“Hmmm…probably not any time soon!,” I answered. :)
We were on a Secret Adventure, a business I ran for a while where I led women on monthly trips designed to explore the region, have fun, and build confidence at the same time.
Because each experience was a surprise, they never knew what they were getting into – kayaking, cider making, a classical concert. We tried all kinds of things…
But I don’t love caving – so that was never on The List.
And that’s why running your own business is the Best Thing Ever.
You get to have FUN, doing what you love best.
I’ve often felt that if something wasn’t fun, it usually wasn’t worth doing. That’s not a terribly adult way to look at things, I know, but I want to enjoy my work.
When you’re in start-up, yes, you play every role – marketer, bookkeeper, provider. And yes, that means you’ll do some things that aren’t much fun for a while.
(Ask me sometime about bookkeeping in my first business. Ugh.)
But eventually, you’ll offload tasks that aren’t your genius work, and do more and more of what you love best.
Today, I only work with people I genuinely enjoy, doing work I truly love. And I still haven’t planned that caving trip.
But there’s another reason running a business is such a great way to go.
You have the FLEXIBILITY to design your business any way you’d like.
That is, you can adapt it to meet your changing needs, interests and desires over time.
Got little ones at home? Plan your days around their needs. A psychologist I know changed her practice to finish by 2 p.m. each day, just so she could be home when her children got home from school.
Want a month off? Design your business to make that possible. I know someone who does this religiously every year.
Changing your mind about who you want to serve? Go right ahead. An executive coach I know has long tailored her business towards high level executive women. Recently, she’s had more male clients, and discovered she’s enjoying that work just as much.
Need to up your cash flow? Easily create a new program, offer a new service, or reach out to former clients to get the wheels turning again.
In other words, you can do what you need to do, to get where you want to go. The beauty of such flexibility is that you can do what is true for you over time.
Best of all, you have the FREEDOM to do what works.
That is, the freedom to earn the income you want to earn, by serving people the way you want to serve.
For example, therapists and healers can craft a practice free from the whims of an insurance company. When they do, they can work with people the way they know is best, rather than the way some unknown case manager says they have to.
I experienced that freedom when I discovered how much better my clients did if we worked together longer. I simply re-designed my practice, and stopped working with folks for anything less than 6 months at a time. Today, I focus only on those willing to commit to their business growth long enough to do the work I know they need to do.
Why is running your own business the Best Thing Ever?
Because it means you get to…
…have fun, spending your time, your way.
...be happy, building your business around your needs,
…and make a difference, in the way you know works.
It may be the most challenging thing you’ll ever do. It’s certainly not for everyone. But I’ve loved owning my own business from the very beginning, even when I wasn’t making any money and had no idea what I was doing!
How about you?
What do you love most about running your own business?
Photo Credit: Iryna Yeroshko on Flickr