One of the biggest motivators for going self-employed is the beauty of not having a boss. But the reality, as if often the case, is very different.
True, you won’t have a boss anymore – you’ll have many bosses. Every single client you take one will, effectively, be your boss.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. It’s quite likely these bosses won’t be nearly as nice to deal with as your old full-time boss. There’s no HR department for you to complain about them to, and you bosses don’t have to worry about seeing you at the watercooler after having a go at you.
So how on earth is this a good thing, I hear you cry. The answer? You have power you never had when you were full-time: you can fire your boss.
OK, it’s not quite that simple, but it’s a definite plus point to being self-employed.
When it all starts going wrong
Picture the scene: you’ve just landed a new client who wants you to work on a small project. But right from the start, you can smell trouble. That initial friendly chat you had with the client quickly turns into regular, ball-busting phone calls demanding to know why you can’t read their mind. Deadlines get brought forward, the project scope changes on a daily basis and you begin to wonder why you ever agreed to work for them.
Sounds like a nightmare, right? But you have this power I mentioned earlier. The power to fire them. You’ll obviously need to complete any contractually agreed work (or sort a settlement), but as soon as that’s done, you can wave them goodbye and promise to yourself to be more careful in the clients you take on in the future.
You have the power!
So yes, while you may have many bosses when you’re self-employed, it’s you who has the ultimate power. And remember, for every bad client, there’s a heap of good, well-mannered, appreciative clients waiting to take their place.
Bring on the bosses!
