What are some indicators that you may be ready to start your own business? Are you the type of person who can start and run a successful business? Look at the descriptions below and see how many of them fit your situation. 

  1. You know more than your co-workers about a certain thing but they get paid more than you do. Most people have worked with bosses' pets or whiz kids from the right schools who get fast-tracked to important projects or big promotions. They often don't know as much as the people below them on whom they rely for research and support. Being passed over or unrecognized may be the goad that leads you to consider heading out on your own. 
  2. You know more than most people about a certain thing, but no one pays you for it. We've all known the neighbor lady with a green thumb; the shy kid who knows everything about computers; the teen who has a magic touch with cars; the friend who has an uncanny sense of taste and smell, and cooks divinely. Each of them is potentially a businessperson: a nursery owner, a computer security consultant, a specialty auto repair shop manager, a restaurateur or caterer.

    You may have a hobby that you could turn into a business. Say you love fishing and are good at it. If you go into business as a fisherman, you won't make a lot of money--increasing depletion of fishing stocks and environmental regulations make commercial fishing a hard proposition these days. But what if you parlay your skills into a charter fishing operation that takes people out to sea or upriver to good fishing spots? Because you're offering a custom service, you can charge high fees. As your reputation grows, your business moves onto a solid footing.
  3. You can't take what you do any more. This is more than just being sick and tired of a job. Everyone gets burned out at one time or another, but a vacation or promotion usually cures the ailment.

This isn't just about wanting the suffering at work to stop, but replacing it with something more fulfilling. You've reached the point where no pay raise, promotion, or change of duties will make your job fulfilling again.

  1. You've always wanted to be independent. You've spent years thinking how you would do things if you were boss. The thought of trying out your own methods for running a business excites you.
  2. You've always wanted to be or do a certain thing. You've done well in your current line of work, but still wish you'd pursued another career. You're approaching an age where it is now or never.

Sun Federal CU’s Business Services is here to help with your small-business needs!

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