Everyone has skills, knowledge and experience--and anyone can turn those assets into a thriving business.
By James Stephenson
Who can sell a service? The answer is simple--anyone and everyone. Everyone is qualified because each of us has skills, knowledge or experience that other people are willing to pay for in the form of a service; or they're willing to pay you to teach them your specific skill or knowledge. Selling services knows no boundaries--anyone with a need or desire to earn extra money, work from home, or start and operate a full-time business can sell a service, regardless of age, business experience, education or current financial resources.
What Are the
Advantages of Selling Services?
There are many advantages associated with starting your own business selling services. Perhaps the biggest advantage is you become your own boss, take control of your future, and in effect become the master of your destiny. I've been self-employed for a number of years, and for me the lure of self-employment is the freedom and independence that calling the shots affords, which can be difficult to achieve when you work for others.
There are many advantages associated with starting your own business selling services. Perhaps the biggest advantage is you become your own boss, take control of your future, and in effect become the master of your destiny. I've been self-employed for a number of years, and for me the lure of self-employment is the freedom and independence that calling the shots affords, which can be difficult to achieve when you work for others.
Operating your own business also gives you the potential to earn more money,
in some instances two, five or even ten times more than you're currently
earning. Why? Simple duplication. When you work for someone else, there is only
you and only so many hours in the day to work for an hourly wage or a salary.
When you operate a business, you can duplicate yourself by hiring employees and
salespeople to increase revenues; you can duplicate your customers and find
more just like them to purchase your services; and you can duplicate your business
model and open in new geographical areas to service more customers and earn
more profit. These are all things you can't do when you work for others, and if
you do, chances are it will financially benefit the boss a lot more than you.
Capitalize on
Your Skills
Don' t worry if you lack business skills and experience in areas such as time management, personal-contact selling, negotiating, bookkeeping and the ability to create effective advertisements. There's no question these are all important skills to have, but at the same time they're also skills that with practice can be learned and mastered. More important is the question, "What skill(s) do you have that can be sold as a service?" Any skill(s) you possess can be your best, and by far your most marketable, asset. If you know how to safely walk a dog, that's a skill people are willing to pay you for. If you know how to plan and throw one heck of a party, that's also a skill people are willing to pay you for as their event and party planner. If you know how to play the piano, this is a skill other people will pay you to teach them. If you know how to sell products and services online, once again that's a skill that people are willing to pay you for as an online marketing consultant. All are examples of skills that people pay other people to perform, or teach them how to learn.
Don' t worry if you lack business skills and experience in areas such as time management, personal-contact selling, negotiating, bookkeeping and the ability to create effective advertisements. There's no question these are all important skills to have, but at the same time they're also skills that with practice can be learned and mastered. More important is the question, "What skill(s) do you have that can be sold as a service?" Any skill(s) you possess can be your best, and by far your most marketable, asset. If you know how to safely walk a dog, that's a skill people are willing to pay you for. If you know how to plan and throw one heck of a party, that's also a skill people are willing to pay you for as their event and party planner. If you know how to play the piano, this is a skill other people will pay you to teach them. If you know how to sell products and services online, once again that's a skill that people are willing to pay you for as an online marketing consultant. All are examples of skills that people pay other people to perform, or teach them how to learn.
Every person has one or more skills other people are prepared to pay for in
the form of a service provided to them, or to learn. However, with that said,
most people have a tendency to underestimate the true value of their skill sets
and experiences. You have to remember, what may come naturally to you may not
come so naturally to others. Likewise, you might think your particular knowledge
or expertise may be of little value, but if someone else needs or wants to
learn about that knowledge, it's very valuable to them.
Selling
Services Part Time
The first option is to start off selling your services on a part-time basis, which is a good idea because it enables you to eliminate risk by limiting your financial investment. It allows you to test the waters to make sure that being self-employed is something you enjoy and want to pursue. If all goes well, you may decide to transition from your current job, devoting more time to your new enterprise each week, all the while decreasing the time at your current job until you're working at your new business on a full-time basis. There are many advantages to starting off part-time, including keeping income rolling in, taking advantage of any current health and employee benefits, and building your business over a longer period of time, which generally gives it a more stable foundation. If it turns out you're not the type of person who's comfortable being the boss, you've risked little and still have the security of your job.
The first option is to start off selling your services on a part-time basis, which is a good idea because it enables you to eliminate risk by limiting your financial investment. It allows you to test the waters to make sure that being self-employed is something you enjoy and want to pursue. If all goes well, you may decide to transition from your current job, devoting more time to your new enterprise each week, all the while decreasing the time at your current job until you're working at your new business on a full-time basis. There are many advantages to starting off part-time, including keeping income rolling in, taking advantage of any current health and employee benefits, and building your business over a longer period of time, which generally gives it a more stable foundation. If it turns out you're not the type of person who's comfortable being the boss, you've risked little and still have the security of your job.
Of course, if your ambitions are only to generate extra money to pay down
the mortgage, save for retirement, put yourself through school, or pay off
credit cards, selling services part-time is the perfect choice. It's important
to do what you want to do and what best suits your individual needs. If selling
services part-time works for you, then go for it.
Selling
Services Full Time
You can also jump in with both feet and start your new business selling services full-time. This option would appeal to people without a current job or people who are confident about being the boss and operating a business. There's nothing wrong with starting off full-time, especially if you take the time required to research the business, industry and marketplace. You must also develop a business and marketing plan, and have the necessary financial resources to start the business and pay yourself until it becomes profitable.
You can also jump in with both feet and start your new business selling services full-time. This option would appeal to people without a current job or people who are confident about being the boss and operating a business. There's nothing wrong with starting off full-time, especially if you take the time required to research the business, industry and marketplace. You must also develop a business and marketing plan, and have the necessary financial resources to start the business and pay yourself until it becomes profitable.
The main downside to starting full time is risk. If you jump ship and leave
your job, you risk loss of current employee benefits and have no guarantee of
steady income, contributing spouses or partners excluded. The upside to
starting off full-time is potential rewards, including the opportunity to make
more money than you can at your current job, and to gain control of your
future. Your decision to operate your new business on a full-time basis will
largely be determined by your current financial situation, your own risk-reward
assessment, and your goals and objectives for the future. Jumping in full-time
will appeal to the true entrepreneurial mindset--people who prefer to blaze the
trail rather than follow behind in the wagon train.
Selling
Services Seasonally
Another option is to start a seasonal business selling services, which can be operated with a full- or part-time effort. But most are run full time to maximize revenues and profits over a normally short time span. Examples of seasonal businesses selling services would include snow removal in winter, yard maintenance in summer in northern climates, income tax preparation service in spring, and serving as a vacation property rental agent. Just about any business can be run seasonally or occasionally, but some are obviously better suited than others.
Another option is to start a seasonal business selling services, which can be operated with a full- or part-time effort. But most are run full time to maximize revenues and profits over a normally short time span. Examples of seasonal businesses selling services would include snow removal in winter, yard maintenance in summer in northern climates, income tax preparation service in spring, and serving as a vacation property rental agent. Just about any business can be run seasonally or occasionally, but some are obviously better suited than others.
A seasonal venture will appeal to people who want the ability to earn enough
money during part of the year in order to do as they please with the remainder
of the year--travel, pursue education, or work a job in another season. The
potential to earn a very good living operating a business only part of the year
is a genuine opportunity, as proven by the thousands of people who are
currently doing it. The main downside to a seasonal business, especially one
that can be operated year-round, is that you don't want to spend thousands of
dollars and hundreds of hours promoting your business only to shut it down for
half the year, sending current and potential customers running to your
competitors while your business is closed. It may prove very difficult to lure
them back when you reopen for business.
Selling
Services to Supplement Your Retirement
The fourth option is to sell services to supplement your retirement income or just to have fun and stay active in your golden years. Retirement businesses have become extremely popular in the past decade, mainly because the cost of living has dramatically increased, often outpacing wages and retirement savings. The result is that many people head into retirement needing a little extra income to cover expenses and provide an adequate lifestyle or to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle.
The fourth option is to sell services to supplement your retirement income or just to have fun and stay active in your golden years. Retirement businesses have become extremely popular in the past decade, mainly because the cost of living has dramatically increased, often outpacing wages and retirement savings. The result is that many people head into retirement needing a little extra income to cover expenses and provide an adequate lifestyle or to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle.
People are living longer and much healthier now than in decades past, and
because of this many are seeking new challenges; starting and operating a
business is a way to stay active physically and mentally. Older people also
have a proverbial ace up their sleeves when it comes to starting a business and selling
services: a lifetime of knowledge and experience that can only be acquired by spending
lots of time on this planet. Because of the value of these skills, many people
are willing to pay big bucks for them. This is why many people who are reaching
or have reached retirement age have chosen to start a consulting business
selling their experiences, knowledge and skills for the benefit of their
clients.
Editor's note: This article was excerpted from202 Services You Can Sell for Big Profits.
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