There used to be a time, not so long ago, that you would graduate high school or college, get a job and work there until age 65. Most jobs were in the industrial and manufacturing sector. Those jobs are fewer and far in between. Today, the vast majority of jobs can be found in the service and information sector. In a few short years the North American economy has gone from manufacturing to a knowledge – based economy.

Let’s assume that you are either unemployed or underemployed. You don’t see a future for yourself in the career path that you had once chosen. No one is hiring; jobs are scarce. What  are your options?

• You could sit at home and wait for an employer to call (I’ve been there; it’s not a pleasant feeling).
• Go back to school? It’s too expensive and takes too long. Don’t get me wrong; I believe in education, but in your situation you are looking to make money in a short period of time.
• Create something from what you know. Now there’s an idea. Imagine that you have created an ebook , online course, or other instructional product. You charge $25 for your product and you sell it to 100 customers. Do the math…would that help your financial situation at all?

The Next Step

• Start writing down your ideas of areas in which you are knowledgeable.
• Next to each area of knowledge write down potential informational product topics.
• Once you have potential topics, start researching to see whether or not there is a potential market. I like Google Adwords: Keyword Tool; it will give you a good idea of how many people have search for your potential product.
• Finally, pick a topic , get to work, and make money.

This approach may not be for everybody, but it might just be worth exploring. Just take a few minutes to write down your ideas. You never know where they might take you…

To receive the latest edition of Money In Your Jeans, please subscribe in the box below: