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-The quality of life
I started working for myself full-time when my oldest daughter was less than a year old, so my children have only known me as working from home. Having the opportunity to work from home and to craft my own schedule has allowed me to watch my children grow up, take time off for travel, and even relocate our family to a new state. Because my business can be run from any location that has an internet connection, I’ve enjoyed the flexibility and family-life balance I can create myself. Being an entrepreneur has been a true blessing.
Thanks to Ryan Guina, TheMilitaryWallet.com!
#2- Being and staying excited about my work
After years in agency and corporate life, the best part of entrepreneurship is being and staying excited about my work. I often say that while a lot of my peers are sitting back and looking in the rear view mirror at their careers, I’m sitting up straight and looking out through the windshield. I started my business in my early 40’s and now, 15 years later, it has grown in ways I could never have imagined at the beginning. The original concept was simply media training for executives and athletes, and it’s grown to become public speaking coaching, presentation skills training, and just a smattering of media training. The exciting parts are constantly meeting new people and learning about new industries and technologies, scaling the business by leveraging technology, and forging interesting partnerships. Some of these things are possible in a corporate environment but, arguably, on a very limited basis. Entrepreneurship is fueled by the expansiveness of one’s own ideas and motivation, and I love it!
Thanks to Beth Noymer Levine, SmartMouth Communications!
#3- Ability to dictate my potential
I love knowing that my ceiling is as high as I am willing to make it. There's no one person or entity putting a cap on my success or lack thereof, but me. Having the ability to dictate my own potential is an exhilarating feeling that challenges me on a daily basis.
Thanks to Brian Jones, Nuts & Bolts of PR!
#4- The Ability to do Anything
Like the famous Dave Allen quote says, “You can do anything, but not everything.” As an entrepreneur I have ability to pursue any goal or do any activity. After ensuring I'm meeting all my commitments, I can decide to take a weekend trip or practice golf. This freedom comes at the price of responsibility, though. But I would much rather be the one to make those decisions than someone else.
Thanks to Desmond Harvey, Desmond Harvey Consulting!
#5- The confidence it’s given me!
Being an entrepreneur is messy and scary, and it definitely takes tenacity… But ten years later, the number one thing I love about being an entrepreneur is this deep trust that I now have in myself. I know I can figure it out. There is a grittiness and a level of self-reliance that comes when you start off wearing every hat. You have to figure it out, there’s no one else who’s going to. Today, I know that come what may, I will be able to figure out how to get back up and how to make sure that my family and I are okay. I feel more confident and in-control, leading the company than I ever could as an employee.
Thanks to Leah Remillét, The CEO Kid!
#6- The excitement that each day brings as CEO
Everyday there is a new challenge that I never would have anticipated or gone to school for. Some are great, like a big new sale that forces us to think outside of the box to complete the task, or presents a new challenge like adding employees. Others are challenging, such as supporting a team member through a personal family issue. Still others are rewarding, such as seeing an employee buy a new house, get married, or receive a new certificate. But as the CEO of a small business, each day brings an opportunity to face a new challenge, and that is what I love about being a business owner.
Thanks to Bobby Reed, Capitol Tech Solutions!
#7- Flexible schedule
The thing I love the most about being an entrepreneur is that I am in charge of my own schedule. No more PTO requests, no more jamming in fun things for my life for after work when I’m exhausted. And more importantly, no more feeling bad doing the things that I want and need to do. When I was working a traditional corporate job, I was basically chained to my desk from the hour of 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. It meant I couldn’t pick up my nieces if my sister was in a jam, it meant I had to rigorously schedule any and all appointments for after work or my lunch break, which wasn’t always possible, and it made getting to the gigs I did on the side very difficult. When I realized that my day job was never going to allow me to actually live my life, I decided that I needed to make a major change. Now that I am full time in my business, I can be wherever I need to be. And it makes it even more fun that no two days are the same. It breaks up the monotony that I used to face at my old job.
Thanks to Kathryn Roberts, Quest for $47!
#8- Seven things
For 35+ years I’ve been able to be the boss that I wanted to have and: Choose the chances I’m going to take. Make the decisions I have to live with. Do what I think is right. Be able to do something about the problems I complain about. Select the people I want to be around. Minimize doing things I think are stupid. Control my own destiny. Yes, there were no paid vacations, sick leave, or pension plans. But as my Dad said before he died, “I’m proud you never had to take any crap off of anyone.”
Thanks to Debra Benton
#9- Great use of my drive and motivation
My favorite thing about being an entrepreneur is being able to really put my drive and motivations to great use. Before becoming a business owner I felt stifled in the workplace, always having to do someone else's work and pick up the slack for others. Being an entrepreneur has allowed me to focus my energies on bettering myself, my family and my business. I wake up each day knowing that I have control over the outcome and can take my business as far as I desire.
Thanks to Nathaniel Hovsepian, The Expert Home Buyers!
#10- Freedom to manage my time and see my family
Having the freedom to manage my time and see my family is what I love about being an entrepreneur. I just had a son who is now 6 months old. I love being able to pick him up from day care and give him a big old hug and see his sweet little smile. When I was working a corporate job, I wouldn’t finish work till 6pm, get on a bus and get home around 7 at the earliest. With a baby, he is sleeping by that time so I wouldn’t get to spend any time with him. Now as an entrepreneur I get to spend those precious few hours with him while he is awake, then head back to work after he falls asleep.
Thanks to Stefan Cordova, FriendWithA!
#11- Thoughts freedom
I have founded (3) companies in the past year, some that never went somewhere and some that have been super successful. I enjoy the ride of entrepreneurship, its never a dull moment in my life of business. The emotional roller coaster that we business owners/entrepreneurs put ourselves through is sometime hard to believe. I still wouldn't trade it for anything. I have done the corporate world and the sales jobs, but the freedom of you thoughts is what drives me everyday to be a successful entrepreneur. If I have 3 business ideas this week I have the choice to run with those and not have anyone say anything. I'll never forget getting threatened to be fired because in my spare time I was running another business while I was working at a corporate job. My initial thought was, I'm sorry, should I be sitting on Facebook like everyone else on break? I'll never put myself in those situations again.
Thanks to Ryan Collett, Jasper Organics!
#12- Solving real problems
I started a suspenders company with my friend after going to a wedding and discovering that it was impossible to find a quality pair of suspenders. My favorite part about being an entrepreneur is realizing that you can actually solve real problems that people are having (no matter how small). Sometimes when you sell products online, it feels somewhat anonymous. But it's the most gratifying feeling in the world when I run into people in real life who have used our products because you can actually see that you're helping people.
Thanks to Jackson Cunningham, JJ Suspender!
#13- The people and the shared experiences
What seemed like a very simple question at first turned out to be a much greater challenge to answer than I had expected. I could do a list post of the 101 reasons why I love being a business owner and still not get through the complete list…but I will try. I'll highlight a couple reasons and leave the rest for another occasion. I love the people; our clients, our employees, our vendors, our families, and yes, even our competitors, the whole lot. The total comes out to well over 1,000 people simply with the number of employees and customer contacts alone. That equates to a large number of relationships and a ton of shared experiences. Those shared experiences, especially the most challenging experiences, strengthen these relationships and make for memories that will last a lifetime. Enjoy the journey!
Thanks to Bryan McMinn, Servi-Tek, Inc.!
#14- Two things
It's been 2 years that I started my own business and it has been an exceptional journey. All my dreams of working on my terms have been fulfilled. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur rather than an employee because I am somebody who never wants my life to be monotonous. As I wished I am my boss now. One more thing I loved about being an entrepreneur is I get to learn something new every day. Having said that life has become a learning experience for me and also I've unlearnt many things once I stepped into this practical world. I can't wait to learn more and expand my horizons as well as my business.
Thanks to Siva Mahesh, Dreamshala!
#15- Building and growing something
Being an entrepreneur gives you options in life that you wouldn't get while being an employee. For me, the best part about it is the ability to build and grow something that wouldn't exist without me and my co-founders. We are making all the rules, owning all the wins (and losses) and this feels really good.
Thanks to Annika Helendi, ContentFly!
#16- Freedom of choice
Since I've left the corporate world to develop my own projects, I have gained the freedom to work how and when I want: take care of my family whenever necessary, decide my own business travels, and organize my life the way I want, all while growing my business. Usually, work hours are longer, and they never really end, as even time off productive work is used for strategic thinking and other planning. However, I get at least get to decide the place and time where it will happen, and also to select what is worth spending my valuable time on. Working with freelancers that have a similar state of mind is the best way to support this fulfilling way of life, and enjoy both personal and professional life at their fullest.
Thanks to Yoann Bierling, International Consulting!
#17- I feel like my work is meaningful
I work hard to create a stable, growing company, but the effort is absolutely worth it! The proud feeling when my company had hit some milestones are only comparable to having a child and observing their success. I also enjoy the freedom. Being a CEO means having freedom–freedom that has many constraints, but since I don’t have a boss, I manage my own timetable and yearly calendar as it best suits the company and me.
Thanks to Nikola Djurkovic, PolicyAdvice!
#18- Family
My father and I own and operate a small financial planning business. The thing I like most about being an entrepreneur is all of the topics and talks we can now have with each other. We speak every day about the business, family, my kids, social and political topics. This has enabled us to keep in touch more and grow our relationship through the business. The greatest thing about having a family business is that it can stay in the family. In the future, once my dad retires and I am nearing his age, I can then pass it off to either of my children.
Thanks to Jordan Benold, Benold Financial Planning!
#19- I love the constant challenge
I love the intellectual stimulation of trying to figure out how to use the black box that is Google and the other digital marketing channels to persuade my clients' potential customers to take action. However, the challenge of being an entrepreneur goes well beyond that. It involves connecting with and motivating staff to excel while engaging with vendors as well as clients and showing them how my company can help them grow their businesses. All of it has led to numerous lifelong friendships and business relationships that make it fun to get up in the morning and get after it!
Thanks to Dan Goldstein, Page 1 Solutions, LLC!
#20- Leading
There are a myriad of great things that come with being an entrepreneur. While it is sometimes a roller coaster of highs and lows, it comes with the freedom of being your own captain. You create the playbook and also make the plays. You choose who is on the team and what initiatives will push the business forward. One of the most rewarding things about being an entrepreneur is connecting with the consumers whose lives have been touched in some way by your company. Experiencing the wins and seeing positive end results makes all of the long days and endless hours of work worth it!
Thanks to Tori Dunlap, Her First $100K!
#21- Working on a vision with a team
The great thing about being an entrepreneur is bringing together a great group of people to work together on a vision for a better future — a better future for the team and a better product for the customer. At my organization, I make sure we stand for something positive that inspires others to create a better world for ourselves and future generations. I'm creating a culture of innovation that helps our team grow as individuals while enjoying the financial benefits of being a part of a successful organization, too.
Thanks to Idan Shpizear, 911 Restoration!
#22- It never gets boring
I love living and working in an ecosystem of people who see possibilities and opportunities everywhere instead of problems. To be part of a community of high energy, positive problems solvers makes every day fun and inspiring. I never get bored or run out of ideas which makes for a great career and meaningful life.
Thanks to Paige Arnof-Fenn, Mavens & Moguls!
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