I was flying out for a speaking engagement recently and was talking with someone on the plane about, what else – the economy. She brought up the subject and I just listened. She went on to share with me that she had been working with a company for about five years and last month they closed their doors. She was devistated and has been trying to decide what to do next. She then asked me my opinion. I felt her pain, acknowledged her situation empathetically and then said, I don’t mean to be an alarmist however, the world has changed. She looked at me with a puzzled look and said go on. Without wanting to deepen her fear further I explained my take on the current job market and suggested that regardless of what people around you might say, right now may be the best time to start a business. I didn’t know if her startled look was due to the turbulence we had just encountered as the pilot climbed above the clouds to find more stable air, or if she just thought I had lost my mind.

There was quiet for some time and after a while she returned to the subject and asked, “Why would you think now is a good time to start a business with the economy doing so poorly?” So, she really was interested in the idea, but like most people considering a major change in their life, she was scared and skeptical.

Looking out the window at 40,000 feet as we danced through the clouds I thought of the many times I started a new business or coached others on start-ups.  Here are just a few reasons I said:

1.    During a recession you can get great deals on equipment, office space, products, supplies, etc.
2.    Since more people are in the job market you can find a lot of talent or hire free lancers for less.
3.    Everyone is searching for bargains; so many people already in business are willing to look at new suppliers.
4.    Owning a business offers many tax advantages (please consult your tax advisor for further advice of course.)
5.    Many vendors, suppliers, etc. are willing to work with you if you need better terms. Many are just happy you need what they offer.
6.    Due to the poor returns the stock market has experienced recently, family and friends may be interested in helping you financially for a fair return.
7.    Because you have lost your job, you HAVE to do something. Sometimes what appears to be a negative is the Universes way of giving you a wake up call.   Depending on how you view the situation, i.e., this is a problem or this is an opportunity, is all it takes to rewrite your future.

She was taking it all in and I could see her wheels were spinning. “OK, she said, suppose I agreed with you, I don’t know what business I would do. I mean all I have done is this job, some temp work and years ago before the lines in my face began to reveal my age I was a fashion model. I don’t think the fashion world is hiring too may thirty two year old’s who used to model.”

I began to smile and for a moment she thought I was making fun of her. What, she said?” Think about what you just said, I told her. “What do you mean, she replied.” You were a fashion model! Think about how much knowledge you have about that industry. Don’t you think that is valuable to others wanting to enter the fashion world? Or to parents who want to learn about what their son or daughter needs to do to enter that field? I could tell she wasn’t getting the connection at first, but she sensed there was something here. “But how would I market it? What would it take to get started? That’s the easy part I said. We’ll get to that.

The point is you have information in you that when it’s properly put together and marketed, will generate you consistent monthly revenues for years to come. Done correctly, you won’t need to search for a job. You will create your future with what you already know. “I like the sound of that she said. Where do we go from here?” We’ll, if you decide to move forward I would coach you and begin looking at the following areas:
1.    I will begin identifying the information you hold within you that is the most marketable.
2.    I will teach you how to produce an information product that you can sell for about $95 – $695.
3.    Once we create the information product (in about a week or two) I’ll show you how to develop a targeted marketing campaign that is highly focused in niche markets.
4.    We’ll develop a website and lead generation system to attract already interested clients quickly and easily.
5.    And finally, you will have a system to follow up with every single person who inquires. And the best part is that we will automate the entire process!

“Do you really think people will pay for well, just the knowledge I have, she asked?”  I know they will. You have information that others would be interested in obtaining and yes; they will pay you for it.

I’ll give you an example, I said. Many years ago I decided to obtain all of my financial service licenses. When I was studying for my securities license I would go over and over an extensive amount of information required. I really didn’t have a great study system. Looking back, if someone who had the knowledge of how to pass the securities test would have produced a CD with a easy to understand workbook on “How to pass your securities license in 7 easy steps” for example, and marketed it to the specific niche of people studying for their securities license, such as me I happily would have paid say, $99, $199 or maybe even more to assure myself of passing that test. “I see what you mean, she said.”

We were both jolted by the wheels touching down as our flight landed and the flight attendant’s voice came across the loud speaker welcoming us to our destination. We exchanged contact information and agreed to get together to create her new future. (She has since become a new business development client and we are just finalizing the launch of her business.)

As I walked through the terminal to the rental car desk I thought of how the Universe works. It reminded me of the movie, The Wizard of OZ where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow; there is an intersection of yellow brick roads. Dorothy and the Scarecrow decide which of the three branches to take, and eventually find themselves at the Emerald City. Interestingly, each of the characters were searching for something, but as we come to realize in the film, they each already had inside themselves what they were searching for all along.

If this brief encounter resonates with you, maybe it’s time to reconsider your strategy for finding a new career. If you are like our passenger and have recently been laid off or are just searching for a change and want to rewrite your future, perhaps you should reach deep inside and pull out the valuable information you contain and create an extraordinary future that YOU design.

Your friend and partner in success,

Cris

PS. If you are at your fork in the road and are looking for the “Emerald City,” perhaps we should talk. In the mean time, you might find some interesting information about our subject of new business development here.