I was happiest when I was self employed

[Disgustedman]

Originally Posted by sas318

Sounds more like OP wanted a job that meant something to him, which he found when he worked for himself. If you get paid bimonthly, it's a miserable rest of the month when it's not a pay day. Money and benefits aren't everything if daily life is a dread.

Well, if you're a lousy budgeter, then bi monthly would suck. That's what self employment will teach you. Proper financial discipline.

[bobsell]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Well, you sort of have it right. Self employment means you can pick and choose your jobs.

When you work for someone else you can’t pick and choose your jobs.

Both are the same. I don't see a difference.

Nobody will hire you without experience either way. Contractors are held to a higher standard than employees and have less protections.

Employer doesn't pay your wages? You have the state to back you up. State department of labor can force them to pay.

Client doesn't pay your invoice? That's 100% on you. You have to sue them in court to collect.
State has no help.

You can pick and choose your jobs too. But only in the same role or group of roles.

But I never felt like I worked for them.

Feelings lie. Feelings are not objective. I can say the same thing about actual employment I had. I've had many jobs where I never felt I "worked" for them.

The objective fact is you worked for them.

[platon20]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

My work life is over. I retired in 2010.
If I had it to do over I would not work for anyone but myself. I was successful enough as a salesman - I was top salesman at 3M in 1987 - but working for other people and different companies was NOTHING compared to the satisfaction I get from being self employed.
I established myself as a manufacturer's rep and represented about 8 different manufacturers. I worked with my wife and we worked hard. When the Chinese ate up our fabric industry I only needed to work another 5 years, and the closest thing I could arrange to being self employed was driving an 18 wheeler. So I did that for five years, 750,000 miles and made $300,000.


I got absolutely nothing out of working for the 3 corporations on my resume. Looking back, I would have been happier mowing yards or rebuilding bathrooms than I was wearing a suit and flying all over hell's half acre.


Maybe these comments will help someone out there looking. I have been fortunate and accumulated enough real estate to keep myself busy and keep the books balanced. Should have concentrated on that all along....

I'm not so sure...

I am self employed now and have 8 employees.

This is the 3rd day this week one of my employees has called in sick, leaving me short handed and my customers are now angry at me because we dont have enough workers to fulfill the customers needs.

I thought about closing the business (even though we are in good financial shape) just to go work at a big company so I dont have to freaking fire and hire people all the time.

It's very hard to find good workers right now. They either don't show up or call in sick over and over again. I've raised my wages by over 50% in the last couple of years (average hourly rate is now $25) and it still doesn't make much difference.

I'm about ready to shut this thing down and go back to working at a large company where I dont have to deal with this nonsense.

Be wary of what you wish for

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by bobsell

Both are the same. I don't see a difference. ..........

The difference was the 200K a year I made over and above what any employer was willing to pay me. I knew I was worth much more than employers paid so I went out and found it.
I'm sure 200K covers any benefits I could have gotten working for a company.


Your constant grousing about how we self employed people are not really self employed because of this or that is common, but makes no sense to someone who actively seeks self employment. If a client was rude to me (and one was, once) I could calmly just smile, walk away and never call on her again. I had over 500 clients. Only one employee, and she was not critical.

[mwalker96]

Self-employed and employed people all want one thing, and that's fulfillment. Not all self-employed people are happy, and not all employed people are unhappy. It's all about the individual. Some people value financial stability over flexibility, while others value work-life balance more. We are in a age where solopreneurship has become the norm, but not everyone is cut out for that life.