If I Owned a Business...

I’ve toyed with a great many ideas about what to do with my life. On occasion I have contemplated the idea of starting a business. In reality I don’t think I would start one anytime soon. This is due to the fact that honestly, I have yet to settle down (I’m currently teaching abroad); assuming that the business was a brick and mortar one (granted, many more businesses are strictly online now), I’d have to make sure that I was truly ready to settle down. And any idea for a business that I truly wanted to pursue would have to be a lot more concrete.

But if I were living in Fantasyland, and had unlimited money and resources, here are a few ideas for businesses I might pursue.

1.     Bookstore –

I’ve always been a big reader, and both libraries and bookstores have been places that

I liked to visit. They’ve practically been havens, and honestly almost like places of worship for me. Unfortunately many bookstores, both big chains and independent ones, are closing due to the changes in technology, so I don’t think I would ever actually open one.

2.     Art Studio –

Ever since I took an art class as an elective in middle school, I have been in love with

art. I’d love to own my own studio where I would paint and perhaps do other art like photography.

3.     Airline/Space Tourism –

I’ve always loved travel, and enjoyed going on airplanes. Maybe I’d run an airline. If

I was going to go a step above, I’d like to try my hand at the emerging field of space tourism that’s being pioneered by the likes of Elon Musk and Richard Branson.

            If I was going to do something a little bit different as far as air travel, I’d like to work on bringing zeppelins back (and of course making them much safer than the Hindenburg). If I could make them like cruise ships in the sky, I think that would be amazing.  

4.     Theme Park –

I’ve always been a fan of theme parks ever since I was a child. To this day I find

inspiration in people like Walt Disney. I remember as a child drawing pictures of imaginary theme parks, and if I had unlimited money this would be a great way to show off any idea that popped into my head.

5.     Movie Studio –

I’ve been a big fan of movies for a long time. If I was going to own a movie studio,

I think I’d like to focus on either animation or documentaries.

6.     Publishing Company -

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a big reader. If I was to own a publishing company, I

might focus on publishing graphic novels.

            As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think me owning a business of any type is in the cards for me right now. Most of the ones I mentioned above would pretty much require me to already be pretty successful and rich; Hell, even Walt Disney himself, after decades of revolutionizing the movie business, had trouble get bank loans for the original Disneyland. The least expensive on my list of ideal businesses would be owning a bookstore (which seems to sadly be a dying industry and not a smart idea to get into at the moment) or perhaps an art studio.

            While the vast majority of money I’ve made in my life has come from working for someone else, I have dabbled in entrepreneurship. A few years back I wrote, illustrated, and self-published my book “Mele the Mermaid.” More recently I also began selling T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other stuff that I’ve designed on teespring.com. So maybe owning a business of some sort would eventually be in the cards for me, but probably not anytime soon. For many people, the idea of owning a business and "being their own boss" is the primary focus of their life. But it seems like the primary focus of my life has mostly been experiencing it and accomplishing things I wanted to accomplish, whether it meant working for someone else or for me. 

Note: If you'd like to check out my fantasy novel in progress "The Princess of Infinite Tomorrows," check it out at https://princessofinfinitetomorrows.blogspot.com/.