You know, I’m inclined to think just about everyone wants to start their own business these days. We all harbor secret, fetish laden dreams of ‘sticking it to the man’ someday soon.
Or swimming around like dolphins in gargantuan pools of money circa Scrooge McDuck.
Alright, so maybe that last one is just me.
OK fine!
So maybe they’re both just me… but you know I’m getting warm!
Entrepreneurship is fun. No commute. No daily grind. No ‘job’ stress. Work when you want, how you want.
Like fellow Tweep @StevenRoddy (StevenRoddy.com) recently tweeted “… seems when I am not in my P.J.s I am out to eat”. I had to laugh and tweet him back because of how well I can relate. Sometimes it feels as though I LIVE in my pajamas.
But it’s FUN to work for yourself and be your own boss. It’s FUN to be able to take a day and goof off when you feel like it. And it’s FUN to know that you don’t have to rely on a J.O.B. to feed your family and take care of yourself.
But someone forgot to tell me the whole story dang it.
Like the parts that involve being a grown-up and being ‘responsible’. Think taxes, bank statements, invoicing systems, and a whopping headache, and you’ll get the picture nicely.
And that’s just a start.
Then there are kids, priorities, bills, and budgeting. Plus the learning curve that comes with working for yourself. Whew!
That said, here are 8 things no one told me about being a grown-up and running a business with a nice, tasty side dish of ‘cold hard truth’. Yum.
1. A bit redundant but… no one told me it’s so hard!
Working for your self is fun… but hard work! And anyone who says ‘Eh… it’s easy smeasy’ is a big fat fibber. You should give them a wedgie and tell them they’re fibbers.
2. Taxes get more complicated, not less. And ooooohhhh it hurts to pay in. So proper tax upkeep is essential. Not to mention BORING. And did I say frustrating?
3. Plus budgeting is mighty difficult. Unless you’re a bean counter (no offence bean counters) that makes a living by the proper management of money. In which case… will you budget for me Mr. Bean Counter? And do my taxes while you’re at it.
4. And whoa!!! Did you know bills get like… MORE, not less? Honest, when you work for yourself suddenly you’re spending money on marketing and advertising, you’re paying for outsourcing, you’re paying for dining out just to wear something other than P.J.s… No? Not you?
Well I still bet you’re spending more on coffee, so there!
5. Working at home is distracting! All of those ways to procrastinate and stagnate. T.V… lunch… reading… Twittering… Facebooking… cleaning… laundry… walks to ‘clear your head’… just ONE more phone call…
And THEN T.V… lunch… reading… Twittering… see what I mean? Gets darn exhausting too!
6. And when the kids are home (assuming you have kids. If not insert child-like needy animal here, they work JUST as well)? All bets are off. Might as well call it a day and take a nap. Or cry, that works too.
7. Plus security is missing from this whole entrepreneurial image of splendor and joy. So if your revenue is based on the sales of goods or services, and isn’t set up to be an automated stream of income then it’s highly likely you’ll have slow times and busy times. And slow times can be SCARY.
I’ll say it again. Slow times can be SCARY.
Especially if you don’t have a little nest egg or emergency fund built up to carry you through those slow times.
Speaking of, I highly recommend building one of those up and fast if you plan on working for yourself for any significant period of your life. They REALLY come in handy and relieve the stress when biz isn’t brisk.
8. And finally, did you know your coffee intake skyrockets? Think I’m joking? I was never a huge coffee drinker. Since I’ve started working for myself (aka growing up)… I live on coffee! I SWIM in coffee. Picture a dolphin on speed and you’ll see me. Swimming. Now is that a sign of growing up or what?
So, there you have it. 8 things no one told me about being a grown-up and running a business. I firmly believe it’s part of a huge conspiracy by corporate America to prove 90% of us are sissies and force us to come running back and fill up those jobs we left. Luckily I’m no sissy. How about you?
Warm regards,
AKA k0zm0zs0ul