Decision Making Time: Do You Want a Job or a Business?

Make sure and decide before you start so you have a guide.

When anyone starts a business, they typically start doing what they know best.  If you're a lawyer, you start a firm and offer legal services.  If you're a plumber, you load up your truck to work on people's leaks and stopped up pipes.  A chef opens up a restaurant and provides you with a good meal.

This is typically how businesses start.  What I want to point out here is that a business can stay that way or it can decide to change.  That's why I refer to these as "a job" or "a business."

Most of us start working a job for someone else.  Then we think to ourselves, "I want to start a business."  That's what we call it, but what we really have is a job where we work for ourselves.

Why does this matter?

I recently moved into a new place and needed a handyman.  We hired Hector who's been doing work for us and people we know a long time.  He set up some closets, installed a door frame, hung some TVs and a few other things.  He's been doing this a long time and he's probably going to continue doing it for long time to come.  I hope he continues because we need him.

A few days later, our plumbing backed up...and on a Sunday.  We called my sister's "guy" who came over right away.  He was up on the roof in the pouring rain with lightning (OUCH!) snaking our my pipes.  An hour later, the pipes were work and he got his pay.

Both of these guys are great at what they do.  They are both in their 50s making a decent living.  What they are doing is exchanging their time for money.  Depending on what you can do, you can do very well this way, but there are only two ways to increase your income.  You raise your prices or work longer hours.

So the new things a lot of people call "a business" is really "a job."

It's completely dependent on you.  If you don't show up, you don't get paid.  If you want to take time off, it's non-paid.  You are the thing that must be present for your business to continue.

I'd like you to consider another option.  I call "a business" something that's independent of you.  It makes you money without you having to be there.  You have people and systems in place that run the business for you.  You job then is to work on how to make that business run better and better.

So my challenge to you is to decide now.  If you are planning to start a business do this upfront.  If you are already in business, decide what is it you want to do.  Do you want a job or do you want a business?  With that decision made, you can make short and long term decisions in light of that in order to reach the goal you have set for yourself.

Now this isn't something you go out a do tomorrow.  You don't just say, "I want one of these Jorge businesses because that looks like the way to go."  It's a target you set for yourself.  It's a goal, so if you decide you want "a business," that guides you as you transition yourself from a job to this business I'm talking about.

Multiple choice question: Do I want a job or do I want a business?