The Tribune

By Teri M. Bethel

Many great companies that exist today were born out of tough economic times. Most folks were motivated by desperation; others saw opportunity and reached for it. Though their options were few, they used what was available to make much out of little.

Today a lot of the same is happening. The traditional jobs are few, the bills won’t quit and of course everyone still needs to eat. So what do you do? Well here are two considerations: Do what you know or learn what you like.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well it is really. We often look at what we can’t do rather than investigating what we can do. Sometimes your idea and skill just takes a little bit of tweaking to make it that much better. Now if what you do know is not a great option, then consider doing what you have always wanted to do. Then work your skill to be good at it.

Reality check: You have a passion for something but you are not good at it? Do some market research to see if you have a shot at what you are hoping to do. Are you willing to invest time into becoming excellent?

For instance, you love to write and want to be the next and the best author of cook books. Well that’s fantastic, but can you cook or write? Or are you like the person who says they know that the food is done for sure when it is burnt and crusty? I assure you they will not have repeat dinner guests. Is your speech, grammar and writing ability up to acceptable English standards? To succeed is not impossible, but it will require an upgrade of your skills.

Today online training can be found for most areas we are interested in pursuing. With this access you can make definite steps towards learning or enhancing a skill and making it a great career. The beauty is you don’t have to quit your day job. Your classroom can now come to you rather than you trotting around the world looking for the perfect program.

As a former educator once said, “There are many talented teachers, but there are not very many teachers that can impart what they know effectively.”

With this in mind you will need to do your homework before jumping into a program. Research what students are saying about the course; is the instructor skilled; do they have experience in the area or do they just know the theory? Can you apply what your learned in the real world? Was it worth the investment and did the instructor impart the information effectively?

Once you have received the information, it’s all up to you to apply it. Your goal is to increase your earnings. To do so you may want to consider looking in to taking a course on the internet today.

• Teri M. Bethel is a texture painting and handbag instructor. She is the designer of Teri Monique Handbags, a line of custom made art purses for ladies. Visit us at:  http://www.paintwithtexture.com Tel: 242-676-4474