In the olden days, we all were farmers. Then the Industrial Revolution happened and we all were (more or less) interchangeable parts on an assembly line. In the future – and to some extent this is already happening – we’re all going to be artisans. Not “artists,” but artisans – independent practitioners of a creative craft. Like carpenters, or jewelry makers, or potters – but instead of physical objects we will be crafting ideas and information and knowledge. (I think “artists” get a bad rap, by the way – if you tell people you’re an...

Part of a continuing series on the fears that hold people back from being self-employed. There won’t be enough business to keep me in business. This is a big fear for every would-be self-employed person. “Will there be enough business to keep me afloat? Will enough clients want to pay me well enough for what I do?” Every business is ultimately a leap of faith. Whether it’s a car mechanic or a restaurant or a cupcake bakery, some businesses fail and others flourish. It seems to me that the businesses that succeed have some kind of underlying “it” factor that drives...

Part of our continuing series on the fears that hold people back from being self-employed. What if I don’t make enough money? Here’s something to consider: if you currently work for someone else, you probably aren’t making as much money as you’re worth. Think of it this way: if you work for a salary, you are effectively selling your time at a bulk discount. To make the math easier, let’s say you make $50,000 a year at your job. (I’m always in favor of making the math easier.) A good living, right? After all, median household income in the U.S. is $53,000. So $50,000...

Part 3 in our continuing series on debunking some of the common fears that hold people back from being self-employed. I won’t have any time off. Paid time off is one of the best parts of having a job. There’s nothing better than spending a week on vacation – and getting paid for it. A lot of people think that self-employment means that you never get to take any time off. How can you ever get away from “the job” when you’re “the boss?” Giving up paid time off used to be one of the reasons why I was reluctant to be self-employed. But then I realized that I...

Part 2 in our continuing series on debunking the fears of becoming self-employed… If You’re Self-employed, Health Insurance is too Expensive. (Note: This blog post does not apply to aspiring entrepreneurs in Canada, Britain, Australia, Western Europe, or any other advanced nation that provides universal health insurance as a basic expectation of citizenship. This is a problem only in America.) I hear this one a lot. And it’s true – health insurance is tough. I’ve been through the experience of applying for a federal security clearance, and I can honestly say that applying...

There are a lot of people who might want to start their own business, but it sounds too scary. I can relate to this. I think it’s important to examine some of these fears and figure out a new way of thinking about them. For example: Being self-employed is too risky. Being self-employed (in America) makes it too hard to get health insurance. Being self-employed causes you to make less money than you would make working for a company. Let’s look at these assumptions… Self-employment is Too Risky. It’s true that if you’re self-employed, you don’t have a steady...