{"id":1356,"date":"2010-01-08T11:28:41","date_gmt":"2010-01-08T19:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=1356"},"modified":"2013-08-21T09:00:24","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T17:00:24","slug":"5-reasons-why-you-might-not-want-to-work-for-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-reasons-why-you-might-not-want-to-work-for-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why You Might NOT Want to Work For Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Have you ever thought about quitting your job and working for yourself? Maybe it\u2019s an idle whim that you have from time to time \u2013 or perhaps a much more serious intention. Whether it\u2019s your two-hour commute, your gossiping colleagues, the office politics, the boss, the boring work or the inflexible hours, your job just isn\u2019t much fun. It\u2019s definitely not your true passion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If \u201cquit the day job\u201d is one of your resolutions for 2010, you\u2019ll find lots of encouragement around the internet. I\u2019m a fan of plenty of freelancing and self-development blogs, and many writers can\u2019t wait to extol the virtues and pleasures of being your own boss and working for yourself.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, I really enjoy working for myself; I get to work in the comfort of my home, doing what I love. But I\u2019m going to be brutally honest in this post and offer you six reasons to reconsider working for yourself \u2013 before you end up making a move that you might regret.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Plus, I\u2019ll give you some tips on negating all six less-than-stellar aspects of the self-employed lifestyle\u2026<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It Isn\u2019t Stress-Free<\/h2>\n

First off, a lot of people think that working from home is going to be amazing<\/em>. Surely freelancers get to sit around in their pajamas watching daytime TV?<\/p>\n

The reality is that you\u2019ll probably be ditching one lot of stresses for a different set.<\/strong> Sure, you won\u2019t have the boss with the anger management problem any more … but you might be having a panic attack at the sight of your bank balance. You may also find yourself taking on more work, or more complex work, than you can comfortably handle.<\/p>\n

Fix it:<\/strong> If you\u2019re taking the leap into self-employment, be prepared for it to be stressful at times. Get honest with yourself: how much risk and uncertainty will you be comfortable with? How much down time do you need? You can determine exactly what you do and don\u2019t do, so make sure you\u2019re putting yourself in the best possible position right from the start.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No-One Tells You When to Start Work<\/h2>\n

Yes, I know this doesn\u2019t sound like much of a drawback! If you work from yourself, you can keep whatever hours you like. You don\u2019t have to be at your desk at eight am. You don\u2019t even have to get out of bed before noon. However…<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to end up wasting valuable time<\/strong> (and when you\u2019re working for yourself, you\u2019ll become all too aware of how time = money). If you work with clients who\u2019ll expect to contact you by phone, or who want swift replies to emails during office hours, you might find that you\u2019re losing out on potential gigs.<\/p>\n

Fix it:<\/strong> Choose your working hours based on when you\u2019re at your best. I\u2019m a morning person, so I\u2019m often at my desk at 7.30am; other freelancers work late in the evening. Be clear about which days are working days (it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be Monday to Friday). Try having a routine that gets you out of bed and into the day \u2013 like a brisk walk, a shower, and an energizing breakfast. If you regularly have a problem getting going, learn how to overcome procrastination<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 …Or When to Stop<\/h2>\n

The flip side to having no start time is that you don\u2019t have a stop time, either. I wrote a piece about Why You\u2019ll Never Be Finished<\/a> in response to a question from a reader who said \u201cNow I am working for myself I do find it hard to stop because who is telling me when enough is enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a real problem for a lot of self-employed folks \u2013 and it can lead to substandard work, high stress levels and eventual burn-out. However much you love what you do for a living, you need time to rest and recharge.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fix it:<\/strong> Recognise that when you work for yourself, your job and your hours of work can expand beyond all recognition. Give yourself a firm \u201cstop\u201d time each day (perhaps tied to your family or household\u2019s schedule) and make sure you at least have a couple of hours of non-work time before bed. You\u2019ll sleep more soundly for it.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s No Guaranteed Paycheck<\/h2>\n

In a traditional job, you know exactly what you\u2019re being paid and when. As a freelancer, you\u2019ll find that cash flow is sporadic.<\/strong> This can be a particular problem if your self-employment involves a large outlay on equipment or materials of some sort.<\/p>\n

Many freelancers either work on a succession of small jobs (with a few hundred dollars coming in from each \u2013 often not on time!) or have one huge project on the go (which could mean getting paid in large sums every few months). If you\u2019re used to getting a paycheck every two weeks, you may end up running into serious financial problems \u2013 especially if you have a non or late paying client.<\/p>\n

Fix it:<\/strong> Have an emergency fund or a buffer that covers you for late and irregular payments. When you get large sums, resist the temptation to splash out. Put unexpected bonuses, such as gifts, into a savings account. For big projects, bill in installments during the work. Get new clients to pay 50{54c12dad2cc2b53ae830e39915b1a3e70288dbcbbeb8bbf8395437c5dc3c512c} upfront.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No-One Has Your Back<\/h2>\n

In most office jobs, there\u2019s a limit to how much you can screw up. Even if you do something so awful that you get fired, you\u2019ll be entitled to some period of leave. And generally, it\u2019s hard to make huge mistakes: someone will be double-checking anything vital.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re self-employed, everything is your<\/em><\/strong> responsibility.<\/strong> If you forget to bill a client, it\u2019s your problem. If you\u2019re so poorly organized that your clients start leaving you, or if you can\u2019t get yourself motivated to complete your work, or if you take on so much that you rush it all and do a poor job \u2026 you could ruin your reputation in the industry. You might even get sued by an angry client.<\/p>\n

Fix it:<\/strong> Get professional advice where applicable (perhaps when doing your taxes or accounts). Depending on where you live, you may need to set up as a limited company \u2013 so that you can\u2019t be held personally liable for potential financial problems. Make sure that you have the time and energy to do your best work, and be careful about managing client expectations \u2013 don\u2019t promise what you can\u2019t deliver.<\/p>\n

I know I\u2019ve struck a pessimistic note in this piece \u2013 and I\u2019d like to end by saying that I have never regretted leaving my own day job and striking out on my own! However, personal experience has taught me that self-employment \u2013 like any worthwhile endeavor \u2013 isn\u2019t always easy. If you\u2019ve got experience of working for yourself, or if you\u2019d love to quit your job, why not share your thoughts in the comments?<\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain of\u00a0Twitter<\/a>!Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Words That Overcome Fear and Dread<\/a><\/p>\n

Words That Heal and Empower<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever thought about quitting your job and working for yourself? Maybe it\u2019s an idle whim that you have from time to time \u2013 or perhaps a much more serious intention. Whether it\u2019s your two-hour commute, your gossiping colleagues, the office politics, the boss, the boring work or the inflexible hours, your job just isn\u2019t much fun. It\u2019s definitely not your true passion. 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