The 2 Lies and Remedies of Owning Your Own Business
Are you ready to not just get your feet wet, but jump in head first in your new small business venture? Here are some thoughts from a Northern Utah photographer about the lies and remedies of owning your own business!
The Lie: You will have so much more free time!
When I first became my own boss I really believed in the statement above, and was looking forward to a less stressful life! But what you quickly learn is that everything is on you! Your income is not guaranteed, you get taxed more harshly being a small business owner, you don’t get health insurance or a matching retirement plan. So, if you want the luxuries of a W2 job, guess what? That means sacrificing nights, weekends, canceling plans, not being the hostess with the mostest (like you may have been before), and hustling. And I seriously mean HUSTLING!
As someone who leans towards the side of a workaholic, that meant I was staying up more nights per year than I ever had done in my life and cocooning myself in work.
To me it is worth it, because I find value in investing in myself, following my passion, and having more freedom than a W2 job would allow. But even so, being your own boss definitely comes with certain challenges.
The Remedy
Create business hours to ensure that you have enough time to complete all of your weekly tasks, but then also take designated time off! You need it to recharge and feel human again. If you work weekends like most photographers do, then take a weekday or two off so that you still get time to rest!!! (And taking that time off does not mean continue editing while you watch TV!)
Make time for date night with your spouse, friends, or child. Literally schedule it in your calendar if you have to! Because though growing your brain child business is SUPER important and I applaud your efforts, your family is also sacrificing when you are not available to them anymore.
So, force yourself to make the time to keep a healthy Work/Life relationship even though, as a small business owner, the two can bleed together a little more easily than a W2 job!
2. The Lie: When you are pursuing your passion, it won’t even feel like work!
When you are a small business owner, sometimes that means literally starting from nothing but a small seed of an idea in your head. To make that seed grow, it takes a lot of time, help, support and sometimes just sheer luck. It is hard to grow something from nothing, and though you are pursuing a more creative route, it is not to say that you won’t have to take a million shoots to perfect your skill or do shoots you may not necessarily want to grow as a professional. You have to work, baby! You are gonna be putting in the hours to find success and it’s gonna feel like work! Trust me!
2. The Remedy
Invest in yourself, but keep your chin up and remember that an investment takes time.
I have been at photographer for 5 years now and just this year I am starting to see some real fruits of labor paying off where I can support my family and enjoy traveling as a photographer. If you were to ask me 2.5 years in, you would have seen me quit photography because I was overwhelmed with my other 9-5 job and didn’t believe that I could take the jump and pull it off.
Zoom ahead a few years later, I have the tools in my toolbox I need to be a successful photographer. People who at first doubted me for pursuing a creative career now want me to take their photos. I have the confidence to know that my skills are appreciated and I have the ability to provide for myself and my family by doing what I knew in my soul to be the right path for me!
In Closing…
You are going to stumble, work A LOT, be misunderstood about the crazy free lifestyle the W2’s assume you live, and sacrifice, but just remember anyone who is successful has had many setbacks, but continued onwards. The main thing is to not give up and keep moving forward! You will find the life and career that work best for you!
