Have you ever started your own business?

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With an unemployment rate of 90+% among aspies, it almost seems like there's no other choice if you want to work (And I'd imagine many want to!). So, have you ever started your own business and what was it about? How well did you do, if you don't mind me asking?

If I had $250,000 dollars I would find something to invest it in. Not sure what right now. I would like to invest in memorabilia, maybe. That stuff always has a market.

In early 2009, I was saying oil. Alas, I didn't have the money to invest.

For now... Hmmmm... let's see, who benefits from increasing transportation costs? Local suppliers of goods with high "shipping-cost/value" ratios. Of course, that would've been best to invest in said suppliers *before* transportation costs skyrocketed.

What else is happening according to my crystal ball? Average *real* incomes in developed countries are decreasing, while average *real* incomes in developing countries are increasing and this is trend that'll will continue over the next few decades. I'd suggest invest in China, or something indexed to China's success.

(Just thought I'd share my economic wisdom just in case you find 250,000 in unmarked bills in a black suitcase near a park bench one of these days,lol.)

I wouldn't invest in a foreign market right now. The economy is too iffy. What about gold or silver?

Gold and silver (Along with other metals) seem basically tied to exchange rates and oil prices -- oil prices because oil and its petrol derivatives are the largest expense in running a mining business (And thus determine the minimum cost of extraction) and exchange rates because it's a readily globally trade-able good. I'd have to analyze the historic price movements to get a more exact relationship between those two main variables, but I suspect they're fairly tightly related. So, at this point, I wouldn't know if gold or silver would be a good investment because I don't know where oil prices nor exchange rates are heading in the longterm (Though, over the next decade, oil prices are most likely going to keep increasing with increasing demand from China and India and declining oil output all over the world.). I'm suspecting that the gold/oil price ratio is higher than the historical average mainly due to inflation worries and the old investment adages, so I'm suspecting it probably wouldn't have the best longterm return on value at this point in time, but that's just arm-chair speculation.

But, hey, people always say they're a good inflation hedge! (Although, personally, for an inflation hedge, I'd probably invest in a staple commodity that has no chance of going down in price in the future that has an infinite lifespan; I say that because metals have historically shown volatility. Something like hershey's candy bars in terms of the ever-increasing price behavior that's tied to inflation, but with a much longer shelf-life. Maybe cases of coca-cola soda? Heh. Maybe just sugar in general? *wonders if sugar spoils*)

Last edited by swbluto on 23 May 2011, 1:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

If you want a challenge, you can always try futures markets.

I could.

Yes, I run my own, for almost 3 years now. It's kind of tied into my obsession - plants/horticulture I have an online free encyclopedia on tropical pomology (fruit-bearing plants/trees) to which I am always adding species entries. As for the 'business' (money-making) part - I identify species in the wild, grow them myself, or import them, and make self-designed supplement products. Ones I intend to use myself. I then open them up for sale to other people through my website once they seem to do what I want them to.

The only really big investment I made was for a professional website - SEO, nice formatting, shopping cart, etc.

I left my last "job" (in quotes because how can anyone take retail seriously) because I got fired for inadvertantly being a pushover for a customer - was kind of the final "I'll never function in the workplace" straw for me. Self-employ so much less stressful than those years I spent working for other people. Yes the economy is terrible, absolutely. Starting any business is a big risk, it takes a few years to get going, and one has to be adaptable. As with any success in anything it also takes a great deal of LUCK as well. (most company success rhetoric leaves out 'luck' - IMO it's a main player). Right now, it's paying all the bills, food, house projects, and it appears to be growing well.

My only advice to Aspies and people with difficult to employ mental states like ADHD - set it up so you are doing what you like, talking about the thing you love. Make for yourself an environment where you can really unfold your obsessiveness into pragmatic expertise. Self-employment has always been my goal since 2002- but it took me years of meandering (while employed elsewhere) to figure out the proper subject and arrangement to keep my interest.

Right now I don't know if I ever will be able to run my own business. I've been deflected to the direction of finances, namely auditing, for this is what my father makes money from. He runs his own business, I'm somewhat expected to take over. Maybe I could deal with this, maybe not. Usually I don't do my things on my own, except when I'm dealing with my solitary interests, which I do the most, to be honest. They are not highly productive, to say the least. I have a dim idea of putting to good use both my financial and computer knowledge, because this combination is still a little scarce on the market. But this wouldn't be my own business, after all.

Right now I'd probably take the easier option and invest in foreign currency.


+ Probably a good time to sell (maybe hold out a bit) gold but not a good time to buy, unless you plan on selling it within a year for a small profit. (Guesstimates)

All information is intended for discussion only, and is not meant to be taken as financial advice. I accept no liability for any damage caused.