Hello, I’m a 29(F) looking for advice on what to do now as far as business. A little background:
I’ve been working for myself since I was 18 years old. Fresh out of Highschool, I started a cleaning business that did relatively well, so well that I sold the business about 5 years later.
However, right after that, COVID hit and well I had to utilize the majority of the money I made from the sale to live off of. For that reason, my second business which was a consulting company, never got a chance to take off.
When things got better and the world started opening back up, I decided to get into personal training and open up my own business, doing fitness and nutrition coaching. (yes I’m certified in both)
However, for the last 4 years it just hasn’t been able to provide me with the standard of living that I’m used to. I have no steady clients , and I’m just ready to move on from it now.
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I was making a lot of money when I had my cleaning business, I only sold it because we grew too fast, and I just couldn’t keep up and ended up being burnt out. Plus I was young, knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have ever sold it.
I have a ton of ideas on what I may want to try out next but a part of me feels like maybe I should just open up another cleaning company and call it a day. Idk, any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Money is not really an issue here, it’s more about direction at the moment.
But it certainly will be an issue if I can’t get it together. I just feel like with the economy being the way it is, idk where to go from here.
Thoughts?
Looking for Advice on how to Pivot in Business
byu/Minimum_Spring3904 inEntrepreneur
Posted by Minimum_Spring3904
3 Comments
You’re not stuck, you just switched to a harder business model.
Cleaning worked because:
– clear demand
– easy to sell
– people need it
Fitness didn’t because:
– crowded
– low urgency
– constant client chasing
Going back to cleaning isn’t “going backwards”.
It’s picking a game you already know you can win.
But don’t repeat the old mistake:
last time u built a job, not a system.
If u restart:
– hire early
– standardize everything
– stay out of day-to-day ops
Or do both:
restart cleaning for stable cash. Then test new ideas on the side only if u see real demand.
Simple rule:
if ppl aren’t already paying + complaining
don’t build it.
It sounds like you already have your answer, you’re just second guessing it.
You’ve already built something that worked and generated real income, which is something most people never figure out. That’s a huge advantage.
The issue before wasn’t the business itself, it was how fast it grew and the systems around it. With the experience you have now, you could approach it very differently and avoid the burnout.
It might be less about finding a completely new idea and more about rebuilding something proven, but in a way that’s sustainable this time.
I always recommend doing what you know. If you have industry experience in something then use it! It’s always harder trying to build a business when you don’t understand the market and Industry you are working in.