As I prowled the aisles of Target the other day, I saw the ultimate symbol of Back To School: the bed-in-a-bag. Those of you who experienced the joys of dorm room living will remember the bed-in-a-bag as a nifty bedding solution. You got your sheets, comforter, pillowcases, maybe even a dust ruffle, all in one handy package.
I’ve been a little obsessed with the in-a-bag concept ever since I visited kitcheninabag.com. On this site you can select the look of a kitchen you’d like to create, and designer Rebekah Zaveloff will send you samples of all the materials you need to achieve a fabulous, coordinated look. You get your countertop, cabinet, backsplash and paint selected by someone who knows what she’s doing. And you get nifty little samples delivered to you. In a bag.
I love the idea of a service business that sells something tangible; in fact, I’ve started brainstorming my own ideas with the “in-a-bag” concept. So, as a way to keep the creative juices flowing, let me leave you with some fantasy products I wish I could buy:
1. Organized-office-in-a-bag
2. Grocery-shopping-in-a-bag
3. Tax-preparation-in-a-bag
4. Playdate-mediation-in-a-bag
And of course, Sleep-in-a-bag.
-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur
Screeeeeeeech! That’s the sound of me putting the brakes on my business idea.
I’d been working on it for several weeks, pulling together a preliminary business plan, mulling over the details as I lay awake in the wee hours. But I eventually realized that while the idea was good, it just wasn’t workable for me at this point in my life.
They say you can have it all, just not all at once. As I developed the model for Service Business X, I saw that I would have to be too available to clients and too flexible in my work hours to ever turn a profit. Meanwhile, there are two sweet children in my house who have come to expect meals and clean laundry. Of course, the kids remain my first priority.
I’ve been in a funk since I put my business on hold – enough so that my husband is a little worried about me. I think I’m sad about losing a sense of purpose above and beyond my hausfrau duties. It was really exciting to have my own project in the works, one that put me in touch with the business gal I once was and the entrepreneur I hope to be.
The good news is that this false start has shown me that I really do want to start my own business, and I now have a better sense of the kind of business that will fit into my life.
It reminds me of the time my husband and I tried to buy a house that had some major roof problems. We tried to negotiate with the sellers, but the deal just wouldn’t go through. I was convinced that we lost the perfect house. But lo and behold, the truly perfect house came on the market two months later. I’m sitting in it right now.
-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur
When last we met, I realized I had a Big Idea on my hands. How? The wise Momtrepreneur Maven expertly guided me to that conclusion, focusing on a concept that was commercially viable and within my skill set. She really got me pumped up.
What did I end up with? For now, let’s call it Service Business X. I know, I know, you want details. But every Momtrepreneur needs to keep things under wraps for a while. I’ll fill you in if this thing gets off the ground.
Next up is an exploratory stage. Jill recommended I take 2-4 weeks to research what it would take to launch and sustain this business. She told me to *get off the internet* (okay, okay) and talk to real people about my idea. So I’m going to bounce my idea off trusted friends to get their reactions and suggestions. I’m also going to talk to professionals in this field to see how my business might fit in (I’ll have to be a bit cagey in these discussions – I don’t want to give away my trade secrets!).
So here I go, folks, out of the starting gate and down the track. Did you all place your bets?
-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur
Faithful Reluctant Momtrepreneur readers know I have struggled to settle on one business. I always have a dozen ideas bouncing around my brain and can’t decide which one is worth going for.
Luckily, a conversation with our own Momtrepreneur Maven, Jill Salzman, helped me narrow things down.
Jill asked me to describe all my business ideas and we talked about their viability for a while. This one would be fairly straightforward, that one might have steep start-up costs, etc. There were so many things I hadn’t considered about each business, and I was grateful Jill helped me identify businesses that weren’t a good match for my situation.
But then things got interesting. Jill told me she’d been watching carefully while I pitched my ideas, and there were a few that made me light up. She noticed that one concept in particular seemed to float my boat. With this idea, I spoke rapidly and the details flowed, my eyes glistened and my hands gestured wildly (it’s an Italian thing I can’t control). Clearly, this was an idea to explore further.
-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur
I’ve decided to harness the collective genius of our readers and ask for your thoughts. After all, what is the internet, if not interactive?
Anyway, I’ve been mulling over the following: am I more likely to succeed with a business in my former field or in something completely new? On the one hand, using my past experience would help me avoid a steep learning curve. On the other hand, venturing into a whole new area is pretty darn exciting and would keep my interest.
If you have any thoughts or experiences to share on this question, please drop me a line at reluctantmomtrepreneur@jillsalzman.com. I’ll be sure to share what I learn in a future post.
-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur
