What Business Should I Start?. Rhonda Abrams

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      6.You are dependable. You are capable of making—and keeping—ongoing commitments.

      7.You are patient. Those you care for often require lots of patience to keep you from tearing your hair out.

      8.You’re not afraid to get dirty. Taking care of something—whether people or things—almost always requires getting your hands dirty and/or dealing with messier aspects of peoples’ lives.

       This E-Type’s secrets & strategies:

      

Look carefully at income potential. Most of the options for this E-Type are in growing fields, but some pay much less than others (e.g., child care). So select an option for caregiver/maintainer E-Types (people, plants, animals, things) that either gives you great personal satisfaction even if you make less money, or one with greater income potential, even if you have somewhat less personal satisfaction.

      

Look for business customers. Maintaining the same thing (e.g., equipment, lawns) for a business client rather than residential customer frequently means you can charge higher prices. Business customers can also mean more stable, longer-lasting work in many cases.

      

Be careful of going it entirely alone. Get yourself a backup to call on when you need time off. Your business is taking care of other people or other things, but who will take care of them if something happens to you?

      

Find a balance of how many clients you can handle at once. Your clients need to be able to call on you for emergencies, so make certain you are not overbooked. If you choose a business serving only one client at a time (nanny, elderly aide), save money for when you are between clients.

       Watch out for . . .

      

It can be hard to get away—either physically (for instance, going on vacation) or mentally (for instance, not thinking about your work during off-duty times). More than any other E-Type, Caregiver/Maintainers often think of themselves last. You will need to find ways to take care of both your physical health and your emotional health.

      

Legal liability. Since by the very nature of the work, you are taking care of people or things that need assistance, situations will arise when something goes wrong. Be clear about your legal liability before you take on any clients. Do what you can to reduce such liability, including purchasing appropriate insurance or write up contracts that make clear the limits of your liability.

      

Lack of sufficient financial reward. Although our society desperately needs caregivers and maintainers, we often do not pay those caregivers appropriate to the level of need. Caregivers—especially those giving care to children, sick, and elderly—tend to be undervalued and, often, do not receive the respect or the money they deserve.

       E-Type: Communicator/Trainer

       Overview

      Over the last few decades, the number of methods people use to communicate has vastly expanded. The need for people who can clearly communicate has likewise exploded. That’s where Communicator/Trainer E-Types come in.

      Today, besides communicating in print (newspapers, magazines, books, brochures), traditional media (radio, television, film, audio), telephones, and the mail, there’s also the Internet, wireless devices, information services, and on and on. All those, of course, are in addition to the most time-honored way to communicate—in person. Our communication reach has also greatly increased. It’s now easy and cheap to connect to people around the globe.

      On top of that, our constantly changing world means we continually need to increase and update our knowledge and skills. That requires ongoing training and education. Added to that is our society’s interest in recreation and physical fitness, and the desire to take classes and get instruction in those areas.

       The Communicator/Trainer is exceptionally good with words—whether written or verbal—and excels at communicating complex ideas to others. Competition in these fields is fierce, but so is demand.

      All this is great news for Communicator/Trainer E-Types. The need for people who can communicate clearly and concisely has never been greater. Whether for business or personal interactions, for sales or education, information or entertainment, people who can transmit ideas, information, and language are in demand.

      So take heart. If you were the kind of kid who loved reading, writing, foreign languages, you’ll now find you have many options for launching a business. If you’re interested in fitness and sports—and are able to teach others—you’ll find many opportunities available. Even the person who just likes to talk will find many business choices—assuming, of course, they actually have something to say.

       Options for this E-Type

      Writers: When you hear the word “writer,” you may envision someone typing away in an attic, writing a novel. There are a few (or maybe lots) of those. But that’s not the way most writers earn a living.

      In fact, most writers who actually make money write fairly mundane things—technical manuals, articles for trade journals, copy for advertisements, company newsletters. While these may not seem as creative—and certainly not as glamorous—as writing stories, feature articles, or plays, the work is a lot steadier.

      That’s not to say that you can’t earn a living as a freelance writer. The key is to find a niche that interest you—let’s say writing about gardening or music or new technology—and become a specialist. That will make you more competitive “pitching” stories to publications and websites that focus on that niche.

      Editors: If you’re a writer, it may be frustrating to know that the person who edits your article may get paid more than you did for writing it. But the reality is that editing frequently pays better than writing.

      Virtually every medium that uses content—books, magazines, websites, newspapers, radio, television—relies on editors. While many editors are full-time employees, many companies use contract editors. Indeed, many rely on the same editors for many years.

      In addition to the various kinds of content you can edit, there are different types of editors. General editors (perhaps called development or style editors, production managers, or other terms) may develop the concept of a story, coordinate

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