The author of this blog posting seems to equate being self employed with having a startup or online business. This is certainly a great thing to do, but there are other paths to self-employment. And self employment isn't for everyone.
Take me, for example: I'm a developer, and I've been an independent Web/database consultant for 16 years now. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to have my job. I work with half a dozen different companies and organizations each week, I meet new people and businesses all of the time, I get to learn and work with a variety of technologies, I work as a senior technical person rather than as a manager (which would be expected at most companies), and I have a fair amount of control over when and how I work -- although with three kids, a mortgage, and a bunch of clients, I definitely work more hours than I would if I were an employee somewhere. (But I really enjoy what I do, so that's OK.) I don't have to ask anyone for permission to go on vacation, to go to a conference, or just to pick up my kids from school once per week.
That said, I remember when the current recession started, and high-tech companies were laying people off in droves. I told my accountant that I was worried about a large crop of these laid-off workers starting to compete with me. He told me that I shouldn't worry, that most people want to just have a steady paycheck, and don't want to deal with all of the things that a small business owner needs to worry about.
And indeed, being in business for yourself means dealing with the month-to-month worries of ensuring you have enough income, that you're marketing yourself in the right ways (and yes, I market myself, although it might not be obvious at first glance), that you know how to choose clients, that you can negotiate with clients and banks, and that you can balance the various demands that your clients put on your time. It's definitely not for everyone; my wife has gotten used to the ups and downs of our income (and we live pretty well overall), but it's not nearly as straightforward or relaxed as having a paycheck come in every month.
If you can pull it off, though, then being self-employed (whether in a startup or a business like mine) is incredibly rewarding and exciting. I've been offered full-time jobs by a number of companies, and while I've always said, "I'm willing to consider anything," the fact is that I'm really enjoying myself now, and can't imagine returning to the days when I went to the same office, with the same people, and the same tasks day after day.
Take me, for example: I'm a developer, and I've been an independent Web/database consultant for 16 years now. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to have my job. I work with half a dozen different companies and organizations each week, I meet new people and businesses all of the time, I get to learn and work with a variety of technologies, I work as a senior technical person rather than as a manager (which would be expected at most companies), and I have a fair amount of control over when and how I work -- although with three kids, a mortgage, and a bunch of clients, I definitely work more hours than I would if I were an employee somewhere. (But I really enjoy what I do, so that's OK.) I don't have to ask anyone for permission to go on vacation, to go to a conference, or just to pick up my kids from school once per week.
That said, I remember when the current recession started, and high-tech companies were laying people off in droves. I told my accountant that I was worried about a large crop of these laid-off workers starting to compete with me. He told me that I shouldn't worry, that most people want to just have a steady paycheck, and don't want to deal with all of the things that a small business owner needs to worry about.
And indeed, being in business for yourself means dealing with the month-to-month worries of ensuring you have enough income, that you're marketing yourself in the right ways (and yes, I market myself, although it might not be obvious at first glance), that you know how to choose clients, that you can negotiate with clients and banks, and that you can balance the various demands that your clients put on your time. It's definitely not for everyone; my wife has gotten used to the ups and downs of our income (and we live pretty well overall), but it's not nearly as straightforward or relaxed as having a paycheck come in every month.
If you can pull it off, though, then being self-employed (whether in a startup or a business like mine) is incredibly rewarding and exciting. I've been offered full-time jobs by a number of companies, and while I've always said, "I'm willing to consider anything," the fact is that I'm really enjoying myself now, and can't imagine returning to the days when I went to the same office, with the same people, and the same tasks day after day.