Few weeks ago I got a phone call from a business owner in my city, telling me he’d like to talk about something (as you probably know, I run a small home based business as a web designer). I immediately thought it’s about a web site he’d like me to build for him (why would anyone call a designer, right?).
No, we wasn’t interested in my services, but still wanted to discuss ‘something‘ and thought we could meet in person or at least in a Skype chat. Call me weird, but I hate to 1. have to wait to find out what you have to tell me until we have a second meeting (I immediately have some red lights flash – why wouldn’t you discuss the matters right now – you called) and 2. have to set ANY meetings.
As you probably know, aside from my home based business, I’m also a mother. My daughter is just 1 year old and really dislike the idea of having to share my time to meet someone else, especially since most of my clients (99.9% at least) haven’t even seen my face (not easy to meet in person with someone in the US, when you’re living in Europe).
His hesitance to really give me an answer made me tell him ‘in short’ that I don’t have the time to meet (especially when I don’t clearly know it’s for a new project, that would bring me money) and we can set a Skype chat, but, given the fact my baby is teething for 3 months now and has a hectic sleeping schedule, this meeting can happen or not in the next week.
After beating ’round the bushes for 2 more minutes and after denying that he’s trying to ‘sell’ me some MLM business, he told me about some magnificent plan that would earn me a lot of money (yes, another MLM business, of course).
I told him that, if he can GURANTEE that I will earn x dollars/month from x month since my enrollment, I might look into it. I have a business to run and caring for my baby, while also trying to work for my clients, is already excruciatingly difficult in some days, so I really don’t miss an ‘opportunity’ to waste my (scarce) time with something that will probably not work.
My refusal to get into this deal, made him a bit angry and he told me that I don’t know anything about the real money, since I run a small home based business, while he has a pretty successful company in the city (with 30+ employees). While I did agree that he’s clearly way more versed in business than me, I did reply that I do NOT want a bigger company.
As shocking as this might seem, it’s true.
I could hire at least 2 people right now and get a small office in the city. My current web design revenue would allow for this and, having these employees do the work for me, would also allow me to get more clients and develop the company more. Which would, of course, lead to more money etc.
But I am content with my little business RIGHT NOW.
Having an office in the city, even if I’d be the super cool employer who doesn’t ask for a 9-to-5 presence at work, would still mean I have to drag my butt to the office. We do have a small business building right across the street (so I wouldn’t have to waste a lot of time in traffic and also have to pay for the gas), but it would mean spending time far from my daughter, which is something I am not willing to do right now.
She turned 1 year yesterday and is 100% dependent on me. I refuse to take her to any day-care system, since I work from home and it would be a pity to waste these amazing first years together, when we’re getting by financially anyway (not to mention that, having to pay for daycare, would mean I have to earn more money anyway), so there’s no option right now but for us to stay together at home and have a blast.
We also love to travel on a whim (and have done it in the past). I couldn’t leave the country for 2 or 6 months (which we already did and not once), leaving my business alone and my employees to manage it. So this would mean I’d be once again a ‘time slave’ as I used to be when working in the radio business.
My life as an employee was pretty cool, as you can guess: I earned well, had to work few hours/day and the work itself was great (I had a daily radio show). The ONLY issue I had was with me not being in full control of my time (just like anyone who has a job, right?). The moment I started my home based business, this problem was gone: I can work whenever I find the time, I can travel anywhere and do my design work (as long as I have wi-fi and my laptop, I’m all set) etc.
So, AT THE MOMENT, a home based business is all I want and spend every possible moment with our little angel. Of course, once she gets older and she’ll attend kindergarten or school, you can guess I’ll most likely consider a town office. Or, maybe not …
Would to settle for a small home based business like me or would you aspire to something bigger?
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