If you’re looking for a business idea, here’s some reassuring advice: It doesn’t have to be revolutionary.
You don’t have to think up the next Amazon or Paypal or LinkedIn. In fact, the best place to start is with the things you already know.
That’s according to GrowthLab and I Will Teach You to Be Rich CEO Ramit Sethi. “I know it’s difficult to imagine that you might have profitable skills already — but you do,” he writes on his site.
Read more: If you’ve ever dreamed of starting a business, don’t fall for the worst excuse in the book
In his words, here are the four questions you’ll want to ask yourself to isolate said profitable skills:
- What do you already pay for? We already pay people to do a lot of different things. Can you turn one of those things into your own online business? Examples: Clean your home, walk your pet, cook your meals, etc.
- What skills do you have? Now, what do you know — and know well? These are the skills you have that you’re great at — and people want to pay you to teach them. Examples: Fluency in a foreign language, programming knowledge, cooking skills, etc.
- What do your friends say you’re great at? I love this question. Not only can it be a nice little ego boost — but it can also be incredibly revealing. Examples: Workout routines, relationship advice, great fashion sense, etc.
- What do you do on a Saturday morning? What do you do on a Saturday morning before everyone else is awake? This can be incredibly revealing to what you’re passionate about and what you like to spend your time on. Examples: Browsing fashion websites, working on your car, reading fitness subreddits, etc.
