[David Jones]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

Seems here per Chris's original post, working for yourself really sucks. Than why would you do it??

I don't think he was saying it sucks as much as he was saying a lot of people think that the employer is living high because he "owns" the company. That is seldom the case. The company owns you. On the flip side there is a pretty good feeling getting up in the morning and knowing what you do today is YOURS.

[Gulliver]

Originally Posted by David Jones

I don't think he was saying it sucks as much as he was saying a lot of people think that the employer is living high because he "owns" the company. That is seldom the case. The company owns you. On the flip side there is a pretty good feeling getting up in the morning and knowing what you do today is YOURS.

^this. David makes a great point here,

It is hard work to be self-employed, but you need a good work ethic. For me, I'm even more willing to work harder knowing that only MY family (and the gov't) is reaping what I'm sowing. I made a lot of money for other people's businesses and families while I was working for someone else. It was not a good feeling, and never made sense to me. That's what drove me to work for myself.

It's hard for some of us to "clock in", to have to ask for permissions, go 'by the book', take direction from a company fanboy, etc. I'm open minded, but don't want to answer to an 'inferior superior'. It's extremely frustrating when you disagree with a company policy or boss's work ethic. If you're on a payroll, you just have to eat it. I've done that enough, and now I don't have to ask anybody anything. My successes and failures are purely mine.

If you trust your own work ethic, there's always this nugget:
"If you want something done right, do it yourself."

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by David Jones

I don't think he was saying it sucks as much as he was saying a lot of people think that the employer is living high because he "owns" the company. That is seldom the case. The company owns you. On the flip side there is a pretty good feeling getting up in the morning and knowing what you do today is YOURS.

Something like that. There are times when it sucks, but there are times when it's great.

Today for example, I wrote a job proposal this morning, visited the project I'm doing around noon time to make sure things were going well and to pick up a check. I then drove an hour & a half up to the nursing home in Massachusetts to visit my Mom - something I've done at least once a week, every week for the 9 months she's been in there. We got to visit for a good hour before she fell asleep for her afternoon nap. I didn't have to ask anybody to go or explain to them why I did. Today was a good day, but it was also my choice.

Mostly I don't think that people who've never done it, have any idea. There are days, that for a crisp $20 bill you could have the whole deal!