We all have reasons for the things we do that we don’t tell others. Even if they think they have us figured out, they don’t know our deepest fears or wishes. Small business owners are no different. They each have their own reasons for working for themselves and though they may tell you some of them, they will never tell you all of them. They also won’t tell you, no matter how bad things may be with their business, why they can’t or won’t stop and get a “real” job.
Seriously independent. Always ready to strike out on their own, business owners as children and teenagers tended to do things a little differently than others. Never those to follow the crowd, their behaviour could have been seen as audacious or downright dangerous. As adults, this sense of independence has never left them and working for someone else just isn’t in the picture.
Lifelong learners. The cubicle life is boring and rarely allows employees to grow or learn on their own. There is always a map to be followed and business owners like to draw their own maps, not follow those of others. Creative and deep thinking, they know there is a way out of whatever problems they’ve encountered and one way or another, they will figure it out. Don’t tell them they can’t.
Quietly competitive. Never obvious in their desire to stay a step ahead of everyone else, business owners feel that giving up is not just a matter of pride, it’s a huge loss that puts them behind everyone else. Whether you realize it or not, they all think that working for themselves obviously makes them just that little bit more intelligent than those who do the 9 to 5 everyday. Their success is extremely important to them.
In charge. Entrepreneurs are exactly the opposite of those who would join the army. They refuse to be told what to do and follow their own orders. Each day can be different and bring excitement which they wouldn’t find in an office or elsewhere. They organize their own time, their own work and their own lives and wouldn’t have it any differently.
Working for yourself may be a long held ambition or it can be something that you ease into gradually as you find it suits your personality. The reasons for not giving up can be as varied as the personalities involved. Each of us knows what suits us and why we can’t and won’t give up.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of favim
