Turning Your Talent Into Your Own Business
One of the great ironies of human life is that so many people never get to do the work for which they’re best suited. Talents often go to waste, and the world is poorer as a result. Recent surveys indicate that people employed in areas where they have special talents are far more productive and much happier. If you’ve ever done sales training, you’ll appreciate the logic in this situation. Sales techniques geared to customer motivation are far more effective. Careers, too, are reinforced by motivation and sabotaged by the lack of it.
Enter the New Economy
In the past, personal talents were referred to as “hobbies.” Rather dismissively, they were sometimes called “amateur” pastimes, even as businesses. The New Economy is a very different ball game. Thanks to the internet and much better global communications, people can turn their talents into paying propositions. Many freelancers, in fact, work on that basis and do extremely well.
Some people are able to turn multiple talents into multiple businesses, with multiple income streams. Most work is outsourced, but some are direct suppliers of their products and services. It is interesting to note that in Australia alone, 25% of the workforce is believed to be self-employed.
The defining gifts of talents are their skills, and skills are the things most in demand in the New Economy. The simple fact is that talented people do better work, and the New Economy job market wants quality. Many of the “portfolio professions” like writing, graphic arts and media are performance-based, and a good portfolio can get you more work than a degree.
Another irrefutable fact is that highly talented people are also highly productive. They can do easily the things that others find hard, and they’re also usually innovators, with unique products and ideas. This means that the value of their work is much higher, both for themselves and for their business associates.
What’s Your Special Talent?
A real talent is a skill at which you truly excel. You do these things effortlessly and well, and enjoy doing them. Just about everybody has one or more talents, and it’s now very easy to put them into practical use. Whatever your personal talent, there is practically no limit to the possibilities of turning it into a paying career.
Many of the world’s most highly talented, successful people say that they don’t even consider their jobs to be a type of work. That’s a good indication of the best use of talent, where work becomes pleasure. When considering your own best talents, consider the things that you do best and enjoy most. These are your real strengths, the skills most likely to lead to success. If you think you need more training or experience, you’ve even got a perfectly good excuse to enjoy yourself while getting it!
Talent is a way out of the daily grind and the misery of mediocre jobs and lousy income brackets. Check out the professionals in your area of talent, and see how they got started. You’ll find that all they needed was a little persistence, and their talent did the rest.
If life is what you make it, your talents can make your life a dazzling success.
About the Author: Tim Millett is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including sales training.
