[Fractured01]

I was just curious to why does everyone here want to be self employed? What is your goal for your business?

Personally I like the thought of being my own boss and setting my own hours. If I want to spend time with friends or Family I can. To me its a form of freedom.

 

[LaTonya]

To do what I love to do and spin more time with my family and been my on boss and go places a with out having to ask if I can be off. This is why I like being the boss. LaTonya

 

[smoovedesign]

Personally i dont like making money for someone else. thats it. hehehehe

 

[jocappy]

same here, dont like to make other people money and more time with family and friends.

 

[geekstar]

I don't mind working hard at all, but I do hate working hard to make someone else a lot of money. I've worked in some small places and watched the guys at the top make out while everyone else scrapes by. I'd like to see the full benefits of my labor.

 

[CUSTOM UK]

Working for yourself is all about independence and being in control of your own destiny. It isn't an easy option though. In busy times you can find yourself putting in a hundred hour week.

As well as the actual production, you have the ordering, accounting, marketing, promotion, customer service and research to cope with too.

Working for others will only ever give you limited security. One day when your face no longer fits, or they want to cut back their wage bill, you are out of the door without a second thought. Whatever you have done in the past, will be forgotten history.

 

[deChez]

As a resturant manager, one is expected to work at least 50 to 60 hours a week. It's hard work. And it's gotten to the point that you can't manage the staff anymore, because you can't bruise someone's precious self-esteem.

I got tired of working my *** off for someone else to take the credit, and the profit. Quite simply, I decided if I was going to work 50 or 60 hours a week, I wanted to be the one reaping the financial benefit of it.

Now, if I work 6 or 7 days a week, it's my choice. I don't have to work every week-end, or get up at the crack of dawn for a day shift. I set my own hours, which means I can have Sunday's off (most of the time).

I can wear what I want to wear. If it's hot, I can wait till 9:00 p.m. to turn the heat press on. I don't have to kiss the *** of someone who is being completely unreasonable.

I can make decisions based on my experience and knowledge, and not have to explain them to the boss' son who doesn't know his *** from his elbow.

Is that enough reason?

 

[wormil]

I'm with Michele. I got tired of working for people who used my talent to make lots of money but weren't interested in my input or in rewarding me. When things were going great, they took the credit; when things went sour, they wanted to pass the blame. I got tired of corporate bs that my employees didn't want pay, they wanted recognition, titles and a fun workplace; meaning that corporate added responsibility, cut payroll budgets, reduced bonuses, without increasing pay so everyone has to work twice as hard for the same pay... oh yeah, we're having fun now.

As a kicker, despite the world economy being in a rut; we're going to increase your sales goals by 30% over last year and if you don't achieve it you get no bonuses. (basically this was a way of cutting out bonuses while passing responsibility) Oh no! 80% of our sales force quit within two months. Instead of changing our idiotic policies or hiring new sales people; we'll just place these goals and responsibilities on our field managers and no you don't get the carrot for completing sales goals but you get the stick if you don't.

I also have issues with authority if you can't tell.

Now I get to work in shorts and flip flops, enjoy what I do and take charge of my own income.

 

[wc33144]

to make and break the rules.

 

[the funk]

Yep, I enjoy being self employed. I can pick which 80 hours I'm going to work. I get to deal with a lot more than I ever had to deal with working a job. And I don't get a set rate of pay (due to re-investments and expansion). But, my company is growing and maybe some day I will never have to work again in my life. Maybe my son will take over for me. Maybe I will get to retire in 10 years without a company 401k or stock payout. Maybe my daughter will get the chance to break out the most fresh graphic designs anyone has ever seen and have a fulfillment company to back her. Maybe something we do at the shop will be ground breaking and get national attention. Or maybe one of my close friends will gross 100k in sales without getting his hands dirty. Who knows what might happen...we get REALLY creative everyday.

Even if it all falls apart tomorrow, every customer walks out on me and my company does not get one inquiry for three months - it's better than having a "job". I'll take 2000 t-shirts and tour America if need be. Either way - me, my family, and friends WIN.

 

[lizziemaxine]

Being able to read TSF and not worry about someone at the job looking over your shoulder and questioning whether that is an appropriate use of your time.
Being able to read TSF at 1 a.m. and not worry about getting up in a short while to get dressed and drive to a job working with people who make you crazy with all their whining and complaining.
I work from home and don't know which I like better, the commute from the back of the house to the front of the house, or the work attire, terry cloth shorts and tee shirt or jammies.

 

[CUSTOM UK]

and drive to a job working with people who make you crazy with all their whining and complaining.

That would have been me, doing all the whining and complaining... LOL

Working for others will always be a constant frustration. Many businesses seem more intererested in exercising power and control over their employees, than keeping their eyes focused on what is happening with the business.

 

[oleon311]

I want freedom. Not because I can set my own time and work load, but because I can make my own ideas a reality. I make the rules and since I work very hard I know I will be getting paid what I'm actually worth. I also get to do something I am passionate about, not something to fit a pointless demand.

 

[Natitown]

While that is a beautiful dream, the harsh reality of opening a business and surviving to become a success is a very hard task. Sure you get to make your own hours, but the number of hours which should be invested is far more than 40 hours per week. You can choose to work till 2 in the morning or you can choose to work on saturday or sunday.

The financial investment will strain the family. When you take a day off, no money is made that day. There are no 2 weeks of vacation of 5 sick days or 7 holidays per year.

The reason i'm opening my business is as a lifeboat from corporate america. I've known too many people who have had there lives ruined though downsizing. Rather than investing my money in 401K's, i'm buying equipment and am becoming a master at using it. They day they come for me, i will have a comlete printing business already established.

My other driving force is that i have 2 daughers, 14 & 18. Being an over protective dad, i dream that by the time they finish school i'll be able to offer them jobs.

If working for yourself during the startup years of the business isn't the toughest job you ever had, you should be worried that you are not pushing hard enough.

I litterally can't remember the last time i was bored.

fred

I am no where near being self-employed in this business but I am workig on it and that is my goal. I worked for a company for 20 years that was bought out. My whole department was let go. So, there I was at 45 having to start all over again. Not fun. Less pay, benefits, vacation time, etc. I, too have teenagers and I want to have a business they can come into and build on for their families so they do not have to worry about the corporate bs. Typically, when you own your own business you do work more hours than if you worked for someone else. But if you have to work your *ss off, wouldn't it be better to do that for yourself?

 

[DTFuqua]

Actually, I would rather work for someone else. I am very smart and always rise to near the top of the feeding chain. I'm not very socially adept and a job means I don't have to be. I was a structural iron worker and didn't know more than three people on par with my skills and intelligence in the field actually doing the work. Unfortunately, I messed up my ankle and couldn't climb any more . Then I spent piles of money training for computer work and started looking for entry level work but found an old (er) man isn't wanted lurking around office personal unless he looked almost like them. Sorry but pants and shirt are as far as it goes with me. And the ones that were willing to hire me wanted to pay next to nothing ( I do have certifications from both a jr college and network + certification) and work me very bad hours. I had a son that was disabled and my wife is still with me and has the same disorder as my son. I choose to work AT (not from very often) so I can care for my wife (33 yrs and counting) who is much more important to me than money . I had people come in to suposedly care for them so I could work( also have a commercial drivers license) driving a dump truck and that was the mistake that started my son on a terminal journey. If I wanted money, I could do much better getting a job but moneys not as important as my wife .
Sorry about the ranting but I only get started every once in a while and forget to stop so now I stop.

 

[deChez]

One other huge aspect of self employment that I like is the freedom to make decisions on the fly.

With pricing for example, I don't have to follow some calculation made up by a number cruncher who has no frame of reference for what it takes to get a specific job done.

If I'm going to give a discount, I choose who to give it to...i.e. the school ROP program, or the inner city youth ball team, rather than some corporate schmuck who could buy and sell me 10 times over.

And yes, oh yes...the WHINING AND COMPLAINING! And this whole thing about "a fun place to work". I used to tell the servers and bartenders and cooks "this is a job...we pay you...it's not incumbent upon me to make it fun". They did not grasp the concept that you can enjoy your job, enjoy the people you work with, make room for social interaction from time to time, but get your stinkin work done!

More than once, I was "counseled" by upper management because a server complained about me. When I asked "what specifically did I do or say that was inappropriate or unacceptable?" The answer was "you were right to reprimand them...you did not say anything inappropriate...they just didn't like your tone of voice." Are you freaking kidding me? I have a write up in my file because some 19 year old who was out back on the cell phone while he should have been taking care of customers, didn't like my tone of voice?

Am I bitter?...oh, just a tad! LOL

 

[aditudegear]

Freedom to make my own schedule and decisions is my reason. At 48 I am still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up
I've worn a variety of hats in my career life and amen to those who are tired of donating your talents to someone else to make a profit off of...my current boss is the queen of this and I put up with it for now because she allows me the flexibility of schedule to build my own business. Building a business is long hard work, much of it simple research, trial and error and finding your niche. This business has taught me "go with the flow" It has changed to meet the market, not my original vision but it's growing, can't ask more than that!

Hard, honest work will pay off.


Good luck to all!

 

[Solmu]

Here are a few of my reasons:

• I prefer to work quietly and, as much as possible, alone. I'm not a team player.
• There's a large gap between my resume and my actual skills. I'm not going to be handed the job I deserve, so I have to make it myself.
• I have a strong work ethic: I don't just work because I have to, I work because I want to. If I work for myself, every extra hour I put in is rewarded by my improving business. If I work for someone else, every extra hour I put in is as like as not to go unnoticed (i.e. who really pays fair overtime?).
• I like a challenge
• I like to be involved in multiple parts of an enterprise, not just stuck in one division.

These aren't things that outright can't be found in a corporate job, but they are difficult. It's easier to make your own dream job than to expect someone to hire you for it. But if the right job came along, then I'd be prepared to make this a small hobby.

 

[TshirtGuru]

Well, being self employed is scary at times. YOU are responsible for YOUR income. But that responsibility is what motivates me. I will not let myself fail financially, nor will I let myself fail my goals.

I've always up to my father as he came to the U.S. with pennies when he was in his early 20's. First worked on a farm, became a dishwasher at a restaurant, and years later he bought a small grocery store. From there he bought and remodeled run down grocery stores, making lots of profit. Now he's in a $650k house, thinking about upgrading and buying $1.3 million house. He is 48, and thinking about retiring. (he can financially, but as much as he denies how much he likes working, we all know he loves it!).

I am 23, from those of you who have read my past posts, I took a full time schedule in college and finished in 3 years, finishing a year earlier then regular students.

Now I have been running a screen printing shop for a year and half. For the first 8 months, I was litterally working 24 hours a day sometimes. Once, I worked 48 hours straight. Normal days back then, I would work 12 hours. Yes, some say I'm crazy, but is it crazy? or survival instincts?

Now, We have over 256 customer files and counting. Customers from New York, California, Virginia, Texas all the way to Austrialia. Making over $100k sales this year which equals about $60k in take home. For next year, we aim to triple our sales.

The tax benefits are great too.

Oh, and you can fire your own customers! I've fired a handful so far...and they deserve it.

(one major thing I learned during all of this, sometimes you need to slow down and take a step back to take a look at your accomplishments. Sometimes you get too busy to take a look back and give some credit to yourself.)

 

[deChez]

Here are a few of my reasons:

• I prefer to work quietly and, as much as possible, alone. I'm not a team player.

Yea...I always steered clear of those job postings that were looking for a "Team Player"

My Definition of "Team Player": I'm going to throw every cr*p *ss job I don't want to do on your desk regardless of whether it's within the scope of your job description or not, and if you balk, then you're not a team player.