Skills & Products

While on the way back from spending my second-last buck on a final Xmas gift and 3 food items, I got to thinking about financial recovery in the new year. I know that between now and then I'm going to have to tread very carefully in order to make it through to January's (inevitably late) paycheque. I've got a double insurance payment coming off right after New Year, there are still cheques for schooling and car services that are going through, and we need to keep the car's tank topped up now and then (unless I go with horsepower for a few months). I haven't even thought about things like school books for next year, or school shoes (the old ones are now completely kaput). Fortunately the same uniform applies for both high and primary school for boys - and the kid's still fitting into most of it.

With careful planning we'll be OK - but then I started to ponder my plans to get business off the ground and head toward self-employment. With capital basically non-existant what are my options?

Well - I have two. Sell products, or sell skills.

Products I've come up with and sold in the past. They need an initial cash injection though (the old adage "you have to have money to make money"), and it's often hard to find that niche to fill that means your products are sustainably in demand.

Skills on the other hand can be expanded, developed, sold for a price. That's going to take an injection of confidence and putting a value on what my time is worth - things I haven't been too great at in the past. But there is no real capital needed, I can simply build on what I'm good at, what I enjoy doing, and let my work speak for itself.

Upping the skills does fit into my plan for the year ahead, and that will help make some things I already do more marketable. My main issue seems to be folk who are interested in what I have to offer, but who then never get back to me once intial contact is made! I've had that happen in two different areas recently, both of which I'd been investigating for a business start-up. I could aggressively push for their business, but that's not me. I've never been a good salesperson.

Anyway, as I tend to do, I thought I'd blog this while it's still on my mind - adding to aspects of life that are getting a whole lot of consideration.