Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up each morning knowing you are getting to do exactly what you love is more than most people could ever say about any “job” they have had. Although there are days when tossing in your hat seems like a viable option, remembering how much you love your “job” can quickly snap an entrepreneur out of that mentality. Different business owners also have different reason why they love their business. It might be the products or the customers they deal with, or it could even be the fact that they are the ones in charge of it all. The reasons are as varied as the businesses themselves.
We asked some entrepreneurs what they loved about “being their own boss.”
#1- Growth
The almost limitless possibilities for growing my team and the company is one of the things I love most. As an entrepreneur, I'm always just 6 inches from success – the space between my ears! If I control my thoughts and maintain self-discipline, the team responds and the company continues to grow in the double digits as we've experienced the last few years.
Thanks to Dean Neuls, AlgaeCal!
#2- Doing the right thing for my clients
Maybe most people starting their own business think that one of the biggest advantages is being your own boss or controlling your schedule as you want. But for me, the most important thing is to “do it right” for my clients. In other words, I love to challenge the cosmetic industry by creating products which I know are revolutionary and will help everyone be more efficient. I feel that in our field there’s too much redundancy (overlapping benefits) and confusion when it comes to skincare. That’s why I spent my entire life, including my personal one, doing “the right thing”, and created this product that will make people’s skincare routine much easier. By being an entrepreneur I have the chance to create cosmetic products as I believe they should be. It is ‘the love of my life’.
Thanks to Dr. Mirela Mitan, MMXV Infinitude!
#3- Freedom to meet, learn and be creative
Starting my own architecture and interior design firm, Spacesmith, has given me the ultimate creative freedom to come up with an idea, envision an outcome, and then figure out how to make it happen. At the same time, owning my own company allows me to bring together incredible people who share common goals. I've had the wonderful opportunity to not only lead new and valuable creative initiatives, but also to meet, learn from, and mentor numerous talented and passionate architects and designers. There's no other way I'd be able to form and shape the kind of work environment I find most exciting: one that fosters creativity, ingenuity, and passion.
Thanks to Jane Smith, Spacesmith!
#4-Finding the Good in Hidden Opportunities
I love the thrill of finding new hidden opportunities especially when that opportunity can help the environment. I have owned and operated Albany Woodworks, a reclaimed flooring business for over forty years. My wife and I started this business and built our home out of reclaimed wood and building materials in the name of the environment and being eco-friendly. For years it has always bothered me that I could never find a good use for the sawdust waste from the sawmill that produces my flooring. I sold shavings to all the local horse farms but it still didn’t feel like it was using the waste to its full potential. So, I started researching and came across the concept of biomass gasification. I decided that it was my opportunity and duty to bring this amazing technology to the world to help preserve it for future generations. So at 62 years old instead of preparing to retire, I started a green energy business called Waste to Energy Systems. This is the beauty of being an entrepreneur. You can seize an opportunity like literally taking garbage and turning it into a green solution.
Thanks to Richard Woods, Albany Woodworks Inc!
#5- A number of reasons
First and foremost, being an entrepreneur allows me to control my own destiny. I surround myself with positive people who I respect and set my own schedule for work. As someone of no hobbies or sports, I am a workaholic and tend to work around the clock, but I’m always able to make time for my wife and children. Another reason I love being an entrepreneur is the freedom to follow your instincts and pursuing new opportunities in the marketplace. When I started TAGeX Brands, our main focus was trying to popularize baby carrots in American supermarkets. Thirty years later, we are a leading online marketplace of used restaurant equipment. It’s not where I thought we’d be in 2018, but we’ve carved ourselves a comfortable niche in the restaurant industry by giving ourselves the flexibility to change course.
Thanks to Neal Sherman, TAGeX Brands!
#6- The freedom
The most rewarding part of being an entrepreneur is the freedom of owning your own business. There are only so many hours in a day, so being able to reprioritize your day to get certain things done is valuable. When you’re working for someone, you can’t just take two hours off to go to the doctor. Since I’m working from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I can shift meetings around to have time to take care of myself. I’m also starting to enjoy the fruits of my hard work by taking vacations and things like that. Also, it’s great to be able to hire more people and impact the people around us and our community.
Thanks to Candice Simons, Brooklyn Outdoor!
#7- Making a living out of my passion
Someone pointed out to me recently that ever since I landed my first job I have always chosen positions that leave me open and flexible to all the changes that life brings. It was just a natural progression that I would find entrepreneurship to be the perfect fit for the lifestyle I was attempting to build. I love to travel, it is my #1 passion. Working a normal 9-5 job makes it hard for traveling the way I do to be a reality, so I chose a different path. I love being an entrepreneur because I can make a living doing what I love and spreading my enthusiasm for travel to others. I fully believe that traveling provides us with an education unlike any other. We can learn the most crucial life lessons from this incredible world if we just take a step forward outside our comfort zones and pay attention to what is around us.
Thanks to Monica Stefanac, Cluventure Travel!
#8- Service and making dreams happen
In my view, being an entrepreneur means undertaking a positive approach to materialise own dreams to serve others through own ideas. It’s a really good approach, isn’t it? And execution of good approaches always deserves to be awarded with recognition and dimes. If you get both in return, only then you can call yourself a good entrepreneur. As a successful entrepreneur, I fancy the most the mass recognitions of my creative ideas which are accepted to be useful and induced in the trade to get better results. These acknowledgements help me to work harder to find better and more effective ways to fulfil others’ requirements and drive me to give more efforts to take my constructive entrepreneurship to the next level.
Thanks to Andrei Vasilescu, DontPayFull!
#9- Several reasons
First, you control the direction of your company. You literally work for yourself, which means you decide when and how to grow, if a shift in business goals is at hand, or basically anything else. That sense of control can really build confidence when handled correctly. Next, you can essentially write your own schedule. When you get to work almost when you want to, it makes it easier to spend more time with family and friends. Also, as a small business owner, your job is typically very exciting. There's usually something new going on each and every day, and it's a fun thing to be a part of. Additionally, although this is somewhat of a generalization, the more you are willing to put into your company, the more compensation you can expect to receive. Additionally, you usually have the ability to work from a variety of places, as you're not tied down to an office. You can work from home, go into your location when need be, but also get a lot of work done in a mobile fashion.
Thanks to Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers!
#10- Freedom
My favorite thing about being an entrepreneur is the freedom to decide what to do with your free time. Time is the most important asset that we have and as an entrepreneur, I’m able to use my time in the most efficient way possible.
Thanks to Linas Kliarskis, A City Suburban Services!
#11- Creating
I love being an entrepreneur because I can take pride in knowing I have created something useful from scratch. Being an entrepreneur doesn't need a formal education, because for me experience is the best teacher.
Thanks to Ben Worthington, IELTS Podcast!
#12- The sense of freedom, challenge, and accomplishment
I have the *freedom* to create my own schedule, invest my time in projects that I believe in and work from any location. I am constantly challenged by new projects, questions unanswered and things never done before. Lastly, the sense of accomplishment I feel by each dollar coming into my account from the operations of my business cannot even compare with the bimonthly salary deposit I received when I was in corporate. These dollars are all results of my own ideas, my own sweat and tears, my own hard work, my own decisions. The times before you feel accomplished are challenging*, but hey, being free is worth loads of pure gold!
Thanks to Katerina Barka, Olive Roots Ltd!
#13- Choice on how to spend our precious time
I choose to spend my time in a way that benefits women, which is something that makes me extremely proud. Making a difference in the lives of millions of women is very gratifying and one of the best parts of being an entrepreneur in this category. The intimate health needs of women have not been talked about, and for the most part are neglected. Millions have been silently struggling with this and other similar issues, and it excites me to see them finally getting recognition and help, not just from us at Joylux, but also from the emergence of femtech as a whole. Hearing individual stories and knowing that my efforts helped women in such a profound way is incredibly fulfilling.
Thanks to Colette Courtion, Joylux!
#14- Learning and helping
Helping people implement tactics, systems, and processes that realize their business goals. I also find it fascinating to learn about other kinds businesses and industries from our clients. Our company is a marketing services provider for start-ups and small businesses, and I see part of my role to clients as being that of a confidant, mentor, or soundboard. Running a small business can be a very lonely activity, and having someone around to confide in and offer advice can be really helpful. Our clients serve very diverse industries – eCommerce, manufacturing, software development, energy, printing, finance, healthcare – which means that no two days are the same. I really love that.
Thanks to Gee Ranasinha, KEXINO!
#15- I love doing something different every day
Entrepreneurship chooses you- Entrepreneurship isn’t just a profession; it’s not just a choice. It’s an inner drive and personality type that’s a common thread throughout one’s life. Looking back, I can honestly say I’ve been an entrepreneur since childhood. I love building things, creating, doing something different every day, solving problems, navigating ambiguity. If you’re truly an entrepreneur, I don’t think you can do anything else.
Thanks to Anna F. Wood, Brains over Blonde!
#16- Flexible working hours
As the owner and managing director of PPC Protect, I'm fortunate to have had a wonderful journey so far as an entrepreneur. Having been an entrepreneur for over 5 years I would say the thing I love the most are the flexible working hours. Unlike a normal job, being an entrepreneur you have a lot more flexibility when it comes to working hours. Starting work at 9am isn't always ideal and you can often find you have much more productive sessions later on in the day. Why force yourself to work when you're tired and unfocused? With flexible working hours, you can work when you're 100% focused and much more likely to have better results.
Thanks to Alex Winston, PPC Protect Limited!
#17- No dull moments
Starting my own business has made me never stop learning, which is exciting. I've learned incredible things from top influencers in my industry and I get to collaborate with them on a daily basis. Since I'm a copywriter and content writer, I'm always researching and learning something new. There's never a dull moment, and everything I learn helps me grow personally and professionally. This is the first time in my life that I've actually felt fulfilled from my career and happy with how it's progressing, simply because I have control of how my business operates.
Thanks to Amy Boyington, The Work at Home Mom!
#18- Gratification and choosing who to work with
I've always been the type of person to say I'd rather work 80 hours a week for myself than 40 for someone else's dream. I founded my company with the belief that I could help transform lives and empower women to feel confident about their money. The best part of owning your own company is the ability to not only decide who you get to work with (which many of my clients end up as close friends!) but the feeling of gratification for the product and results you provide. I love having control over that! As many stressful days I have, or had… like not knowing how I was going to pay the bills in the early years, the sense of pride and ownership in something you built far outweighs the fear. Sometimes the unknown is what pulls me out of bed in the morning and excites me as each day I get to create my own results. I'm the one who sets the bar, from my income, schedule, to future growth. There isn't a hierarchy or boss pre- determining my success or setting my schedule, that is powerful. I can create my own ideal life, despite it being intense. I am 100% responsible for both my success and my failures, or what I like to call lessons.
Thanks to Nicholle M. Overkamp, Wilcox Financial Group, LLC!
#19-Being my own boss
I absolutely love having full control over my day, my income, and my workspace. I love being able to travel when and where I want. But the thing I love most about being an entrepreneur is the constant challenge and the feeling that the work I do really matters. After working almost a dozen different jobs growing up, I realized most of the work is bullsh*t. As an entrepreneur, I can make a difference in the world.
Thanks to Bill Widmer
#20- Solving problems
I love being an entrepreneur because I get to spend my short time here on earth working to solve problems I'm passionate about. The world needs happier people who are free. Free to do what they want, when they want, with the people they want.
Thanks to Matt Wilson, Under30Experiences!
#21- Growth and learning
It's the fact that you're able to grow and intentionally learn in so many ways. For example, my business is focused on planning and creating strategic content for my clients, but writing and content strategy aren't the only areas I should upskill on. From industry trends and user habits all the way to psychology of reading, watching and buying, I can never afford to not get better at all these things–and I love it!
Thanks to Marijana Kostelac, Marijana Kay!
#22- Transforming clients
Several years ago in the early years of being an entrepreneur, a friend asked me what I would do if I had to go back to work. I told her that I'd leave the country! We laughed but the reality is I LOVE being an entrepreneur and I cannot imagine doing anything else. Being an entrepreneur gives me a sense of freedom and creativity I never enjoyed in my Corporate management career. Every day, my clients inspire me to serve from my heart because of the transformation I help them to create. My work truly fulfills my calling to transform the world — one person at a time. Besides, I'm official unemployable! #EntrepreneurForLife
Thanks to WendyY Bailey, Business Beyond Limits!
#23- Control
Easily my favorite thing about being an entrepreneur is control. I had some great employers in my younger years but nothing feels quite the same as knowing that whether you sink or swim, whether your business succeeds or fails rests entirely on my own shoulders. Like most entrepreneurs, I think I'm probably the worst, most demanding boss I've ever had. Nonetheless, the early mornings and late nights are always worth it when your destiny is entirely in your own hands and your success relies entirely on what you do.
Thanks to Dave Davies, Beanstalk Internet Marketing!
#24- Spending time the way I want to
Time is the most expensive thing you can spend. Why not spend it doing what is most important to you? In 2017, I quit my job to be a full time entrepreneur and to spend my time the way I wanted to. No more 40+ hours a week working for someone else, doing what they wanted, trading dollars for hours. Now, without a job, I have all the time in the world because of my real estate rental business and online businesses. With my passive income businesses, money comes in without me working a single hour. Now, I spend my time on the things that are most important to me. My family. I LOVE my wife and kids. I love to be with them, experience life with them, and just spend time with them. I love taking them snow skiing on a Tuesday, going on 6 week vacations to Japan, a 2 week vacations to Boston, and a 6 week vacation to Europe. We do everything together and my time is spent on what is most important to me.
Thanks to Dustin Heiner, MasterPassiveIncome.com!