Welcome to My Blog

I don't usually think of myself as an entrepreneur, at least not in the traditional sense. You know, someone with an invention to sell who diligently does her market research, writes a marketing plan, takes out a big loan, and opens a storefront or rents fancy office space. I did no research. Didn't have a marketing plan. Nope, no fancy office space either unless a desk squeezed into a spare bedroom qualifies. In 1998, I simply decided I was tired of working for companies that made products that didn't interest me and struck out on my own to make my living as a freelance writer. It was a terrifying and fulfilling leap of faith.

I had one important thing working in my favor when I made my move. I'd been in the marketing communications field for 15 years prior to leaving my last corporate job and had good relationships with the creative directors at most of the advertising agencies in town. So when I called and asked if they'd be willing to throw some work to a hungry copywriter, they were willing to give me a chance.

Eleven years later, I'm still freelancing although only part time. I've gone back to school and am studying to be a paralegal, a profession that marries my love for writing with my fascination with the legal field. As part of my studies, I was asked to create a blog on a business topic of my choice. I decided to write about what I know. My purpose is simple - to share my insights into what it's really like to work for yourself.

For my first post, I thought I'd share some general observations on entrepreneurship.

• Self employment is all consuming - Many people believe the best part about working for yourself is that you can set your own hours, and that's true...sort of. The truth is, you work 24-7. At least it feels that way. When you're not engrossed in work you can actually bill for, you're thinking about tomorrow's deadline or where the next job is going to come from. That said, if the weather was perfect and I wanted to take the dog and go for a hike, I could and I didn't need anyone's permission. Of course, I had to make the work up later. And as far as vacations go, plan on taking work with you.
  
  
• Self employment can be lonely - If you're a people person, working from home may be a struggle. I would never have described myself as a people person, and I missed the camaraderie that comes from being in an office with others. My solution was to find a network of other freelance writers in the area. I made it a point to meet them for coffee or lunch at least once a week.
  
  
• Don't worry about staying motivated - So many people used to say to me, "If I worked from home, I'd never get any work done. I'd be too distracted by things I need to do around the house." Hmmmm, never had this problem and here's why. You don't work, you don't eat. Hunger is a great motivator.
  
  
• Get used to some financial insecurity - For anyone considering self employment, I have two words - cash flow. It was my biggest headache. Either I had more work than I could manage or I was sweating the mortgage payment. When you become your own boss, you give up the security of a steady paycheck, particularly when you're first getting started. I took out a home equity line of credit to carry me through the occasional lean month. You just want to make sure you don't have too many lean months.

A couple of books I'd recommend before you take the leap into self employment. These are not "how to" books. Rather, they're designed to help you discover the kind of work you're likely to find fulfilling.

Making a Living Without a Job, by Barbara Winter

Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, by Barbara Sher

Finding Your True Calling: The Handbook for People Who Still Don't Know What They Want to be When They Grow Up But Can't Wait to Find Out, by Valerie Young. (I could only find this book on Amazon.) While you're at it, check out Valerie's Web site.