Ever have the thought, “Maybe I should be working for myself?” Whatever is the trigger for that thought, there are many reasons to start a new career working for yourself.

Some people get to the point where they realize the job they’re currently in isn’t satisfying to them anymore (if it ever was at all).

Somehow what you studied in college doesn’t seem to have relevance anymore. People change. You change. We grow and build new skills and strengths and crave more than a paycheck – we want a purpose. Working for yourself seems like an option.

Others get forced into carving out a new career path for themselves. You lose your job, can’t make ends meet, or suddenly have a new financial burden to make you seek out a higher level of finances.

It doesn’t matter why you want to work in a new career – it’s time to figure out if working for yourself is an option you want to pursue – and can handle. Believe it or not, many people can’t shoulder the responsibility that comes with being your own boss, so you need to know the exact pros and cons of this job title to see if it’s right for you.

We are living in the digital age and the best time in the world to start a new business from home is right now. If you already have a job and can ease into it part time, that’s even better. You’ll have the benefit of bringing in a steady paycheck while you learn the ropes and build the business you start. You reduce the financial risks of working for yourself while starting out. Then once you have the income level where you desire it, you can say goodbye to that job that’s holding you down.

Defining the Work at Home Job

A work at home job can be many things to many people. It might be a few hours a week that you devote to your own business to enjoy a trickle of cash coming in. Some people do this with eBay – sell a few odds and ends here and there.

Or it can go to the other extreme – waking up every morning without an office to drive to and knowing that whatever you put into this business is what you’ll get out of it. You are working for yourself full time. These people have no 9-5 paycheck to rely on, so the pressure can build tremendously.

There are also those in the middle who work a regular job while operating an online business simultaneously. The great thing about working online is that much of it runs on autopilot once the initial work is set up.

Before You Put on Your Boss Hat

It’s never a good idea to just pack up your desk, tell your boss the things you’ve waited to say to him for years, and head on home to believe you’ll instantly have a thriving business the next morning.

An online business takes a bit of time to build, so it’s important that for your own sanity and the health of your finances, you have to be prepared. If at all possible, have a nest egg of at least three months of expenses saved up while you turn your online business into a profitable one.

That doesn’t mean it will take three months to make money – you could start making money right away – but will it be enough to replace an existing paycheck each month?

If you’re already in a desperate situation, such as being unemployed, then you might try to share your time between working on your own online business and searching for a job that can provide you with an immediate paycheck – even if it’s just temporary.

Perks and Problems of Working for Yourself

What pressures did you feel working for someone else? Initially, you feel like you’re trying to fit in as part of an existing team. You feel scrutinized, but as you prove your worth, it eases up and you gain comfort in the office setting.

Some workplace environments can be toxic. There’s water cooler gossip, people not sharing their load of the work burden, and petty arguments about who left a mess in the lunchroom.

The bigger issues could be how much of a raise you’ll get this year (or whether you get one at all), how the boss shows favoritism with certain employees, and if you get the appreciation you seek from a job well done.

Most everyone has endured these types of issues in the workplace. Working for yourself, all of that disappears. Only you will be judging your work – but don’t think that lets you off the hook because we can be pretty brutal on ourselves.

No one but you will be part of the team initially. Sounds good at times, but some work at home people find themselves lonely after the first couple of months. Have a plan that helps ensure you get to socialize with other adults, too.

Instead of a bright and early timecard punching, you’ll have the ability to schedule work when you choose – even if that means rolling out of bed at 10 AM and working for 2 hours before you take an equally long break.

But just a word of caution – if you get too lax in your work schedule, you can see it reflect in your income. Online work is pretty simple when it comes to formulating your payoff.

The more you work on, the more income streams you set up, the higher the payoff. Slack during your day and your bank deposits will, too.

While you’re not going to have water cooler gossip, you can become quickly addicted to online forums and social media groups. The Internet is ripe with people looking to speak out against others simply because it’s a nameless, faceless form of communication.

When it comes to whether or not you get a raise – that may be a non issue, but you have to consider that the entire paycheck is up to you, as well. If you want to make more, work more!

Now all this isn’t meant to dissuade you from working at home. In fact, it’s perhaps the most rewarding career in existence. But you can’t go into it thinking it’s not really a real job – because you have to treat it like one if you are to succeed.

We’ll go more into that in my next post.