Creating your own job or business can be a daunting possibility. You like the idea of being your own boss, but what are you going to sell? Whether a product or service, many potential business men and women get stuck at this point in their thinking.
Learn how our guest blogger started her own business and watched it develop into something unique – that even she didn’t foresee.
How to Decide What to Sell
One of the biggest problems for owners moving from being an employee to an entrepreneur is deciding exactly what to sell. Most gurus will tell you that you should define your strategy and have a plan for your business and all will be well. However when I started my business I was not sure what potential customers would be prepared to pay for, and I mistakenly worried I would fail because of that.
Because I was not clear what I should sell, I was forced instead to decide who I wanted to sell to. That was much easier for me and I then set about building relationships with potential customers. The first few conversations and contracts gave me a much clearer idea what I should be selling.
Within two years, my business had a specialized niche that I had not even thought about when I first set up, and my customer base was geographically quite different as well. By listening to potential customers and being open to opportunities I have been able to continue to develop successful strategies based on their needs, not mine. It’s an on-going process, and an exciting one!
Jenni Murphy-Scanlon, Director, Strategies Direct
About the Author: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon is an author, consultant and trainer who specializes in strategy, strategic thinking and succession planning. She coaches and trains managers from front-line to senior executives and facilitates strategy and planning processes for a range of clients. She is the originator of the concept of ‘strategic savvy’ as an organizational competency and author of ‘How to Be a Strategic Thinker’
