“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Milton Berle
The great adventure of starting one’s own business OR The fear of having enough pipeline of work...
Having grown up in a very middle class, professionally working family I got to rely on a stable career. Give your heart and soul to one company. Give them loyalty and in return they give you security (a job that pays on a regular monthly manner, the occasional bonus and a number of various company benefits that may help you with retirement, medical insurance and your cycling to work scheme)
When you branch out alone you have to become more resilient and be everything from the marketing manager, the tea boy, the IT technician, the Human resources manager and the doorman. You build a greater variety of skills but often get frustrated that you have to do everything and can no longer rely on the expertise within a corporate function.
I have much greater respect for my Aunt and uncle and more recently cousins. They moved to the US when we were very young and started their own thatching business. Over the last decade we have watched their business grow and contract with the various US economic cycles. They have been as much as 20 employees but on the other hand have dealt with employee fraud that has almost crippled the company. Failed ventures that overextended the company and others that have been highly successful and lucrative. As a family watching this we could never understand fully why they didn’t save more for the future and during times of plenty seemed to splash out on boats and cars. Although this also seems to be a function of American society. One can live far more on credit. It appears to be a society where home ownership is not as important a fundamental requirement. Where cars are leased cheaply and rotated easily.
But what I do get is the courage they show in adversity. As an entrepreneur you have to believe that you are on the right path, eternally optimistic, that round ten corner something good is coming your way. And if you fail, that you have learnt some lesson and will succeed next time. Try, try and try again!
Middle class living is comfortable but I believe companies have changed, there is no longer the same loyalty there once was. No-one stays in the same job with the same company more than 5 years. The workforce is far more mobile. Flexibility and work life balance are far more important factors today so you had better get to grips with entrepreneurship and starting your own business.!!