ALT-7 To be or not to be self Employed – To be
Making the decision to become self-employed is not an easy task. There are a lot of different questions to ask yourself.
Not everyone is meant to be self-employed. In fact, some people would honestly just fail miserably. Others may do well, but may never reach a level that would allow them to quit their day job; while still others will flourish as self-employed entrepreneurs. Determining which of these groups you would fall under is critical before venturing forth toward self-employment.
First, being self-employed is more than merely being your own boss (or your own employee). You must recognize your weaknesses as either a manager or an employee and develop a plan to overcome them. Are you good at balancing out the little details while keeping an eye on the big picture? How are you at managing the bottom line? As an employee, how are you at motivating yourself? Are you someone who requires clear guidance and goals to be detailed for you?
Finally, take an honest look at yourself as an employee... Would you hire you? If not, what would you need to improve? Are they improvements that you could make without the leadership and guidance of an outside source?
In addition to looking at your work experience and habits, there are some personality questions that you should look at as well. For example, if something goes wrong, are you able to see your part in it? Do you make excuses or place the fault with someone else? What I mean is, for example, if you worked as a server in a busy restaurant and a customer complained that their food took too long to get to them - are you the type who will say "I'm sorry, we're short-staffed today" (making an excuse and blaming the absent servers) or "I'm sorry, how can I make it right for you so you can enjoy the rest of your meal" (taking responsibility and fixing the problem)?
When deciding to make the move to being self-employed, above all else, you have to remember that there is no one else around to pick up your slack. If you find that you are unable to motivate yourself or that you need clear guidance, then the move to self-employment is probably not the right move for you. However, if you answer these questions and find that self-employment is the right choice for you, then you will be much happier than if you were at any other job and you could find the rewards are even better.
