The dream, in 2016, is to be as self-sufficient as we can be. Being your own boss is everyone’s dream and we all wish we had the guts to leave our companies and start our own businesses.
Here are some things you should know before you make the big leap:
It will be more work than you think.
That can’t be emphasized enough. You will no longer have an ‘end of the day’ or a time when you think it’s fine to turn off your laptop and have a break and stop worrying. You will dictate everything about your own job yourself – your hours, the amount of work you do – and what’s more, your own tenacity and work ethic will be one of the major factors that determines whether or not your business succeeds. Chances are, your personal life will suffer, so if you have a family, talk it over with your spouse before you make any big decisions.
Make sure you keep learning.
Being curious and interested in the world around you is one of the most underrated qualities that you can find in anyone. To start a business, you need to be sincerely interested in the industry that you’re in and keep an eye on your competition. If you’re in finance, you should be fixated by the stock market. If you’re in marketing, you should be reading everything you can, such as sites like Gotch SEO Blog. Make sure that you love your business enough to be certain that it’s still what you want to be doing in five years’ time – because if everything goes well and you succeed, that’s exactly what should be happening.
You will still have to listen to other people.
Advice from other people will always be important, valued and appreciated no matter what industry you’re in or whatever stage of starting your own business you’re at. There will always be people who know more than you and who have more experience, so listen to them and take their advice on board. In addition, being a managing director of your own business doesn’t mean that your opinion will be the only one that matters. You’ll always need to consider the opinions of your investors, and your most valued employees.
You will have more responsibility than ever before.
When you start employing other people, you will become aware that your future is not the only one that lies in your hands. People say that you only become a real adult when your first child is put in your arms – well, it’s also possible to argue that you don’t become a real business-person until the futures of other people are your responsibility. Your business decisions are no longer just about you and what’s important for your future. You will have to figure out the premises that you’re working in and the safe conditions for your employees, you will have to hire great people and provide them with the sort of benefits that make them want to stay, and you will be responsible for their happiness and productivity at work.
But after all that, is it worth it?
You know it.
