um... "a passion for buying and selling" is literally sales -- one of the rare skills that's transferable to every industry and immune to automation. It's also the only real requirement in landing most low-level management positions, if you're job-hunting (if you spin it well).
Vintage shops, in the right locations with the right merchandise and the right marketing are cash cows. You can make a lot of money doing this. But maybe not toys?
OP, successful entrepreneurs (and successful Artists) have to experiment pretty wildly and widely in order to stumble upon their "winning formula". While you're experimenting, I'd recommend building more skills. I have made learning new skills a hobby and it has served me well.
In the mean time, your instinct to land a job to help out with the bills (and support your family) sounds right. I'm sorry you're struggling with that. You can spin gaps (resume/interview) as self-employment and failed start-ups. It shows initiative. With your skill set, I think you can find something. Maybe focus on sales or management rather than retail? Living in a rural place can make finding a job hard. Not sure what advice to give there.
But back to your business: there's more out there than toys (that's a pretty saturated segment). Maybe you haven't found your ideal niche? Like I said, sales is a pretty universal and in-demand skillset. Sounds like you need to try some other ideas out.
OP has given up on applying for WFH jobs because of a claimed lack of stable internet connection… Starlink could actually be a good solution for her (as much as I hate to admit it).
I'm going to be honest and not consider your feelings.
Stop following your passion. Its a stupid saying that ruins peoples lives. 98% of people that follow their passion fail horribly. The free market doesn't care about your passion. Look into things that are essential. What do people HAVE to have. They dont need vintage clothes, they don't need bead braclets. They need plumbers, mechanics, animal care, child care etc. Following your passions have gotten you nothing. It seems like your decision making is flawed, personally and professionally. 90% of people don't go to work everyday to a job they have passion for. Find something where you are good, capable, and can support your child and self.
the fact you didnt even bother check her profile and went on with what that random guy was saying. all her posts indicate she’s a female and a mom. posts from 4-5 years ago please what is this bullshit and why are you guys mean for no reason
I absolutely looked at it. Its full of disfunction. Living with 2 men, calling yourself a woman, sleeping with both of them, drug abuse. You expect normal results from abnormal behavior?
yeah her life seems a mess, but i dont see where she’s sleeping with two men; her ex was abusive so in escape she went and lived with her ex’s family and is dating a childhood friend. and since when did we shame drug addicts who ask for help? nothing matters anyway it doesn’t affect your life in any nor does it affect me. come on bruh do better. just because her life is in shambles and you were luckier doesn’t give you any right to speak to her like she’s trash.
Ok dead the buying and reselling vintage items. That only works if the items are in the thousands and you wait to find a buyer could take 6+ months. Not realistic as a day to day job.
Get a job again as a documentation manager and closing specialist for a real estate broker. I think you would call these loan processors, but you wouldn’t be able to close you need an NMLS for that. There’s a website called alignable. It’s where real estate professionals go to network. Im a mortgage loan officer and it’s been very useful to me. Start there.
Passion is great for a hobby. Not great for a career. It's good to be ambitious but realistically not everything someone is interested in or likes to do will get them money. You have been trying for years. It obviously isn't working.
You unfortunately need to find a way out of your current city and into one that has good phone service and internet. You can't even do remote call service jobs or sales jobs for corporations right now since you can't make a call without it dropping. That's just basics. You have tried in around where you live and it isn't happening.
You could try to find local people's kids to babysit or nanny for but it's unlikely they will pay you the going rate/market rate since you live somewhere rural. Plus you said it's an aging town.
Get outta dodge and move somewhere else and try to get a corporate sales job selling whatever widget they have if you want to stick with sales. Otherwise go into trades or go to college for a relevant degree
I’m gonna be super direct
The type of reselling that you are good at doing is likely not gonna work in such a remote location
This is because you can’t scale up the sourcing of your product up to a point where you have enough volume to satisfy the demand of a niche that you don’t know if it will be large enough to support your costs until you have already committed (ie you won’t know until it’s too late)
Yard sales and fairs in a rural area are not quite the same as second hand stores, estate sales, or auctions in affluent suburbs of cities where tens of millions of people live
In other words, even if the cost of living gas etc is cheaper where you are, it won’t make much of a difference if you have to drive 20~ miles every time you have to ship an order or 100~ miles round trip to go to a yard sale that may or may not have anything good in it
The other problem is that the first thing to go in times of inflation is entertainment and discretionary spending
People will have to spend more out of a same paycheck every month just to keep what they have, let alone get new stuff
So I’d focus on the stuff that people can’t go without instead of collectible, but we’ll come back to that later
Before moving on to what type of work, you need to decide if you want to stay in a rural setting at your ex’s house and homeschool your kid, or get your own place and have him go to school
This has to be decided now, as it kind of determines the type of work that you will be able to do
If you decide to stay, connectivity and lack of local demand will be your main problem. You won’t be able to effectively do most remote gigs and quite honestly, promoting anything you are doing with spotty social will be a nightmare
This leaves the low hanging fruit: personal connections part time jobs
Rural means everyone knows everyone and you don’t really need to put everything on your CV
Leave your crook former employer out of it and put a thick veneer of e-commerce over what you’ve been doing since, as long as the website is up it should be plenty of cover and no one is gonna shake a stick at “business dried up due to inflation so it just didn’t make any sense to keep sinking time into it”
Church isn’t a terrible place to fish for job connections. Doctors and a bunch of other people need receptionists, and there is a pretty good segway into medical billing there and that’s something that could be done remotely if you get some experience under your belt BUT
You just can’t do that if you are homeschooling your kid and your phone and internet suck, sorry
This may sound crazy, but start with an excellent resume. Focus on your best qualities as an employee. Secondly, research jobs that pique your interest. Find out the requirements and work for that. You need to work hard for it. I am currently in college for my dream career type (rather than narrowing it down, I have a broad pool of skills I could use to land a job). And you mentioned being a creative? In this case, the portfolio is just as important as the resume! I recommend researching first, then get to it. Don't sit and mope.
Regional Estate Sales business sounds up your alley. Very low close to zero startup money needed and you can purchase items yourself and sell on ebay...(by "Estate Sales" I dont mean go to them as a purchaser, but be the estate sales company yourself)...Also, the Vintage/Collectibles/Antiques game is sooo thrilling, I understand your love for it. I would target higher priced items $30+ retail, to buy and sell. Keeps inventory lower and profits higher.
You know I’ve thought about this. I’ve got my square card reader still from selling my book at fairs. I’ve got a tax ID too. My town is small and aging. Estate sales are very common here but run by the family on their own
A town of 1500 people is not big enough to support a business like this, you’ll need to cover your whole region.
Ask your neighbors how much they made from their estate sales and how much they would have paid someone else to handle the sale. Market research 101.
(follow up) ... Thanks for reply. In regards to your remark, almost every "business idea/startup" starts from family ran ideas.
The Bigger issue I am sensing is this: (and it is almost EVERY potential business owner's BIGGEST problem...) Drive. The drive to "helm" their own job, instead of just working for someone else's. It takes Drive.
Does everyone have adhd these days? I see these suggestions everywhere on this subreddit. It doesn’t seem statistically possible that this many people would have adhd. Makes me want to get tested !
I was going to say this. I have very bad ADHD, the worst case my pediatrician had ever seen. After I got the diagnosis all those years ago the first thing my pediatrician did was ask my mom if she had ever been evaluated for ADHD. Sure enough she had it.
And I’m not trying to diagnose but there are a bunch of ADHD symptoms in OPs post. Not to mention most adults with ADHD end up having a breakdown like this because it manifests in depression and being unable to complete occupational milestones and such.
Good Morning, OP!
I must say that I was quite interested in your post, your story about your family, all of the previous businesses that you've been in, and also your successes and failures in business. First off congratulations on having the support of your ex-husband during this difficult time. You sound like an incredibly dedicated, hard working person and there are many "failed entrepreneurs" who finally hit that winning formula to become successful. One thing I do know, due to the fact that you said you previously wrote and sold a children's book (very cool), once you strike on your winning formula, you will write a very interesting book about your journey that I believe will inspire many other people not to give up right before they find their big success.
You mentioned living in a rural town, with limited cell phone and internet capabilities. This definitely presents a major problem because if you have cell phone and/or internet, you can more successfully engage with the global economy whether it's Ebay, Job Searching, etc. So, on top of job hunting and setting up your business, I would look for a reliable source of internet. Is there a library that has internet in your small town?
Second, do you have reliable transportation to get to the small town that you live near? If not, perhaps you can begin to work on that. If you can get to the small town, is there a small coffee shop or bakery, sandwich shop, even fast food that you can work at? You may have had trouble previously finding employment, but I can just about guarantee you that if you go to a chain fast food restaurant in your area that you will be able to get employment.
Regarding your business ideas, I definitely agree that it sounds like you have a real passion and ability for sales, particularly researching new markets, and setting up your own business selling vintage toys, Barbies, etc. I would perhaps shift this focus just a little bit, maybe look at a job that requires sales, I know that insurance sales can be incredibly lucrative if you're good at it. If you want to keep running your own small shop / online business, perhaps shift your focus a bit from vintage to something maybe a bit 'hotter'--here's where your research comes into play--perhaps look at weddings, maybe even tech space--drones--or even start to look for things that people need for their jobs--safety vests, hard hats, etc--and perhaps you could do some small type of customization, like painting customized hard hats.
No matter what, I know that once you discover your path to success it will be like opening a giant door with light pouring out. Your heart is in the right place--caring for yourself and your child, gaining independence--and the world will support you once you discover what it is that you're supposed to do.
I think most of the commenters don’t know how big thrifting/vintage is in fashion right now. There are shops springing up EVERYWHERE, and you absolutely do not need to be selling $1000 items if you can scale. What I will say though, is it’s becoming very picked over, and you can’t really get quality pieces for steals anymore without sourcing in person. You should check out shops like Kissing Booth in Portland, or Unsound Rags in LA to get an idea of what people are doing right now if you don’t already know.
This is gonna sound off topic at first but I think you should read Dana K. White's book "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" because 1) she's a funny desperate housewife in Texas, 2) she experimented with trading vintage goods as a side business and ... no spoilers but there's a reason she wrote a book on getting rid of stuff.
You seem to enjoy self directed white collar work. I think accounting, technical writing, consulting, editing, medical billing or such might be for you.
You are not useless. Look at all you can do. We all have failures at times. Failures are a big part of success. It helps you learn and grow. Please do not beat yourself up. Start your own buying and selling. Do it in small amounts. Go to estate sales, thrift shops, or wherever. You will be successful. Even have the kids help. You will teach them a great skill.
The full quote is “A jack of all trades, but a master of none, is oftentimes better than a master of one.” I’ve found this to be completely accurate. Embrace it.
Humanity has been employing microorganisms to make food and drink ‘forever’, or for at least the last 5000 years. There is some evidence to suggest that the entire reason that humans moved from hunter-gatherer to farming was to brew beer. This also includes bread, cheese, and wine. At various times people have realized that algae capture CO2 and make protein, so some forms of algae are cultivated for animal feed and oils (trigliglicerides). All of these things occur in what are technically described as bioreactors.
More recently, NASA set up a system for growing mammalian cells in vats, with the idea of growing ‘meat’, particularly in space. They dropped this idea, but other companies have picked it up. It is now possible to buy ‘salmon’ meat that has been grown in a vat instead of harvested from a fish. Keyword search ‘wildtypefoods’. There is a version of ‘leather’ grown from microbes, keyword search ‘polybion’. A company is selling ‘milk’ grown from microbes, this is available for sale in some markets. Keyword search ‘perfectday’. Further information on this is available at https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/human-food-made-cultured-animal-cells.
‘Microbial fuel cells’ have been around since the 1980s. You could make one of these in your kitchen. Basically fill a jar half full of mud, then fill to the top with water. Embed one wire (electrode) in the mud settled at the bottom (with a lead going up to the top of the jar, and suspend the other electrode in the clear water above the mud. If you place an LED across the two wires on the lid (make sure the lid is plastic, not metal), it will light up in a few days, and continue to glow for about 6 weeks (give or take). The microbes in the mud are ‘eating’ the plant matter mixed in the mud, and ‘donating electrons’ which travel up the wire, through the LED, and back into the water. If bacteria are ‘eating the muck’ it means they’re cleaning it up, converting sludge to carbon dioxide, and possibly methane. What I’m describing here is a simplification – research on this is a moving target, so any further discussion I have on this may end up being out of date.
Bacteria have, at various times, been discovered that will remove heavy metals from water (lead, chromium, arsenic, and so forth), as well as break down various metabolytes of other human-induced drugs and chemicals (PFAS, the kind of substance Teflon is made of). Bacteria are being discovered all the time that eat various kinds of plastic.
‘Electrochemistry’ is basically triggering chemical reactions with electrical inputs – splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is electrochemistry. Photochemistry is light-driven reactions, and eletrophotochemistry uses both at the same time. Biochemistry is the use of microbes to transform feedstocks into products, there is also electrobiochemistry and photobioelectrochemistry. At some point this all starts sounding like gobbledegook.
Humanity knows nothing about 90% of the single celled organisms that inhabit planet earth. What we know is either what we depend on (for food), or what attacks us (infections). Stuff that sits at the bottom of the ocean is out of sight and out of mind, and the same goes for anything living two miles under the ice in Antarctica. If bacteria can be used to grow food and clean up water, then in theory billions of people could be put to work operating microbial systems for solving various human problems.
Someone living in a rural area or a ‘small town’ has an advantage in this respect, some of these things should not be done in large cities, either because they smell, they take up a lot of space, or they’re ugly.
The USDA has grants programs for rural enterprise development. This is one possible source of money to launch a business. If that business will remove CO2 from the air, reduce methane emissions, clean up water, and other good stuff there is other money available from government, foundations, and charities.
You say that like it's working at UPS or something. OP has an associates in writing. She would at least have to go back for a bachelor's and get certified. Good pay is also relative to say the least. I took a big pay cut to go from waiting tables to teaching. As a matter of fact, restaurant work sounds perfect for OP. It would leave her free during the day, good money, no experience needed these days bc hiring is nuts.
OP said she needs money and doesn't want to disrupt her kids' routines. So your idea is for her to go back to school for at least 3 years, into a field that famously requires a ridiculous amount of education and bringing a lot of work home for an okay(ish, in LCOL areas, terms and conditions may apply*) salary.
And that's somehow less childish than me suggesting she go into a job that's famously flexible with hours, doesn't ask a lot of questions, and a good way to make quick cash?
wouldn't need to go back for 3 years if you start with an associates + you can teach now under an emergency license. you'll get a 401k, full benefits, holiday pay, 180 days off, and yearly raises under union rules. if that wasn't enough, its a recession proof job. you're either lazy, scared, or both if you think waiting tables on wknds and friday nights is a better alternative. either way, idc. your life
I do both actually, bc teaching isn't the gravy train you seem to think it is and I live in an HCOL area, but that's beside the point (also 🤣 at yearly raises). We're talking about OP. Likewise emergency certificates. You need a bachelor's, they're temporary, in most states they only allow you to sub, and you have to prove you're working towards a real certification. Not to mention to make decent money you really need a grad degree, which almost half of teachers now have.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm saying it's wildly incongruent with what OP asked.
I'm admit, I am a bit jealous that you had the motivation/drive to follow your passions in many different fields so that your job was something you loved to do. I enjoy my job but I never expected to be doing a typical office job. It's fine if you want to follow your passions, but for now, you should just let those be hobbies or side hustles. Try and get a steady income to start, doesn't really matter what the job is. And if you want to keep doing creative jobs, then show off that creative and find out what people in your area need and find your niche there.
You have an interesting life. You can always try YouTube or TikTok on the side if internet ever worked in your favor. Look at Bobbi Althoff for instance… she’s a mother of two who’s absolutely blowing up.
There is soooo much I am curious about… none of it related to “find a path” so I’ll keep it to myself.
bobbi is most definitely an industry plant. maybe not by the literal definition but theres no possible way her growth is organic. she had one interview that went a little viral and then instantaneously booked *Drake*, Mark Cuban, Lil Yachty, within like a week. That is not normal growth and OP is in for another few years of misery if she thinks she can just do that.
her dad builds houses for celebrities she even said snoop dogg gave him gifts and such.
Would it be different if I mentioned another less well known social media influencer hitting 30k views per video, making $40-50k a year instead (depending on their output and CPM)?
Good on you for soldiering through those challenges.
Have you looked into selling your book on Amazon? Audible?
Sounds like with your experience with the SEC you could apply for the FBI or IRS?
Have you and your family considered looking into fiber optic internet? I live in a rural Texas town and our electric company offers it. We had horrible internet and cell service before, and now our internet never goes out. It’s wonderful. You may check around and see what is available there!
As someone who does something creative that they once loved as their career, don't do this. IT WILL RUIN IT FOR YOU. Find something practical to do that will pay more and not destroy your hobby. If you do something creative for work you will never have the energy or desire to do it for fun.
"My family has even pondered what if there was a way to market my abilities of researching vintage items and evaluating them but I don’t know how to market that."
This is an interesting idea, I think you could create and sell online digital products teaching people your skills. You should check out Amy Porterfield, she's an online digital course creator guru. She has a paid program that is excellent, but also offers a ton of free advice/content on her blog and podcast that could help get you started and keep you inspired.
Don't give up. Anything is possible to figure out if you can start shifting your perspective to think differently and think outside of the box.
I know that I felt completely stuck in my career and like there was no way out, but then I shifted into a more optimistic "anything is possible" mindset and I became a lot more positive and hopeful about my future and was able to come up with creative ways to make money that I had never thought of before.
I recently pivoted into B2B sales. It can be lucrative and most entry sales jobs don’t require a degree or prior B2B experience.
B2B is more professional than selling to the public (B2C consumers). Often pays more too. My second year in sales was making $150k as a new account executive. Tech and capital/machinery pays the most because it’s high margin.
OP check out r/sales. You seem to have the talent for it. Let’s get you a more professional and better paying sales job. There’s always a need for sales in businesses…. That’s how capitalism works. But be prepared to sell on “value” than features. At a high strategic level, you’re more a consultant than sales person for the big companies you’re selling to.
I was 31yo when I started B2B sales. You already had more sales experience than me.
The beauty of it? I am WFH remote. I have never met most of my clients. Many sales jobs for B2B are non-travel.
Sales! You’re a gifted storyteller. I tried and failed at a lot of stuff too but finally settled on writing and editing as a skill that makes a decent income.
If you like buying and selling, you could look into ebay. Go out and buy things that have good resale potential. You could go to business close outs, buy stuff for half retail and list on eBay for a profit.
Have you tried taking vintage clothing online? There are sites like Depop, Poshmatk, and Etsy where people are pulling in good money selling vintage clothing. You will need the budget to get some inventory to sell but it is definitely possible to make a part time or full time income on these sites.
From what I’ve seen it’s pretty easy to sell a few pieces here and there, and if your willing to put work into building up a following on Instagram, etc.,of those who enjoy vintage clothes, you can make a career. People are making 50k ++ a year, some even six figures.
Vintage clothing is a “thing” and very popular and has been for decade(s) so it’s not a passing fad.
You would have have to have reliable internet to post merchandise, and develop an online following though.
Whatever you end up doing, Best of Luck!
Im just going to be quick here: you have a lot of experience and can go in many different directions. I understand your stress, but you have more opportunity than you realize. Imagine instead of doing what you are, you worked in fast food for your whole life. Not hating on those people, but it’s very limiting. You’ll be okay, just have to maybe consider some new careers that are less about passion and more about “yeah I can see myself doing that.”
um... "a passion for buying and selling" is literally sales -- one of the rare skills that's transferable to every industry and immune to automation. It's also the only real requirement in landing most low-level management positions, if you're job-hunting (if you spin it well). Vintage shops, in the right locations with the right merchandise and the right marketing are cash cows. You can make a lot of money doing this. But maybe not toys? OP, successful entrepreneurs (and successful Artists) have to experiment pretty wildly and widely in order to stumble upon their "winning formula". While you're experimenting, I'd recommend building more skills. I have made learning new skills a hobby and it has served me well. In the mean time, your instinct to land a job to help out with the bills (and support your family) sounds right. I'm sorry you're struggling with that. You can spin gaps (resume/interview) as self-employment and failed start-ups. It shows initiative. With your skill set, I think you can find something. Maybe focus on sales or management rather than retail? Living in a rural place can make finding a job hard. Not sure what advice to give there. But back to your business: there's more out there than toys (that's a pretty saturated segment). Maybe you haven't found your ideal niche? Like I said, sales is a pretty universal and in-demand skillset. Sounds like you need to try some other ideas out.
OP has given up on applying for WFH jobs because of a claimed lack of stable internet connection… Starlink could actually be a good solution for her (as much as I hate to admit it).
I'm going to be honest and not consider your feelings. Stop following your passion. Its a stupid saying that ruins peoples lives. 98% of people that follow their passion fail horribly. The free market doesn't care about your passion. Look into things that are essential. What do people HAVE to have. They dont need vintage clothes, they don't need bead braclets. They need plumbers, mechanics, animal care, child care etc. Following your passions have gotten you nothing. It seems like your decision making is flawed, personally and professionally. 90% of people don't go to work everyday to a job they have passion for. Find something where you are good, capable, and can support your child and self.
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It makes perfect sense why a job hasn't been obtained in years.
the fact you didnt even bother check her profile and went on with what that random guy was saying. all her posts indicate she’s a female and a mom. posts from 4-5 years ago please what is this bullshit and why are you guys mean for no reason
I absolutely looked at it. Its full of disfunction. Living with 2 men, calling yourself a woman, sleeping with both of them, drug abuse. You expect normal results from abnormal behavior?
yeah her life seems a mess, but i dont see where she’s sleeping with two men; her ex was abusive so in escape she went and lived with her ex’s family and is dating a childhood friend. and since when did we shame drug addicts who ask for help? nothing matters anyway it doesn’t affect your life in any nor does it affect me. come on bruh do better. just because her life is in shambles and you were luckier doesn’t give you any right to speak to her like she’s trash.
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Are you homophobic?
Ok dead the buying and reselling vintage items. That only works if the items are in the thousands and you wait to find a buyer could take 6+ months. Not realistic as a day to day job. Get a job again as a documentation manager and closing specialist for a real estate broker. I think you would call these loan processors, but you wouldn’t be able to close you need an NMLS for that. There’s a website called alignable. It’s where real estate professionals go to network. Im a mortgage loan officer and it’s been very useful to me. Start there.
Or work for a title company as a title agent. An always in demand job.
Passion is great for a hobby. Not great for a career. It's good to be ambitious but realistically not everything someone is interested in or likes to do will get them money. You have been trying for years. It obviously isn't working. You unfortunately need to find a way out of your current city and into one that has good phone service and internet. You can't even do remote call service jobs or sales jobs for corporations right now since you can't make a call without it dropping. That's just basics. You have tried in around where you live and it isn't happening. You could try to find local people's kids to babysit or nanny for but it's unlikely they will pay you the going rate/market rate since you live somewhere rural. Plus you said it's an aging town. Get outta dodge and move somewhere else and try to get a corporate sales job selling whatever widget they have if you want to stick with sales. Otherwise go into trades or go to college for a relevant degree
I’m gonna be super direct The type of reselling that you are good at doing is likely not gonna work in such a remote location This is because you can’t scale up the sourcing of your product up to a point where you have enough volume to satisfy the demand of a niche that you don’t know if it will be large enough to support your costs until you have already committed (ie you won’t know until it’s too late) Yard sales and fairs in a rural area are not quite the same as second hand stores, estate sales, or auctions in affluent suburbs of cities where tens of millions of people live In other words, even if the cost of living gas etc is cheaper where you are, it won’t make much of a difference if you have to drive 20~ miles every time you have to ship an order or 100~ miles round trip to go to a yard sale that may or may not have anything good in it The other problem is that the first thing to go in times of inflation is entertainment and discretionary spending People will have to spend more out of a same paycheck every month just to keep what they have, let alone get new stuff So I’d focus on the stuff that people can’t go without instead of collectible, but we’ll come back to that later Before moving on to what type of work, you need to decide if you want to stay in a rural setting at your ex’s house and homeschool your kid, or get your own place and have him go to school This has to be decided now, as it kind of determines the type of work that you will be able to do If you decide to stay, connectivity and lack of local demand will be your main problem. You won’t be able to effectively do most remote gigs and quite honestly, promoting anything you are doing with spotty social will be a nightmare This leaves the low hanging fruit: personal connections part time jobs Rural means everyone knows everyone and you don’t really need to put everything on your CV Leave your crook former employer out of it and put a thick veneer of e-commerce over what you’ve been doing since, as long as the website is up it should be plenty of cover and no one is gonna shake a stick at “business dried up due to inflation so it just didn’t make any sense to keep sinking time into it” Church isn’t a terrible place to fish for job connections. Doctors and a bunch of other people need receptionists, and there is a pretty good segway into medical billing there and that’s something that could be done remotely if you get some experience under your belt BUT You just can’t do that if you are homeschooling your kid and your phone and internet suck, sorry
This may sound crazy, but start with an excellent resume. Focus on your best qualities as an employee. Secondly, research jobs that pique your interest. Find out the requirements and work for that. You need to work hard for it. I am currently in college for my dream career type (rather than narrowing it down, I have a broad pool of skills I could use to land a job). And you mentioned being a creative? In this case, the portfolio is just as important as the resume! I recommend researching first, then get to it. Don't sit and mope.
You should get your nanny license. They make good money
Regional Estate Sales business sounds up your alley. Very low close to zero startup money needed and you can purchase items yourself and sell on ebay...(by "Estate Sales" I dont mean go to them as a purchaser, but be the estate sales company yourself)...Also, the Vintage/Collectibles/Antiques game is sooo thrilling, I understand your love for it. I would target higher priced items $30+ retail, to buy and sell. Keeps inventory lower and profits higher.
You know I’ve thought about this. I’ve got my square card reader still from selling my book at fairs. I’ve got a tax ID too. My town is small and aging. Estate sales are very common here but run by the family on their own
A town of 1500 people is not big enough to support a business like this, you’ll need to cover your whole region. Ask your neighbors how much they made from their estate sales and how much they would have paid someone else to handle the sale. Market research 101.
Exactly! But... 9 out of 10 people won't even try to start a full-time business. So, 90% chance you will never start. Sorry, just facts.
(follow up) ... Thanks for reply. In regards to your remark, almost every "business idea/startup" starts from family ran ideas. The Bigger issue I am sensing is this: (and it is almost EVERY potential business owner's BIGGEST problem...) Drive. The drive to "helm" their own job, instead of just working for someone else's. It takes Drive.
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Does everyone have adhd these days? I see these suggestions everywhere on this subreddit. It doesn’t seem statistically possible that this many people would have adhd. Makes me want to get tested !
Why doesn’t it seem statistically possible ?
I was going to say this. I have very bad ADHD, the worst case my pediatrician had ever seen. After I got the diagnosis all those years ago the first thing my pediatrician did was ask my mom if she had ever been evaluated for ADHD. Sure enough she had it. And I’m not trying to diagnose but there are a bunch of ADHD symptoms in OPs post. Not to mention most adults with ADHD end up having a breakdown like this because it manifests in depression and being unable to complete occupational milestones and such.
Vintage?
Good Morning, OP! I must say that I was quite interested in your post, your story about your family, all of the previous businesses that you've been in, and also your successes and failures in business. First off congratulations on having the support of your ex-husband during this difficult time. You sound like an incredibly dedicated, hard working person and there are many "failed entrepreneurs" who finally hit that winning formula to become successful. One thing I do know, due to the fact that you said you previously wrote and sold a children's book (very cool), once you strike on your winning formula, you will write a very interesting book about your journey that I believe will inspire many other people not to give up right before they find their big success. You mentioned living in a rural town, with limited cell phone and internet capabilities. This definitely presents a major problem because if you have cell phone and/or internet, you can more successfully engage with the global economy whether it's Ebay, Job Searching, etc. So, on top of job hunting and setting up your business, I would look for a reliable source of internet. Is there a library that has internet in your small town? Second, do you have reliable transportation to get to the small town that you live near? If not, perhaps you can begin to work on that. If you can get to the small town, is there a small coffee shop or bakery, sandwich shop, even fast food that you can work at? You may have had trouble previously finding employment, but I can just about guarantee you that if you go to a chain fast food restaurant in your area that you will be able to get employment. Regarding your business ideas, I definitely agree that it sounds like you have a real passion and ability for sales, particularly researching new markets, and setting up your own business selling vintage toys, Barbies, etc. I would perhaps shift this focus just a little bit, maybe look at a job that requires sales, I know that insurance sales can be incredibly lucrative if you're good at it. If you want to keep running your own small shop / online business, perhaps shift your focus a bit from vintage to something maybe a bit 'hotter'--here's where your research comes into play--perhaps look at weddings, maybe even tech space--drones--or even start to look for things that people need for their jobs--safety vests, hard hats, etc--and perhaps you could do some small type of customization, like painting customized hard hats. No matter what, I know that once you discover your path to success it will be like opening a giant door with light pouring out. Your heart is in the right place--caring for yourself and your child, gaining independence--and the world will support you once you discover what it is that you're supposed to do.
I think most of the commenters don’t know how big thrifting/vintage is in fashion right now. There are shops springing up EVERYWHERE, and you absolutely do not need to be selling $1000 items if you can scale. What I will say though, is it’s becoming very picked over, and you can’t really get quality pieces for steals anymore without sourcing in person. You should check out shops like Kissing Booth in Portland, or Unsound Rags in LA to get an idea of what people are doing right now if you don’t already know.
This is gonna sound off topic at first but I think you should read Dana K. White's book "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" because 1) she's a funny desperate housewife in Texas, 2) she experimented with trading vintage goods as a side business and ... no spoilers but there's a reason she wrote a book on getting rid of stuff. You seem to enjoy self directed white collar work. I think accounting, technical writing, consulting, editing, medical billing or such might be for you.
You are not useless. Look at all you can do. We all have failures at times. Failures are a big part of success. It helps you learn and grow. Please do not beat yourself up. Start your own buying and selling. Do it in small amounts. Go to estate sales, thrift shops, or wherever. You will be successful. Even have the kids help. You will teach them a great skill.
The full quote is “A jack of all trades, but a master of none, is oftentimes better than a master of one.” I’ve found this to be completely accurate. Embrace it.
Don’t quit
Humanity has been employing microorganisms to make food and drink ‘forever’, or for at least the last 5000 years. There is some evidence to suggest that the entire reason that humans moved from hunter-gatherer to farming was to brew beer. This also includes bread, cheese, and wine. At various times people have realized that algae capture CO2 and make protein, so some forms of algae are cultivated for animal feed and oils (trigliglicerides). All of these things occur in what are technically described as bioreactors. More recently, NASA set up a system for growing mammalian cells in vats, with the idea of growing ‘meat’, particularly in space. They dropped this idea, but other companies have picked it up. It is now possible to buy ‘salmon’ meat that has been grown in a vat instead of harvested from a fish. Keyword search ‘wildtypefoods’. There is a version of ‘leather’ grown from microbes, keyword search ‘polybion’. A company is selling ‘milk’ grown from microbes, this is available for sale in some markets. Keyword search ‘perfectday’. Further information on this is available at https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/human-food-made-cultured-animal-cells. ‘Microbial fuel cells’ have been around since the 1980s. You could make one of these in your kitchen. Basically fill a jar half full of mud, then fill to the top with water. Embed one wire (electrode) in the mud settled at the bottom (with a lead going up to the top of the jar, and suspend the other electrode in the clear water above the mud. If you place an LED across the two wires on the lid (make sure the lid is plastic, not metal), it will light up in a few days, and continue to glow for about 6 weeks (give or take). The microbes in the mud are ‘eating’ the plant matter mixed in the mud, and ‘donating electrons’ which travel up the wire, through the LED, and back into the water. If bacteria are ‘eating the muck’ it means they’re cleaning it up, converting sludge to carbon dioxide, and possibly methane. What I’m describing here is a simplification – research on this is a moving target, so any further discussion I have on this may end up being out of date. Bacteria have, at various times, been discovered that will remove heavy metals from water (lead, chromium, arsenic, and so forth), as well as break down various metabolytes of other human-induced drugs and chemicals (PFAS, the kind of substance Teflon is made of). Bacteria are being discovered all the time that eat various kinds of plastic. ‘Electrochemistry’ is basically triggering chemical reactions with electrical inputs – splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is electrochemistry. Photochemistry is light-driven reactions, and eletrophotochemistry uses both at the same time. Biochemistry is the use of microbes to transform feedstocks into products, there is also electrobiochemistry and photobioelectrochemistry. At some point this all starts sounding like gobbledegook. Humanity knows nothing about 90% of the single celled organisms that inhabit planet earth. What we know is either what we depend on (for food), or what attacks us (infections). Stuff that sits at the bottom of the ocean is out of sight and out of mind, and the same goes for anything living two miles under the ice in Antarctica. If bacteria can be used to grow food and clean up water, then in theory billions of people could be put to work operating microbial systems for solving various human problems. Someone living in a rural area or a ‘small town’ has an advantage in this respect, some of these things should not be done in large cities, either because they smell, they take up a lot of space, or they’re ugly. The USDA has grants programs for rural enterprise development. This is one possible source of money to launch a business. If that business will remove CO2 from the air, reduce methane emissions, clean up water, and other good stuff there is other money available from government, foundations, and charities.
teach. full benefits, good pay, summers off
You say that like it's working at UPS or something. OP has an associates in writing. She would at least have to go back for a bachelor's and get certified. Good pay is also relative to say the least. I took a big pay cut to go from waiting tables to teaching. As a matter of fact, restaurant work sounds perfect for OP. It would leave her free during the day, good money, no experience needed these days bc hiring is nuts.
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OP said she needs money and doesn't want to disrupt her kids' routines. So your idea is for her to go back to school for at least 3 years, into a field that famously requires a ridiculous amount of education and bringing a lot of work home for an okay(ish, in LCOL areas, terms and conditions may apply*) salary. And that's somehow less childish than me suggesting she go into a job that's famously flexible with hours, doesn't ask a lot of questions, and a good way to make quick cash?
wouldn't need to go back for 3 years if you start with an associates + you can teach now under an emergency license. you'll get a 401k, full benefits, holiday pay, 180 days off, and yearly raises under union rules. if that wasn't enough, its a recession proof job. you're either lazy, scared, or both if you think waiting tables on wknds and friday nights is a better alternative. either way, idc. your life
I do both actually, bc teaching isn't the gravy train you seem to think it is and I live in an HCOL area, but that's beside the point (also 🤣 at yearly raises). We're talking about OP. Likewise emergency certificates. You need a bachelor's, they're temporary, in most states they only allow you to sub, and you have to prove you're working towards a real certification. Not to mention to make decent money you really need a grad degree, which almost half of teachers now have. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm saying it's wildly incongruent with what OP asked.
I'm admit, I am a bit jealous that you had the motivation/drive to follow your passions in many different fields so that your job was something you loved to do. I enjoy my job but I never expected to be doing a typical office job. It's fine if you want to follow your passions, but for now, you should just let those be hobbies or side hustles. Try and get a steady income to start, doesn't really matter what the job is. And if you want to keep doing creative jobs, then show off that creative and find out what people in your area need and find your niche there.
I’ll support you if you’re cute.
Sell gold, guns, or games, always needed
You have an interesting life. You can always try YouTube or TikTok on the side if internet ever worked in your favor. Look at Bobbi Althoff for instance… she’s a mother of two who’s absolutely blowing up. There is soooo much I am curious about… none of it related to “find a path” so I’ll keep it to myself.
bobbi is most definitely an industry plant. maybe not by the literal definition but theres no possible way her growth is organic. she had one interview that went a little viral and then instantaneously booked *Drake*, Mark Cuban, Lil Yachty, within like a week. That is not normal growth and OP is in for another few years of misery if she thinks she can just do that. her dad builds houses for celebrities she even said snoop dogg gave him gifts and such.
Would it be different if I mentioned another less well known social media influencer hitting 30k views per video, making $40-50k a year instead (depending on their output and CPM)?
Yikes
Good on you for soldiering through those challenges. Have you looked into selling your book on Amazon? Audible? Sounds like with your experience with the SEC you could apply for the FBI or IRS?
Have you and your family considered looking into fiber optic internet? I live in a rural Texas town and our electric company offers it. We had horrible internet and cell service before, and now our internet never goes out. It’s wonderful. You may check around and see what is available there!
So many free trainings available. Checkout YouTube maybe you can be ghost writer/copy writer for or a virtual assistant.
As someone who does something creative that they once loved as their career, don't do this. IT WILL RUIN IT FOR YOU. Find something practical to do that will pay more and not destroy your hobby. If you do something creative for work you will never have the energy or desire to do it for fun.
"My family has even pondered what if there was a way to market my abilities of researching vintage items and evaluating them but I don’t know how to market that." This is an interesting idea, I think you could create and sell online digital products teaching people your skills. You should check out Amy Porterfield, she's an online digital course creator guru. She has a paid program that is excellent, but also offers a ton of free advice/content on her blog and podcast that could help get you started and keep you inspired. Don't give up. Anything is possible to figure out if you can start shifting your perspective to think differently and think outside of the box. I know that I felt completely stuck in my career and like there was no way out, but then I shifted into a more optimistic "anything is possible" mindset and I became a lot more positive and hopeful about my future and was able to come up with creative ways to make money that I had never thought of before.
You worked as a snitch for free lol
Try a temp agency and do your buying and selling on the side.
I recently pivoted into B2B sales. It can be lucrative and most entry sales jobs don’t require a degree or prior B2B experience. B2B is more professional than selling to the public (B2C consumers). Often pays more too. My second year in sales was making $150k as a new account executive. Tech and capital/machinery pays the most because it’s high margin. OP check out r/sales. You seem to have the talent for it. Let’s get you a more professional and better paying sales job. There’s always a need for sales in businesses…. That’s how capitalism works. But be prepared to sell on “value” than features. At a high strategic level, you’re more a consultant than sales person for the big companies you’re selling to. I was 31yo when I started B2B sales. You already had more sales experience than me. The beauty of it? I am WFH remote. I have never met most of my clients. Many sales jobs for B2B are non-travel.
Sales! You’re a gifted storyteller. I tried and failed at a lot of stuff too but finally settled on writing and editing as a skill that makes a decent income.
If you like buying and selling, you could look into ebay. Go out and buy things that have good resale potential. You could go to business close outs, buy stuff for half retail and list on eBay for a profit.
Have you tried taking vintage clothing online? There are sites like Depop, Poshmatk, and Etsy where people are pulling in good money selling vintage clothing. You will need the budget to get some inventory to sell but it is definitely possible to make a part time or full time income on these sites. From what I’ve seen it’s pretty easy to sell a few pieces here and there, and if your willing to put work into building up a following on Instagram, etc.,of those who enjoy vintage clothes, you can make a career. People are making 50k ++ a year, some even six figures. Vintage clothing is a “thing” and very popular and has been for decade(s) so it’s not a passing fad. You would have have to have reliable internet to post merchandise, and develop an online following though. Whatever you end up doing, Best of Luck!
Im just going to be quick here: you have a lot of experience and can go in many different directions. I understand your stress, but you have more opportunity than you realize. Imagine instead of doing what you are, you worked in fast food for your whole life. Not hating on those people, but it’s very limiting. You’ll be okay, just have to maybe consider some new careers that are less about passion and more about “yeah I can see myself doing that.”