"Self-employment is about freedom. I don't have to kiss ass, sit through stupid meetings, or play political games. I can shift my professional focus without having to get permission from anyone. I can work whatever schedule I want, charge what I feel like charging, and take off for a walk whenever I want.
I get ahead primarily because of the quality of my work and not my hairstyle, my lifestyle, my politics, or my personality. My age and gender are not issues in any way. I have never heard of any job where all those things are true. Give me self-employment or give me death."
A colleague posted this quote, attributed to author Marcia Yudkin, on an industry forum I belong to. I love it! And it got me to thinking... self-employment is indeed about freedom:
Freedom to pursue work that most energizes you and brings greater meaning and fulfillment to your life;
Freedom to work according to the pace and style that best suits you; and
Freedom to make choices about the direction of your life, and how well you live and enjoy that life.
At least that's what people envision when they first open their own business. In reality, the truth is often much different for solo and small practice professionals.
They've all heard and taken to heart the mantra that one should "make a living doing what you love." And they start out full of those good intentions.
Unfortunately, they too often fail to realize just how many roles there are to fill in a business, and how each of those roles requires its own expertise.
For example, there's the "technician." That's the person who works IN the business as its employee performing the actual job of the practice.
Then there's the "manager," who must organize and supervise the work, ensuring it all gets done and is up to standards.
And there's the "entrepreneur," the mastermind who must work ON the business and is in charge of setting goals, thinking creatively, mapping out plans and making strategic decisions.
Depending on the size of the business, it may take more than one person to fill each of these roles in order to accomplish all that needs to be done.
No one person can be an expert in every single area.
You may be an absolute genius at marketing and networking, but a complete dunce when it comes to bookkeeping or word processing.
Or perhaps you have brilliant ideas that will take your practice to the next level, but are an absolute mess when it comes to translating your vision into a presentation or spreadsheet.
Do you really want to waste precious hours and days hunting, pecking and desperately struggling with software mechanics?
And even if you are capable in those areas, as the chief expert and visionary in your practice, is that really the smartest expenditure of your time and energy when you could be out there creating revenue?
Unfortunately, small practice owners commonly attempt to wear all the hats themselves in the beginning. Sooner or later, however, they arrive at the inevitable truth - that it is simply not humanly possible to do everything themselves.
Nor should they! Trying to be all things breeds inefficiency. It inhibits creativity. It drags down your productivity, and compromises your ability to deliver value and quality to your clients.
All of this costs your business dearly in more ways than financially. Going it alone does nothing to prepare you for your own success. Success, after all, is the natural progression and implicit goal of any business.
Tragically, too many business owners never think to prepare themselves for the day when their business grows beyond what they can handle on their own.
And business owners who are spread too thin come to resent and dread their practice, and wonder what they've gotten themselves into.
All is not lost, however. The fact is, the small practice professional doesn't have to wait until the boat is sinking or already sunk. Even just a little strategic assistance can work miracles, and allow you to start running your business (instead of it running you) with more intention, clarity and greater results.
The Virtual Assistance profession exists to meet this need. Virtual Assistants provide those administrative services that, in turn, give you the freedom and flexibility you need to take care of more important demands, and allow you to direct your time, energy and expertise where they are most intelligently focused.
So be prepared for your own success! Safeguard your freedom to live and enjoy your life as a self-reliant, independent professional by planning ahead and hiring the help you need right now--you can't afford not to.
About the Author:
Danielle Keister is owner of The Relief Virtual Assistance. Her company has been providing expert administrative support services to the professional community since 1997. Visit her website at www.TheRelief.com to get her complimentary report, "Ramp Up Your Billable Hours: 10 Easy Fixes You Can Make Right Now!"
