Owning Pink Bloggers
Learning To Work For Myself
An entrepreneur in waiting
I’ve been working for myself for 10 months now. I hesitate to say that I’m self-employed because to me, that implies that I’m earning money. While I am earning a few hundred dollars here and there, I’m still depending heavily on my unemployment insurance to pay my bills.
In a way, I was forced into self-employment by circumstances. My job was a victim of the horrible economy. But, when I received my “lay off” notice there was a part of me that was excited. I’ve often dreamed of being my own boss but I am so practical that I knew I’d never throw my all into it unless it was forced upon me.
Months before I was unemployed, and even before talk of budget cuts, I’d enrolled in an online class for women entrepreneurs. I didn’t do it with the intention of becoming an entrepreneur. I thought the class would help me to finally buckle down and make an attempt to be the writer that I’d always wanted to be. There were lots of “creatives” enrolled in the class. I regularly posted on the class bulletin boards that I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur, that I wasn’t cut out for it, that I was happy to work for someone else and write on the side…and then, the opportunity presented itself, and I leapt (is the past tense of Pleap -- to take a pink leap of faith -- “Pleapt”?) at the chance. I realized that I’d always wanted to run my own institute for women, and I had sudden clarity on how to begin.
What I’ve learned so far:
1 – Before you get started, you need a plan. You can get started with just a sketch of an idea but know where you want to go.
2 – You also need to be flexible. It’s important to stick with your passion and ideas but the way in which you deliver them will likely evolve. Be prepared to evolve with them.
3 – Do your research! There’s tons of free, online information out there for entrepreneurs. You may also want to check with centers that provide free advice to small business owners (there are many targeted towards women and minorities). Just don’t use the excuse of “more research” to keep you from getting started altogether. Learn the basics and begin. You can pick up more skills as your business grows.
4 – Be prepared to work hard, day in and day out, without immediate rewards. It may be cliché to say, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” but the cliché is there for a reason. Most people who are overnight successes put in months or years of work. We just think they are overnight because we only heard of them yesterday!
5 – Because you’ll be working so hard, make sure you are working on something you love. If you love what you’re doing it won’t seem like work. At least, it won’t most of the time.
6 – Be practical. I’m all for “Pleaps” but sometimes it takes a few practice runs before you are actually flying. I was kind of forced into this but I did have three months notice of my layoff. Immediately after the notice, I started living on the amount of money that I knew I’d have when my job ended (unemployment, child support and a few part-time jobs). For those three months, then, I saved all the excess. And, I’ve always followed my mother’s advice and kept six months basic living expenses in savings.
7 – Find a support group. This may need to be different than your normal group of friends. Not everyone understands or supports the entrepreneurial spirit. I have a few acquaintances who change the subject when I bring up my website! But, I made several good friends in that online class I took, and we regularly check in with each other online and on the phone. We go to each other with marketing and business ideas and always support each other on the social networking sites.
8 – Be gentle with yourself! Pat yourself on the back frequently. Pamper yourself. If you can’t afford to pay for pampering, make a nightly bubble bath part of your regular routine.
Enjoying the process
Normally, people write this kind of “what I’ve learned” post after they’ve achieved success. I’m still very much in the middle of it all and not sure what the outcome will be. Will my hard work pay off monetarily? I hope so! I don’t know. But, I am now fulfilling a dream by staring my own institute, with instructors, and live, online classes (FemCentral, The Virtual Institute for Women -- classes start in October!). I’ve done the number crunching. It can work. I hope it works. If it doesn’t work, I’ll assess and readjust. Still, the hard work has paid off in many other ways. My confidence and self-esteem have grown tremendously since I began. I can make a video blog in a matter of minutes and actually LIKE the way I look on camera! Remember how I always wanted to be a writer? Well, I met the great people at Owning Pink through my website, and I’m now a regular writer for the site. Who knows what the future will bring but for the present, I’m having a blast!
Do you work for yourself? Have you always dreamed of being self-employed? Share your advice, your experiences, and your fears below!
Blessings,
Jennifer Astrologer, Educator & Founder of FemCentral, the Virtual Institute for Women
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Congrats!
By La Alicia (not verified) on Wednesday, 09/22/2010 at 4:36 PMThanks for sharing, Jennifer. I've been self-employed for several years. I think the most important things to remember for me are 1) be true to yourself and your passion 2)have faith in yourself 3) don't forget to take some time away from working.
Congrats on getting your Institute up and running!
Alicia
Thank you!
By Jennifer Shelton on Wednesday, 09/22/2010 at 5:39 PMThanks for the encouragement and the tips! Yes, taking time away from working - that can be really hard to do when your "office" is just a few feet away from your bedroom! but, my body clues me in when I need a break, whether I like it or not.
Blessings,