Sorry if this post isn’t up your street, I made a few decisions about this blog over the weekend and I’ve decided to get back to basics and write a bit more for myself again. Totally not offended if you aren’t interested in some of the topics but it’s my life and I always wanted my blog to reflect my life, a glorified diary is all this is 
So over the past few months I’ve started my business Ace Inspire with my business partner Antonia Chitty begin, and in August I registered self-employed which was an important moment. Finally accepting that I wasn’t mucking around anymore, this was serious. Since then I’ve been working about 10 hours a week and I’ve been making an hourly rate equivalent to more than triple my previous jobs so I’m convinced that I can make a success of it.
Here are ten things I love about working for myself;
1. Clients
Maybe it’s all new and exciting at the moment. But I love clients, love working with them and seeing them succeed. Working for myself I have direct contact with my clients daily, something I didn’t have much of in my previous jobs.
2. Flexibility
I love that to a certain extent I can work when the mood takes me. I find the quality of work I produce when I’m in the mood is far higher.
3. Health
I’ve mentioned before I have crohns disease and it’s really affected my work in the past. In one job I was off for six months and missed my promotion, in another I was made redundant three months after I started when they found out I had crohns. Working for myself I don’t have to worry about those things. It’s also much easier working from home when you have an illness like crohns.
4. Creativity
There’s a lot more scope for being creative when you work for yourself. If you come up with an idea you think is good you can act upon it, you don’t have to ask someonelse’s permission and you aren’t stifled by hierarchy.
5. Work/Life Balance
I have a far better work life balance since I started working for myself. Time for family and time to go to Uni. Life’s still busy but not all my time is taken up with work.
6. Independence
I enjoy being self-reliant. It’s not for everyone but I seem to thrive on it.
7. Office Politics
What can I say? I hated the office politics and I don’t miss it one bit!
8. No Boss
I’m not great at being told what to do, especially when the ‘boss’ is a power hungry up-start. I’d rather take the risks and work for myself. Obviously it’s a completely different story when the boss is knowledgable, well qualified with a good attitude, then I quite like learning what I can from them.
9. Less Work-Related Expenses
I didn’t realise how much money I wasted at work until I left. Wedding collections, baby showers, leaving presents, social committess subs, engagements, new houses, charity collections, dress down days, the collections were endless!
All that plus expensive coffees, lunches, business dress, keeping up appearances and nights out, it really adds up.
10. Fulfilment
I just can’t get excited about a monthly pay cheque in the same way as I can get excited about sales emails that drop into my inbox. Strange but true!
I’m not a cog in the wheel anymore, I’m the wheel. It doesn’t suit everybody but it certainly suits me
