyable experiences. They are universal human traits that have been found in every single culture in the world; so by doing them, you gain a large audience.

Most interestingly, this new audience gives you an amazing platform for your skills, whether they be in the performing arts or not. You can gain an adoring and captive audience for your new ideas, projects, or campaigns. It's a platform that many would be envious of.

In conclusion, it might be time to dust off that guitar.

4. Ebay/Craigslist

If you're like most people, you have tons of old stuff. It's probably taking up a bunch of room in your place somewhere. It's stuff that you don't really use (although you might think you use it), but is valuable enough that you don't just want to throw it a way.

Well, this is where your opportunity comes in. You can sell that stuff on eBay and Craigslist and earn yourself a nice little income supplement. Nearly a million Americans (750,000 to be exact) make money selling on eBay, and it's time to get a slice of that pie.

As you start selling your old stuff, you might just discover a niche industry that you can turn into a more profitable (or even full time) endeavor. The internet has empowered wacko-obsessed collectors like no other technology in history, so there is a remarkably large contingent of individuals willing to spend loads of cash to get the most random and bizarre things. So keep your eye out for a passionate market base, and maybe your dust-collectors can net you some serious dough. Maybe even enough to quit your job.

5. The 9-5 entrepreneur

A common misconception about entrepreneurs is that it requires starting your own business. I don't believe it does, and I believe you can become an entrepreneur within your existing organization, even if you don't own it.

You do this by creating your own position. Your job is to find a talent or skill that you have which you can uniquely use to benefit the company. Then you must market that skill to your boss, convincing them that the skill is so important and valuable that you must be given expanded authority, freedom, money, etc., to perform it.

This is the same type of innovation that new businesses create, and thus is just as worthy of the term entrepreneurship. The term, of course, comes from the French word meaning "to undertake", and involves any creation of mutual value. You can do that anywhere.

Even if you feel stuck in your current position, you might be able to escape by going to the people directly at the top, where decisions are truly made. If you can convince them that you can help lead the organization to greatness, you may be well on your way yourself.

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Reviewed by carter112
October 20, 2009
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solid

 

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Reviewed by cerebral
October 20, 2009
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I recently quit my band because we couldn't make any money. I thought of that one - it just didn't work.

 

Reviewed by glassfighter
October 16, 2009
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Thanks for the compliments :)

 

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Reviewed by seaurchin9
October 15, 2009
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You're right, I hadn't thought of some of those. Maybe it's time for me to pick up the guitar as well!