Mind your own business

Nearly nine months ago, I made the monumental decision to set up my own business.  Having just had my second child (he was 8 months old at the time) I decided that working in a stressful, full-time job and being at someone else’s beck and call was all too much.  How much simpler life would be working for myself – or so I thought!! 

Being a qualified chartered accountant gave me the option to set up my own practice.  I thought I’d dabble with a few clients for a couple of years before taking things seriously.  My life would be stress free, I’d have far more time to spend with my family and I’d be a “yummy mummy” for the first time in my life.  However it didn’t take long for my best laid plans to take a very different turn.

Whilst having children without doubt changes your life beyond recognition (you can get away with minimal change with one child, but two is an entirely different ballgame), it doesn’t change your expectations and desires to succeed.  I soon realised that being a lady who lunches was not for me (quite apart from the fact that I no longer had the money to pay for lunch!!).

I now work just as hard as I ever did in my full-time employment but do not receive the very comforting, guaranteed pay cheque at the end of the month (in fact the outgoings of your average accountant are quite shocking – and I’m not looking for sympathy!).  I also get just as frustrated and bogged down in red-tape as any other small business owner.

But what about the upsides?  They are many and varied.  There is without doubt nothing like being in charge of your own destiny.  I enjoy making the decisions (although I’ve made some corkers in the first six months!!) and I love all the new things I’m learning.  The sense of achievement when seeing something through to its conclusion is enormous.  And the flexibility to your working hours gives great benefits – OK, I’m working later in the evenings than I have before but I also get to spend more time with my kids.

I don’t think there is anything special about my particular journey to being self-employed or my experiences in my business’s early days.  However my own set of circumstances does mean that I can readily understand the problems and issues facing others embarking on the same course of action.  This has helped when dealing with start up clients and has enabled me to give advice well outside the remit of accountancy (I’m never backward about sharing my cock-ups with people!).

Working for yourself – there’s nothing like it.  But go into it open-eyed rather than wide-eyed and innocent!!!