Tired of working for an employer? Fewer people are taking the plunge and becoming self-employed. Whilst self-employment can have its downsides such as less financial security and more responsibility, it can also have many perks. Here are just 7 reasons to go self-employed.
You set your own hours
When you’re self-employed, you don’t have to be bound by nine to five shift hours. You can work whenever you want, get up as late as you want and take a holiday whenever you fancy it. Having control over your work schedule could allow you to fit in more family time or social time. You do still have to consider the hours that suit your customers, which may involve making some compromises, but overall you have the final say as to when you work.
You set your own income
Going self-employed also means no longer having to work for a set wage. You get to set the prices you charge and you can take as large a slice of the profit as you desire. You can also grow your business and grow your income rather than having to wait for a pay rise. No set wage does mean less financial security – if you can’t get any clients, you won’t get any income – but if your business is successful you won’t need to worry about this.
You dress the way you want
Many companies require their employees to wear a uniform or at the very least abide by a dress code. When you go self-employed, you decide the dress code. This could help you to feel more comfortable by dressing in the way that makes you happy. That isn’t to say that you should ignore practical needs – if you own a construction company you probably should invest in some safety gear. However, all in all it’s up to you as to how you compose yourself.
You choose your customers
You also have the freedom to target the customers that you want. This could be a specific niche or a more general audience. You may decide to screen all your customers – you can shop online for the identification verification service that people trust. You can even run a credit check to ensure that customers are likely to pay you on time. You’ll still have to deal with some difficult customers, but you will always have the decision as to whether you want to work with them or not, which may not be the case when working for someone else.
You choose your colleagues
On top of choosing your customers, you choose the people you want to work with to conduct your business. This could be a business partner or a team of employees. You may even decide to team up with another company or freelancer. By having people around you that you get on with, you can create an efficient team. If you don’t feel people are the right fit for your team, you can always get rid of them as you have the power to do this.
You are your own boss
Not having to follow the orders of a boss can also be liberating. Instead, you give out the orders. It still pays to listen to customers, advisors and your employees for their input, but all in all you have the final say.
You don’t need any qualifications/experience
Unlike getting hired by an employer, you need know qualifications or experience to become self-employed. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still educate yourself – there are many courses that can teach you the ropes when it comes business admin and leadership skills and other skills that may be needed to successfully navigate entrepreneurship, plus there are books and advisors that you can hire. All in all, a knowledge of business could help, but it isn’t essential, and you can learn some things on the job. With no requirements in the way, there’s nothing to stop you starting a business tomorrow.
