During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”
"The $100 Startup" is an excellent book for an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone that's just getting his feet wet into the work-for-yourself world. Throughout the book you'll meet dozens of people who've made just that, and it's very different people from various backgrounds. You'll learn that you don't need to be a tech wizard to get started.
Always focus on what you can add or take away to improve someone's life...
Actually, microbusinesses and solopreneurship have been around since the beginning of commerce. What's changed, however, is the ability to test, launch and grow something quickly and with almost no money.
To start a business, you need three things: a product or service, a group of people willing to pay for it, and a way to get paid.
A way to get paid is probably the easiest since it's full of payment platforms, or you could maybe just charge cash. A product or service? Think about what you currently do for a living. Is there anything you could productise? Could you maybe standarize it and offer it as a service? What about a really personal boutique service?
Now the trickiest part is getting a group of people willing to pay for it. If you're branching out from something that's already proven, well then it's just a matter of getting a few sales and get the ball rolling. Otherwise you'll have to think of something new, test and validate your idea, iterate over it, adjust and repeat until you arrive at something that's both profitable and fulfilling.
Always remember there's more than one road to freedom, and there's always different ways of doing things. So what are you waiting for? Go get started.
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