Top 5 signs you are ready to become self-employed

According to a 2014 study, 3 in 10 U.S. jobs are held by the self-employed and the workers they hire. 

More and more American workers are drawn to self-employment for the sheer flexibility that comes with working for yourself. Another survey done earlier this year showed that family and health were among the top drivers when making the decision to switch. 

Those who made the switch for health purposes reported that they experienced far greater health after switching to self-employment. This was related to making better choices such as eating healthier and avoiding the sedentary lifestyle often associated with traditional jobs. 

Regardless of these findings, the desire to become self-employed is always a personal choice and can have a wide variety of reasons behind it. 

Top 5 signs you are ready to become self-employed

You deal well with rejection

In business, nothing is personal…at least 99.9% of the time. Dealing with rejection is literally guaranteed and the sooner you realize this, the better. In self-employment, when it rains, it literally pours and long stretches of drought are not uncommon. 

Luckily, the opposite is also true as there will be times you will be contacted frequently all at once before not hearing from anyone again for weeks. If you are adaptable to this notion, you are likely ready for self-employment. 

You no longer find happiness in your full time job

If you no longer feel fulfilled by your current full time job, it may be time to explore other opportunities. We oftentimes lose interest and get burnt out by doing the same thing(s) day in and day out. This is especially true if your job is extremely repetitive and/or mundane in nature. 

Most of us crave variety–which is one of the reasons many people find themselves mentally checked out after just 1 or 2 years at a an employer. Being self-employed may provide you with the much needed variety of work you crave. 

You want to be your own boss.

Let’s face it, whether you have a steady 9-5 job or you’re self employed, there’s always SOMEONE you’re working for. However, being self-employed means that you’re essentially in control of your own destiny.

You are no longer at the mercy of your boss and/or company.  The freedom of not needing to report or answer to someone else is very liberating to many. 

If you find yourself wanting to become your own boss, it may be time to consider self employment. 

You desire flexibility in your schedule

Many people who are self-employed especially those who have online businesses, are able to make their own schedule and can work from nearly anywhere. This was the main thing that attracted me personally to self-employment as I desired the ability to work from anywhere and not have to commute. 

I also love that I no longer have to ask for permission to take a vacation or sick times. Now, I still need to contact my clients and let them know when I’m not available but there’s a huge difference between asking and notifying. 

You are self-motivated and disciplined. 

Being self-employed requires extreme self-motivation and discipline if you want to be successful. Being an employee and working on a team means that you have constant motivation driven by deadlines, consequences, and the desire to move up in the company. 

However, working for yourself means that there isn’t someone breathing down your neck to complete tasks and there certainly isn’t anyone there to push you to do your best. Therefore, It’s up to you to find ways to get motivated to work hard and produce real results. 

My inspiration to become self-employed. 

When I made the decision to become self-employed, it was driven by the desire to not only create my own flexible schedule, but also have more time to workout, take care of my health, and most importantly, spend time with my family. 

I have been inspired by women such as Chrissy Weems who started her business of Origami Owl with her daughter on a whim and were able to sell over $1,000 worth of product in their first try. She is the perfect example of someone who turned a passion/hobby into a business.

She has also started a scholarship program which was created to help future entrepreneurs and small business owners. With this scholarship, high school seniors who plan to attend college as well as current college students are encouraged to apply and can win a $1,000 scholarship to start their future business. 

Chrissy is just one fabulous example. There are many others just like her who have decided to put fear to the side and go for their dreams. Here’s a list of top female entrepreneurs and how they got their start in the business world! 

I always say, It’s better to live a life filled with “oh wells” than a life filled with “what ifs”. So if you’re thinking of making the switch and feel ready, go for it!