Project: The Saturday Startup

The countdown to Christmas has started. That is what is trending on social media and soon that will dictate the cyclical sales. The season of merriness has hit us before the school season has; how has this happened already?

20 Saturdays someone mentioned. Why are we counting? Because it’s at this time people start procuring and securing second jobs, or maybe even third part-time jobs.

But something significant happened in 2014. Either people realized they wanted more, more than just 20 Saturdays of work to pay off the extra wishes. Or maybe realization that retail positions for them was not as fulfilling as they expected.

Either way 2014 brought more prospects.

While we may be nearing the fourth quarter, it is not too late to partake of what may be a trend –and one we hope takes hold and continues.

It is called small startups. Weekend jobs. The Saturday Startup. Moreover, if you start now you can still be in business not just 20 Saturdays from now, but 52 Saturdays from now.

You do not have to be a contestant on America’s Got Talent (are they still accepting auditions for this year?). If you have a niche or have an education in a specific field, then take some time to sit down and plan your short and long term goals of how you can exact those skills. Imagine; you get to pre-qualify your proficiency.

Let’s get started with some creative options that are in high demand and are trending online as well:

• Exterior Decorator

It seems like everyone is doing it; yes. But how often have you seen outdoor “interior” designers. I believe the term I am looking for is an exterior designer, correct? Not quite a landscaper, and while this may seem seasonal if you like Christmas and all that twinkles, staging outdoor Christmas sceneries and hanging Christmas lights could be your passionate part-time entrepreneurial pursuit. (Say that five times fast when you position yourself to potential clients!)

• Professional Organizer:

Pinterest gives us a false sense of self-help and achievement. No matter how many Ikea bins and iron rods some may invest in, there is a lot to intake and still the overload of belongings requires focus, dedicated timing and planning; something the household owner does not necessarily have and you might. You put the passion into your problem-solving and the passion will lead you to the next problem - thus an enterprise that could earn you a reputable living.

Perhaps you never even thought this could turn into a job opportunity, as this has always been a therapeutic, hobby of yours; looks like therapy pays off after all.

• Personal Shopper:

Groceries, shoes, clothes, school supplies or pet food. If you like to shop, and it is cathartic and it’s not your cash and now you get paid to do it…I rest my case.

• Handy Man for the Elderly:

It takes a patient, understanding and sometimes even physically fit person to be able to make someone’s day by taking care and protecting their home: Making sure everything is safe; lighting, water fixtures, locks, etc. It’s a community service to ensure the lesser able are safe and secure. Enabling senior citizens to live comfortably by establishing yourself as a business savvy person in the home repair industry is a needed skill. If you enjoy the challenge of fixing things to their former glory and find it relaxing to work with your hands, how relaxing will Saturday be for you?

These are just a few ways you can make 52 Saturdays a super success in your life. And who knows? Maybe they’ll work Monday-Friday as well.

-The Green Couch

Project: Be Kind To Your Garage – All Kinds of Things Can Grow in It

We hear of Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google starting at home and in a garage - but we do not hear of Yankee Candle as much. A boy in 1969 could not afford a Christmas gift for his mom - so he determined that a melted crayon was better suited than showing up empty handed. And thus he would melt her heart.

The takeaway challenge is brief but deep and something we can learn from a sweet 16 year old boy: While times have changed, and the value of the dollar has changed the truth remains timeless – learn to hone the discretion between innovation vs. investments.

Before you invest monetary value into your venture, seek counsel and be proactive in research.  It took just one neighbor to see the homemade candle that Mike Kittredge of Yankee Candle would bestow his mother with - And so she ordered it for herself. The story goes that he sold it to her – and used the proceeds to make two more: One for his mom and one more to sell.   

Here are a few others who let loose their entrepreneur spirits and honed innovative enterprises in their garages:

Mattell: The face of the company may be more recognizable as Barbie dolls, Fisher-Price and Hotwheels (the list goes on) but this man-cave-garage quickly turned a cash-cave for Harold “Matt” Matson and Ruth and Elliot Handler. Circa 1945, this El Segundo Company steadily introduced the toy industry to revolutionized gaming for diverse ages and demographics. And it all started with picture frame scraps and dollhouses.

Harley Davidson: With their three piece suits and top hats, William S. Harley, at just 20 years old, and friend Arthur Davidson did not resemble the modern black, white and orange leather vested Harley riders we see on highways now. But from 1901 until 1905 they were able to take a drawing to make a bike and recreate the concept into a motorized model.

During the First World War, their ingenuity supported the troops surpassing over 10,000 machines. They gave new meaning to the roaring 20’s as the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. This success culminated because from their first failed experiment - they said it was a valuable learning experience.

Disney: We quote him; we watch his movies; we know his name is Walt, but it was his Uncle Robert’s garage to which we owe a portion of this blog’s symbolic gratitude. Along with brother Roy, Walt began his productions with Alice in Wonderland and since then every day has been a wonderland. With a high school diploma, family values, wild imagination and strong work ethic he created a world-renowned empire.

The Garage: Empty boxes. Overflowing boxes, unable to shut. Oil, paint and water spillage, rotted wood, rusty metal, roller skates, squeaky toys, loose bolts and was that a stray cat? We are lucky if we can park our vehicle in the garage. But for some they have used this storage addition, whether attached to the home or not, as a resource for their business dreams. Maybe it started as a means for survival, maybe a source or outlet for their brain to breathe. But their garages had just as much potential as their gutsy and they would use it. Did they know they would outgrow it? Did they know they would succeed? Did they know that we, the future would have a future for it?

So where are your origins? For some, it’s a garage. For some it’s their mom’s basement, some their living room, their college dorm room, their pressboard desk or their laptop or even a smartphone.  

For us, it’s The Couch and now wherever you are in your journey we welcome you to join The Project. We can help you get from the ground to the garage and get you on The Green Couch.

-The Green Couch