Being the Man or Working for Him

Be the Man or Work for Him
I’ve been on both sides of the track. I can tell you that there are days that I miss owning my own business and there are days that I can’t believe that I would ever consider doing it again. There are many plusses to working for someone else; however, there are many benefits of being self-employed and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them both. For the last six-plus years, I have been fortunate enough to work for one of the finest employers in my area. Fifteen years prior to that I took pride in owning several of the finest businesses in my area.
We all need to make a living that makes us happy. Job satisfaction directly affects our entire lives in many ways. Based on a 40 hour work week, we spend almost twenty-four percent of our lives each week at what we do for a living. The National Sleep Foundation provides statistics that says that an average American sleep 6.7 hours per night. Taking this statistic and placing it in the equation and the percentage rises to a full 33%! One-third of our waking hours per week are dedicated to work. For many, working for the man suits them just fine. As well, many choose to pave their own road for a career. No matter what we do there is a sense of satisfaction that we all must experience in our careers.
Having experienced both, I can say that there are inherent differences that divide the choice of, “Being THE MAN” versus “Working for THE MAN”. The following is a comparison based on my experiences alone. I have listed them from my most important to least. Perhaps they are shared by others but these are my views.
TIME
Being THE MAN:
Upon start-up of owning your own business, your time is the most valuable thing that you must give to your business. The initial organization and presentation to the audience you are selling yourself too is of the utmost