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What type of business should I start?

Destiny

A wannabe dog
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
452
I am INFP and it seems like I am not suited to working in 9-to-5 jobs, I always get fired everywhere I go.

So I was thinking of becoming self-employed instead. In terms of self-employment, it seems like I only have 2 routes to go, the starving artist route or the entrepreneur route.

But I don't wanna becoming a starving artist, so I was thinking of going the entrepreneur route and open my own shop.

But what should I sell in my shop?
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I think there are two essential factors... The first is that your product or service must be something that you can offer consistently and in competitive quality. It must be something that you enjoy enough to devote the majority of your time to it and not to feel upset if you need to do more of it than anticipated. The second criterion is that your product or service must be something that there is a market for. Other factors to consider are where you are going to base your shop, whether you would prefer to contract out to a preexisting market who you pay a percentage to you for allowing you to sell there (like Etsy) or if you would prefer to strike it out on your own, what demographic you are targeting, how you will advertise, and so on. I think that you are the only one who can determine what sort of product or service you can offered that will keep you inspired and dedicated.

I believe that a lot of entrepreneurs come up with their business ideas after facing a real life difficulty, such as women seeking better baby carriers or hikers seeking better trail gear. My boyfriend owned a small online vintage clothing resale shop during college as a secondary source of income, because he is really into vintage clothing and enjoys hunting it down. I also have two good friends who are currently entrepreneurs, one who sells candles and one who owns a coffee shop. For both of them, the craft of making their product is soothing and inspiring to them, and they have incredible persistence and vision in terms of getting their products marketed to their customers and sticking with their businesses despite having to put in huge amounts of their time and money. The candlemaker only draws in enough money to break even, and has a 40 hour job in addition. The shop owner works six or seven days a week and approximately 60 to 70 hours.

Not to deviate from the topic at hand, but have you determined that entrepreneurship would be the best route for you because you are well-suited to it, or because it feels like a last resort? I don't want to discourage you from something you're excited about, but it doesn't sound like you have a certain product or service that you're fired up about or that you have determined that you are well suited to the extremely business-dedicated lifestyle that entrepreneurship as a primary source of income requires. Have you made an assessment of why the 9-to-5 jobs aren't working well for you, and the full scope of other options?

One other thing to consider would be freelancing. I have an artistic friend who is a freelance marketing advisor. She both creates and designs artistic advertising materials, as well as helping businesses develop their marketing strategies. It allows her a flexible schedule and some freedom to do artwork. She is not wealthy from it, but she makes enough to buy her art supplies and travel frequently. Definitely not starving, in any case.
 

Destiny

A wannabe dog
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
452
I think there are two essential factors... The first is that your product or service must be something that you can offer consistently and in competitive quality. It must be something that you enjoy enough to devote the majority of your time to it and not to feel upset if you need to do more of it than anticipated. The second criterion is that your product or service must be something that there is a market for. Other factors to consider are where you are going to base your shop, whether you would prefer to contract out to a preexisting market who you pay a percentage to you for allowing you to sell there (like Etsy) or if you would prefer to strike it out on your own, what demographic you are targeting, how you will advertise, and so on. I think that you are the only one who can determine what sort of product or service you can offered that will keep you inspired and dedicated.

I believe that a lot of entrepreneurs come up with their business ideas after facing a real life difficulty, such as women seeking better baby carriers or hikers seeking better trail gear. My boyfriend owned a small online vintage clothing resale shop during college as a secondary source of income, because he is really into vintage clothing and enjoys hunting it down. I also have two good friends who are currently entrepreneurs, one who sells candles and one who owns a coffee shop. For both of them, the craft of making their product is soothing and inspiring to them, and they have incredible persistence and vision in terms of getting their products marketed to their customers and sticking with their businesses despite having to put in huge amounts of their time and money. The candlemaker only draws in enough money to break even, and has a 40 hour job in addition. The shop owner works six or seven days a week and approximately 60 to 70 hours.

Not to deviate from the topic at hand, but have you determined that entrepreneurship would be the best route for you because you are well-suited to it, or because it feels like a last resort? I don't want to discourage you from something you're excited about, but it doesn't sound like you have a certain product or service that you're fired up about or that you have determined that you are well suited to the extremely business-dedicated lifestyle that entrepreneurship as a primary source of income requires. Have you made an assessment of why the 9-to-5 jobs aren't working well for you, and the full scope of other options?

One other thing to consider would be freelancing. I have an artistic friend who is a freelance marketing advisor. She both creates and designs artistic advertising materials, as well as helping businesses develop their marketing strategies. It allows her a flexible schedule and some freedom to do artwork. She is not wealthy from it, but she makes enough to buy her art supplies and travel frequently. Definitely not starving, in any case.



Thanks for this wonderful post! :)
Freelancing sounds like a great idea, the only thing I worry about freelancing though is the financial aspects of it, I am afraid that I won't earn enough money to support myself. But from the way you described about freelancing, this seems like a good career choice, so maybe I will try out freelancing :)
And I am not sure whether I am well-suited to entrepreneurship or whether it's my last resort, but I do know that I am tired of getting fired everywhere I go, and I am also tired of being bossed around and yelled by people. My country doesn't have much jobs except for office jobs, retail jobs, warehouse jobs, but all these jobs aren't suited for me. I am not detail-oriented, and I am not a physically strong person either. I kept making mistakes in my work, and my boss and coworkers kept yelling at me for being "slow". So yeah, this is how I found out that I wanna work for myself and not others. At least, when I work for myself, I am allowed to work at my own pace.
I have also thought of setting up an internet business before, but my ESFJ mum yelled at me and said this is only good enough for a side income, and I start getting panic attacks and I gave up on this idea. Her idea of self-employment is opening a shop or doing franchise. And this is why I wanna open a shop instead, so that this will look like a "real job" in her eyes and I don't have to endure her yellings anymore lol.
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,986
vennsuccess1.jpg

Use Your Venn Diagram to Find Your Profitability Sweet Spot | Lean Business Startup

1) What do you love to do?
2) What are you really good at?
3) What are people willing to pay for?
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Thanks for this wonderful post! :)
Freelancing sounds like a great idea, the only thing I worry about freelancing though is the financial aspects of it, I am afraid that I won't earn enough money to support myself. But from the way you described about freelancing, this seems like a good career choice, so maybe I will try out freelancing :)
And I am not sure whether I am well-suited to entrepreneurship or whether it's my last resort, but I do know that I am tired of getting fired everywhere I go, and I am also tired of being bossed around and yelled by people. My country doesn't have much jobs except for office jobs, retail jobs, warehouse jobs, but all these jobs aren't suited for me. I am not detail-oriented, and I am not a physically strong person either. I kept making mistakes in my work, and my boss and coworkers kept yelling at me for being "slow". So yeah, this is how I found out that I wanna work for myself and not others. At least, when I work for myself, I am allowed to work at my own pace.
I have also thought of setting up an internet business before, but my ESFJ mum yelled at me and said this is only good enough for a side income, and I start getting panic attacks and I gave up on this idea. Her idea of self-employment is opening a shop or doing franchise. And this is why I wanna open a shop instead, so that this will look like a "real job" in her eyes and I don't have to endure her yellings anymore lol.

:yes:

On the contrary, an internet business is probably easier to handle than a brick-and-mortar business, unless you have previous experience with it and/or are dedicated to a particular franchise. It's also quite realistic that you could also have a part-time "regular" job, as least at first. It wouldn't be nearly as stressful as a full-time job, and it would help cover the bills while you get established. I have a good friend who is an artist and she works part-time to supplement what she earns selling her art.

As for freelance - I think it really just depends on whether you have a marketable skill, how successful you are at advertising your service, and whether you have the discipline to set your own schedule and be productive. I freelanced for a while in graphic design and found that it was a terrible fit for me - I am much happier and productive with a structured workday at a designated workplace. But other people thrive with a flexible, self-controlled environment.

I'm sorry that your mom - and brother, if I remember correctly? - are giving you such a hard time. You have to come into success on your own terms and it may be very different from the way they have done if you are a very different sort of person. Have you tried asking for their help and support in finding positions better suited to your natural talents? IME, SFJs can have some difficultly with naturally seeing outside their personal realm of experience, but they do pretty well if you explain how things look through your eyes, and they are excellent at practical help.
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,986
I'm not sure what your skills are like...but here's something I wish people would get going somehow.

You know how there are these "readers" that you buy cheap at the wall-marts and targets of the world? These are really cheap prescription glasses for reading and close up activities.

The issue, however, is that there are no "drivers" or something analogous for people who only use glasses for driving and things far away that are in the same section. There are cheap prescription glasses available on the internet for those who are near sighted (e.g. Eyeglasses Online - Buy Prescription Glasses & Eyeglass Frames | Zenni Optical). But for whatever reason, they don't make it into the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world.

I ran into an issue yesterday, where the glasses I have been wearing for 6 years finally broke when I pushed them up slightly to rub my eyes. I wasn't home. I was in a shopping complex, and needed to be at an appointment rather soon. I went and bought a repair kit, but none of the pins would go through all the holes needed for repair. I had to get someone to use a paper clip they had to bind my glasses back.

Now, if I want glasses quickly, I'll have to go to one of these optometrists and get expensive ones. Or if I order the cheap ones off the internet, I have to wear my paper-clipped version for a while. It'd be nice to get the same option as what happens for far-sighted people when they loose their reading glasses.

I should mention that this also has a huge market in China, where for some reason near-sightedness is very prevalent (or at least perceived by the buying public to be so).

Again, I am not sure what your skills are, but it seems to me the task would be to create distribution channels between the cheap eyewear makers to the big name grocery stores.

One possible business model would be to start of in a similar way that local growers get produce into big super-markets. Find out how that's done, and replicate it for glasses. Or find out how the readers are distributed and replicate that. The challenge in this model would be to provide a guaranteed volume of sales to the manufacturers, while establishing some sort of discount, or some incentive for Targets and Wal-Marts to carry the glasses.

Another possibility is to convince lens crafters, zenni optical, and others to make "pre-made" prescription glasses, and guarantee buying them, and going to a local mall, and setting up one of those carts (like where they sell cell phones and jewlery). This is, of course, higher financial risk for you personally. The challenge will be to somehow get it to be know that cheap eye ware is available at your stand.

There are plenty of other possibilities, I am sure.

Again, I don't know if this is something you'd want to do, or are well prepared to do, but I think there is at least a small need for getting cheap eye-wear (for the near-sighted especially), without having to order it over the internet.
 

Destiny

A wannabe dog
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
452
I'm not sure what your skills are like...but here's something I wish people would get going somehow.

You know how there are these "readers" that you buy cheap at the wall-marts and targets of the world? These are really cheap prescription glasses for reading and close up activities.

The issue, however, is that there are no "drivers" or something analogous for people who only use glasses for driving and things far away that are in the same section. There are cheap prescription glasses available on the internet for those who are near sighted (e.g. Eyeglasses Online - Buy Prescription Glasses & Eyeglass Frames | Zenni Optical). But for whatever reason, they don't make it into the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world.

I ran into an issue yesterday, where the glasses I have been wearing for 6 years finally broke when I pushed them up slightly to rub my eyes. I wasn't home. I was in a shopping complex, and needed to be at an appointment rather soon. I went and bought a repair kit, but none of the pins would go through all the holes needed for repair. I had to get someone to use a paper clip they had to bind my glasses back.

Now, if I want glasses quickly, I'll have to go to one of these optometrists and get expensive ones. Or if I order the cheap ones off the internet, I have to wear my paper-clipped version for a while. It'd be nice to get the same option as what happens for far-sighted people when they loose their reading glasses.

I should mention that this also has a huge market in China, where for some reason near-sightedness is very prevalent (or at least perceived by the buying public to be so).

Again, I am not sure what your skills are, but it seems to me the task would be to create distribution channels between the cheap eyewear makers to the big name grocery stores.

One possible business model would be to start of in a similar way that local growers get produce into big super-markets. Find out how that's done, and replicate it for glasses. Or find out how the readers are distributed and replicate that. The challenge in this model would be to provide a guaranteed volume of sales to the manufacturers, while establishing some sort of discount, or some incentive for Targets and Wal-Marts to carry the glasses.

Another possibility is to convince lens crafters, zenni optical, and others to make "pre-made" prescription glasses, and guarantee buying them, and going to a local mall, and setting up one of those carts (like where they sell cell phones and jewlery). This is, of course, higher financial risk for you personally. The challenge will be to somehow get it to be know that cheap eye ware is available at your stand.

There are plenty of other possibilities, I am sure.

Again, I don't know if this is something you'd want to do, or are well prepared to do, but I think there is at least a small need for getting cheap eye-wear (for the near-sighted especially), without having to order it over the internet.


Sounds like a great idea. But I don't have much interest in optometry though so I'm not sure whether I'm suited for this path :3
Or how about opening a pet shop ? I have always liked animals, and I wonder whether this would be a good idea :D



vennsuccess1.jpg

Use Your Venn Diagram to Find Your Profitability Sweet Spot | Lean Business Startup

1) What do you love to do?
2) What are you really good at?
3) What are people willing to pay for?



Beautiful venn diagram :D
 

Arctic Hysteria

an abyss of Nothingness
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
655
MBTI Type
IxFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
It's a kind of question that only you can answer and nobody else.
Despising the 9 to 5 routine is not exclusively an INFP's thing.

If the main motivation of having your own store is simply wanting to avoid the 9 to 5 drill then it might not work. It has to be the passion and capability for something that works if you stand alone and micro-managing yourself is what you want to commit to. Owning a clothing store, a book store, or a bakery, a cafe, or a thrift shop, etc., you do still need skills and experience. How you gain experience and skills unless you have been properly trained under the hands of others?

Like others have mentioned, what are you skilled at, how much funding do you have, what are you passionate about?
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,986
Sounds like a great idea. But I don't have much interest in optometry though so I'm not sure whether I'm suited for this path :3
Or how about opening a pet shop ? I have always liked animals, and I wonder whether this would be a good idea :D

I found out the reason there aren't these for near-sighted people is because California is strict on the sale of these things. Oh well. So it seems the big challenge is actually getting though the legal issues.

As far as starting a pet shop in the U.S, these articles seem relevant:
Starting a Pet Shop Business | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov
How to Start a Pet Business | Entrepreneur.com


Beautiful venn diagram :D

It's bigger than I'd have liked. But I remembered it from lean startup.
 

Chthonic

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
683
Complexity, I think that you will hate retail. It's worse than 9-5, it's 12hr days 7 days a week. The best option might be an internet business as essentially the store can be open while you are not there. If the only reason to do it is to have a job then I think it could possibly be one of the most difficult ways to buy a job.

I am very much a gypsy by nature with a short attention span also prone to zoning out for long periods at a time. I used to do technical work which frankly I sucked at. My present job is probably the best fit I've ever had for me. I work shifts on a highly variable roster. I never would have thought I'd like this but I do. I enjoy the variability as well, routine bores me a great deal. Despite that the job itself isn't rocket science and I quickly mastered the tasks, arranged them efficiently and have been on autopilot for many years now. This combination has helped me to sustain a career long-term. Ever thought of working on cruise ships for a season? You'd get good exposure to a wide variety of work and it may help you sort through the mass of options. If you can't handle the public then perhaps try super yachts instead. There's lots of work out there that isn't 9-5 and gives autonomy.

I was also an artist, although I didn't starve. In fact I had good demand for my work that exceeded my ability to produce it. I left it because I wanted to buy a house and banks like paid jobs.

So my advice would be to find out what you are good at, then find a job where you can leverage that aspect and minimise all the others. Try and choose a job with a certain level of autonomy that way you are not having to please a direct supervisor all the time and can arrange your work in ways that suit you rather than having to fit into an established system. Have you looked into something like publishing? Starting out as a first reader (wading through slush piles to find the gems to be passed onto editors for review) or something similar? It's a kind of work where you would be independant and can use your innate skills to get the job done.
 
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