Working for Others Just Doesn't Work for Me

My friend did not get tired of office politics. She became the victim of petty jealousies. Yes, my friend was getting to the top. She has placed the company on the national map as she writes well, too. One day, a jealous boss moved her to a menial job that only involved checking on broken chairs and tables. She was told, it was management's prerogative!

The jealous boss went even further to push her out by asking other staff to accuse her of wrong doing which when investigated by the company, was declared a no case. My friend wanted to sue for constructive dismissal but saw that she would just be more and more unhappy when others owned her life.

For her, this was the wake up call to get out of that job and she was grateful that her boss just pushed her. She took a leave, took some steps to try out some ideas, and never looked back. She has never been happier in her life as she keeps seeing more opportunities to pursue.

Dream of working on your own often involves starting a business? The best transition is to work in that business first. Find a shop that meets your mark and ask if they will take you on as an apprentice. My niece is apprenticing at Toyota for two years so she can open her own car service business.

Want to open a flower shop? Go work for a flower shop. Even if you work for free, you will quickly get a sense of the business by just being there observing everything. Some small businesses are reluctant to do this because you are going to be their competition. Go to a shop far from you. Learn about location, sources of supplies, caring for supplies, transport and delivery, equipment and sources for these, how to advertise and promote the business, skills needed and all the other tiny things (finance) one has to consider when starting and owning a business. Do you enjoy the experience? Does it engage you? Does it make you want to wake up in the morning and look forward to a great day?

What do you really like doing? When you're at work, when you're at home and especially in your spare time, what makes hours seem like minutes? What makes you wake up early? What makes you get excited? What's your passion?

If you can't get a handle on this one, time to get help. There are many career assessment books you can read or software you can use and there are many eager coaches to help you out.

The key is to spend time rediscovering yourself. Getting to know what excites you, what gets you out of your addiction to squidoo. I just found myself talking about possible businesses to young women in Cambodia last weekend. I just felt transformed. I was so alive that my husband had to take my picture. Afterwards, I helped several others with ideas on what businesses they can start and they have taken the step in developing their products. In fact, they have already made a few sale. This, they did without leaving their jobs. These moments clarified to me what I really enjoy doing. I also remember the times in the past when I did this and how alive and happy I was then.

Once you've discovered your passion, dig into the businesses that grow from it. Do a diagram. You are no longer thinking of traditional jobs. There are new services required immediately by the ever changing business landscape that only few people have the skills and availability. And don't forget, you can create the products and services you can provide these businesses. Remember Facebook!

In fact, what they are saying now is that about 20 per cent of jobs in the future are not even known today. So you have a tremendous opportunity to create your own job. What an exciting challenge to pursue.

Before you jump out of that rat race, think. Is working for yourself the path for you? Some of us are cut out to be self-employed while others can easily flourish in the corporate world not only being employed but successfully stepping up the corporate ladder. And, enjoying as well the competition and glamour of being part of a big corporation.

While working for yourself promises great rewards, there are many challenges you need to conquer. You need to have a passion to create, to commit a thousand mistakes and still keep going. The key is create. The work you enjoy does not just come. You create it.

But it is more than just creating. It is going beyond your comfort zone. It is often doing what we fear most doing. As my friend often says, if you can't travel to risk, you sure can't get to success.

There are many opportunities around but you need to explore the ones out there that match your own talents and the things you enjoy doing. Because when you enjoy doing it, it is not work, it is more play and who does not want to play?

When you are able to pinpoint the area you want to pursue, assess your current skills and see how you can leverage these towards self employment. Are you confident that your talents and skills can be offered as an attractive option for businesses? Do you have the talent and skills to create new products to respond to the demands of the marketplace? Your service or product must get the attention of the market. You must offer quality. You must have the skills to convince strangers not just Mom and Dad.

To start, you may need new skills. Learn them. Some of your skills may need upgrading. Invest the time and energy. You will not regret it. You might be able to learn the skills with the help of your current employer. Better still, you might be able to convince your current employer to become your client. I know of a friend who signed a two year consulting contract with his employer before he got out. These two years gave him time to build his business on an assured fee.

How deep is your pocket? Do you have the resources to transition you to this new service or product?

Is there a Mom's basement to hole in when the money runs dry?



Are you disciplined enough to make this happen? When you hang out on facebook or your smart phone, you lose out. Unless, of course, you are networking or marketing. You are your own fool now. Okay, don't focus on the negative. Start on a positive note but ground yourself well.

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The freedom to work anywhere, at my own pace, my own time, my own favorite place and the way I want to go about it. It is summer now in Canada. Here`s a spot waiting just for you.

Imagine yourself sitting in your favorite corner of your garden with your favorite blend of coffee or tea researching freely on your computer without constantly checking your back for someone who might report you to your boss because you probably were viewing the squidoo lenses of your friend or another friend's pictures on facebook. That is what I am doing now. I have two laptops in front of me and several sites constantly grabbing my attention. I love it.

I am close to my kitchen so I can prepare dinner at the same time. I don't have to sit in my cubicle in an office, wishing the traffic will not be so bad so I will have enough time to cook a good dinner when I get home. I can just stand up and cut some vegetables when I get tired sitting in front of my computer. I can get up and watch Martha Stewart or Oprah (maybe not) on television. I can go out and say hello to my plants. I have control of my time. Mind you, this does not mean I don't work hard. I work much harder.

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Y es, I work much harder because I know everything I earn goes to MOI. I am making revenue and profit for MOI. This might sound selfish it is making me work harder. I just love earning that money and have the freedom to do how I want it allocated. I share so much of what I earn to those who are disadvantaged. So think of how much good you can bring to many lives. When your business succeeds, you can employ more people. Add to that employment numbers!

I I can choose challenging projects to broaden my experience and make me a more open and knowledgeable person. That is what my husband does now. He only accepts projects that pushes him to learn new things. I can be very creative because I can explore as much as I want whatever project I do. I can use my energy to think out ideas for the business or the project with only the end user or the clients in mind and not someone else who might not be happy with whatever ideas I have. I get feedback, too. But from people I respect and not from someone imposed on me. Wow. Am I really this individualistic? Arrogant, perhaps? Maybe, but I now use my energy for constructive things and not for unnecessary worries, office politics and competition.

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I can be more productive. There are few disruptions. Then, I can spend more time with my friends when I have finished my work earlier. I can do things I like to do. Sometimes, I finish a whole day's work in a few hours. Four hours of uninterrupted, productive work is worth a day. I can do more or enjoy the rest of the day. Or have a massage, go shopping, read a new novel, or do something for others. Or, spend the whole day on squidoo. I can live a more balanced life. What more can I ask for?

Many are the joys and gains of self-employment but we cannot deny the challenges that most work for your selfers have to face. The first few years are often so full of mountains to climb that many self-starters give up. But if you take these as just another hill to climb, and just work your way over the top or slip around, you will find these not as overwhelming as when you first looked at them. There is often help you can find easily. Outsource those you do not enjoy doing or are really bad at like book keeping/taxes, answering phones, delivery or whatever those things that take time away from your core business.

Sometimes, the temptation is to learn to do everything. It may take so much of your time that there is nothing left for growing your business. Leave those things that are not the core of your business to outsourced help. Focus on climbable mountains and head up.

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Yes, when you start and only learning, you will have many surprises. One surprise is when the tax deadline comes and you are faced with a big sum you have to fork out from your own pocket. Most start ups that have a weak bankroll drop off the cliff here. Make sure you can cover your first tax bill from savings BEFORE you start up the business! Focus on receivables. Many countries encourage small start ups to do quarterly payments to make it easier for those who have to pay all of the taxes and insurance for themselves. Quarterly deposits help and you can arrange with your bank to have these deducted from your account so you do not forget and have to pay interest for late payment.

While you have to do this on your own now, you are allowed to deduct some of your expenses from your taxable income. Read up on this or ask an expert to run you through the requirements. One cardinal rule to follow is keep your receipts for everything and let people who know do your accounts and taxes. This will save you more time to do what you are good at. But if you have to do it, there is software you can use and once you have set up all these accounts, the rest will just be easy.

When you are self-employed, don't take your insurance for granted. This might cost you more so get advice on this one before you start. If you have a good family package where you work, you might reconsider. Better still, if one spouse has family coverage, then you do not have to worry. But you need to give this some attention.

When you own your time, the temptations are plenty. In full time employment, you still get the same salary even though you spend most of your time in taking care of your social networks. Here, this will cost you baby.

I usually wake up early and start working. Four hours of uninterrupted work is a day's work really. So if you start early, by the time your kids or guests or many of your friends call, you have done already a day's work. Some work late at night depending on your family demands. Others are lucky to devote a whole day as their kids are in school or there are no kids to talk about.

Prepare a schedule that you will find easy to do and start at that. Give in to temptation only when you have done your day's work. The joy is you are free to schedule your work time. You are your own boss now. Act like one.

Most self-employed do the things they enjoy doing so it is not work. They are happy to spend all their time for it. There are aspects of self-employment you might find difficult or boring. Pass this on to someone who will do this for you at a minimal cost. There are companies now who will provide these services.

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Sometimes you find yourself hemming and hawing when asked about what you do. Yes, you can't say you work with such and such a company. And when you say you are a work-at home or self employed person, you don't really count. The banks will consider you high risk. So unfair for the self-employed. But there is no use fretting over those banks that failed anyway. Your best revenge is: position yourself.

Define in one sentence what you do and when asked, take this as your marketing moment. Time to market yourself or your product. Be direct and clear so people can immediately relate to what you claim. Define your self up, not as a casual labourer between loads of washing. Don't go around explaining that you work at home and blah, blah, blah. Just go straight to what you do. Have a card and give this to them. Have a professional image and craft that image very well. Practice delivering it in front of the mirror. Even record your voice until you exude confidence and ease at who you are.

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Often, when crises hit the extended family of the self-employed, guess who gets to provide help? The self-employed. You end up driving so and so to the hockey practice, picking up a gift for your mother-in-law or going with your sister to the doctor. The requests come from many quarters and although each one asks for a favour only once a week, when you have a big extended family, your week is toast and your work suffers.

Some have an office outside of the house to avoid these distractions and keep a time schedule at the office. But for many start ups, the office is at home, they close their doors during work time and family members understand this.

On the other hand, this is the joy of working for yourself. You are able to respond to family needs more easily. So, why no do the errand happily and enjoy this as a break from your work. Remember, the more you give, more comes back to you.

Stick to a schedule from the very beginning so that the family will not have time to get used to your being there, available at their whim.

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Many self-employed miss the office chit chat around the water fountain or the photo copier. There is always company in an office and things happen all around you so you never feel alone. Being alone the whole day in your house may not be attractive to many. Of course, there are always coffee places to hang around, but sometimes, your former friends in the office talk about events that take place there and you no longer vibrate with. And what is there for you to talk about? Maybe, some self-employed have to meet clients so this is fine but it is different to be with colleagues who have worked for some time with each other.

Some deal with this by going to conferences in their disciplines. Others, become part of an organization around their own service or product. Have a network with whom you can bounce ideas, share know how or problems. New social networks are now in place to get you more involved so check it out and become part of something. These networks can also help market your business. Caution: do not let facebook, twitter and the like take over your work life or you won't have one!

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I first read about lifestyle redesign from Timothy Ferris book, The 4 Hour Work Week. It blew some of my mantras around working for yourself. The end is a life not work. So as you progress in your working for yourself, see the areas that you can redesign so you can enjoy life more. We opt to work for ourselves so we can do whatever we like. Often, we cannot because all our time is consumed by the business. And we say, well, we enjoy doing it. Yes, but there are other things in life you need to explore and enjoy.

Recently, I find myself resenting having guests or going out with my friends because I just have to revise that lens or write another. I get stressed and tense when someone disturbs my squidooing. I realize this calls for a major assessment. There are many ways we can do this redesign. First, have more realistic goals. Then, assess the things you do in your business. Identify the ones only you can do. The others, try to outsource. But of the things only you can do, assess where to spend more time and energy on. Look at the ones that consume only 20% of what you can offer but give back 80% profit or results. Focus on these. And the rest of the time... LIVE.

The transition from a regular job to self fulfilling self employment requires more than resources and sweat equity. It requires strength in character. Strength in character enables one to go for it when the trying becomes messy.

The road to being your own boss is not a clear open highway. You need more guts to take turns that could become dead ends or bogs or deserts. Whatever it may be, for those who believe they can, the dead ends, the bogs and the deserts all become new opportunities. Yohoooo, they exclaim and they're off and going. Small failures can lead to huge triumphs as experience grows. Horatio Alger stories may be trite, but so many are TRUE!

Okay, some people just have the knack for this. Not to worry. For many of us, we build it one success at a time.

The old mind set is if someone is 65, they're going to retire early and stop spending money and doing things.
Well, that's not the world anymore.

I totally agree with Betsy Fry when I read this in credit.com. Especially when seniors retire early and live longer. Chances are many seniors cannot live just on their pension. Taxes and insurance are up and so are health care and food. Thank goodness there is squidoo, a mobile business platform that can provide us with multiple streams of income. The need to earn more sadly faces us seniors.

Of course, how much is enough? We can live simply but we all want to live well especially when we now have the time for all the things we want to do.

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