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
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
RT @k0zm0zs0ul: New #BGB Blog post: 8 Things No One Told Me About Being A Grown Up and Running A Biz http://su.pr/1rJCAE Plz RT!
Enjoyed this very funny read, Cori.
Cori, this is hilarious and so typical of my day! I have the child-like needy animal!
Blessings, Mike
Worked for myself for 5 years and it's all true. I went from being soooo busy that i just needed some time out to being not busy at all and getting so stressed about the lack of work that I couldn't enjoy the time out from the constant work. Holiday? Sick days? Nup. Never. Not unless you are an amazing planner and have someone to take over during your time off. But then you would have to pay them. I work for a boss now and miss my days of working for myself. Except when the summer holidays come round and I take two weeks off. THEN i really appreciate the weekly pay packet.
aww thanks hun..glad you enjoyed it.
LOL… yeah, I have 3 of those, and two kids!
2 dogs and a psycho cat. Glad you enjoyed it Mike!
LOL.. yes, I can appreciate the contentment of having that weekly check when you go on holiday. But I wouldn't trade what I do to go back to a job for the world. Luckily it still feels like mostly play time for me!
Couldn't have said it better! Love your humor. I've owned my own businesses for the majority of my career…always find that I work longer hours than when I was an employee.
Scary, complicated, difficult but oh, so empowering, energizing and just plain fabulous! I wouldn't have it any other way.
8 Things No One Told Me About Being A Grown Up and Running A Biz http://su.pr/1rJCAE (via @k0zm0zs0ul )
Totally agree Lisa!
I wouldn't change a thing either! And thanks so much for the compliment, and taking the time to comment.
8 Things No One Told Me about Being a Grown-Up and Running a Business >> http://ping.fm/9VNMz << Good stuff! Funny.. and much truth.
lol.. coffee….
I can related to all the above.. …and the truth is, if you can live with and get a handle on all that, there's nothing better than working for yourself and being an entrepreneur. Thx! Another fun article Cori!!
-Matt
Lol..thanks Matt! And true dat! LOL And you know what's really funny?
“Hello, My name is Cori, and I'm an addict… to coffee that is.” Know how I
know this?
Me and my bright self decided to forgo the coffee habit the last 3 days in
exchange for green tea… and I could barely stay awake all three days when
working!
Then I say to heck with it, get my coffee, and perk right up! I'm thinking
I need real help with this. Or maybe I should just embrace it, and let the
coffee addiction win… conundrum.
Thanks for dropping by Matt!
In planning for running our own business, much of what we hear are the good stuff and we did not consider thinking the ramifications inherent in it. Working at home may no be conducive if we are surrounded by many distractions, it's really hard. Still, when there's a will, there's a way.
True, there's an onslaught of work you have overcome, kind of like the task poor old Hercules had to go through !
But seriously, even if you throw thousands of fact against my face, I would never, never, never switch to the regular lifestyle !
Here's to our entrepreneurial epicness !
Here here! Thanks for commenting Hun!
I wouldn't trade it either!
C
I just found your blog today from ProBlogger.net. I like your writing style a lot. I want to become a full time blogger and am just stuck at how to actually make a page which allows people to type in their card numbers and send money… Though my blog is no where near where it needs to be in order to start making money… Just my thoughts on the matter.
I enjoy writing and would love to write on blogs or something as a job actually. Well, I think I would… Never done it so I wouldn't say I would love to actually.
Great post and just wanted to say that. I love number 8. I'm not into coffee all that much but don't mind the stuff. Maybe if I end up working for myself I'll send you some coffee if I don't already drink it all first!
Hey Eric! Thanks so much for the kind words.
I'm not sure you can create
a page just to type in card numbers and send money. You need a payment
processor and of course a product you're selling. Keep at it though and I am
sure your blog will get there if you want it badly enough. Thanks so much
for taking the time to comment Eric!
Warm regards,
C
Hey,
Thanks for the reply. It's always nice to know bloggers take out time to really read their comments and reply to them.
A payment processor sounds a lot better than what I had in mind… Still very new to this stuff myself. I love blogging though.
I'm sure I will succeed if I keep going and learn the things needed. Great blog you have here and after this comment you're actually going in my RSS reader.
Thanks!
Hey Eric!
I do try and respond when and where I can. 
I definitely
Happy Easter hun!
think you can do it armed with the right tools and knowledge. And thanks so
much, I hope you enjoy my future content just as much!
C
My biggest concern when I started self-employment is the SLOW times. I can truly relate when you said slow times are SCARY. They are indeed! I was actually at one point tried to give it up and plan to return to the J.O.B world. However, though it was scary, I still loved what I do. The freedom that you get from being your own boss is, for me, the ultimate bliss.
I feel ya. I’d find it very difficult indeed to go back to a typical job.. luckily I”m blessed enough that I don’t have to.
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