A lot of people think I'm crazy when I tell them that working for somebody else unless in the most strictly nominal terms is about the last think I want to do, no matter how much money I might make in a bureaucracy.
I have several ideas, only one of which (traveling and teaching English in foreign countries) involves any employer at all. Others involve more conventional enterprise ideas (publishing, card, aviculture, chocolate, or possibly even horticulture), new ideas for conventional fields (as in a new format idea for journalism), specialization in forgotten fields (if I can learn to make snowshoes, for example, the profit margin for such hand-crafts is insane), ideas that would be great but may not be legal (such as farming and selling edible mushrooms), and some that may indeed be simply insane.
I'll be free to experiment and investigate throughout college, but is it really that implausible that at least one, or perhaps several in combination of of my dozens of more realistic ideas would concievably make me enough money to survive on without resorting to a 9-5 job?
I think a lot of people have your aim, dont be discouraged by people criticising you. :smile:
I think a lot of people have your aim, dont be discouraged by people criticising you. :smile:
I'm not, I'm frusturated though.
A lot of the time people chew me out for not having skills that I'll need to deal with "your boss" "your coworkers" or "job interviews" things such as listening passively too illogical criticism without saying anything and the like. And then when I say I intend to be self employed, they respond incredulously.
My husband is working on getting some way for me to work at home. He has a friend at work who is doing some business as a sideline at home and gets his wife to help (who stays home with a baby). His friend will show my husband how he does it and provide him with the suppliers and manufacturers for the equipment. We have to make an investment in equipment and supplies and hopefully we will make some profit. The problem is getting contacts and finding customers. My husband can hopefully deal with all the people. I would just do the work.
I do not think it is stupid to want to work alone. Whenever I get a job outside, I am always unhappy and often victimized. I also get very tired and cranky when I am at home and that is difficult in my relationships with my husband and family.
People do tend to say "oh wow, entrepreneurship!". I do not discuss any of the costs involved and will always say "business is great". Otherwise people will want your products at a discount because they think you are just trying to get rid of them. If you are selling something they think is exclusive, they will pay a higher price. So collector's items are sometimes the best items to mark up the price.
I'll be free to experiment and investigate throughout college, but is it really that implausible that at least one, or perhaps several in combination of of my dozens of more realistic ideas would concievably make me enough money to survive on without resorting to a 9-5 job?
Persue your passion, the money will follow. Find something you can pour yourself into completely and love doing it, and sell your wares locally through the campus/city newspapers and on ebay. You may be profitable before you graduate!
And you're absolutely right about crafty stuff. One thing that often works is to find something you wish you could buy and make that. Also you can find something like that, buy it in bulk from China/Korea/etc and sell it online. Lots of opportunities.
A lot of the time people chew me out for not having skills that I'll need to deal with "your boss" "your coworkers" or "job interviews" things such as listening passively too illogical criticism without saying anything and the like. And then when I say I intend to be self employed, they respond incredulously.
These skills are often valuable in self-employment too. Especially when you're getting started, you'll have to listen passively to illogical criticism from your clients without saying anything, etc. Sometimes large clients are worse than bosses! Plus you'll need good interview skills to kiss up to bankers and investors in order to get financing. And if you have any employees, you'll need to keep them happy so they don't quit on you...
Of course, there is always the option of being a sole trader....
I guess the ideal situation would be a partnership of two individuals who work well together - one can concentrate mostly on the admin side of things and the other more on the people part of the business.