Ha, I know. It seems rather unlikely these days to even consider starting your own business. With the daily costs of living steadily increasing and finance rates going through the roof, finding the money to start your own business isn’t exactly the most realistic option; however, I am here to tell you that it can be done. In fact, I am going to go so far as to tell you that it really should be done…more often, that is.
Being a creative person, I tend to surround myself with lots of other creative people. This being the case, we tend to spend a lot of time talking about our choices in “creative degrees” which have gotten us disappointingly “uncreative jobs” over the years. More and more people are graduating from college to join the much talked-about “real world” only to realize there are less and less jobs available. It is easy to become disenchanted about the path you have chosen, especially if you are looking for a career in the Arts. The bottom line is that most employers are looking for people with experience who are reliable and can weather the current storm that is our economy. Unfortunately, students who graduate college Summa Cum Laude in Business may not have shot in hell if they have no job experience. It’s not that Education is not valued among employers but simply that employers are looking for more from their employees. With so few jobs available and so little money around to compensate for those jobs, employers do not want to take their chances, and we are left sitting around wondering what to do. I have a suggestion. If you cannot find the job you want, then make the job you want.
This may seem a little “head in the clouds and starry-eyed” for some people, but it can work. It has worked for me, and I am happy that I have ridden the sometimes bumpy ride of self-employment. I am happy with where I am in my career, and I did it my way. Now it’s not exactly as if I’m rolling up to the Benz dealership looking for a new ride, but I am paying the bills…which is a step in the right direction. I think that many recent grads or folks with very little industry-related experience are scratching their heads right now, wondering how they can possibly get more experience in the work force if nobody will hire them because of their inexperience. It is quite the dichotomy….hence my proposition. There is no better way to learn than to jump in with both feet and just start trying things out. Take things into your own hands, and learn how to run a business while getting the experience you need to run someone else’s. Of course, the next questions is where all that money will come from. I have a solution to that, too.
Start small. You have to start small and start smart in order to grow your business and your reputation. It is unrealistic to think that you can go take a loan out from the bank and suddenly be able to support yourself and/or a family as soon as you get started. Loans need to be paid back, and the current interest rates don’t exactly lend themselves to your making a profit anytime soon. So, you need to problem solve. If you have a bit of money set side (even as little as a few hundred dollars) that you can spare, use that for your start-up costs. There is no better way to motivate yourself to start making money with your business than by investing your own money to begin with. Secondly, do not go into this thinking that your new company is going to replace your day job. It won’t. In fact, if you are in the music industry, you should know better than to think that you will ever have just one job. What it does mean; however, is that you may be able to supplement the income from your day job with a business that may EVENTUALLY replace your day job. At the same time, you are getting the industry experience you need to expand your resume and list of abilities. Here’s some tips:
Choose a business that has very little overhead (they do exist). In other words, choose something that you can essentially do from your home, with the help of your laptop and cell phone. Do not expect to have any employees at first, if you want this to work. If you are a musician, one of the most lucrative things you can do with your abilities is to teach privately. This has been my full-time job for 5 years, and it provides incredibly flexible hours that you can work around another job, as well as little to no investment on your part as long as you have an instrument to teach on and a space to do it in (Yes, your living room counts). If teaching isn’t really your thing, then start a blog or website. Creative people often forget that creativity doesn’t come as easily to everyone else. You DO have knowledge that not everyone has, and people will pay you to share it. Find local advertisers for you blog, and you will be surprised how quickly it will catch on. There are many more options: consulting, booking bands, managing bands, building websites, promoting bands, starting a classical group that plays weddings…the list goes on.
There are tons of options out there for people who want to get their feet wet and make a little extra cash on the side, but mainly you just need to get out there and DO IT. No amount of wishing or hoping is going to change the current job market, so you need to start changing it for yourself. Starting a business does not have to be scary. It should be exciting and fun, and people will rally behind you if they can sense how serious you are about making something happen. Be smart, diligent, and hard-working, and you will be surprised how quickly things will fall into place. Being a waitress during the day does not mean that you have to forget your dream. All it means is that you will have to work a little harder to get it, and you will be better for that.
Listening to: 22-20′s – “Devil In Me”
