Thursday, May 30, 2013

So You Want To Be Your Own Boss?

Being self-employed, and running your own business seems and sounds like a glamorous thing. Yet, there is more than meets the romantic perception that 'being your own boss' accentuates your sense of freedom and releases your creativity. The regular reality checks must be there, alongside the dream/vision of enhanced remuneration and reward. Expect longer hours, confusion, frustration at a lack of results, unusual demands from customers and partners (if you elect this pathway), financial losses and slipping optimism. There is no surefire, paint-by-numbers, microwave-ready, formula for instant success. Yet, if you persist, persevere, stay resolutely true to your dream, and transform (change,develop and grow), then you can assure yourself of enhanced confidence, clarity, and courage. Create something of value and the rewards will come.

Before you take that big plunge into self-sustaining and self-directing, education in life - consider the following questions:

1) What is it of value that you can offer your future customers?
2) Which are your core competencies, and expertise?
3) What are your entry and exit strategies?
4) How long can you sustain before you will consider alternative plans?
5) How confident are you in your delivering your core competency, selling and marketing?
6) How open are you in partnering, strategic partnerships, and synergistic collaborations?
7) How passionate are you about this new career direction?

If you are motivated by what you have to do, despite what others say, what are your reality checks? How open are you to receiving feedback? How well do you integrate the feedback and directing it back towards building a better product line and service delivery? What is of real value that you offer to your clientele?

Consider these questions as they are pertinent and relevant ones. There is no escaping the fact that being careless and callous can cost you indelibly. I wish you good fortune on your road to self-realisation and self-discovery! 

No comments: