Or better yet, what it feels like. Entrepreneurship comes with a whole new set of responsibilities, even those at the top of the ladder at corporate companies have admitted that crossing the bridge to self-employed is a whole different ball game.
From the minute you open up you LLC you’re entering a world of “ALWAYS OPEN” – and there are pros and cons to being on “your own time”.
This ☝️is definitely a pro.
PROS:
-Time management: if you want to put in 60 hours in 3 days and knock shit out you can and no one’s going to tell you otherwise
-Work when your creative juices are flowing
-Creative direction: you’re in control of the company vibe, from branding to how you spend your time at the office
-Work from bed with no apology
-Wear whatever you want
-Work out on your own schedule (for me I like 3p because I am generally losing focus and need a break)
-Grocery shopping whenever you want and avoiding the crowds
-Free to travel and work from anywhere
-During downtime, you can accomplish more tasks, like picking up around the house and making appointments, at the end of the day you feel (and are) more accomplished
-You answer to only the people you choose to answer to
-No cubicles, ever
-You create what your routine looks like
-No rules like you can’t decorate your office or only 30 minutes for lunch
-Healthy eating is so much easier when you can just walk over to the fridge
-Working weekends doesn’t suck because you enjoy your work and your contributing to something you’re building – I actually find weekends are my most creative times because there’s less social pressure to be “successful”
-You’re never “stuck” working with someone you don’t like, though you may choose to continue for other beneficial reasons like money and connections
CONS:
-You are always open, you’re clients depend on you and even if you try to disregard your messages, if a client texts you about an error or something they need, you have to be on it to satisfy them
-You pay all your expenses and every dollar comes out of your potential income, paper/computers/printing/flights/employees…
-You control your time, so you better be organized and know how to optimize your life for maximum efficiency – no one’s checking up on you
-NO HEALTH CARE / DENTAL / INSURANCE – NADA!
-Working from anywhere is nice but it’s distracting. If you’re travelling it can take you out of the moment
-Relationships – if you work from home this can change the whole dynamic of the relationship. Because you’re more inclined to pick up around the house during the day you may build resentment or become pushy toward your significant who comes home and just wants to eat and have a marg
-Feedback is sometimes hard to receive
-Growth is hard to track
-People don’t honor contracts anymore
-People are shady and rude. Some clients you will learn the hard way that they have no manners or common courtesy
-You’re more likely to be affected by sexism or racism (no HR department here)
-Stress: it affects you and your loved ones, unlike a 9-5, at the end of the day you’re still working and issues could arise at any moment
-Building a team and deciding who to trust is all on you and it’s HARD
-Most likely you’re accepting a lower salary and to build your business you better be (invest back into it!)
-You never feel like you’ve done it all. Even after a successful week there still so much more noticeable potential when you’re holding the reins
-Isolation: though more people are working for themselves then ever before, there is still a level of isolation and competition when you’re working for everything you have, it takes effort to make connections and put yourself out there
This is a list I’m going to keep adding to as more ideas come to mind. I hope this can give fellow entrepreneurs a feeling of connection or at least a laugh. For others maybe considering entrepreneurship I hope it can shed some light on the reality of the lifestyle.
In conclusion, entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, and sometimes I struggle, fail and miss more structure, but the freedom it allows, for me, is so worth the climb.
Brand Photos by Never Ever Wonder Photography
