subject: Self Employment - A Pipe Dream? [print this page] Self Employment - A Pipe Dream? Self Employment - A Pipe Dream?
Who among us wouldn't want to be our own boss, calling the shots, and generally doing things the way we see fit. It's an attractive notion, but not one that should be entered into lightly. As appealing as it is, only about 10% of folks are self-employed, while a staggering 71% say they would like to be.
To be successful you have to be resilient, resourceful, flexible, and willing to step out. Suddenly, you are without the benefit of a well oiled company machine and competent staff to make sure everything gets done, and the success or failure of any project lands squarely on your shoulders.
Some of the obvious benefits of self-employment include, but are not limited to:
Flexibility you can work from anywhere. How many of us have the exact gripe that we could do our job from home, a coffee shop, or a park, and probably be much more productive, yet we find ourselves tied to a cubicle desk. Well, now you have that option.
Freedom of Choice you choose when you work, and for how long. Sometimes our best and most productive hours are not necessarily between 8AM and 5PM.
Be Your Own Boss because who isn't convinced we know better than the boss man? Well, this can be a plus, assuming that you do, in fact, know better. If not, well, more on that later
Wear What You Like The idea of the dress code never made any sense to me. An employee who is comfortable in his element will always be more productive. Always.
Earning Potential yes, Virginia, you can reap higher benefits working for yourself. Not to say it will come easy, however.
Of course for every upside, there is the inevitable downside:
No Fixed Income I worked for myself for over 20 years, and it was doubly frustrating because my income varied from month to month. It is impossible to budget when the amount coming in keeps fluctuating.
So Long, Perks it's easy to get used to little things like benefits, insurance, free internet, and business class travel. Don't expect to be able to afford them when you're self-employed.
You're Always On The Clock one of the things I learned early on was that the amount of time I put into my business was directly proportional to the amount of money I had to spend. Even on vacations or days off you will find yourself monitoring your phone and e-mail messages.
A Whole New World of responsibilities, anyway. You'll not only be doing the job you are familiar with, but you will be getting crash courses in other areas of your business. You may be down with marketing, but you'll have to step up and learn sales, finances, web design, and management skillsif you plan on having a viable business.
So are you ready for the world of self-employment? Well then, ask yourself.are you ready to work the long hours it takes to become successfully self-employed? Can you handle the stress, and the fear of potential failure? Do you work well alone and figure out how to overcome obstacles? If so, your home office may be the place you need to be. Weigh the good and bad carefully before making your choice.
