Being your own boss is overrated. Yes, it is one of the most fulfilling and exciting careers, but it's also one of the toughest. The Nomad is in the food and beverage industry, one of the hardest industries to be in (in my opinion). And I remember my friend telling me one day, after a good day at our cafe, that it's actually not so hard to start up your own cafe. I don't blame her, because what people see are only results, what goes on before that, people won't know. So that's what sparked my interest in writing this topic, to speak of some of the things that goes on behind the scenes.
Small startups usually have financial difficulties, so whatever we can do ourselves, we'll do it ourselves. That includes working from
9am in the morning all the way to
10pm at night, just to save on the hiring costs, or simply because we feel that we alone can portray our business in the best possible way.
Not to mention the days before a big event. The amount of preparation that goes into prepping for an event often spans across days.
2. Loads of sacrifices
Being a business owner, our world practically revolves around our business, especially when it just started and it's our own baby. And we know, that for the business to grow, many sacrifices has to be made. Time with our friends has to be shortened so we can work, travel plans postponed because we can't afford to hire, eating the same food for a week to save costs, and so many more.
And all so often, all of your sacrifices will look like its for naught. And you have to keep being disciplined enough to push yourself onwards.
3. Self doubt
After giving up so much of ourselves, sometimes we can't help but wonder if all this is worth it. Whether it will all pay off, and whether we're doing it right.
And then someone else comes along with the same ideas, and does it bigger and better (somehow), and then you feel like you're the dumbest person on the earth. That you were never cut out to be an entrepreneur, that this line is just not for you. And that all the sacrifices you made was just not worth it.
And when you're so tempted to give up, the small voice in your head tells you that if you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. So you pick yourself up, and try to convince yourself that this is just a setback, and that you'll get there.
4. Willpower
Being an entrepreneur requires a mega amount of willpower. Not only to pick ourselves up after hitting a roadblock, but the simple stuff like following up on emails, going to work everyday, actually requires a lot of willpower. Because there won't be a boss to scold you or fire you when you step out of line, it means that you have to wake up purely based on willpower when the alarm clock blares, and that you have to do all the things you don't like doing.
And trust me, there's going to be days when you just don't feel like doing anything at all.
Having said all this, you must be wondering, that if I think that being an entrepreneur is all that bad and tough, why carry on being one. My answer is simple : fulfilment. There is nothing much more fulfilling then having start up your own business, building it up from scratch, from learning accounting to engineering just to save costs. Even if the business fails, you can look back and say you learnt so much from the venture that it was worth it. And 20 years down the road, with a family, you can proudly say that you started you own business.
So, if you ask me now, would I have chosen this route to take, I'll do this a thousand times over.