I Hate Running My Own Business

The above should really read – sometimes – as I don’t always hate running my business. But I do not like the administration side of running my own business. I really love the work I do, and seeing the results for companies getting to the top of Google is great.

Recently I read a forum post by someone who I respect in the same business as me.  There are four of them in that company and the owner was saying that often he would be quite happy if some larger company came along and offered to buy them and make him an employee.  Now this is someone who has been in the business for a long time in the US and they are very, very good at what they do.  I was surprised reading this.

Then I started to think about myself.

I dislike:

• doing accounts
• offline marketing
• finding clients
• organising business cards etc
• finding office space – done now
• backup and network issues
• all the dam paperwork
• tax returns
• collecting money from clients
• sometimes pricing work
• the insecurity

I like:

• the work I do
• the freedom
• the freedom
• the freedom

It would be hard to imagine myself turning up somewhere to work every day at a certain time.  At present though I turn up to my office most days and work longer and harder than I would be expected to if I worked for someone else.  I of course work weekends and currently I am writing this while on holiday – my first holiday since last September.  But still I think I have a great life.

I do plan on working less in the future, we have no children and my other half is studying so I have little family home life pressure.  Talking about work life balance check it out on the business forum if you have something to add to the conversation we would love to hear it.

So if someone came along today and offered me a job would I take it.  Maybe… but there would be quite a few things that I would want that are not normally offered in jobs.  You know some days I just like to stay at home and work – this way I can often get through a lot more than going into the office and getting distracted by talking too much – this would be difficult for most employers I think.

But enough of me, what about you, what are your thoughts on this?

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