When I graduated college, work was all about moving up in the corporate world. I never thought about being my own boss. To me that was a lonely life – I needed people.
My first home-based business was “Special Tots” a line of premature baby clothes. I designed them, cut them out, sewed them and then marketed them. I loved it but I was not ready to be my own boss. Then came “H.O.P.E. Consultants”, a grant management and consulting service for non-profit agencies. A success but I missed the daily connections with people. When I closed those doors to go back to non-profit development, I never thought I would be by own boss again.
Then life changed – Belinda was living in North Carolina, the commute to work was 4 hours round trip, I got married and there were some health struggles. The pros of being my own boss: making my own hours, no commuting and doing something I loved far outweighed the BIGGEST con which was the lack of people. YUP, I was ALONE.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my business. But it tends to be solitary work. I write alone. I sit in the office alone talking to people on the phone. I coach alone, mostly by phone. I work from home, my team scattered about this and other states. The crazy part is that I question my passion when being “alone” gets lonely.
What’s missing is the connections! Connection isn’t just “networking.” Connection isn’t just collaboration. Connection isn’t just communicating with people. I love how Valerie Burton describes it: “Connection is love. It is the moment, however brief, when your soul aligns with another and you serve one another’s needs in some way. It could be a smile, a touch, an idea, a word of encouragement, or act of support. But connection makes life and work juice”. This is just one of the hurdles that you can expect when you work a solo-preneur.
How about blending Your Work Life with Your Home Life? Most people enjoy the fact that an office job gives them the ability to leave their work at the office. This is tricky if you’re working in your home, and even tougher for those you live with. I have a separate office space in the house – a spare bedroom. It prevents my business from intruding into every aspect of our personal lives– for the most part. At least the physical aspects of it. The advantage is that there is no commuting! Blending is a lot easier if you build your business around something you’re personally passionate about.
How about working longer and harder than ever before? Many entrepreneurs say “I work from the minute I wake up until the minute I go to sleep.” That may be the case some days, but it will be especially true in the beginning. You will do whatever it takes to get your business going. The advantage is that you will work longer and harder, but it’s ultimately for your own gain. Nothing is more satisfying than that! While you will make time sacrifices, you’ll also have more flexibility. I ultimately have the ability to change my schedule when I need to. There are certainly sacrifices toward owning your own business, but for successful entrepreneurs, the advantages far outweigh the difficulties.
No matter what the obstacle in owning your own home-based business, there is a solution. The passion you have for your business combined with the desire to reach your goal will help you find that solution. Need help finding those solutions, reach out… I will be more than happy to help you on your journey.
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
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Hope Wissel 