For the last 2 months, I have endeavoured to start my own business amidst this pandemic in my attempt to escape the cruel and demanding corporate world. These are some of the pros and cons of becoming your boss.
PROS
Having all the time in the world
Arguably the best benefit of them all. When you start your own business, you are no longer answerable to ass***** who expect you to work past your official working hours and even some bas***** who expect you to work on weekends. When I was working for someone previously, I had always felt that 24 hours in a day was never enough for me to complete my work and to have some time to myself to enjoy. Since I’ve started my own business, however, 24 hours suddenly seem like a lot of hours in a day. I find myself able to not only complete my work but also finally have time to spend with friends and family. I’ve been noticing the jealous gaze of my peers when I can clock out at 2 pm for an afternoon nap, or even wake up late on a rainy morning.
The harder you work the more money you make
In a traditional working environment, regardless of how much time you put into your job, chances are you will be taking home a fixed monthly salary (not applicable to commission-based jobs). Even if you are the hardest worker in your company, you will be completely reliant on the graces of your superior to reward you accordingly. Not to mention the office politics and a whole lot of ass licking that has to be done to gain the recognition you deserve. As a sole proprietor, my monthly income will be dependent on the amount of work I get done in a month. The more clients I sign on in a month will result in a higher payday for me which is a pretty good incentive to work hard.
Better mental health
In the weeks following my resignation, I was diagnosed with depression. It was my biggest pet peeve when bosses ring me up on a weekend and expect me to perform tasks without taking into account what I have planned for myself. The continuous pressure by my superior to be on duty 24/7 took a toll on my mental health which honestly turned me into a prick. I started becoming more irritated at everything and there were times I would just end up crying uncontrollably for hours because the stress was too much. My mood took a drastic turn the moment I started my own business. Having the ability to de-stress on weekends and even on weekdays when things may get overwhelming has improved my mood and behaviour tremendously resulting in me returning to my former happy-go-lucky self and spreading joy and laughter to the people around me.
CONS
Work will always be on your mind
Although you may have more control over your time, as your boss it will be very difficult to tune out work. As the main person running the show, the responsibility falls on me in ensuring I will make enough in a month to sustain my business. I am happier when things go well in a month, but if I fail to reach my targets, the pressure does get to me in figuring out what I can do to survive.
Administrative work can be a pain in the A**
If you are about to start a business with low capital like me, chances are you probably can’t afford to hire any support staff to assist you in clerical/administrative work. I certainly struggled with this (I’m still struggling with this) as in the previous company I never had to pay attention or even care about clerical works that were done by expert clerks and secretaries. Now, however, the job of maintaining accounting books and organizing documents fall on my back. I screwed up on a few occasions because I misplaced files or even lost certain documents because I’m a terrible organizer.
A floodgate of unsolicited advice
Friends and family can certainly be supportive when you venture into your own business, they probably end up being some of your first clients. The problem with friends and family is that they somehow think they know the business better than you. If I had a penny every time I heard the phrase “You could probably make money if you do this” or “Why don’t you go and do this” I’d probably be a millionaire by now and able to shut down my business and enjoy an early retirement. People have this idea that they somehow know the business better than you. If it is people who are within the same industry by all means listen to their advice as you may never know how valuable knowledge can be. The problem is advice coming from people who have no idea what they’re talking about. It will get irritating listening to some meathead giving you business advice when they are merely working for someone instead of using their advice to start on their own.
Kage is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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