Quote from: fae_reborn on January 06, 2009, 12:32:41 PM
Quote from: lisagurl on January 06, 2009, 10:27:39 AM
QuoteI don't want to be stuck working in a grocery store forever...I got 16 hours this week, a girl can't live off that
Ever think about starting your own business?
It's crossed my mind, perhaps doing consulting work for businesses on glbt inclusion, or giving communities ideas on sustainability, but I don't have any capital to start a business and wouldn't know where to start even if I did. 
Hello, Fae,
I have worked in a procurement and contracting office as a small business advocate and development officer (not to be confused with a corporate officer). I might have some ideas for forming your own business.
Funding for a small business may be available from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Such assistance won't happen overnight so I will share some ideas for the near term in the hope that they will be useful to you.
First, take stock of your qualifications. Make a list of what you have done. Everything! You should have a nice list of verbs.
Next, do an informal market survey. For this exercise a market is a group of people that can be identified as homogeneous within and homologous without. You can "see" them in your mind's eye. You can communicate with them to tell them that they have need of your services, and they have money to spend on what you are offering.
OK, now you know what you have to sell, and to whom you wish to sell it. It's time to write a business plan. You will do many iterations of your business plan before it is ready to present to the SBA or a potential buyer of your services.
If you intend to provide GLBT Inclusion Programs, have a draft program developed, complete with to whom the course material would be directed, course objectives, course text (Power Point, viewgraph slides, handbook, etc.) class size, duration of classes, feedback loops, quality control, and handout materials, if any. You might start developing a rate structure, too.
Keep your business plan simple at first because it will become complex on its own, LOL!!! Start with what you do, how you have identified your market, how you intend to make their need for your services known to them, your plans for quality control, your plans for growth, and a rough idea of what you will need as cash flow to stay afloat.
You can chat with me by pm if you so desire. I expect enough flak from the naysayers on this board for presenting what I know in this area.
Concerning finding work, have you considered offering your services as a contractor to a potential employer? This would allow them to hire you with reduced benefits and lowers their costs. In order to protect yourself you would need to find health insurance and life insurance. Get an estimate of the prices of each coverage and add that to your desired salary. The end result would be you working for salary plus paid holidays and vacation (or not, maybe), and a percentage above salary to help defray your costs for health and life insurance.
I have seen such arrangements between employers and employees, especially when the position being filled was of a temporary nature, 1 to 5 years. You might also have a chance to move-up to a better position and become an employee with full benefits.
I am sure that this posting will attract its share of critics and nay-sayers so please send me a pm if you wish to discuss this further.
Wing Walker
