33 replies to this topic Post Order

[Christopher Brunsdon]

So its been long in the pipeline and something I wanted to put off but I've got grow up a bit more and that means becoming my own boss.

I've done it before for 4 years so I do understand many of the challenges but its a bit different now. I now have responsibilies in my life (debt, car, kids, studies) and need to be an adult about this.

So how many Hubbers have gone solo and stayed their own boss?

(I'm a software developer and my initial plan is to finish my current projects at my employer over the next 3-4 mths but during this time take on outsourced work to cushion the financial impact but also keep my reputation intake - I work in a small industry and keepin a good relationship with my previous employer is vital as they will still need my services)

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Oh yeah, my wife pays salaries so she also understands the challenges and has already offered some solutions, the big one is not to work from home. Try write some code with your rugrats showing you what they just built with Legos is impossible.

[awesme]

Good luck, I also resigned from my 7+ year employer (multinational enterprise software/hw vendor) on Monday, pretty big thing,

Big change for me, joining another multinational vendor, starting on the 14/15th.

G

[Wayne The Badass]

I made the jump three years ago. Will never work for someone else again( unless i really have exhausted all my other options)

Good luck.

[SLiiick]

Wayne Potgieter, on 30 June 2012 - 04:42 , said:

I made the jump three years ago. Will never work for someone else again( unless i really have exhausted all my other options)

Good luck.

Same here. I have been working for myself (with a business partner) for over 7 years now and will never be able to work for a boss again.

If you are not in the game for yourself you never have the chance of making that one good deal or big project which sets you up for life.

[Mike Bike]

worked for myself since i was 21...wonderful way to go. I dont think i could ever handle someone telling me what to do.

[Mojoman]

Been solo since 2005. At that stage my partner was working but she started her own business a couple of years later. Would I work for someone again? Maybe, getting a little tired of always having to chase my money but we will see, a month end moan! But I am thinking about a new line of work though. It can be difficult when both parties in a relationship are self employed.

[Big H*]

Christopher Brunsdon, on 30 June 2012 - 01:42 , said:

Oh yeah, my wife pays salaries so she also understands the challenges and has already offered some solutions, the big one is not to work from home. Try write some code with your rugrats showing you what they just built with Legos is impossible.

Good choice to have work and home seperated. If not the two becomes so intertwined and can cause serious problems. I once had office in the flat when in Empangeni. Found myself speaking to the Boss on the phone in Jhb one morning sitting in my underpants behind the desk. It does not work that way.

[hellocolour]

Much happier running my own gig, working with people you want to and not people you have to. Doing it 'your way' is the best thing.

[Stretch]

Best of luck. I went on my own with a stay at home wife. There were some fun times in those first 6 months but i would not do it any different. I am also in the it business. Software dev and information management consulting

[hellocolour]

Just posted an ad in classifieds for 2 x web dev' positions for 1 month contract. PHP/CSS/XHTML/WordPress needed. Check it our if any of you guys are looking.

Good luck!

[GBguy]

More than 20 years working for myself. The benefits are pretty obvious, so I'll give a few negatives.

Nobody pays you when you're not working - so (if you're lucky) you get 11 months of income each year, not 13 like you used to get from your employer. And unless you employ people (which brings with it a VERY large range of problems in our beloved country), all you have to sell is your own time. If you thought you worked hard for a boss, you ain't seen nuthin yet. Be careful of burnout - it may be the biggest barrier to the good life.

Although I agree with the sentiments about working somewhere other than home, be careful you don't end up working for your landlord. He doesn't care about your income - he gets paid first. I know a couple of professionals who work three weeks of every month for their landlord, and one week for themselves. Look at it this way - you can probably work half as much, but live just as well, if you work from home. I'm not saying this is always the way to go, but think carefully before assuming you need premises (and everything that goes into them).

And if you borrow money to start up your business, the bank will care even less about your income - they want their interest. The tax man DOES care how much you are earning - so much so that you'd better keep very accurate records. But after a while, you will feel quite fortunate if you earn enough to pay income tax! Think VERY carefully about registering for VAT. It's a huge administrative burden, and it's very tricky to de-register (maybe it's changed since I was last registered). Also watch out for charging yourself rent for a part of your household space - it's a great way to avoid tax until you come to sell your house, and you get zapped for CGT.

A big key to success, IMHO, is keeping your overheads and your debt down. Tell your wife and kids that your success depends in part on them - keeping down the spending, and giving you the time you need to work. If you think you can do this without sacrifices, you're either very special or very reckless. Think VERY carefully about employing anyone, even consultants (lawyer, accountant, whatever). Think VERY carefully about buying stuff for your business - computers, cars, premises... Everything you spend MUST have a high probability of paying for itself. Forget about your corporate image (I can't believe I'm saying this, after a lifetime in PR) - make every decision with your head, not your heart.

But maybe the best advice I can give you is... your reputation is your greatest asset (okay, there's the PR guy). Under-promise and over deliver, ALWAYS meet your deadlines and budgets, NEVER tell a client to... get lost, no matter how tempting it is. Listen carefully to what they say (especially if they are unhappy), and make sure they know exactly what you're doing. Happy clients bring more business, unhappy clients take even more business away. You can't advertise your way out of bad service, or a bad reputation.

After years of working for myself, I got a salaried job, with 13th cheque, car, the trimmings. For a while it was wonderful - I just loved leaving work behind each evening and over weekends, going away on holidays and knowing my bank account was being topped up while I lay on a beach, having someone contributing to my medical aid and pension. But after three years I was crawling up the wall... there's just something about being out there, alone, flying without a safety net. But it isn't for everyone. I don't have kids, and there have been a few times that I couldn't have supported them. So be careful.

Do it with your head, not your heart.

Edited by GBguy, 30 June 2012 - 09:17 .

[Pieterg]

My dream Also

[flymango]

Christopher Brunsdon, on 30 June 2012 - 01:42 , said:

Oh yeah, my wife pays salaries so she also understands the challenges and has already offered some solutions, the big one is not to work from home. Try write some code with your rugrats showing you what they just built with Legos is impossible.

I disagree. Unless you need admin/support staff, you'll be R5000 - R10000 a month down to pay rent before you've earned 1 cent. And commuting is time and time is money. Both my wife and I work from home. Good luck with your venture.

[Stretch]

flymango, on 30 June 2012 - 10:28 , said:

I disagree. Unless you need admin/support staff, you'll be R5000 - R10000 a month down to pay rent before you've earned 1 cent. And commuting is time and time is money. Both my wife and I work from home. Good luck with your venture.

When i worked from home to start with i had am office disconnected from the house and the kids knew that was a no go zone.....the disadvantage was that my bike was in the same room at the back.....so i had to look at that every day every hour until we opened assign office. Fortunately office space in kzn is affordable so it's not too bad. But with increasing staff numbers it becomes a must unfortunately...........but that also means i can now ride that bike while they work !:-)

Edited by Stretch, 30 June 2012 - 10:41 .

[Christopher Brunsdon]

hellocolour, on 30 June 2012 - 09:03 , said:

Just posted an ad in classifieds for 2 x web dev' positions for 1 month contract. PHP/CSS/XHTML/WordPress needed. Check it our if any of you guys are looking.

Good luck!

LOL, thats what I'm doing. Going to specialise in Wordpress plugin development as I see a massive demand (our company just switched all new projects to Wordpress). I'm also SEO orientated