How To Identify A Good Business Match For You Ads by Google

Doug and Teresa always fantasized about someday running a small breakfast cafe. Whenever they talked about it, their eyes lit up and their faces became animated as passion poured forth. When asked which of them liked to cook, they replied that neither liked to cook and neither understood much about the food industry. So what do you think will happen to their dream?

Sadly for Doug and Teresa, their dream of starting up a business will remain just that - a dream.

Why? Because the gap between where they are now and what they need to learn to start up this particular business is more than two degrees of separation.

Two Degrees of Separation for Small Business Start-Ups

If you're thinking about starting up a business in today's post-recession economy, it's more important than ever before to focus on getting up and running as quickly as possible.

For that reason, the one thing I caution against is starting up a new business that is more than two degrees different from anything else you've done before in your life or career. That's because, if you extend beyond two degrees, it's likely that you'll end up feeling overwhelmed with all that you'll need to learn and do just to get up-to-speed.

For example, if you have always enjoyed owning pets, then starting up a business as a pet sitter would represent one degree of separation between your present interests and skills and your new business. Starting up an animal shelter might require you to get additional training or certification and might, therefore, represent two degrees. But having a love of and experience with animals wouldn't help you realize your dream of starting a bakery. That would be way beyond two degrees of separation.

To help you identify a good business match that is no more than two degrees of separation from where you are now, follow these three steps:

Step One: Identify the things you love to do.

The first step is to think carefully about what really excites and drives you. You might find it hard to get past thinking about "what will bring in the most income," especially in today's economy. However, it's important to discover your primary interests and passions first, and then match those to a good business for you.

Begin by taking out a piece of paper and jotting down the answers to these five questions:

1. In the past, what have you always dreamed of doing? 
2. What do you naturally enjoy doing now? 
3. What projects or topics stir your passion or excite your imagination? 
4. What activities do you enjoy doing? 
5. When are the times that you enjoy yourself most?

Take your time. Don't rush through this step. Instead, go inward and identify what you most enjoy and what will bring you true satisfaction.

Step Two: Identify businesses that match your current interests.

Now that you've identified the things you love, you'll want to translate your interests into a good business match. With a little research, you may be surprised at the number of business start-ups that would be right for you.

Many online tools can guide you through this process. One example is the Niche Clarity Program by Dr. Carol McClelland. Developed for those interested in starting up a business, the Niche Clarity Program is a four-part coaching program that helps you identify the sweet spot that taps your own passions and fulfills a need potential clients are willing and able to pay for.

Another is the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. The Strong-Campbell is a test instrument used to reveal career preferences according to the interests of individuals within those careers. Although developed as a vocational counseling tool, it is helpful for those interested in starting up a business because of the expansive database of careers it has you consider.

Step Three: Talk to other small business owners.

While you can glean a lot of information from doing research online, talking to someone in the field gives you a much better sense of what being a small business owner is like and what you'll actually be doing.

Make sure you ask:

1. How committed and passionate were they before starting up their business? 
2. How long did it take to start up and how many hours per day did they spend? 
3. How long did it take for their business to pay off? 
4. What was in their start-up business plan? 
5. What were their start-up costs?

Are you thinking of starting up a business? Perhaps you've been dreaming about it and yet don't know where to begin. Maybe you're getting increasingly bored at work or realizing that opportunities for growth are limited. Or, like many in this economy, you may be facing unemployment. Regardless of your reasons, when starting up a business, stay close to what you know.

How close? Stay within two degrees of separation for optimum success. Resist the temptation to branch off into something completely new. Instead, follow these three steps to capitalize on your existing skills and experience, and then match those to the right business for you.