poet
10-02-2008, 09:33 PM
Hi all,
This forum is great! I hope to get to that point soon where I jump off and start a business online soon. I would love some input on my potential muse, as well as how to do market research. My areas of interest seem a little different than what I have been reading so far in the posts (though may have missed some) as they are focused on the education field, the local region I live in, and parents. Many posts seem to be focused on business processes, which would be great, but I really have no experience in that area.
First, some general areas of expertise are in:
*K12 education (teacher for years, and have a MA in Education
*Parenthood and Work/life balance
*Communities (I am obsessed with the city.data forum), particularly my own region in California
*Public policy
A few ideas on my muse:
*Jobsite for professional moms (many who are well qualified, but want more flexible schedule, or to work part-time)
*Educational Toys (wooden, Montessori, or Waldorf)
*Parents forum for my region
*green education products, such as environmental curriculum for preschoolers (which I could create)
*Information on comparing education practices worldwide
*Site with list of playgrounds/kid activities in the local area with amazon style reviews
*Website with education policy news on it (set up like Drudge report)
My challenges:
1. My interests, and my lifelong pattern has been to NOT focus on things that make money, but things that contribute to the "social good". However, I need to make money now. Is it feasible for me to make money with the types of muses I have above? This is truly a new area for me to explore!
2. I would like to do market research before launching into something, and even before "testing" the product. I haven't been able to find very reliable information online about researching the markets for the areas above (selling toys and curriculum, jobsites such as SimplyHired, Forums, information on education practices and policy, parent sites - especially since there are so many of these already). My google searches mostly come up with reports that require payment. It seems like my customers would mostly be parents and education-related people such as schools.
3. Any thoughts about which of these muses seems the best candidate for something that will make money? Would selling products to schools be a nightmare?
Would love to get your input, including critiques. Thanks!
This forum is great! I hope to get to that point soon where I jump off and start a business online soon. I would love some input on my potential muse, as well as how to do market research. My areas of interest seem a little different than what I have been reading so far in the posts (though may have missed some) as they are focused on the education field, the local region I live in, and parents. Many posts seem to be focused on business processes, which would be great, but I really have no experience in that area.
First, some general areas of expertise are in:
*K12 education (teacher for years, and have a MA in Education
*Parenthood and Work/life balance
*Communities (I am obsessed with the city.data forum), particularly my own region in California
*Public policy
A few ideas on my muse:
*Jobsite for professional moms (many who are well qualified, but want more flexible schedule, or to work part-time)
*Educational Toys (wooden, Montessori, or Waldorf)
*Parents forum for my region
*green education products, such as environmental curriculum for preschoolers (which I could create)
*Information on comparing education practices worldwide
*Site with list of playgrounds/kid activities in the local area with amazon style reviews
*Website with education policy news on it (set up like Drudge report)
My challenges:
1. My interests, and my lifelong pattern has been to NOT focus on things that make money, but things that contribute to the "social good". However, I need to make money now. Is it feasible for me to make money with the types of muses I have above? This is truly a new area for me to explore!
2. I would like to do market research before launching into something, and even before "testing" the product. I haven't been able to find very reliable information online about researching the markets for the areas above (selling toys and curriculum, jobsites such as SimplyHired, Forums, information on education practices and policy, parent sites - especially since there are so many of these already). My google searches mostly come up with reports that require payment. It seems like my customers would mostly be parents and education-related people such as schools.
3. Any thoughts about which of these muses seems the best candidate for something that will make money? Would selling products to schools be a nightmare?
Would love to get your input, including critiques. Thanks!