2 Fast-Track Self Employment Ideas for 2011

Okay, so 2010 is drawing to an end. For those of you who still haven't settled on a self employment idea, and would like to embark on a plan of action to get yourself into self-employment when 2011 arrives, here's my list of ideas.

(Note all the ideas here are realistic and achievable within a few months)

1. Launch a career as a stand up comedian
Stand up comedy is becoming ever more popular in England. It is possible to start earning as a self employed professional. Help is at hand if you don't fancy giving it a go without training. In January this year I took a 10-week stand-up comedy course which concluded with a live show in front of a paying audience. I'm not even good at public speaking nor have I ever held a stage alone in my entire life, but I was and am pretty pleased with my first performance.

From my research, an average self-employed stand up comedian (one who works consistently on the comedy club scene, no TV appearances) can earn £25-40k per year.

My tutor was Chris Head and his courses are highly effective yet affordable. http://www.chris-head.com/

Self-employment idea drawbacks:

a) Totally dependent on individual ability and talent.

b) The first few months, and most likely first year will be tough. Have some money stashed away because you need to be established within the circle first to start getting paid performances. It is not uncommon to do free gigs for at least a year.

2. Become an importer/online retailer

I have toyed with this self-employment idea recently. All you need to start with is a plane ticket to China (or Brazil or India,... you get the idea...) and some information on where your target products can be sourced. B2B marketplace websites like Alibaba.com are probably the starting point for you research. Find something new that isn't available in the location where you are and you think there is a potential market, and bring it back to sell on your online store.

Self-employment idea drawbacks:

a) A considerable risk is involved when you have to purchase and transport a large quantity of items with no quality guarantee. Keep your eyes open and be careful.

b) You probably need to have very good intuition and do extensive of market research to get it right the first time.

c) A minor inconvenience of language barrier, if you don't speak the local language.

I have included drawbacks with the ideas because it is my belief that rewards never come without effort - if the self-employment ideas can be achieved within a few months, then on the flip side, there are things to watch out for.