A young man rushed into his father’s office excitedly. His father had always taught him the value of autonomy and the young man had a wonderful surprise to tell his father. He was sure the news would make his father proud and excited.

“Dad, guess what?” Not waiting for a reply he blurted out, “I’m going into business for myself. I get to be my own boss, work from home, and I will have all of the freedom and autonomy that we always talked about. How awesome is that!?!?”

His father looked up immediately and smiled. “That’s great son” he replied but said nothing else. A short period passed, which seemed like an eternity to the son.

Frustrated with his father’s lack of enthusiasm he asked, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“Son, the good news is you get to be your own boss and call the shots. The bad news is you get to be your own boss and call the shots. I am not sure which it will be for you but you need to be aware that it’s your choices that will determine whether it’s good news or bad news.”

There are many people who dream of working from home and being their own boss. There are obviously many benefits to self-employment. There is no dress code, no co-worker drama or disagreements, and best of all – your boss is the most considerate person in the world. What a great boss!

You are free to choose where, when and how you work. This is a gift. To some, it’s the ultimate freedom. Freedom equals power.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Having the power to choose each and every thing in your professional life means you are also responsible for all of them. You are responsible for getting up, getting started, and getting your work done with no one but you to make sure that happens. You are responsible for every letter; every word, every sentence in every communication you engage in. You are responsible for achieving your goals. You are responsible for creating and meeting your deadlines.

Are we suggesting you not start your own business? No. We have both gone down this path and it’s been tremendously rewarding. However, like the father said to his son, we have found that owning a business can be both a gift and a curse.

Having experienced this ourselves, we’d like to share some suggestions. Follow these tips and the journey in your business will be filled with more pleasure than pain and you will enjoy every minute of it.

1. Business owners work harder than anyone we know. So what is the benefit? When you love what you do it never feels like work. It’s fun and you are passionate about it. Truly, if this was the only benefit it would be worth it.

2. Clearly identify the purpose and vision for your business. This will steer the ship in times of rough seas by guiding you. Define your goals. What tasks must be completed for you to accomplish these goals? Don’t worry if you don’t know every task for every goal. For now, just identify what tasks are necessary to accomplish your first/next goal.

3. If you are working from home, you require a business-at-home plan. Make no mistake, with your personal life in the next room; you will get lured. Treat your home office as though it were disconnected from your house. Create a schedule and stick to it. Allow no personal interruptions during the times you have set aside to work. On the other side of the coin, when you are with your family or done for the day, don’t let the call of the office grab your attention away from your leisure time. If this takes some discussion with your family then by all means, have that discussion. Come to an agreement and stick to it.

4. Schedule your work day. Set a time to open. Pick a time during the day to respond to emails, and then close your email program. Set time aside weekly to do expenses and finance work. Set a time to do marketing and sales. Set times for all of your major activities and stick with them. Multi-tasking is a myth. All you end up with is 10 projects that are half done or executed poorly. Prioritize your activities by what will create the most positive results in your business and do those tasks first. Focus equals power!

5. Find a mentor who has had success in your field. Cut your learning curve in half by following people who have already made the mistakes and experienced the triumphs. There is no special honor in doing it all wrong and “learning the hard way.” The honor goes to the person who achieves their goals and is fulfilled.

6. Do what you love and delegate the rest. There’s no point in doing everything. Do what you’re passionate about, and then contract the busy work or the menial tasks to leave time for the work only you can do. Someone is passionate about bookkeeping. If it isn’t you, pass it on to someone else. The cost of paying someone else to do it efficiently is multiplied when it leaves you to pursue your passions within your business.

As with everything in life, you reap what you sow. If you’re going to do this, do it right. Take our advice and blaze your trail to prosperity.

Michael Bloxton

President & CEO

oneMYnd, LLC

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