I talk about skills and how you can offer a product or service using those skills, but how do you know what skills you really have that can be marketable? I used to ask myself that same question until I really started to take a look at myself and compare what I do with the people around me.
Have you ever taken something for granted that you just know how to do? Have you ever noticed if there were people out there who just don’t understand those same things the way you do, but they would like to?
For example, my family and I are in the process of re-decorating one of our bathrooms. I say “my family” because my husband, myself and 2 of my children are ALL involved in this process. I would have to say that picking out colors and shades is definitely not a trait that any one of us in my family have acquired from our genes. We are trying to pick towels to match the shower curtain and a paint color to match the towels. Talk about frustrating. We seem to have no idea what looks good with what! And of course, we have 4 different opinions.
I know some people who are wonderful at picking colors. At one point in my life I dappled with scrapbooking. I was at some scrapbooking get-together. I picked out some colored papers that I thought would look nice with my pictures. Some nice lady on the left of me picked out two different shades of the same colors I chose and said “How about these?” Now, I have to say that the 2 shades she picked out were absolutely perfect!! I liked my own choices, but then I saw her choices and realized that her’s were definitely the better choices. I was amazed at the ease with which she just plucked those colors out.
Now she should go into the room re-decorating business. If she were here now, she could pick out the perfect paint color for my bathroom.
So how does this all apply to you? The key here is that you need to know yourself. Take a look around. What do you enjoy doing that you are good at, but it seems like other people might be struggling with it? What do they complain about that you find easy to solve? Take their questions and problems and apply your solutions. That right there could be your new service or product.
