What You Give Up When You Start Your Own Business

Most people think running your own business means you have ALL the time in the world. In reality you have less time than those in employment because you will always be thinking about work.

Deciding to start your own business is like decided you’re going to have a baby. OK, maybe not quite so, that’s a little dramatic. But it is like a precious thing that will keep you awake at night, leave you stressed out and tired and not go according how you pictured in your mind.

Below I’ve listed some of the things you should expect when you start your own business…

SECURITY
You no longer have a job that pays like clockwork at the end of each month, no sir! The salary you used to rely on to pay bills is gone and now you’ll have to plan and budget everything! Also, you’re more likely to put any money you earn back into your business for things you need and forget about paying yourself for a while. You’re no longer entitled to sick pay so you’ll end up working ‘til you feel like you’re dying and decide you actually NEED to rest.

SOCIAL LIFE
Say hi to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and whatever social media platforms you will be using to promote your new business. They will be your new best friends. This is about the only social life you will be enjoying. When you are out, you’ll most likely be thinking about new ideas, ways you could improve your business or what you could be posting on social media. You will be a zombie stuck at your desk feeding off your to-do list.

COMFORT / WELL-BEING
Constant stress and anxiety welcomes you with open arms. Until your business baby grows, this will be your state. You will never be comfortable, you will always be thinking whether you’re making the right decisions, which invoices need paying/chasing. This will take it’s toll on your health so be careful. Oh, also, you will probably start drinking copious amounts of tea/coffee to keep you going.

HOLIDAYS
You should just remove this word from your vocabulary as you will forget what this is. You will be working weekends, Bank holidays and forget about taking a real holiday away even locally. For a start, you won’t be able to afford it and then there’s too much to do. Bye holiday!

Ok, so maybe those are some of the worst bits of starting out on your own. It’s not all bad, there’s light at the end of the tunnel and there are so many good times ahead and happy memories. You see your business grow each day, you read reviews/feedback from people who love your stuff, you accomplish little goals, achieve something new each day. You grow your skills and as a person with your business and see it flourish and become something more than you imagined. The suffering is will be well worth it, good luck!

Dina x