A step in the right direction perhaps?

First let me start with I know I have close to no experience what so ever. I've only been captivated by the fish keeping hobby for about a year now and while I'm happy to say I like to think I care more for the proper care and well being of the animals - I know there is so much I don't really have a chance at learning until I've giving myself a chance at some first hand experiance. Though I have come to a conclusion - fish keeping thus far has been the only "passion" of mine to last more than a few months at the most. Perhaps its because I can't just throw everything in a corner like I do with everything else and forget about them but I just can't help but wonder.

I have currently done nothing with my life. I found school to be very stressful on subjects I didn't care about and now that I've been looking around I've found I just can't justify the amount of money on a trade, that if I am successful will help me get by nicely, I care very little about. My father has been pushing me into some IT classes and while they are interesting enough I'd rather use that as something to fall back on - perhaps paying the bills while I go after something closer to the heart. Being involved in one of the fastest growing job opportunities in the country will certainlly have its peaks if I am able to complete the courses, financially that is.

I apologize for how awkward this is getting to my point - I've been so very tempted to ask for opinions and suggestions for awhile now. I do have a friend that is currently working on starting his own business with some friends - and honestly that is where the idea came from. If something ever happened I would like to at least beable to offer some professional advise. While I'm sure coffee and fish don't quiet mix - the basics to running a business must be similar.

I really have no idea where to look first but I know, giving the type of person I am, I need to make sure I am going at things the correct way. Obviously I know its very early to even think about such things, especially with my lack of experience. It seems to be a no brainer type of question but I want to make sure I go at this in a professional manner - I'm assuming looking into some local business classes would be the best way to get my foot in the door before attenting school to make certain this is what I want?

I realize how childish and dream-worthy this must sound, but I figure this would probably be the best place to start with some opinions. I believe we're all rather like-minded in some way or another and I've come to truely trust and respect the opinions of those around here. Eh, I guess what I mean is, its just easier to come out with a question from those who feel just as passionately about fish as I do. We all know how it feels to have people just stare and blink randomly when it comes to our little obsession.

 

If your up for more classes, Most degrees or career classes have the same core classes(English, Math, Science, Humanities etc) requirements so you could start with those while you figure out what major or career choice you want to make.
Carol

 

It's tough figuring out what you want to do in life. I'm not sure that I've figured that one out yet either, but I think look at what you have a passion for and go after that, even if you have to work other jobs, like IT, to pay the bills along the way.

 

I'm still not quite sure what your question is, but I'll say this...

Do what you love and the money will follow....

if fish keeping is your passion, then go out and learn about that. you can't be good at it as a business, until you learn more. try to find a place that will teach you and give you tools to succeed later in life without being threatened that you may be their competition later on.

the girls that work for me, I try to teach them all the workings of the business so that someday in their future they'll look back on those skills and feel proud that they learned them right.

first I teach them the best customer service techniques,
then I make sure they understand the yucky part of business too, like paperwork and cleanliness and organization. I try to make sure they get a taste and have imput on the purchasing part, how to make decisions on inventory and purchases and how to deal with mistakes and successes in product selection. I teach them how to merchandise our selections for the most eye appealing presentation. I teach them, what's the bottom line we need to achieve in sales to make it all work.

they can apply all these skills to almost any business and I hope that someday they go out and make it on their own, or grow with me as we expand.

look around, make a connection with a good mentor, prove yourself willing to learn and work hard and not throw stuff in a corner.

you can do it!

 

Selling fish is difficult, (I'm making a guess at what your question was. You're almost as long-winded and indirect as me. Must be a symptom of watching GitS) but not impossible. Basically, like with any new business, it takes a lot of work.
Dino and CWC are very close to success in this area, and hopefully one of them will stop by with some advice.
I know that you want to have a backup of money, enough to keep yourself going for a year is the general guideline, I believe.

I know what it's like to not really want to do anything "typical." I'm in college for writing, which is basically a junk degree, in the end. The piece of paper with my degree printed on it means far less than the piece of paper with my writing on it (at least as far as the publishers are concerned). Hopefully I'll learn enough to make the second piece of paper much more impressive, though.
Let's wish each other well in our attempts to live our dreams.
Good luck.

 

If your up for more classes, Most degrees or career classes have the same core classes(English, Math, Science, Humanities etc) requirements so you could start with those while you figure out what major or career choice you want to make.
Carol

I agree, Carol, there's a lot of colleges that don't require declaring a major right away, in fact the college my daughter attends told her it was fine and that many people change their majors and have wasted their time and money for classes they'll never need.

No matter what you choose to do, if you're planning on having your own business someday, in my opinion you should take business courses.

Good luck, it's very natural to feel confused and pressured.

 

I'm 17 credit hours away from finishing a Criminal Justice degree, and I still don't know that that is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm like you, despise school. I went to college for 3 years and suddenly dropped out and joined the Marine Corps. "Why Not?" was my reasoning, it got me away from school. Out of those 3 years, 1 was spent just taking some courses, testing the water...after that year I declared as a Criminal Justice major. Take your time, you don't have to declare a major right away.

My philosophy is Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life.

Good luck.

 

No one knows what they want to do exactly. I managed to write a firm statement of purpose that got me into VT graduate school but I'll let you in on a secret.... when I think about it I still don't know what I really want to do. I just apply for jobs that sound like something I would enjoy and give me a feeling of fulfillment.

As for starting a business, it is difficult. I never realized how much money it took to start a business until I got in to a conversation about it with my boss. I would definitely take some classes on starting and running a business so that you know what your getting into and can succeed. Good luck to you in your pursuits!

 

A few years back I had the idea of starting my own restaurant and then I realized I couldn't cook - I think I just got so into it after meeting so many people that have been able to buy up a restaurant going under and make it their own. They're still struggling after five, ten years but its their life - their pride and joy and that's just what I want to find.

I am awfully long-winded and I usually break up onto a few differant topics and then end up having to make an edit because I forgot I missed my point ^^; For me that just comes from being so unsure about, well, everything. It might not seem like a lot but I've already found this very helpful, everyone very helpful - just makes me feel a bit better for trying to look more into this. So first, or something close to first off, thanks.

I'm pretty sure its the business part I'm mostly interested in. I think I figure that hey, if I can take in what I need to know and have the support to start something - why not at least try to combine it with something I love. Example would just be for instances, down the road I run into someone who has an idea of expanding their breeding projects but is lacking the business knowhow. Eh, its hard to explain what I really mean but it sounds like ya'll get the jist of what I was talking about ^^;

I really do appreciate it. Perhaps I was just looking to verify what the first step would be but either way I feel a lot better and more confidant about looking more into the classes. Actually, I feel better about looking into the IT classes - I suffer from computer withdraws so that's probablly the safest route to go to get the money I'd need just for school. Plus my father will be parterning up with my godfather sometime in the next year or two so if I can get the certifications I'd be able to understand and take in some of what it takes to run a telecommunication service at least - would help with understanding the classes once I'm able to take them anyways.

Bah - I ramble. I don't think I got anywhere near what I wanted to say after I read the replies but I do just want to thank everyone again. Ya'll just helped my self-confidance rise up a few notches - starting to believe if I keep at it this might be something I'm actually able to do.

 

You can do it, just keep thinking it through and keeping all options open!
Listen to your heart and your mind will follow.

 

I've come to the conclusion that most people are in careers they hate, so the bar is set pretty low.

It took me 4 years of loping around in different fields, business management, marketing, IT, and even dropping out to just try working at something. But nothing worked.

I finally had my epiphany though, I want to go into engineering because I realized the concepts of engineering underpin almost all of my hobbies. I chose Electrical Engineering because I think it's fascinating and mysterious, and has a limitless future in our modern world. (what doesn't use electricity these days?). My friends always say I'm a natural born engineer because I'll randomly fly off on passionate lectures about the way things work. And as you can expect, I get excited about school now.

So my advice is to keep going to school, or just get out there and work until you find something you like. And you're no worse off than everyone else if you never find what you like, that's why hobbies exist.

Sirdarskool: one of my buddies is an aspiring writer. I've only seen him drink screwdrivers and say "I'm putting THAT in a novel" after I do something ****. But he never wants to write down my pI jokes.

(never drink and derive)

 

How true! How true!

(never drink and derive)

 

I have a different outlook on life. Who cares if you like your job, its just there to pay the bills so you can do the important things in life, like take care of the family and be yourself. I HATE my job with a passion but it pays well and allows me to pay for the things I truly enjoy in life (fish and family). I am going to school, but not for something I will love but for something that pays very well. I don't mind spending 40hrs a week hating my life if it lets me spend the other 128hrs enjoying myself, seems like a fair trade

I know noone else will agree with me on this, but as long as we're all happy in our lifelong journey, oh well

 

Hey David, I actually mostly agree with you on that. There are a few people who don't care about the money as long as they're doing what they love. I'm not as extreme as you are but I'd be willing to do a job that I didn't exactly love, while not particularly hating every aspect of it, just for a higher paycheque.

I started out university doing a science degree. After the first year, I hated it so I switched into business. While I'm not in love with it, that's where the money is and so I'm setting myself up for a possible career in something that'll pay me well enough to enjoy life outside of work.

If you're someone who has to love what they do, then by all means keep searching until you find it. If you want the higher paycheque at the end of the day, then do something that you can bare to get that money.

 

I agree Nitz, I respect people who can make a living doing something they love, but I can't do it. Unless they start paying people to landscape their own yards or maintain their own fishtanks, I guess I gotta do something I hate. I figure I may as well make good money at it. I used to have a job that paid well and I loved, but I can't stay in the Army forever, I hated Iraq and didnt ever want to go back so now I'm doing the best I can with the hand I've been dealt.