The idea of being your own boss is one that many people aspire to—with the supposed freedom that comes with it being seen as a way to escape the trappings of conventional employment. However, the details of what this might look like beyond that are vague and vary from source to source. People are going to have different ideas of what it means to them, and at that point, it might be more about what their ideal working life looks like than any predefined concept.
That being said, certain features will always be present, so if you’re interested in a new venture, making yourself aware of all the available options can inform your next move. Read on for more information on what it means to ‘be your own boss.’
Your Own Business
This is the option that some people will see as the most obvious approach here, but that by no means makes it the easiest. Starting your own business can take a great deal of resources, dedication, patience, and commitment, and it needs to be an idea that you’re passionate about or else you might become overwhelmed by what’s demanded of you. What’s more, the early days of business can often feel like such an uphill struggle, that it will require the right knowledge and adaptability to properly navigate these tumultuous waters.
That doesn’t mean you should be put off completely, you just need to be aware of the kind of hurdles that can be involved to prevent this from being an idea that you just jump into.
Freelance Work
The other major option that you have here is to enter the realm of freelance work. This will be a more realistic option to many people, and the ability to customize your career around your own schedule could be massively appealing. However, this is also an incredibly broad area, as you can enter freelance work in just about anything, but that might prove to be just as much an overwhelming hurdle as it is a positive feature.
If you’re more concerned about getting work that suits you rather than defining an area and building upon it in much the same way one might with a business, you can consider options such as shipping work by choosing the truck loads that suit you; or perhaps an area such as data entry or caption writing for videos, if you want the ability to operate from home.
Defining Your Area
That being said, it could be that you do want to take that more dedicated approach—which means that you have to think about defining your area, your skills, and what you think you can realistically do for a living. Writing, graphic design, programming, teaching, bookkeeping—there are so many opportunities, that even looking at the list of complete options might only serve to muddy the waters. Having a clear idea of your own personal skills and what you can offer can help to guide your decision here.
However, it’s important to remember that the objective was to create a working life that you find preferable, so it’s not enough to just think of a job that you’re good at—you have to think of one that can allow you the working life you’re looking for.
