Why aren't you self employed?

[narcimund 0]

As I work late into the night on a project that's going to make me a lot of money, I'm taking a break to enjoy how much I love my work.

So many people bitch about lousy bosses, lousy pay, lousy working conditions, lousy job duties, and just plain lousy attitudes about their work.

Eight years ago I felt the same way and struck out on my own. I couldn't imagine ever working for someone else again. I love owning a company with my partner, choosing what lines of business to undertake, what business relationships to enter into, who to hire, how to reward them, where to be located. I love being proud of every decision that goes right and I love that there's no one else to blame when they go wrong. I love the extra resources available to me to achieve my heart's desire.

Why aren't you doing the same thing if you hate your job so much?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[dove 0]

I am currently self employed but due to relocation don't have much work. (Hey - I moved to skydive yearround - not to work yearround. DOH!)

But refer to the medical careers thread I started to see why I want to work for someone else.

Fall in dove.

[TomAiello 26]

"Because it's more fun to be an unemployed, itinerant jumper."

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[airgord 1]

what do you do?

[Scoby 0]

I actually have a job I love, and a boss who is awesome. My job is challenging, ever-changing, and interesting without ever being stressful. I can come into work whenever I feel like it and set my hours to miss traffic. I get a lot of free meals at nice restaurants. I have a cool office, with plenty of toys, a big monitor, and a comfy chair. Oh yeah, and I'm paid handsomely for it too.

That's why I'm not self-employed.

That said, I will be one day. I'm learning everything that I can about the invention process, so that one day I can lavish largesse upon my own protege.

[Jessica 0]

Because my brain is too addled to balance my checkbook properly, so forget handling accounts payable and receivable.

And because I doubt there's much of a market for my editing skills on a freelance basis. I could write for magazines, and probably make an OK living doing it, but I have no self discipline when it comes to writing. I'd alienate every editor in the world, one by one, by missing deadlines.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[Jimbo 0]

Where's the 'I'd rather let someone else deal all of the administrative hassles.' button, how about the 'Most of my self-employed friends actually work more than I do.' button.

I am not self employed, I have no desire to become self employed. It just seems like too much extra work... That's just my take on things, I could be very wrong about that though.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Michele 1]

I am self employed (well, at least I receive a 1099, rather than a W2), and seriously reconsidering it. With no college degree, and no means to get one (except from those spam places), and no marketable skills other than typing, it is hard to get more than a sectretarial position. I am looking for part time work somewhere, which will provide a little financial stability and at the same time allow me to pursue what I do now, as well. I do love what I do...it's just I don't have a client base to work from.

Quote

I could write for magazines, and probably make an OK living doing it, but I have no self discipline when it comes to writing.

Jess, I would love to do something like that. I'm good with deadlines, too...we need to talk.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[jtval 0]

i was self employed before I had the $$ to invest in intial expense for start up. but I had A LOT OF FUN getting my stuff out there

My photos

My Videos

[Sassy 0]

I am self employed and would not trade it for the world, especially with all going on in my life right now I probably would have been fired anywhere else .

I have a great office in a small community, take my dog to work with me, love my clients and nobody looking over my shoulder.

I don't play office politics well so I'm better being the boss
Sassy

[skybytch 273]

I don't hate my job and I have no plans to leave it anytime soon.

But I do plan to be self-employed again in the future.

[narcimund 0]

Quote

what do you do?

My company does many things. Our primary services are website design, programming, webhosting, managed servers, and colocation. We also occasionally design and print manage collateral advertising and corporate identities.

Our clients are mostly small and medium sized businesses. We also have lots of hosting clients who are individuals with personal ("vanity") domains.

I started it 8 years ago by writing and publishing a customer newsletter for a high tech firm. I quickly diversified which saved me when 6 months later the high tech firm was swallowed by a larger firm.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[happythoughts 0]

Michele,
You should try court reporting. It is about a 1-year course at the community college and you probably already have some of the skills. I have a friend who does it. She is self-employed and makes great money. If you have solid secretarial skills already, it is a good way to ratchet up your money potential. Obviously, there are plenty of courts. Just call a community college and check into it. You might be surprised.

[Michele 1]

Quote

have a friend who does it. She is self-employed and makes great money. If you have solid secretarial skills already, it is a good way to ratchet up your money potential. Obviously, there are plenty of courts. Just call a community college and check into it. You might be surprised.

Hmmmmm. See, I hadn't thought of that. I do believe I may have to check it out. Thanks, Bill! I do transcription easily, type something like 90 - 100 wpm, and so forth, so it may be a possibility. And not only are there lots of courts around, there are services which need court reporters - depositions, some arbitration, etc. That could work.

Hmmmmmmmmm......

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[happythoughts 0]

Since I'm really old and have been working for a long time, I've got a variety of experiences. Employee, contract employee, 1099 contractor. I don't really enjoy the employee thing anymore because of the nights/weekends/beepers requirement. They understand that their employees are salaried, hence free overtime. My clock is ticking anytime I work, so they aren't as casual about my time.

Benefits are equal to $6 extra an hour, if I work 1099 (self-employed) basis. I've figured most of that stuff out. Yeah, sending the bills, arguing with accounts payable clerks, etc is work, but it is ok.

My main benefit is this. If I don't feel like coming in to work, I tell them and take the day off. It gives me more flexibility. Between contracts, I take off 1 or 2 months for my vacation. When I have work, I work as much as possible. I try to limit it to during the week.

I think you have just about as much job security as the employees.

[Snowbird 0]

You missed, 'Want to be, tried to be, but couldn't get the capital to do it.'

It just didn't happen, and I couldn't finance my own unemployment any longer. Especially since spring came and I wanted to skydive. But one day, it will happen.

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein

[billvon 2,998]

>Why aren't you doing the same thing if you hate your job so much?

I love my job. I prefer to design stuff rather than spend my time dealing with taxes, payroll, rent, and the like. It took a while, but I found a company that lets me do that.

[wingnut 0]

i'm sorta self employed... i work, i pay taxes... taxes pay me... it's one big cycle..........

on a serious note.. i would like to be self employed... just need to find my niche and get out of the military.....

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[reprobate 0]

I AM self employed. That is the main reason it is taking me so long to get through the training program. I have to work to fit my customers desires, not mine. Which means daylight - weekends. I have always felt that too many business' and especially government offices are open at hours to suit the employees, not the customer. Ever try to go to a city office after you get off work!

Carl

[Brisco 0]

I am self employed. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to get a "real" job, but then I lay down with a cold washrag across my forehead and the feeling goes away!

Brisco

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

[jfields 0]

Although it doesn't apply to me, there are other options you missed.

For some occupations, self-employment isn't a realistic avenue. People that love to fly airliners, work on subatomic physics experiments and such can't ever create the facilities do to it themselves.

Another reason is that while being self employed can give you a higher income, it also requires more time. Right now, I can drop what I'm doing at 5 o'clock and go home to play with my daughter.

Also, as other people have mentioned, not everyone likes to be on the administrative end of a business. I've watched the hassles my father and his business partner have gone through and it isn't appealing.

Under the right circumstance, I'd still give it a go, but it would only be worthwhile if I had some brilliant idea that would take off in an area nobody had done yet and I didn't have tons of competition.

Damn, I had to edit that because I made so many typos. See what I get for posting before my morning tea?

[Zinger 0]

I am also self employed, Would not have it any other way, I'm a listen to all but do what I think is right kinda guy, I can not do something that I don't believe is right and sometimes having a boss puts people in that position.

------Have a good one!--------

[JDBoston 0]

The vast majority of successful small businesses don't involve anyone doing anything brilliant or unique, they just involve people working harder and smarter than their competitors to provide pretty common goods and services.

If you look at the Inc 500, for instance, there are VERY few companies that are really doing anything patentable or without numerous competitors.

Joe

[jfields 0]

Joe,

I think you are absolutely correct.

I'm just saying that in my case, I wouldn't want the hassles of business ownership to be a good small business. If I'm going to put in the effort, I want to start something that will become a wildly successful big business. Admittedly, that is a much more difficult prospect, which is why I'm still (happily) working for someone else. But I do understand what you are talking about.

[narcimund 0]

Great ideas? Not here. We're plodding along using archaic 2001 technology and techniques. Let someone else get sliced up by the leading edge.

Our claim to greatness is that we're small. Most of our clients have previously gotten web services from Verio, AOL, Earthlink, etc and hated it. Big companies treat their customers like cheap consumables. We treat them like valued customers.

Patents? Nope. Instant riches? Nope. Instead we have a good time, make decent money, and are steadily growing a business that will always act small. We're on the track of comfortable early retirement and that wouldn't happen if we got salaries from someone else.

First Class Citizen Twice Over