Self employment inspiration - Stevenson Cases

I've just remembered this story again today and thought I'd share this self-employment inspiration story with you. I think us lot need as much inspiring as we can get!

Alan Stevenson is my friend Elle's dad, a Danish architect by training and a talented musician. He met his wife, a professional cello player after uni and they both toured for a few years then decided to settle down to have a family. That meant giving up being musicians so they had to find a self-employment idea in a town with little employment opportunities. Although they knew nothing about making cello cases at the time, they started just such a business in suburban Norfolk.

25 years later, they still run the small and stylish case-making company, http://www.stevensoncases.co.uk/. Of course, in the beginning it was tough but they've gone from consumers (of cello cases) to expert makers through hard work and determination. It shows anything is possible, despite the obvious barriers.

Books on self-employment ideas will say there are 2 self-employment idea options -
1. go into something you already have the skills in, within a field you know well, or
2. start in a field you have no experience in at all (provided you do adequate research),

and both options have produced successful and fulfilling self-employment for many. There is no rule nor proof that one can only succeed going into a business they have experience with.

One thing I would add -it would be advantageous to get into a form of self-employment with some links to your professional life, if not your daily life. That way you can take advantage of your connections to generate income. For instance, Stevenson Cases' early clients were made up of their musician friends.

What I'm saying is, to better one's chances of adequate financial return at self-employment, it's best to find some useful connections to your current experience and circumstance. However, don't let that stop you from following your heart about any self-employment idea. You still stand as good a chance as any making it as a successful self-employment person. Otherwise, there are lots of self-employed people out there who don't necessarily earn much money, but enjoy every minute of their self-employed lifestyle.

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Right now I'm carrying out 2 self employment ideas simultaneously; I'm setting up my own architectural practice (a sector I'm experience in, with some connections) and at the same time I'm selling home-baked cakes to delis and cafes (the food and beverage industry - I know very little about it, and have no connections). My objective is to diversify my income at this stage while I'm developing my self-employment ideas and business skills.