4 perks of being a solopreneur
Introduction
We're entering a new era of work where self-employment is becoming just as commonplace as traditional employment. Thanks to the internet, anyone is able to build a business, audience or unique career path armed with nothing more than a laptop and some free time.
But is being your own boss all it's cracked up to be? Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone - but for a new class of creators, it's the perfect mix of freedom, fulfillment and flexibility... with some caveats thrown in.
That's why I asked 5 full-time creators what they felt the top perks of being self-employed was. I interviewed designers, video producers, retail business owners and online business owners. Here's what they said.
The top perks of self-employment
1. Freedom & Flexibility
"One thing that I love about it is the freedom to make my own schedule (most of the time 😉). While this can of course be stressful at times, there's a sense of liberation in knowing that "ok, today I'm going to wake up and go for a swim at the beach before work" as opposed to stressing about the boss busting my balls for being late."
- Darbi Nicole, Complicated Co.
"Being fluid. If (let's be honest WHEN) life blows up, you don't need permission to process it. You make the call, cancel if you need to, but you can do right by yourself and your team. I love that so much."
- Megan Turner, Poppy Plum Media
"I think the biggest part of all is having the freedom to do what you want when you want with whoever you want and not having to put someone else’s schedule before yours. If your loved ones and friends have certain days off then you have the complete flexibility to spend time with them if you want to, your time and freedom is not controlled by someone else’s schedule."
- Miguel Bautista, CFS Recovery
"The freedom actually comes in different forms. The most important benefit for me is being able to freely shape your impact in the community. My freedom comes in being able to give support back without limitations."
- Tony Kwon, DV - Yates Espresso Bar + KWON Media Studio
2. Fulfillment
"One thing would definitely be the satisfaction of building/creating a business on my own (of course, I can't forget the people that I collaborate with on projects as well) and the sense of empowerment this gives me to know I don't need to be working for a big corporation in order to survive."
- Darbi Nicole, Complicated Co.
"You can over deliver! Sounds crazy, but I really enjoy giving clients what they don't expect. Great example: they're always blown away when we pick up the tab for lunch. Not a huge deal at all but I know as the owner that we can swing it, so I do."
- Megan Turner, Poppy Plum Media
3. Earning Potential
"You literally have the ability to work as hard and make as much as you like, and you’re paid based on the value you bring to the market - not necessarily your time."
- Miguel Bautista, CFS Recovery
4. Personal Growth
"The biggest hurdle is getting started and realizing that starting a business is never about the great idea or the next big thing - it's all about relationships. Whether that is relationships with client who will be your first customer (the easier of the two ways) or relationships with technical partners (software engineers or marketers) to help you bring it to life to get clients."
- Michael Young, SharedConstructionContent.com
"It teaches you how to be independent and trust your gut and believe in yourself. With great power comes great responsibility, and with the freedom that is granted to you, you must learn how to focus your mind on your goals and hold yourself accountable as no one else will walk you to success when you were self-employed."
- Miguel Bautista, CFS Recovery
