Don't lament an unfilled need; fill that niche yourself

Have you ever found yourself saying "I wish there was someone that did [insert]"? You then scramble around, ask a few people, put out a few inquiries, perhaps run a google search, and low and behold, nothing. Without thinking much about it, you just stumbled upon an untapped opportunity. You've identified there was a need (because you just wanted it), and you've also, in a quick way, demonstrated that there was a lack of providers for that need. But that's often where the thought process stops. You might lament the fact that nobody is doing this thing that you've identified a need for, perhaps vent your frustration in a blog article or twitter post that you can't find this/that close to you, and then move on, perhaps missing out on a golden opportunity.

Back to Basics: Calculating your 'Return on Investment' is more important than ever

All good business decisions prominently feature your ROI, otherwise known as Return on Investment, into the equation. Whether the decision is to hire a new employee, lease a larger office space, buy 20,000 business cards, or undertake a new sales initiative, every decision has at its core the base question of "is this decision worth my time/money/effort and will it pay off in the end?" This is a relevant question to ask at any time, but it seems that, with the economy the way it is, this question starts becoming more and more important. How will you spend your money and how will you put both your money as well as your time to best use?