So, you’re interested in starting your own home business eh?

My Journey To Self Employment

I’m going to use this post to introduce myself and to talk about why starting your own home business may or may not be a good idea.

My name is Don Marges and I have always had a very independent attitude. I have never really been into the idea of working for someone else for years and years, then retiring, then die. Someone else having the ability to fire me or lay me off whenever they want really does scare me. 

About 5 years ago, I made it a goal to become financially independent. This came from a situation where I was basically self-employed while in college. I had just came from a programming job in the summer in between semesters and I didn’t want to go back to working as a Security Guard. For a while I was really scared. Even though I was a student, I still had some bills to pay and if I didn’t pay them then I would suffer from bad credit. At the end of that period, I was surprised to find that I came out ok. I made way more money in being self-employed with only 2 or 3 clients then I did working Security and I got to choose the hours that I worked.

From there I worked at a magazine company where I furthered my business, marketing and promotional skills. It was a great experience, but I still had that “itch”. I just had to be on my own.

The Present

It was my experiences that prompted me to start this blog. I want this blog to act as a focal point of information and to allow other people who want to work from home, to network and share their lessons and experiences.

Why You Should Start Your Own Home Business

One of the main reasons for starting your own home business is the freedom it affords. You can choose your hours, vacation time, sick days, etc. You can also choose ho much money you make.

Another reason is to be closer to your family. This is particularly appealing for stay-at-home mothers and fathers who want to work and make money while staying at home and taking care of the children.

The last main reason that comes to my mind is avoiding the commute. Where I live, it was a 45 mins + drive to my place of employment! It was a nightmare. It was also incredibly wasteful. When I calculated how much time I spent in my car over the course of a year, it came out to nearly 5 weeks!

Why You Shouldn’t Start Your Own Business

Owning any sort of business is a huge commitment. Your responsibilities will increase exponentially. If you are not interested in the perceived hassels of running your own business then it isn’t for you.

Also, you aren’t guaranteed to get a paycheck every week or two weeks. Sometimes you will go without money and there were times when I didn’t really have any money to spend. If you can’t stomach this or the idea is not appealing to you then you should reconsider.

In the end, it’s your choice. You can look at starting your business from many different standpoints. For most people, you will see the concept from the two standpoints above. Admittedly, I am on the first side. Which side are you on?