For most of my adult life I have owned businesses and been pretty happy with them. Admittedly until the last few years, my businesses were based on stuff I was "pretty good at". As long as you can figure out how things work you can always build a business, it might not be the right business, but you can still build it.
One of the things I hear over and over is "You can't do business with your friends." or "Don't mix business and Friendship". This is a very strange concept to me. If you trust your friends and they trust you, why can't you do business? Most of our waking hours are at work, why not work with your friends. Yes I have had a couple of deals go south and partnerships fall apart that started as friendships. The real friendships survived the unraveling of the business involvement. The people that just be-friended me for a "deal" went by the wayside and I am not that much worse off for it.
"Do what you do so well they will want to see it again and bring thier friends." - Walt Disney
More often than not when I do business with someone I haven't met before, they become friends. Many friendships have continued well beyond the business relationship, and yet no business relationship has continued beyond a friendship. So why not do business with friends. I would think that Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are both friends and business associates. What makes them any different?
As you set out to your job or business, think about why you wouldn't want to do business with friends. When you figure it out, then think about why your friends should do business with you. With that idea ready, pick up the phone and call them. You will never be short of work again if you do what you should do for them at a fair (not discounted) price. In this economy it may be our friends that keep us in business. How many friends do you have?
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Thank you for your insights.