Once You've Worked for Yourself, it's Hard to Go Back

The kids had 5 days off school so I took them up to Ponoka to see their dad, who is living up there for another month. Yes, there is a place called Ponoka and it is a very small town between Red Deer and Edmonton. It has a Micky D's(McDonalds) and a Tims (Tim Hortons), a little more then the small town I grew up in. I am not in any hurry to move the kids to Ponoka, there is so much more for them in Calgary. Good thing too, as my husband is not enjoying his new job.

My husband worked for himself for 4 years before he closed his doors to change careers, from an automotive mechanic to a pilot. Once you’ve been self employed it is hard to go back to being an employee. He’s called the shots for 4 years and is highly organized, efficient, and analytical. The company he works for as a pilot/purchaser is very unorganized and the amount of wasted money is out of control. He’s full of ideas to make things in purchasing run smoother and save the company a lot of money. Problem is, he’s not the one calling the shots anymore and he finds this frustrating.

The point of this story is that, once you’ve worked for yourself it’s hard to go back. Being self employed means the buck stops with you and you don’t have to convince anyone that your ideas are good, you just have to convince yourself. You make a mistake? Oh well, who’s going to yell at you or fire you? Yourself? If you are an idea person or like my husband very particular about how you like things done working for yourself is freedom from judgement and ridicule in the workplace. Your spouse and friends may still be full of judgement and ridicule, if so find a new spouse and new friends.

I've always planned on going back into the workforce once my children were older and when I did it wasn't easy to find someone who was willing to take a chance on me. Employers look at those who have stayed home and put their kids first for a period of time as a risk. Which is funny, because mothers make good managers, they have lots of experience in babysitting and time management. Raising kids is a marketable skill, not just a recognized one.

There is always a downside to working for yourself and the main one is cash flow. The next paycheque may not come and saving for a rainy day becomes a real priority. Without cash flow you won’t survive the first 6 months, let alone the first 2 years. Figure out where you can get an influx of cash and still strive to get your business off the ground. Look at what you have, what you need, and then find a solution. Talk to a financial planner, banker and your local community economic development association. There are lots of resources out there for you, it is just a matter of finding them.

That’s where I come in and my website, finding you the resources you will need and outlining what you will need to succeed. It is a huge undertaking and a work in progress at the moment, after all, I only got going seriously on this part of it in December of 2007 and I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s available out there.

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