

False Realities of Being Self-Employed - eunikins
https://medium.com/what-i-learned-building/2f37c02e9499

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YuriNiyazov
I have been self-employed for many years now, and frankly, I only agree with
1/3 of your assessment. I don't get to be passionate about the work that I do,
that's true; but, I am my own boss, and I do have a flexible schedule.

In a corporation, you have many bosses: your manager, his manager, etc. In
order to succeed, you have to please all of them, and you don't get to choose
who they are individually. The only choice you have is whether or not to work
at a corporation - when you walk into a corporation, there's the structure
above you, and either you accept all of it by staying, or none of it by
leaving. You are not your own boss because you can't choose your bosses.

As a consultant with many clients, you can pick and choose your clients on an
individual bases. Have a nightmare client? Fire him/her, find another nicer
one. Have a nice client? Keep him. You are your own boss because you choose
each of your clients individually, not all of them wholesale.

As for flexible hours - once again, same applies. Three months ago, I had
three clients, and I was insanely busy. Right now I have fewer, and I have
more free time. I _could_ have more clients right now, but I am choosing not
to because I want to have more rest right now. At a corporation, you don't
choose when there's crunch time, and when there's periods of lull - those are
determined by your manager. When you are self-employed, you get to choose when
to take on more clients and thus be more busy, vs. when you want to continue
working at a slower pace for just one client. At a corporation, you either
choose to work, or go on vacation.

Anyway, you sound like you are happy to have a job again with managers above
you. Maybe you weren't very good at being self-employed.

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eunikins
Hey Yuri, thanks for your comments. I hope you didn't miss the point of my
post, which basically gives the same advice your entire post just repeated.
Not sure why you seemed to inject a bit of condescension into your last line.

The point of the post was to inform people that these three were possible
pitfalls that a new self-employer could fall into, and I gave advice (the same
exact advice you listed) on how to avoid them. You clearly have figured it out
for yourself and seem to agree with my points, so it sounds like you agree
with 3/3 of my assessment and advice. I believe you misjudged the point of my
post -- it is to advise newbie self-employers, not ones who've already figured
it out like yourself.

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YuriNiyazov
Thank you for the clarification, and sorry about the snark - I regret it now.
Best of luck in your new position.

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eunikins
Thanks Yuri. I can see how you may have found the post inapplicable to you
since you seem to have it all figured out. That said, if you have any specific
feedback or additions to the advice I listed (which sounds very similar to the
advice you were trying to give me in your original comment), I'd welcome it
from someone with your expertise. I enjoy discussions between entrepreneurs
that benefit us by adding to our best practices.

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um304
Thanks for the post. I am looking forward to starting my business in coming
months and I guess it'll be helpful to keep your advice in mind.

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eunikins
Great! I hope it helps!

