I'm 50 and Female and I'd Like to Start My Own Company. How Do I Do that?
Today I got an email from a woman with a very interesting question. One I think that is not that uncommon. But one that all of us one day may need to examine. SHOULD I START MY OWN BUSINESS? I say absolutely! What follows is her email and my response.
MESSAGE: I’d like to get started with my own business in construction, but I’m 50 and female, working for a large corporation as an engineer. I just watched a man “put out to pasture” due to his age and not ability. In a few years, that’s going to be me if I don’t take control and have my own business. Working 50 hour weeks and commuting doesn’t leave much time for building a business though. Where do you start?
MY RESPONSE: Hi Deborah, Ya, I tell everyone who'll listen "you should start your own business!". Even when people have a 9 to 5 job. You/they can start by taking something you love doing and have a passion for and begin thinking how you can monetize it. How can you help other people do the thing you love to do or do it for them? A service or a product. Once you figure out what that is you can get some business cards made, get a business license, (it's $25 here in San Diego I think) and voila your in business! Now you may need additional certifications and/or licenses to be legal and official depending on your field or business. But even without that you can teach. What you know how to do RIGHT NOW can be monetized!
The process starts by understanding the long term strategy. And this is the idea of monetizing your knowledge online. What you know has value. Someone somewhere would love to learn about what you know. And people have already done this. And done it in a BIG WAY! Making millions... One of my favorites is Pat Flynn. You can access his podcast here
So that's one approach....and totally doable. Beyond that you would need to again define what service or product you wanted to provide for people and what would be needed for you to be able to do that.
The point to remember is that it's easier in many ways to start a business now that ever due to the advances in online platforms, (like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc) where you can get your name out there and other platforms that show you how to make videos, blogs, podcasts, and other content that can show the world, (and it literally is the world due to the internet!) who you are and what you've got to offer. How you can help people solve their problems.
How much will this cost and how long will this take is of course an open question. But every successful business and business person began from zero. They started somewhere. With an idea and began "walking" that idea forward.
Have a question about something? Ask it. Type it into Google and answers will come. If you can get someone to be your support partner that would be awesome. Someone who can help you stay positive and keep moving. A friend, family member or business partner.
Listen to people who've preach caution but don't let them put out your fire. Making a business work and succeed does require risk. But there's risk in lot's of life. That's normal.
Anyway, I hope this gives you a start. You CAN do this. So just take everything one day at a time, one step at a time and you will move forward. It's a grand adventure! And an adventure well worth taking in my opinion.
Good luck and God Bless.
Best Regards,
Mr. Dave :)
PS: You can also grab a copy of my book “Makin’ Rocks’. It goes over all the stuff I’ve learned in almost 20 years making faux rock water features and running a successful business. :)