Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

You kin live ANYWHERE in da world ya wanna live.
I chose Roseburg, Oregon because I kin be at the beach in 60min East(beachcombing & ATVing on da sand dunes)...and, in da snow (cross country skiing and snowmobiling) the other way, West, in 90 min....and, in "culture" (at da Hult Center) and good shopping in Eugene, 60 min North.

PLUS....and DIS is a "Heavy PLUS"....within 10 min from my front door...I kin be on da TOP (imho) Steelhead and Chinook Salmon FISHING RIVERS in da world....da UMPQUA RIVER.

Where I just came from catching an 18lb steelhead.

I don't know 'bout you folks but....me....entroopeneerism....has given me...da FREEDOM to live....WHERE I WANNA LIVE and DO WHAT I WANNA DO....WHEN I WANNA DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So...my POINT IS;

Ya got an idee to make some moolah....ON YER OWN? GIVE 'ER A TRY!

If you "place your destiny" on..."da Gummit" or...a "Company" or an "Industry" or...."anyone OTHER than yerself"....you could have a "rude awakening" sometime in the future.

Then...when da "rug is swept out from under yer feet"....WHATCHA GONNA DO...to....MAINTAIN A GOOD LIFESTYLE....fer yerself an' yer famly?

So....my "advise" this GREAT DAY OF FISHING....AN'....LIVING....WHERE "I" WANNA LIVE.....because "I" CHOSE to LIVE HERE!....is;

GIT SOMTHIN' STARTED!

TAKE DA FIRST STEP TO GIT IT GOIN'!

YOU ONLY GO 'ROUN ONCE"!

Don Alm

Excuse my "dese & dose" references today....as a former Chicagoan... I'm "recovering" from da SuperBowl loss last Sunday. (DOWN wit da Bears!)

Re: Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

Hi, Don,

Congrats on the steelie! Nice catch.

Boo-hoo on the Bears...:(

You're absolutely right about the live where you choose. You have a beautiful lake with lots of deer and foxes and so on in the woods surrounding it, and the haunting sounds of Loons within 20 miles of you...up Sutherlin way...assuming the logging hasn't ruined it. Been quite awhile since I was down there.

As for getting started...that's the biggest hurdle most folks have...and I'm as guilty as the next one. Take it from me, folks, it just won't happen unless you get it started. Best to start small and build as you go online.

One other thing: concentrate on ONE project at a time. Working too many at once just delays things until everything is out-dated and you have to start over, again and again. Been there, done that. Quick way to burnout.

Sandi Bowman

Clarification....
 

Owning your own business is great BUT....to have the FREEDOM to "do what you want when you want to do it...means....you MUST have a business that allows this "freedom".

MY business is "Selling Information" products and "Advertising".

I am not running a store or manufacturing anything nor do I have a need for any "employees". I "farm out" any "services".

So....earning money with "Information" or "Advertising" products is what I chose. I could, literally, "parachute into any town in the country and, as long as commerce is being transacted there....create an "Advertising" program to sell. Selling "information" products is NOT dependent on where one lives.

Thanks,

Don Alm

Re: Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

For those just Starting out and then some...

It's Not always the best idea to Live where you Think you'd Like to right away. :)

So, consider Smart Goal Planning and Personal Motivation early on in your working/business Life with your Future Destinations well thought out...

It takes some Time in Life to really get to Know yourself and Learn where you Really wanna Be. ;)

And as Don mentioned the Online world Helps with that!

But choosing your Earth and Outer Space Locations takes a little Time & Thinking...

Phil

The other side of the coin.....
 

The fact of the matter is that while there are risks associated with having a "job', the risks of self employment are far greater.

It ain't for everyone!

Honestly, it's for very few.

And that "freedom" that people who sell biz-op info products like to talk about?

It RARELY happens like that in the real world.

I remember after I quit my $48,000 a year job back in 1991 (that was a helluva lot of money back then) and started doing my own thing, I used to tell all me friends.....

"Self Employment is great! - I only work half days now"

That was a big joke because everyone knew that when I talked about "half-days" that it meant from 9 AM to 9PM!

And for many years following my leaving that cushy job, I never came anywhere close to the same pay (not to mention the best benefits in the world) - normally, not even half of it.

It wasn't until 13 years later in 2004 that I was able to match my pay from that job.

My friends that I worked with back then? Some of them are still there and making over 100K a year.

In that time from 1991 thru 2004, I would guess that they all made at least half a million more than I did!

I would bet that none of them have been evicted from their apartments or have had foreclosure notices taped to their doors.

Hell, I've had times in those years where i didn't even have enough gas money to make it to work.

I wonder how many of them have ever had their power shut off or their phone or their cable or had to go without eating for a day or two.

They all worked 8 hour days while I was putting in 12 to 16.

They had social lives while I had neither the time or the money for one.

THAT is self-employment for the average guy!

It ain't all sunshine and rainbows.

MOST people are not cut out for it.

Why did I stick with it?

Because I know that for that small percentage of people, it worked and paid off in a big way. I knew that none of those people were any better or smarter than me and that if they could do it, I could do it BETTER!

My point.....

It ain't for everybody.

Is it for you? You'll have to decide for yourself.

You've got to know exactly what it is you want and exactly what you're willing to give up to get there.

The upside....

Once something "clicks", it's magical.

It finally "clicked" for me a few years ago.

My friends that are still at that "job" I mentioned.....

They're stuck there with no way out.

For me - I know there's a little place on Oahu's North Shore where I can park a Ferrari in the driveway and live happily ever after.

I can even tell you the exact date it will happen.

December 18th 2011 - my 45th birthday.

The road to get there? PURE HELL - and in hindsight, I can't honestly tell you that I'd do it all over again. It's surely not a path I'd recommend for anyone.

Some of us are cut out for it and MOST of us are not.

But it ain't at all like the ALMighty Don says.

Trust me on that one.

Jim

Re: Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

Truer words were never written, Jim. My husband is on the verge of either drastically changing his site (cuz it ain't payin' off as much as he'd like) or just giving up on it all. Why? Because basically HE isn't cut out to be his own boss...he hates the learning curves, the marketing, tweaking, testing, and so on. He is, however, one of the BEST employees anyone could wish for...consistently delivering 150% or more.

On the other hand, I find not 'being the boss' and being able to put my 'better ideas' into action extremely frustrating. I dearly love management, for the most part (nothing is 100% perfect, let's face it). I love training others, making up schedules, coming up with innovative marketing and management ideas and seeing them pay off and so on. It isn't a bed of roses but, if you're cut from the right cloth for it, it's the best 'job' in the world. If you're not, well, it's pure hell from what I've observed.

Sandi Bowman

I can GUARANTEE you one thing....
 

If you never TRY to get your own thing going....you never will.

And, yes...certain people are just not cut out to "be their own boss". But, it's worth the effort to "take a shot at it".

And....one does not have to give up their "day job". Get something going "on the side" as an extra income source.

In THIS day and age....one SHOULD have an "extra source of income".... be "out of debt" AND...have a stash of cash under your mattress....

WHY? because....all it will take is 1 "Dirty Bomb" going off in any city in OUR Country....and our economy will come to a standstill!

So....ya better be ready and have yer "stuff in order"! It's not a question of "IF"...it's a question of "WHEN"!

Don Alm

Don Alm

Re: Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

Don,

I gotta agree with you. I'm living in Louisiana by choice - Sulphur/Lake Charles area, far from N'awlins (New Orleans).

I enjoy an income that is much better than average for salespeople in my area. The salespeople doing better then me in the local area are either selling hi-tech and hi-$$ to chemical plants or hospitals, or selling life insurance. Gimme the gun if I have to earn a living selling life insurance. I'll let someone else have that market.

I enjoy what I do, selling promotional advertising to a wide rang eof business, industry, and gov't agencies who HAVE to order my products. They can get them from someone else, but they have to buy these items. I can earn an excellent income without having to sell anything, just help them buy the things they need.

We have two grown sons living in the local area, and one granddaughter. Our daughter and her family (including our only grandson) live in the Houston metro area, just over 2 hours away. Living in Houston is not an option for us, by our own choice.

So, our locale is our choice for our reasons - great food, wonderful people, friendly, laid-back atmosphere, and close enough for me to drive over and call on some Houston clients for some extra business on top of the great business we have built in SW Louisiana.

As for #2 above, not being dependent on gov't or waiting to find a pink slip in the pay envelope - just makes life more enjoyable. Is this business/self-employment lifestyle, certainly not. But, if I didn't sell promotional advertising, I'd have to get a job and go to work for a living.

Dennis Bevers
BASSCO, Inc..

Re: Da MAIN THING about "being yer own boss" is......
 

I recall a 60 minutes interview with singer Jimmy Buffett where he said the keys to success in his business but I think it applies to a lot of businesses. You need 3 things.

1) Some talent or an idea

2) Strong work ethic

3) Luck

He said without all 3 success probably wont happen.

I agree with his comments

Re: Da MAIN THING... Question for DON...
 

Question for you, Don. What makes you think that YOUR business (or anyone else's for that matter) would not suffer if there was severe outfall from some disaster or another? No man (or woman) is an island and no business is entirely sheltered from the real world.

While doing all one can to cover eventualities is admirable and desireable, there are, of course, limits to be considered also.

Sandi Bowman