How to Get Anything you Want Using a Little Imagination

Hi Becky,

Sometimes you can find things to do to make a little money, and it is often easier off-line, and if it is something you build, then you know you aren't getting scammed.

For example, I sold advertising to used car dealerships that helped them sell more cars. Although there was a website for the business, most of the work was off-line.

I also heard of a registered nurse who quit her job in three months after starting her own business baking and selling her own brand of dog treats.

I've been trying to convince someone I know to do this. She has a doggy day-care. People who will spend money on doggy day-cares are an excellent target market for special dog treats.

It is just a matter of finding something that you would be happy doing and happy to work at until the money started rolling in. It is often easier to get something going off-line, than it is online.

I remember one year this 12 year old kid came to my door and said he would mow my lawn for $15. I told him to go ahead. He came back after he was done and asked if I was happy with the job. (he had another kid with him) -- not that I was intimidated :-) But after I said he did a fine job, he introduced me to the other kid and said that this other boy could come back every week and mow the lawn for me. I said "Sure, that would be fine."

For the rest of the summer, the lawn was looked after.

Two months later I saw the kid again, selling fruits and vegetables at a roadside flea-market. I bought some corn and asked him if he was tired of mowing lawns. He said "No, my other guys are doing that for me." Yes -- he had three other kids employed to mow his customers lawns for him.

There is work all around you. Choose something you would be happy to do and find a way to do it.

You don't have to have all of the answers either. Heck, when I started my business I didn't know anything about running a business. Once you get an idea of what you would like to do, ask 10 of your friends to meet you for a coffee. Tell them what you want to do and ask for advice, suggestions and help/options.

See the wonderful thing is that each of those 10 people probably know 20 other people you don't know, so you get to tap a network of a much larger number. An example might be one of your friends has a friend who is a digital camera movie buff, who would be happy to shoot a mini-movie that could be used as a promotional tool to help you get work. (If this was applied to doggy treats, you could show how they were made and include an interview from a nutritionist who can say on camera that the snacks are healthy)

The idea is to tap this network to find hidden resources and knowledge that you didn't think was available to you.

Imagination is a wonderful thing. It is hard to believe that someone could imagine themselves into their dream job, but I did. I'm working for myself doing what I like to do, and living where I want to live. But what really inspires me is people whose imagination far exceeds my own...

In a post to my blog today I talk about:

Kyle MacDonald used to play a game when he was a kid. He would trade something small for something bigger, and keep trading up until he got something he wanted. He claims he wasn't very good at it. Now he is trading a paper-clip for a house

Becky, you've already made a start. You have admitted that you're not happy with your current job/situation, and you want something better for yourself. Some people admit this, and never do anything about it. Others realize (and rightly so) that they have the power to make any changes in their life that they so desire, and they set themselves on the road to make it happen. Now you just need to take the next step...

LOL! Do you know how to eat an elephant? Yep! One bite at a time.

Best Regards,
Steve MacLellan