Stop thinking too much. It’s time to work on your passion!
Micro entrepreneurship is becoming popular globally. Although this idea yet to be popular in Bangladesh but we have enough domain to practice it here. The driving inspiration behind micro-entrepreneurship is that of passion and love for something that a person does not want to abandon for a living. Thus, the person tries to stick with her passion but fail due to economic reason. To solve this very problem and bridge the gap between passion and money micro entrepreneurship propose a wonderful alternative. The idea is as micro/simple as it sounds; that is: Get your passion and make money over it without quitting your day Job.
Here I need to declare that, here micro-entrepreneurship does mean any recognized definition rather I’m using the word to describe an enterprise that you can start out right now.
The most intriguing side of micro starting is that, anybody with a diehard passion can easily afford it. Affordability is one the most compelling features that’s making this idea so popular. However, most of the micro-enterprises are started and run in a very small scale, where expansion is also feasible.
What a micro-enterprise mostly:
A micro-enterprise is often run by a single person who are at a time the owner and employee of the firm
Most micro enterprises are passion driven firm as people start this out of passion
Micro-enterprise is also scalable if you are willing to share your passion with others and want to scale it up
3 steps before starting your micro-enterprise:
1. Find a passion that has an economic value: We have many passions and for quite sure all of them are not capable to add value to others life. Find a passion that can add value and that you can turn into an economic activity. Say for example, writing, designing etc.
2. Find opportunities that can match your passion: If you are up to design then find an opportunity where you can work as a designer or can supply your design work. It is better to seek somewhere you have easy access.
3. Do some analysis, prototype things: Do simple analysis, how much time it will take, how much you can earn from it, how to market your items, and so on. Give some prototypes for free to your targeted clients, as this is not your means of living it’ll be easy to give sample for free, to understand whether your work meet the standard or not.
What it takes to start a micro-enterprise (according to my definition):
Marketable skill: Most of Micro-enterprises sell skills instead of products. First of all what you need is a saleable skill that can add value to the life of people to whom you will offer your service. Identify one of your sell-able skills and get better on it. Work hard. Try to be world class and distinguished.
Have a Network who will buy: Find a market to sell your skill at a limited level. Most of the time micro-entrepreneurs sell to their network , intimate one, inform your network that you are up on this things and they can get it from you if they want. For micro-entrepreneurs network is important for starting survival.
Keep commitment: Maintain timetable strictly. Never give yourself a loose when you are in a business. Deliver on time, collect feedback on time and keep contact smooth. S
Few ideas you can start with:
Copy writing: If you are a writer then you can think of writing some professional business copy for the firms of your friends and relatives or even you can approach to some professional firms on contact basis. You can start very simply; ask them to give you a knock when they need any copy they normally pay for, do some for free. Make sure your work is better than of the work they get by paying. Ask them to call you later on and tell them your purpose. Even if you want you can use social media well too.
Design shop: Follow same rule as above.
Cooking: This goes a bit out of exact micro-enterprise I have described here. But this one also quite implementable. Just have a small team; one or two members only, and start.
Further Reading:
1. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau
2. How to be creative by Hugh MacLeod
