Below is the first article of six in our $100 competition, submitted by Yan of Thoushallblog.com. Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!
Let's face it. Who doesn't want to be his own boss? Who doesn't fancy the thought of writing his own paycheck? We all do, don't we?
Self-entrepreneurship appeals to anyone. It is the ultimate dream for many people. You and I love the thought of being our own boss, setting our own hours, and watching the dream of owning our own business become a reality. The fact is not everybody wants to work for somebody else. No one wants to live from paycheck to paycheck. However, self-entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily made up for everyone. The rewards can be really satisfying but the road to it may be a long and bumpy journey. If you are thinking and considering starting your own business, you have to do some serious thinking and planning.
Ask yourself if you have what it takes to run your own business. Do you have a business plan? Are you a risk-taker? Do you communicate well with others? These are just some of questions, among hundreds of others, you need to self-examine yourself. The rush of excitement must be tempered by the necessary cost of time, money and effort in properly setting yourself up independently.
Money
If the financial independence to become your own boss appeals to you then you will need to weigh the opportunity cost before you release yourself from your current employment. Suffice to say, it's advisable to keep your regular employment as your financial security before you roll up your sleeves and jump in. The last thing you need is to let the burden of financial worry cloud your judgement.
Time
Money aside, it's important to recognize the time it takes to become self-employed. If you have other obligations; family, job, social etc. then you will have to consider if you can sacrifice and devote the time needed to get your business off the ground. The hours can be painfully long but none of this should be carried out at the expense of your quality time with your loved ones, family and friends. The key is to find the right balance between work and personal commitment.
Effort
Having discussed both money and time, you must also recognize that there are much more efforts required before a business can be profitable. As in most business new startups, you will come to the point when you are working your hardest and doing everything your business requires but still you are not seeing any monetary results, or at the very least a very meager one, and that's where you'll hit a psychological wall. Do not falter! This is where truly entrepreneurial individuals see an obstacle as an opportunities. This is the time when your passion is taken to the crudest test. Just remember that the bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.
Passion
Keeping your head in a time of difficulty is not always easy, but it does get easier if you are passionate in what you do. Passion will see you through it and overcome any perceived barriers. It will certainly keep you going and ultimately become very successful. Along with passion comes perseverance that will allow you to see the sweet fruits of your labor and prove to yourself and others that the joy of being your own boss far outweighs the initial pain of becoming one. To sum it up, the ultimate reason of self employment is the fact that you get a chance to be your own boss and be in charge of what to do, when to do it and how to do it. However, the road leading to it can be pretty rough but with passion and careful planning, the possibility is endless.
Yan is enjoying the fruits of his labor and still find the time to manage a blog that helps beginners to blog better. Get in touch with him.
Photo credit: Bethany Mae Photography
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I can’t even begin to imagine the joy of winning this awesome competition.
Yan
Very good article.
I left the rat race a few years ago to hang my own shingle and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
After 9 years of employment, I decided to adventure into freelancing. Not 100% freelancing but rather a 2-men design studio. It’s not even about the money or taking decisions for myself.
It’s all the time I’m finally able to dedicate to the things I love, including family and my hobby: motorcycles. Nothing can beat this joy. It’s priceless.
Nice entry Yan. You nailed the overall feeling of self-employment!
Hi Yan,
I think the most important thing is passion. Passion is the fire that can take you anywhere.
Cheers,
Jeremy
Yan has my vote. That was a great article. I really enjoyed it. An inspiration to future entrepreneurs while still telling it like it is. A delicate balancing act and Yan nailed it. Great job.
Thanks, guy for your continued support. I really I appreciate it.
Yan
Yan, Nice article. Yes you are right. most of them doesn’t want to be working under a boss. I think blogging can become self employment provided you earn a lot.
Hi Yan,
As i always say – You have great writting Skill, My vote is alos with you my friend.
Another great article by Yan. Being your own boss means to work a lot, just as you do. Wish your dreams comes true as soon as possible
yessss, great article Yan! And you hit it dead on man. We want freedom, that’s what it comes down to. The self-entrepreneurial dream looks different for each of us but the foundation of freedom is the same.
Freedom of time, freedom to choose what we want to do, freedom of resources, and the ultimate feeling knowing what you do has a DIRECT impact on what you succeed at.
It’s true there must be a balance, even with the long hours, and one must not give up. Keep it up Yan!
Yup, self-employment is definitely not for everyone. Clocking off at 5pm and forgetting about work until 9am the next day is not an option. True, you’re free of some guy in a fancy office telling you what to do, but often you can be your own worst boss! Still, if you’re prepared to work hard, and have the right attitude, the rewards can be substantial…or not!
Yan:
definitely pros and cons to owning your own business. Perfect example of the buck stops here. I was an entrepreneur for over 25 years and thought I’d give up the stress and pressure for a 9-5. Yeah, mistake. Working for someone else can be a hard pill to swallow after you have been on your own. Working my way to getting back into the self-employed arena.
One of the fastest way to build online business is to become affiliate. While working on affiliate business, one can learn necessary skills to succeed in other online businesses such as launching own product or service.
Great article Yan, working for yourself is the ultimate goal., but it can take hard work. I still work a “regular job” at this time because I choose to do so. Don’t really want to leave until I qualify for my pension in 7 years. and guess what, I will still be young!
All four of those things – time, money, effort and passion are important. And in that, effort and passion are a must to succeed. Even in internet marketing, you have to sweat before you reap the rewards. Awesome post.
Yan, I can really relate to your post here. I have been an entrepreneur with offline businesses since 2001. Let me tell you I have experienced the gambit of experiences, highs and lows.
My goal is to replace my offline income with my online income in 2009. I know it is going to take the work. But the great thing is that it is something that I really have a passion for. And it really fits my lifestyle because I don’t have to leave the house. I can be totally involved at home with my family, working as long as need be to finish my task.
I love it so much that I would do it for free, but will take the financial windfall that comes with efficient, effective planning and execution.
Great post, my friend!
Great Article full of Sound Advice
For anyone thinking about Starting up on your own.Suggest read it over and over again until it sinks in!
Great article Yan. I’m working on the whole self employed thing lol. Hopefully my sites will be able to get me to that place soon. Thanks for sharing!
Right on! If you love what you do that makes it all the sweeter. I think if you self employed it’s very important to love what your doing in order to be successful.
Great post, Yan! Keep it up
i totally agree~ self-employment is a boon, though challenging getting it off the ground, for me anyway. tho the challenges have me realising my potential and resourcefulness.
cool
What I miss here is discipline. Many studies have shown that self-employed people work more hours then others. So you need the discipline to put those hours in. But, more then anything, to be efficient when you’re actually at your working place, and not goof off part of the time, and call it work anyway. I find this one of the more difficult factors, even after 10 years of being self-employed.