As I’m sure many of the business owners on this site can attest, the rewards can be great… autonomy, no predetermined income, you can set your own schedule… but it also comes with its fair share of drawbacks… autonomy, no predetermined income, you can set your own schedule. For me the pluses have always outweighed the minuses, but I certainly understand why the majority of the working population would choose not to run their own business.
My dad used to tell me there are 2 types of people in this world: process oriented and results oriented. The process oriented person would go about their day receiving fulfillment from checking boxes, while the results oriented person focuses on how to reach their desired outcome.
When you’re working in an office, you can often keep your job simply by showing up, appearing as if you’re working, “collaborating” with coworkers, and attending meetings. Eventually if the results aren’t there, things will catch up, but face time will buy you time. When you’re self-employed or own a business, just showing up won’t get you paid, only results will.
As the corporate world has migrated from business parks and skyscrapers to spare bedrooms and kitchen tables, watercooler talk has been replaced by watching CNBC or cooking eggs for your kids. Idle chit chat with coworkers has been replaced by hand washing and refreshing your Etrade account. The optics that used to impact people’s perception of you in the workplace no longer have any bearing. In a lot of ways and for many of us the new normal is refreshing. If you’re twice as efficient as your peers or are a cracker jack (I can’t believe I just used that phrase) at coming up with hacks (or that word) to do things more quickly, enjoy a well deserved 4 extra hours of Netflix time. If you built your brand on charm, charisma and good looks but little else, you may be in trouble.
Now more than ever, activity does not equal accomplishment. The thing that matters now is results. The optics of staying late in the office, always looking busy, and dressing the part don’t matter. No one cares… save it for your grandparents. Cause it just got real.
RE-SULTS….. Like any entrepreneur knows, that’s ultimately all that matters.