Have you always dreamed of being self-employed? If you’re reading this article, you may have already decided to go for it, in which case, good for you! However, don’t rush yourself into it. Here you’ll learn the personality traits you need to become your own boss, as well as the first steps you must take towards self-employment. Keep reading!
What you need to be self-employed
Self-discipline: Now that you won’t be having a boss breathing down your neck, you’ll require all the more discipline. Yes, you must start being your own boss for your self-employment venture to be fruitful.
Planning ahead: It’s your own job to set goals and prepare for the worst, since as a boss you’ll have to see the bigger picture. What does planning ahead involve? Numerous things, but firstly and foremost, drawing up a business plan.
Risk-taking: As an entrepreneur, financial stability will be the last thing under your control. You can’t guarantee that you’ll have the same income in four months, but you can’t let uncertainty paralyze you!
Steps to becoming self-employed
#1- Analyze your business: Draw up a business plan and evaluate who will be your customer and who will be your competitors. This will nudge you in the right direction when trying to define business strategies.
#2- Register as a legal entity: If you want to be self-employed, you must register with the required authority. Furthermore, you’ll need to get the mandatory business licenses and permits.
#3- Find professionals: Even if you work solo, you’ll need someone to oversee your finances and, unless you’re an accountant or have at least taken a finances course, you’ll desperately need the help of a pro.
Common self-employed jobs
Not sure where to start? Here are some common self-employment ideas to get your creativity flowing:
Personal trainer
If you’re into fitness and sports, you could consider being a self-employed personal trainer. Of course you’ll need to complete a certification program in order to call yourself a personal trainer. Then you’ll be able to work on your own for small groups, set up your own gym and, to complement, you could work in someone else’s gym.
Uber Driver
Uber brought about a revolutionary self-employment opportunity: be your own boss and choose your own schedule. Though you have to work in compliance with Uber policy, you have complete personal autonomy. Depending on your car model, location and ranking, you could earn between $13 to $25.
Photographer
If you have a passion for photography, one self-employment idea is to offer your photographer services for innumerable occasions. Besides uploading your photos on Shutterstock or IStock, you could work for schools, event-planning agencies and model agencies.
Tutor
Do you have an area of expertise like Spanish, guitar or maths? Then you could be a self-employed tutor for students of all ages. You could even do it from home by setting up a tutoring institute or teaching via Skype. A quick tip: visit your old school or highschool and offer your tutoring services. They may recommend you to students who are struggling with a particular subject.