From Employee to Entrepreneur: “Just Another Day at the Office”
I’ll tell you one thing, working as an entrepreneur sure does teach you a lot about yourself! And I’ve learned over the years that if you really want to grow in your business, you pretty much need be open to growing as a person. After all, our reputation is our brand and the things being said outside our presence can directly affect the sustainability of our business.
I remember back in the days of working as an employee, when I got frustrated about this or that, I’d simply talk to my supervisor and they’d either talked me through it, or take steps to help me through it. I’d go home and vent to my kids and it would eventually resolve itself, or I’d find another job.
But there’s a definite contrast in dealing with “another day at the office” when you work as an employee and when you own the business.
“..the independence and flexibility to make time for family, hobbies or other activities is a huge draw to the entrepreneurial life.” ~ Rhonda Abrams, USA Today
The transition from employee to business owner is an interesting one, but, for many, the pro’s can far outweigh the cons. And depending on how you are “wired” and your current financial needs, being an employee may be the perfect solution for your life…
Small business owners basically trade the opportunity to have consistent paychecks and benefits, (i.e., “stability”) for the opportunity to earn a higher salary and have more opportunities as their business grows. And, as glamorous as it may seem, I’ve heard many small business owners reminisce about the days when they did have the stability of a 9–5 job with benefits (especially health insurance)!
I, personally, chose to be self employed and as an entrepreneur who was an employee for many years I’ve had to learn to adjust quite a lot in order to sustain my business. Specifically, I’ve had to learn the importance of patience, tenacity, inner strength, compassion, when to ask for a helping hand, when to reach out a helping hand and when to stand my ground (and how to do it all with gratitude, tact and finesse).
Sometimes it can be tricky when you are deciding whether to look at the big picture relationship vs. when it’s simply time to cut ties. And I suppose, over time, eventually you just end up learning a lot about human nature. The thing is, when we work for ourselves, we always have to remember that our brand’s reputation is at stake with every mishandled situation, so learning how to work around our own personal weaknesses can be vital in order to maintain our professional reputation and brand.
At the end of the day, none of us “have it all”, but in order to get what we need, sometimes we must look within ourselves to see if we are getting in our own way and need to adjust in order to get to the next level!
Happy Monday Fellowpreneurs!
