Working for Someone vs. Being Self-Employed

[southflorida]

Here is an interesting article written by blogger that once had a massive Self Development Forum going, and then just closed it down because a small group of Moderators turned against him, WHILE they were making money from giving all kinds of BS consultations for $200 for 45 minutes to others members of the forum...LOL. And when he got sick of it, he just pulled the plug and left all these mofo's without any income...lol. Anyway I got off track a little.

Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/

Now, personally I have been self-employed for the last 19 years. And even during the crisis I never had a job, even though my biz was royally hit by the real estate meltdown...lol

But still, is there anyone who would rather work for someone else if they had a chance to be self-employed?

 

[headband 707]

Nah I would rather work for someone else lol..I hate the hassle of things (most things) I say if someone else wants to work their asses off to get the" BIG BUCKS" then by all means go for it lol.I have come to a point where if I don't like it, I don't do it .Same with ppl if I can't work with them then I just don't..Unfortunately so many ppl that have the power to move the world are real dicks ..Funny how money doesn't make ppl better it just makes them ppl with more money and power to fuck more things up.headband 707

 

[southflorida]

true hb707

they're battling for power on those levels, money for them is a consequence of their intent. Intent to lie and steal, while putting up a front, as if you're a good person, an honest person, etc.

The first question is if the person standing in front of you honest or not? If he is himself, and honest with that, then it's cool. If he is not honest and is confused with who he is, it might not be that cool anymore...lol

 

[OneTokeOver]

With the exception of two jobs right after high school I have been self employed my entire working life (30 + yrs). No way I would ever let someone else leverage me for profit.

 

[southflorida]

that's a good way to put it.lol

 

[greygary]

I've worked for small companies, big companies, and myself.

The big companies, every single one, has worked to actively screw their employees. They fire higher paid workers to hire at a lower rate. They cut hours and demand the workers do the work of 3 people and refuse to pay the lowly peons more. They ask for suggestions to improve the workplace and then fire those who bring legitimate, non-frivolous concerns to them. They openly flout OSHA law and fire employees who ask for basic compliance with haz-mat protocols for biological waste. They set semi-annual performance quotas tied to a raise structure, and then when everyone works their asses off for 6+ months to meet the requirements for top raises (15-20%) they change the rules and now the top tier becomes a 4% raise and the bar has been moved so most people no longer qualify for ANY raise, let alone the sizable percentage promised.

Small companies can be nice, as long as the management is knowledgeable and open to change when necessary, but unfortunately, some people employ people because they need someone to push around. There are good small businesses though, at a much greater rate than in the big corporate world.

By far the best is working for yourself, if you can create a regular customer base and provide a reasonable product at a reasonable rate. The real problem comes with finding a skilled labor niche, because we have had a ton of day laborers and illegals (although less since the depression started) driving down the price of things like yard work, household painting and repairs, and general labor, at least in my area.

That all said, I am searching for work and having to go back to the corporate world, because while I can paint a house better than an illegal, they can do it faster because they don't have my overhead costs, like insurance and licensing and minimum wages, and can bring in half a dozen people to half-ass a job with 1 coat of paint and get out quick.

Yes I'm bitter...I applied to taco bell yesterday, amongst dozens of other minimum wage jobs. Makes me nostalgic for the good ol' grow days back in CA when my work paid well and smelt like licorice roses.

 

[sso]

actually, anyone who craves power, should be shot.

for the betterment of mankind.

heck, stoned to death in a public display.

these fuckers ruin lives on a daily basis.

 

[SeaMaiden]

I prefer to work for myself, and my customers prefer it as well.

 

[lost in a sea]

yeah but the sycophantic pyramid of power makes all the guns.. you have to kill the ingrained structure of power to stop the process..

greedy people will always exist, especially now so much selection has been done towards greed or the desire for power, but its the culture and the values of the civilisation they grow up in that decides what they turn into..

employing people is a real test, but i cant work for someone else..

 

[Iron_Lion]

It depends, if it was some large corporation that provided good wages, affordable health insurance and a retirement plan it might be worth working for someone else.

If it is for a small business that gives cheapskate wages and raises, is always under staffed, with little to no health benefits or retirement plan then I would rather just work for myself.

I guess a lot of it would depend on what you do, and if you can easily do it for yourself and have the brains to run a business on your own.

I have worked for small business, typical lazy and greedy owner, when his wallet would get thin he would cut back on what little benefits he gave to his employee's, but never take a pay cut himself only demand more and more to support his out of control life style.

What most business owners forget is that your employee's make the money and do the work, without them there is nothing. Often times employee's are thought of and treated like a burden, and that's not right.

 

[southflorida]

actually, anyone who craves power, should be shot.

for the betterment of mankind.

heck, stoned to death in a public display.

these fuckers ruin lives on a daily basis.

i like this idea...lol

 

[lost in a sea]

What most business owners forget is that your employee's make the money and do the work, without them there is nothing. Often times employee's are thought of and treated like a burden, and that's not right.

yes but employees dont want any responsibility, they get their free time after work or at weekends and holiday pay,, all the government taxes/council bills and utilities and stress and responsibility falls to the manager/owner and that is often 24/7.. when something goes wrong, usually staffs fault, the owner gets sued or can have his license revoked, the staff just search for a new occupation.. so yeah they certainly are crucial for making money but they dont have their lifespans cut short with the stress of running the show.. finding really good staff well worth their wage gets harder everyday..

 

[southflorida]

It depends, if it was some large corporation that provided good wages, affordable health insurance and a retirement plan it might be worth working for someone else.

If it is for a small business that gives cheapskate wages and raises, is always under staffed, with little to no health benefits or retirement plan then I would rather just work for myself.

I guess a lot of it would depend on what you do, and if you can easily do it for yourself and have the brains to run a business on your own.

I have worked for small business, typical lazy and greedy owner, when his wallet would get thin he would cut back on what little benefits he gave to his employee's, but never take a pay cut himself only demand more and more to support his out of control life style.

What most business owners forget is that your employee's make the money and do the work, without them there is nothing. Often times employee's are thought of and treated like a burden, and that's not right.

a person chooses to go to work every day, he or she can choose not to go, and in big business, folks go on strike...lol

i was happy working for someone until i 23, and now that i'm 42, i'm happy that i have been working for myself. i am simply happy with whatever i'm experiencing.

this hasn't always been like that, but once i hit that level, where i grasped that distinctions create reality, i understand that each present moment is perfect exactly the way it is.

our mind is the only problem in reality.

wherever self-mind rules, death follows

 

[southflorida]

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil ignorance"...Socrates

Lol...it's the first time I've seen this quote.

Funny, but it's actually the other way around.

ignorance is good, because it is primary; first and authentic

and knowledge is evil because it is secondary, it is always added to what is happening in our experience, it is never what IS

knowledge is simply a representation of reality...it is not reality AS ITSELF.

 

[Iron_Lion]

yes but employees dont want any responsibility, they get their free time after work or at weekends and holiday pay,, all the government/council bills and utilities and stress and responsibility falls to the manager/owner and that is often 24/7.. when something goes wrong, usually staffs fault, the owner gets sued or can have his license revoked, the staff just search for a new occupation.. so yeah they certainly are crucial for making money but they dont have their lifespans cut short with the stress of running the show..

I guess it's a case by case basis.

It's just a coincidence that all of the small business owners I know are asshole's. It's not right to take your own short comings out on your employee's.

If a business is not doing well learn how to become a better businessman or open up new avenues for income. Don't cut back on the people you already don't give shit to or go out of your way to be a prick.

The thing is pretty much any one can open a business even morons with no business skills or people skills.

When I grow up I want to win the lottery, or be an artist or something where I can squirt some paint on a canvas and get PAID lol.

In today's economy it's got to suck to run a business that employs people and has inconsistent work.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I could never go back to having a job. All I would do is second guess all of the decisions because most people are stupid.

 

[Growcephus]

Depending on the scale of your work, it is certainly easier to work for somebody else due to the fact that your area of responsibility is much more focused.

Being self employed means you have to tackle business associated tasks outside of your particular area of expertise, OR, you have to HIRE somebody to perform these tasks.
- Accounting and tax law
- Human resources and employment law
- Environmental issues and laws
- Infrastructure and logistics maintenance and resourcing

Etc, etc, etc.......

It's a LOT easier to simply work as a cook in a restaurant than it is to own and run the restaurant.

The sad thing about our society today is that we shit all over individuals who want to run a business, AND the businesses that are already established. Motherfuckers have NO concept of the difference between gross and net profit, or how local/state/federal government, labor, and the market can impact the viability of any given business.

There's a reason why less than half of all new businesses make it past the 4 year mark. It's not easy, and after figuring out what it actually takes to run a business SUCCESSFULLY, most people would much rather simply work FOR someone than be responsible for finding someone to work for them.

May your foliage be lush and fruitful..............

 

[Stonefree69]

One advantage to working for someone else is more of a "guaranteed" income. Many entrepreneurs or new businesses fail within 1st few years. Also if you have higher education you can enjoy what you are doing as you've planned this in college.

But if you can fill a niche, like what you're doing and supply the demand with satisfied and returning customers you can favor being self-employed especially over flippin' burgers. Many even do both at 1st to help get things going. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg and most of your time either, that's what employees are for. You can start small, many Fortune 500 companies have as well from Honda to IBM. Honda got started by making very reliable piston rings after WWII.

 

[SeaMaiden]

I could never go back to having a job. All I would do is second guess all of the decisions because most people are stupid.

Maybe you're kind of like me and the moment you think it, it's out of your mouth. I can't tell you how many times I've been fired for not being able to keep my mouth shut. IME, most employers don't seem to realize that without CUSTOMERS, they have no business. It's all about the CS for me. Or, if I'm making a product instead of offering a service, I go for quality above all else. This has always served me in good stead, though I could have been more thoughtful about retirement. The RE investment did *not* play out the way I had thought it would, the way everyone thought it would.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

Maybe you're kind of like me and the moment you think it, it's out of your mouth. I can't tell you how many times I've been fired for not being able to keep my mouth shut. IME, most employers don't seem to realize that without CUSTOMERS, they have no business. It's all about the CS for me. Or, if I'm making a product instead of offering a service, I go for quality above all else. This has always served me in good stead, though I could have been more thoughtful about retirement. The RE investment did *not* play out the way I had thought it would, the way everyone thought it would.

My way of thinking goes like this, "life is short so get to the fucking point." Why keep what you are thinking on the inside? I am one of the most blunt, and direct people you will meet. I don;t have time for people that want to beat around the bush. Get to the point motherfucker!

I have always hated having employees. They always suck balls. Maybe 1 in 10 will be worth having. The other 9 are there for the paycheck, and have no qualms about letting that be known. I don't think you can be the best employee possible without having tried at business on your own. Until then you just won't fucking get it.