Business Conference Services

Small business services - what can one person sell/provide?

I'm always thinking I could help many Small/Medium businesses with my experience in corporate best-practice research , Network Support, and Security Services. But what is the ideal package for a small/Medium business?

Public Comments

1. check out www.bg-intl.com . . I buy stuff from them and sell it on Ebay & make okay money doing it.
2. Sell or provide things that r hard to find, attractive n easy to ship.
3. First evaluate yourself and find out what you are best at and passionate about. Then do the research. Use the internet but do not discount the local library. The library has all the material you need at your fingertips to focus on the type of business you want to service. Determine the size of business, number of employess, and what they do. You can also determine who the principals of the business are. The information is there for you. Develop a methodology thay will help you determine how you can help them. I had a one man business that helped small insurance agents determine if their agency management systems effectively focused on their core business. Once my methodology was developed (series of probing questions) I cold called identified executives or managers of targeted companies and convinced them to give me one hour to talk about their business. After our discussions I went back home and created a document that identified their needs and provided solutions. I returned discussed the paper with the manager and left it with them. After completing a number of these documents I actually charged for this service. I also put together all the numbers of all the documents and created a study on how agency management systems help agents and managing general agents grow their business profitably. And don't be shy. I then contacted a national publication and was able to publish the results in their magazine. Also look for ways you can expolit your knowledge with companies that work with your targeted markets. I contacted IBM and convinced them that they really did not understand the small business market and a focus group would help them solve that problem. Being able to leverage their low stock price helped so search for every angle. Convincing executives to attend my focus group was difficult but 13 attended. This resulted in a fee from IBM and a new client from the members of the focus group. Attend local industry functions as often as possible. You never know who you will meet. After meeting a reporter from a regional insurance publication convincing him to do a story about my business was surprisingly easy. It even included a picture with a client. The client agreed because I had earlier sent some business their way so use any favors you may have. Join industry organizations and attend their monthly luncheons. Ultimately you want to be the guest speaker. Check your local newspaper for small business breakfast meetings and become a speaker there as well. Work the room and you will be amazed at how many people will want to talk with you. Also check with the Small Business Administration. They have free services that can help you set up your business. They use volunteers from local business and can be helpful. Good luck!!
4. Compared to offline businesses, the investment required to start an online business is minimal. A popular way of earning money on the internet is by providing information and services. This can be monetised by advertising or charging a subscription. You can also make money online by selling products on auction websites like eBay or through your own website. More information available at http://tinyurl.com/syw6m