About That Grass: Working for Myself
I’m always so surprised at how people react to me working for myself. Half the time, people continually ask me if I’m searching for a “real” job—as if the only way is to work for someone else—or they gravitate to the other side and act like working for oneself is some sort of special achievement.
It’s not. Aside from the fact that I credit you guys for leading me to and helping me build the eBook Artisans, I’ve been working for myself all of my adult life, outside of a few part-time jobs in college. Working in the “real world” would be as foreign and strange and difficult as going solo would be for those who’ve worked for a company all their life.
People always act like I can “fall back” on a real job, but to me, it would be much easier just to make myself another job. And my education was so specialized, that I don’t have the proper pieces of paper for lots of jobs. Companies tend not to understand that some (most?) people are self-learners and can pretty much figure things out or educate themselves.
I love running and growing my own businesses. When I hear of people who are laid off, I’m always thankful. People say real jobs have more job security, but I can’t lose my job in one fell swoop.
It can trickle away… and in the meantime, I can develop other skills or businesses or just increase my marketing.
I’m biased, of course. I love the life I’ve chosen. I love the empowerment that comes from working for myself, not to mention the security of diverse income streams.
The grass does seem really green, though, for those who get regular paychecks and benefits. 
It’s just different, though. It’s a different mindset, mostly. I think some people who work for companies approach it like they’re working for themselves: comfortably moving between jobs and companies and opportunities in a way that looks a lot like self-employment, to me.
What do you think? Where is the grass greener for you?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
If I had had to keep working at a corporation I’d be dead by now. Everything you say is true. And yes, corporations do not respect the fact that most of us teach ourselves most of what we need to know throughout our whole lives. So the obsession with degrees etc is sheer idiocy.
I have always felt that self-employment is, in a way, more secure than a “real” job these days. I know I have work for the next several months. I have signed contracts that guarantee it. If I were working in a cubicle someplace for all I’d know I could be laid off tomorrow.
Health benefits are the worst problem, but I have managed to afford to pay the crooks. The self-employed usually are paying dearly for their freedom! But the freedom is worth more than money.
Yes, it’s not like most people actually learn much in school, LOL. Very few degrees are hands-on.
I agree with all you said! And it definitely scares me when people lose their whole income in one fell swoop. That is not job security to me!
Gotta disagree with Eric on the insurance. My husband works a regular job and has crappy insurance. It gets worse every year. One of the reasons I’m so happy I’m making money is that now if anything happened to him or his job, I can pay for insurance. Not happily, but I could do it.
Self-publishing is the best thing I’ve done for myself. I’m doing what I love. People are buying my books and liking them. Sometimes loving them. And I’m finally making money. It’s all good.
That’s awesome, Edie! I love that publishing is giving you a good income! It rocks!
I am soooo happy for you!
I’ve always been a bit of a wuss and always wanted to have that steady paycheck. Maybe I just don’t have real confidence in myself.
But you like teaching! Maybe you just want to keep teaching.
I go the Working Spouse route; Jim makes good money and has decent insurance. I supported myself for years with a corporate job (working for a high tech gov’t contractor in Silicon Valley) and while there were people I loved working with and some tasks and projects that gave me great satisfaction, on the whole it was a long spiral into depression.
Re: your eBook Artisans web site, I went to check it out and clicked through all the tabs at the top. I noticed that one of the services you’re selling is book covers, but I didn’t see any examples. It seems you’d have a lot more success selling that service if you had actual examples of book covers you’d done, whether books that are for sale now or just dummy covers you made up to show off your skill and the different styles in which you can work. I know I’d be very hesitant to hire someone to do a book cover for me if they had no sample work for me to look at.
Or maybe it’s there and I just didn’t find it? Which would be its own issue. :/
Other than that it looked good.
Angie
That’s a good idea, Angie! Her portfolio is on her website, but most people don’t click through. I’m definitely going to do that at some point!
I’ve never tried the working spouse route. That’d be fun! LOL!
It’s been great for me. It has its ups and downs, but you have to roll with them and have faith. I remind myself regularly that I’m pretty lucky. I’d probably be a far better employee now after having worked for myself for 7 years than I was before, simply because I think I’d give them what they want. But… I’d hate it, because so much of what corporate culture demands is stupid.
Yeah. Self-employment makes one a good problem-solver, self-learner, and self-starter, but yeah. I’d hate all the BS involved in a job like that.
Self employment is the way to go! I absolutely love it. And you’re so right – your job could trickle away, but then you could develop skills to make another job.
I frequently fill out “family leave” forms for parents, so they can take a day off if their kid is ill, or they need to go to an appointment for the kid. It never fails to piss me off on behalf of the poor parents. What ever happened to good old human kindness? They’ve got enough problems without having to beg for leave. Sheesh.
Oh yes, I know, Robin! I remember some part-time jobs in college where I had to call someone to cover every time I had to use the bathroom. I think that’s when I decided I wanted to be self-employed! I want to go potty whenever I want, LOL!!!