Month: December 2023

Originally posted at: Whitney Rose’s Multicolor Cover Up Skirt Set

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Originally posted at: Lisa Barlow’s Clear Plastic Aviator Sunglasses in Bermuda

I recently Googled “business ideas for women” and to my great despair, the top search results all listed the same things: jewelry designer, dog walker, social media manager, etc.

Yaaawn.

Not that there’s anything wrong with these, they just lack a little… imagination.

If you consider yourself a fellow non-girly soul, you might be looking for business ideas that are more than just about the money. Or what’s trendy. Or that require you being chained to a computer all day long, when instead you could be mastering the art of French sauces while making new friends… and a little moolah.

These ideas are meant to be a starting point. Ultimately, my goal is to spark your imagination by showing how you can take virtually any business idea and make it your own. So, let’s get started with the mother of them all…

#1. Money Coach (Or Something Else That’s Scary That You Want to Get Good At)

Oh boy, what a good one! Did your heart just drop to the pit of your stomach?

For many of us, money is the final frontier. We were never taught about it, it was never talked about, it was rude to ask about it, and… surprise! We’ve all pretty much got issues around money.

Here’s where you can turn your own money issues (lack, guilt, jaw-dropping credit card bills) into a compelling success story in the making.

We are naturally inspired by others who go through the same difficult thing we are facing. We’re looking for role models, mentors and above all, REAL people we can relate to.

Maybe that could be you?

By the way… if this seems helpful and you’re looking for more, check out my brand new email series, Define Your Goal & Find Your Flow. It’s designed to help you get laser-focused and happily productive around launching a new business or side gig.

#2. The Review Whisperer (a.k.a, Consultant for Home Services and Repair)

Yes, it needs a little tidying up, but stay with me here…

Like most people, we’ve had mixed experiences with home repair services.

Some, like the HVAC guy who came a couple months ago, earned himself a 5-star review worth its weight in gold, while others, like the dishwasher repairman, did not. Why? Because we received a text message from our housesitter later that week asking about the expanding pool of greywater leaking juuust below the dishwasher.

Here’s the thing: local businesses want reviews, need reviews, can’t get enough of those 5-star reviews, baby! – but some need to clean up their act first.

Your consulting services could include things like soft skills training, systems & procedures documentation, and a customer happiness guarantee.

Peruse the Yelp reviews and you’ll find lots of potential clients.

#3. Above Average Tutor

I was surprised to see so few good options for math tutoring out there.

Here’s what families need:

• A reasonably priced alternative to the monthly in-person tutoring centers (which charge upwards of $400/mo, I’ll have you know).
• Consistency & availability. Many local tutors are high schoolers or college students with competing priorities.
• A program: not just one-off tutoring, but a goal-oriented program that measures their child’s success.

If you’re a retired educator who misses working with students (hey, I heard that), or feel like you missed your calling to teach, this might be for you.

We just finished a fabulous math tutoring session on Outschool. If you look up Miss Jamie Jones, you’ll see a very ambitious, semi-retired teacher who’s absolutely KILLING it.

#4. Hand-Painted Signs

This one’s based on a prediction of mine: A return to graphic design that’s more traditional and analog in nature. Retro, if you will.

Many years ago, I came across New Bohemia Signs in San Francisco. It’s the kind of shop that hipsters in their skinny jeans and ironic eyewear swoon over.

While this particular shop is credited with hand-painting the “transoms & addresses” of a great many San Francisco Victorians and storefronts, you too could beautify the local scene with such services.

If you are artistic in nature, or want to be, sign making is just about the coolest art form I can think of that intersects nicely with business.

Check out the legendary Pierre Tardiff for some brush lettering nostalgia (with a cheery Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock playing in the background).

#5. Empowered Etiquette for Young Adults

I think we can all agree “manners” was flushed down the toilet long ago. (Clearly, I turned curmudgeon long ago, too.)

What’s taken its place? Oh, I don’t know – text messaging, video games, social media, a whole lotta ‘tude.

Point is:

Preparing young adults for success in the modern world is a worthy cause, and THAT makes it a worthwhile investment.

I was surprised and delighted to see there’s an etiquette trainer right here in my town! (I’m strongly considering signing up our tween for her “Good Manners and Dining Etiquette” 3 course lunch seminar!)

#6. 48-Hour Design Shop (Code Name: Design Talent Wrangler)

Did you know you can build a whole graphic design business by curating your very own talent pool from various online marketplaces?

Take any design deliverable (logos, videos, infographics), start up your own gig, and hire all the best designers to produce the work for you.

For this one, I would suggest creating your own signature “client journey” that makes the experience quick and easy – and worth talking about.

#7. Seasonal Side Gig (Gift or Service)

We all want to give meaningful gifts around the holidays. So what’s a meaningful gift? Locally-made anything: chocolates, glass-blown ornaments, homemade bitters, deliciously-scented candles, soaps, bath bombs, etc.

Is there a home goods item or wearable or small batch delectable you’ve been curious to craft, but maybe put on the back burner long ago?

That’s the gift gig, now here’s a service gig:

A friend of mine is always, without fail, the first to wish us Happy Holidays! by way of her Christmas card arriving in our mailbox no later than the FIRST week of December. Hers is the lone but lovely family photo card displayed on the mantle until days later, when the others start trickling in.

How does she do it, and so consistently??

This made me think of an “early-bird Christmas card photographer” who, by scheduling these once-a-year popup sessions, helps families get a head start on this must-have annual photo.

This idea is a riff off this photographer example I gave in a previous post, and I like the idea of honing it in even further for someone who just wants a little burst of income over the holidays.

#8. Start a Language Club

In my early 20s, I spent many a Wednesday night with a group of Francophiles and native speakers at a casual and cozy Morroccan restaurant in Northampton, Massachusetts. (Check out Amanouz Cafe if you’re ever in the area – it’s still there!)

We dined on succulent, slow-cooked Tagine and Harira, and sipped sweet Moroccan mint tea while practicing our French conversation skills and making new friends. Looking back, it’s on my top 10 list of enriching experiences.

While a language club might not be a huge moneymaker (we organized it ourselves and just paid for dinner), you could start a language meetup, charge a nominal membership fee, and see where it goes from there.

#9. Micro Events Manager (Or Other Small Event Related Services)

While in grad school, I did a couple catering gigs which gave me a peek into the world of fancy home parties in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

My friend, who invited me along to help out, was a fellow student switching careers at the time, and kept her catering gig going along to pay the bills. She was an East Coast transplant like myself – except from New Jersey, with lunatic driving skills to prove it.

As you already know, a ton of planning goes into even the smallest of gatherings. Whether it’s a bridal party, holiday party, Jack & Jill or birthday, you could be the one to coordinate or take on a specific element like decor, RSVP handling, gifting, or cocktails.

If you love events and enjoy creating experiences with thoughtful details, there could be a market for your services.

#10. Start a Cooking School (And No, You Don’t Have to Teach It!)

Foodies and wine lovers unite!

Here’s another idea where we ditch the laptop for the liveliest room in the house: the kitchen!

Call it a monthly cooking club, Fine Dining 101, The Art of Sauces, Knife Skills, Cakes & Cupcakes, Veggie Prep for Picky Kids, or mini-workshops for all these.

This just sounds fun – and at once a month, it’s low commitment and high value, with skills to take home and new friends to make.

For this and the language club idea, you could manage the whole operation, insuring your expenses get paid (teaching fees, ingredients) and add a fee that feels right for your time and effort.

#11. Bonus! Pick One Aspect of Your Past Work Experience and Package It Up

Is there something you’re already really good at that businesses or people could benefit from?

How could you package it up as a service or product offering?

Jot down all the specific, positive benefits your potential customers or clients might get by choosing you.

Let’s Have a conversation:

How much does money, time, or personal enrichment play into your choices when it comes to starting a new business or side gig? What other criteria or values are important to you?

There is a wonderful kind of privilege that comes with working hard for the last three or four decades… Savings are finally growing, the debt and/or mortgage is being paid down, and finally it feels like we can breathe just a little and enjoy life!

And sometimes this means we are fortunate enough to be in a position to help our families. This generosity can be a beautiful expression of our love and support.

But it’s important to approach the decision to give or lend money thoughtfully, considering both your own financial security and the potential impact on your family relationships.

Let’s talk about five reasons to NOT give or lend money to family (and what I encourage doing instead, as a holistic financial coach).

Reason #1: You Feel Guilty

I’m a parent myself, and I clearly remember denying my child a toy in the grocery store because our finances were right on a razor’s edge. That was 20 years ago, and I still recall it. I have the image of that little heart-broken face burned in my mind.

Guilt motivates us in unexpected and far-reaching ways. And, frequently, choices made from a place of guilt do not serve us long-term. It’s very rare that we consciously follow the cause and effect of “I had to say no to you when you were a child, and it broke my heart… the least I can do is make it up to you now.”

What you might consider if you’re giving or lending from a place of guilt:

First, be gentle with yourself!

Then examine the purpose of giving or lending money to your family member.

I’m not saying anyone should or should not lend or give their loved ones money, but it’s important to slow down the decision making process and understand the purpose of this money.

What is the purpose of giving/lending this money FOR YOU? What will this act provide to you? Peace of mind? Assuaging some long-held guilt? Ending an argument? Something else?

What is the purpose of giving/lending this money FOR THEM?

Reason #2: You Want to Make Their Lives Better Than Yours

I get pushback on this because isn’t that OUR JOB as parents?

Of all of the lies we’ve been told about our responsibilities as parents, this is probably the one that undermines our wellbeing the most. Specifically because how most of us heard that expectation is that our family should have nicer things, a better education, eat better, and have more opportunities than we did. But how do we actually define “better”?

Of course, I’m not saying we shouldn’t want our children and family to be happy, but it’s too easy for us to see our family’s lives (belongings, lifestyles) as a commentary on us as parents. And it’s difficult to know when we’re no longer on the hook for that.

How much of your family member’s life and lifestyle do you hold yourself responsible for?

What you might consider if you’re giving or lending from a place of expectation and responsibility:

• First, be gentle with yourself! (Ya, that’s going to be my first suggestion for each of these.)
• Then consider these questions:
• How do you define being a “good parent”?
• How do you know when you’re no longer responsible for your family member’s lifestyle, happiness, or comfort?

Reason #3: You’re Expecting Filial Piety

Filial piety isn’t a phrase we throw around too much, but this expectation lingers throughout our culture.

The expectation is that at some point, our family will financially support us as we age. Maybe you did that for your parents, and they did the same for their parents. It’s a subtle expectation that has an outsized impact. How often have you heard that assumption spoken? How often have you thought about it?

If you had to guess, how would you think that expectation feels to your child(ren)?

No one wants to think of their relationship with the people they love as transactional, but now might be a good time to explore this expectation.

Another element to filial piety is its inherent codependency. If you’ve at least at some level built your financial life with the implied expectation that your children will care for you later and then they are unwilling or unable to do that, you’ve exposed yourself to a huge amount of risk.

By supporting your family now, are you expecting them to repay that later?

What you might consider if you’re giving or lending from an expectation your children to care for you in the future:

• First, be gentle with yourself!
• If you have even the slightest suspicion that filial piety is lurking around, spend two minutes (and only two minutes) exploring what kind of specific risks this mindset has exposed you to.

Reason #4: You Feel Forced or Obligated

Any time you feel like you don’t have a choice, whether you are making yourself feel like you are out of options or someone else is encouraging that feeling, it’s time to take a pause.

Our brains don’t make good choices when we feel cornered, and often these quick, reactive, emotional decisions end up being something we regret later.

How much of the motivation for giving or loaning this money is accompanied by thoughts like “I don’t see any other way”?

What you might consider if you’re giving or lending from a place of feeling like you don’t have any other choice:

• First, be gentle with yourself!
• If you can take some time to consider the details of giving or loaning your family money, take it. What would be some other possible ways to get some of the values/positives of giving this money without some of the risks?

Reason #5: You Are Concerned About Appearances

We might be loath to admit it, but our family is a reflection of us.

Sure, we’d all like to say it doesn’t matter to us what our larger communities think of us, but in reality, we humans are a social bunch. Being seen as part of a community means safety.

How much of your motivation to give or loan this money is tied up in the potential that others will see you a certain way?

What you might consider if you’re giving or lending because you’re concerned about appearances:

First, be gentle with yourself! (Seriously!)

• Try this thought experiment: If your family member’s financial choices were suddenly made public to your close social group, how would you feel? How would you feel like you need to protect yourself from others’ perceived judgment of you?
• Be brave! No one will see this except you, so it’s safe to be honest!

One last element to consider:

How Emotions Impact Decision Making

As humans, we use emotion in our decision making.

We should NOT be working to actively remove emotions from decision making, but we should be thoughtful about HOW we use emotions.

Emotions are tools, but sometimes our emotional brains can get caught up and make decisions from a place of emotion, not just using them as tools.

Emotional decision making is typically fast. It’s a flood of emotion and activity, and in some cases can be kind of satisfying. Decision making from a place of emotion also solves for just one thing.

By including emotion in decision making, understanding why it’s there and slowing down the decision making process, we are more likely to make a good long-term decision.

Including competing emotion into decision making slows down the decision making process. That’s good! That complexity is there to help.

Now instead of solving for just one thing, we’re solving for two or maybe three things.

Slowing down decision making means we can look for and take advantage of other possible options.

Emotional decision making is lightning fast, reactive, and simplistic (solving for just one thing).

In short, none of us wants our family relationships to be transactional. Many families can manage gifts and loans beautifully, others end up in resentment, pain, and strained relationships. The biggest thing you can do here is to deeply understand your own motivations and slow down your decision making.

Making this decision less about the money and more about the act of giving or lending.

Every decision we make has echoing impacts in our lives, and while we can’t be aware of every eventuality, slowing down helps us make better informed decisions while prioritizing genuine connection with those we love the most.

Making informed and thoughtful decisions about your finances is a gift you give to yourself and your loved ones. By prioritizing your well-being and fostering open communication, you can create a foundation for a stronger and more fulfilling family life.

Ready to explore a bit more? Download the companion worksheet to this article here, exclusively for Sixty and Me readers!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you often give or lend money to family? What are your reasons to do so? Do you have any return expectations?

Photo: @doritkemsley

Originally posted at: Dorit Kemsley’s Orange Top and Skirt Set