You call your situation JOB SECURITY?
Somehow in the adorable family, suburban home, and picket fence of the American Dream, we got tricked. We wanted security, and we thought American industry could provide.
But when you think of Donald Trump, what are the two nasty words you also think of? “YOU’RE FIRED!â€
Where’s the security in that? I’m starting to wonder if being self-employed isn’t really the most secure option out there. Think about it: you sure can’t be fired or laid off. Self employment is risky at first, but if you work hard enough at the right business idea, you’ll succeed. You’re the boss, so you don’t have to deal with the dirt to move up or fight your way through the muck for raises and promotions. Heck, when you’re the boss, you the only people you work with are the people you want to work with.
The greatest bonus, I think, is that your ideas get heard and get implemented. The harder you work, the more money you make.
One of my greatest friends spent his entire life focusing on aviation; he felt bound to be an airline pilot. Yet when he landed his dream job, he found the position wasn’t such a dream. He was barely home, barely sleeping, and barely breaking even. He was paying rent in several cities, eating out when he stayed at hotels, and getting paid little by the hour… but only for certain types of hours that he worked.
He was put on part-time, dashing his dreams. He started becoming an independent airplane mechanic. No one thought “airplane mechanic†sounded prestigious. But he LOVED it. He was making far more money, setting his own hours, and doing the work that he chose to do. Now his dreams always consist of self-employment, never the airlines.
How come we never think that being an established self-employed person is secure?
JUst because someone is “established and self employed” doesn’t mean they are secure. My dad is a perfect example. He is considered a master or a guru in his line of work, but when the economy gets bad he loses clients and therefore has difficulty getting through the month. It would be great if as you said, “the harder you work, the more money you make” always held true, but if you don’t have clients, what can you do except invest money you don’t have to attract more money? If you’re self employed, you also have to pay for your own office space, your own insurance premiums (life, disability, health) which non-self employed people don’t. If you earn a ton of money, those costs may not matter to you, but if times are rough, that overhead can knock you for a loop.
Just some food for thought… being self employed has its perks for sure, but it isn’t heaven.
September 6th, 2006 | #
It was quite useful reading, found some interesting details about this topic. Thanks.
December 16th, 2006 | #