Did someone say you could launch right into building your personal ‘how-to’ video library today? Well, actually, with the correct tools at your disposal there should be nothing more than fear and good judgment holding you back from cutting loose and working your way into online video stardom.
But what would you record? Do you have a message that has value to others? You may not realize this, but in actual fact, you have a lot of business experience that can be untapped as a testimonial-style source of endless information. So, with this in mind, here are the three inspirational videos you should produce first.
1. Biggest business mistakes to avoid
Seriously now, anyone trying to keep from screwing up their first business venture can glean some major information from someone who has been there, done that and lived to tell the story. Business screw-ups are not fun when you are experiencing them in real time but using that horrible, horrendous, lackluster, disappointing defeat as a lesson is a good teaching tool. Here’s a snapshot of what that video could contain:
A – Forgoing the business plan
Who in their right mind would these days start a business without a plan? This is the written story of your business detailing what it is today and what you would like it to be in five, ten, twenty years. Oh, and it will have some kind of code as to how you plan to get there from here. A business plan is more or less the blueprint of your business that keeps you focused, on track and mellow. Without one, you are just playing with a hobby.
B – Hearing the wrong voices
Sure, it is nice to have customers say some nice things about your business. It’s even helpful that some of them will offer some really interesting feedback on how you can keep their business. If you sell red widgets because that is the most popular variety, you are going to make some money. When the blue widget buyers start telling you that the much more expensive blue ones should be in your catalog, maybe listen more to what your spreadsheets and budget are telling you. If you can’t afford the expansion to include blue widgets, pay attention to that.
C – Borrowing from family
There are times when using family members as financial backers are not such a bad idea. That is if they are going to join you as full-time partners in the venture. If all you are doing is using them as a bank for an interest-free loan, the risk gets higher if the business fails. You do not want to have something like that mess up an otherwise perfect family relationship. Trust us, you really don’t.
2. How to find work from home ideas
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs came upon their business startup ideas quite by accident. It really does happen. If you are seeking work from home opportunities, you may have something already in your life that can easily transition into a full-time gig. Here are some ways to find out if you have one of these lurking around your home already.
A – Pull from your past experience
Depending on your previous career, you may be able to find a specific skill that you have that can be leveraged into a new, improved stay-at-home version of yourself. The possibilities are actually endless if you really started tearing apart the job duties you’ve already had. Out of the list, you will come up with will be something you will be able to turn into an entrepreneurial venture.
B – Freelance something you know
The fact that you happen to have been a consultant on a number of high profile engineering projects around town means you can easily spin that into a freelance gig. The beauty of freelancing is that you can make your own hours, working when you want once you get an established list of clients. You can be in touch with them with the help live chat, emails or freelancing portals. Plus, you can set your rates so you earn every penny spent on your services.
3. Business ideas for young entrepreneurs
Did we mention that your video library could give you an edge as a mentor? With tons of business experience, you can assist not just new entrepreneurs but you can be that guiding light for young entrepreneurs looking to start up something on the side while finishing school. It isn’t that hard to offer up some plausible suggestions that can help inspire a young mind. Here are just a few of them:
A – Babysitting service
The days of babysitting being “just for girls” have been over for quite some time now. You can easily start a home-based babysitting service with little expense. But before you do that, get yourself a few qualifications. Courses exist on babysitting, basic first aid, and related topics. Once you have this in place, you will have an advantage over most of the others trying to pick up some spare cash babysitting.
B – Blogging service
For the young writer, this is basically a no-brainer. Plus, you can blog online for free. The money-making part comes from affiliate advertising which is something well worth gaining some knowledge on. You could become one of the most successful students in your class and it won’t be because of your grades. Blogging can lead to several other potential online business opportunities that can springboard into a decent income by the time you graduate.
In conclusion
Now you have a few ideas that can be the start of your online business video library. It is not a lot of work if you utilize your own experiences for the first few videos. Before you know it, you will have ideas flowing through you faster and faster. The idea is to create topical videos with actual content that someone can use to learn something from. That’s the premise behind eLearning. Oh, that and having fun. You have to enjoy putting together these videos or you won’t come across as a reliable, trustworthy source of how-to material.