Have you been thinking about making a change and becoming self-employed? There is no denying that there are major benefits to working for yourself, but it cannot be discounted that it also comes with drawbacks too. If you are currently working in traditional employment, becoming your own boss is a huge leap and not a decision to be taken lightly. It is important to have realistic expectations about what working for yourself means to both ensure you succeed and feel happy while doing it.

In this article, we will explore whether the question, is it better to work for yourself or someone else? We hope it gives you lots to consider so that if you do choose to become self-employed you can feel empowered and prepared to take control of your success. It won’t ever be easy, but we feel that working for yourself can certainly be worth it.

If you feel that you could befit from having support through your transition to entrepreneurship or simply need to find clarity in making the leap, consider reaching out to a certified life coach. Your coach can help you believe in yourself and understand why working for yourself is better for you if it is what you truly desire.

Why You Should Work for Yourself

Working for yourself can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be stressful and highly demanding. See below why we think working for yourself can be amazing despite its challenges.

Freedom with time – is there anything better than not having to ask your employer for vacation time off? Or maybe getting off work a little early to pick up your kids? Having a flexible schedule that you set is a major draw to entrepreneurship. Though not every business will be as flexible as some, such as restaurants and stores that have set hours, you should enjoy some freedom with your time being that you are the one who is responsible for setting your schedule.

Endless growth potential – when you work for someone else, your professional growth has the potential to be stunted if you are not offered opportunities to allow you to grow. This can impact your financial success as well as your personal feelings of success as a person. When you are self-employed you become the person who is in control of how much money you make, what education you receive and what path you want to take. This means that your options are endless, and your potential is limitless.

Do meaningful work – sometimes when you work for someone else you are doing work that is less than meaningful to you. Your job may pay your bills, but it might not be something you are passionate about let alone actually interested in. Being an entrepreneur likely means that you are passionate about your work and find it to be meaningful. When you love what you do it can help you feel both more successful and more fulfilled.

What Makes Working for Yourself Challenging

Your Income and Employees Rely on You – being an entrepreneur means that you are entirely responsible for your income and possibly the salaries of your employees if you have any. This can be added stress as something going wrong like losing a sale or having a major expense can add extra strain to your life. You may also be required to work even when you would rather not as there might not be anyone to fill in for you. You carry the weight of your business’s success.

Your Financial Situation May Be More Complicated – being an entrepreneur can mean that your income increases, but it may also become variable and less predictable than your current traditional employment. You may not be able to reply on a steady paycheque and instead might have some months that you earn higher than others. For some people, this is not an ideal situation, and they would prefer the dependability of regular and predictable income.

It Might Be a Lot of Work – working for yourself might sound like freedom and in many ways, it can be. But it might also come with more work than you were expecting. Many entrepreneurs work long days and work harder than they had at their previous employment. For some, this is due to necessity while for others this is due to a passion and never wanting to stop. Some people prefer to check-in and out of work at specific times and not have to worry about what is going on when they are not there. Though entrepreneurship is often a lot of work, it can also be a lot of meaningful work that you feel passionate about.

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Find Clarity in Your Choice

There is nothing wrong with working for someone else and if you feel happy, fulfilled, and successful there might not be any reason to make a change. But, if entrepreneurship is calling you, answering the call might just be the best thing you have ever done.  Entrepreneurship can be a big step and it is important to feel confident and secure in your choice in making change.

Consider reaching out to a confidence coach or entrepreneur coach for support in turning your dreams of entrepreneurship into a reality. It won’t always be easy, but going after your dreams and living your passion is most certainly worth it.