5 Reasons to be Thankful You Own Your Business
Last week I was sitting at a lunch with a group who was on break from their corporate jobs. One person was complaining about the workload. Another was upset about HR. And another had to leave early to jump on another “pointless work meeting.”
All I could think was, “Thank goodness I own my business!”
And it’s true. Despite all the chaos and weird hours and hat-wearing, I am insanely happy to be my own boss. If you are a small (or big) business owner, here are five reasons to be especially thankful you own your own business this year!
- You are the boss. You get to make all the decisions that matter. From when and where to work to what to work on, you are in control of your own destiny and are empowered to make your own choices. Not only do you have these creative freedoms, but you get the ownership (and pride) involved with the product or service YOU created! What a gift!
- You make the schedule. Now I’m not saying you can run off to Bali any time you like (at least, not yet), but you do get to choose what your work schedule looks like. Gone are the Monday through Friday, nine-to-five blues! You never have to decide between your kid’s school recital and an important meeting ever again!
- You choose your clients. And your clients choose you. If you don’t like a client, guess what? You can fire them just as easily as they fire you. Though this may seem scary, it’s actually incredibly liberating to know that you are only going to work with the people you love and can help the most. There is no better feeling than making a real difference in people’s lives.
- You can create real connections. As a business owner, you are in the unique position to truly connect with your customers and the community. You can seek out those strategic alliances or charitable organizations that align with you and support them in whatever way you see fit, without having to gain approval from anyone. Moreover, you get to engage in a real way and learn about (and help) your customers in a way that’s unattainable in a more corporate setting.
- You can take risks. Didn’t you already by starting your own business? Being an entrepreneur and business owner allows you the freedom and possibility to try things that may be out of your comfort zone and really expand your business in a way that excites you!
Not a day goes by that I regret my decision to go into business for myself. Sure, when the numbers are down and you have to work a little harder it can be easy to miss the stability of corporate life, but I wouldn’t trade the freedoms and possibilities I have created in entrepreneurship for the world. Would you?