End of an era - Personally. - Freeze-Frame Radio

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

End of an era - Personally.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

very little pity....

ray925 · Darth Raydar

Hey Bro, I know what you mean. I went out on my own nearly five years ago and loved it. However, after three years I admitted to myself I wasn't where I wanted to be. Luckily my old job came open and my old employer asked me to come back. We negotiated and I got a lot of things I wanted before I left. I decided I was not going to let all the stress and office B.S. affect me like it did before. So far it's worked and I'm enjoying the "second time around". I feel like I've got more control of my situation and I'll be able to golf more often!!! But...I'd still love to do my own thing.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

JAZZ DOCTOR!!!

Ray:

I know what you mean, to a certain extent your just trading one set of headaches for another with your own business. And like you, I at least recognized that I can't just go back to the way things were.

I'm just not cut out for an office setting. I can't stand the back-biting, gossiping and politics involved. So I made sure I found something I could semi-enjoy.

But like I said, nothing beats being your own boss (for me), so this will have to be short term AW DAMN, TIME TO LEAVE FOR WORK

Enjoy the day everyone! You're in FULL CONTROL of the song selection now! Make me proud!

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

Riggs, Have a great day on the new job!!!

Remember to pack a lunch and a snack for later because selection C3 on the candy machine is out of order.

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

And whatever you do, don't eat the sandwiches out of the vending machine!

I had a brief time where I was unemployed and trying to bring in some money on my own. Unfortunately, I wasn't set up for it yet, so I didn't make much money, but it was so nice to make my own schedule. I felt like there really were enough hours in a day! Now I'm working two jobs, and when I'm home I don't know what to do with myself! I'm pretty lucky though, my full time day job is at a small office for a charity, so a lot of that corporate BS is absent. And my night job is being the assistant manager at a spa, so although the corporate stuff is gone, it has its own drama...

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

I, like so many other people, was laid off shortly after the Sept 11 attacks and the downswing in the economy. I had 11 months to chill and collect unemployment. I didn't save a dime, but didn't loose everything either. I had 11 months to get into the best physical shape of my life, read a ton of books, play a ton of raquet ball, soak a lot in the hottub at the club. Oh and drink like a fish too. little $2 breakfasts at the greasy spoon by my house too every day. That kind of freedom is hard to sacrafice, especially when their is no emminent danger of financial ruin. But after 11 months, it was simply time to get back into a job. that was a few months too long remaining stagnant money-wise and slacker routine wise. (Plus I got KILLED on taxes that year....)

Somechick · Chairwoman Of The Board

Riggs- I'm sure you'll see this after working for "the man" all day. I hope your first day wasn't too bad. I have not had the wonderment of self-employment, although everyday I dream of a job where I sit at home and the checks just show up at my door. Other than self employment, the only other option would be welfare, and I'm not up for that.

Working normal hours isn't that bad. Then again, this coming from a girl who hasn't worked past noon on a Friday in 2 years....

Regardless: Good luck with the job!!

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

Unfortunately, during the 2 months I was unemployed, I didn't have unemployment coming in. I was fired due to office politics (a combo of sexual harrassment, the entire hr department had been fired or quit, and I think my replacement was banging my boss), but since I was fired, I was denied unemployment. Instead of challenging it, I put my efforts into raising a little money and finding another job. I sold a bunch of stuff on eBay, I did some freelance graphic design jobs, I took a tax class, I became a Pampered Chef consultant, and I eventually got hired at 2 different jobs (even though I got more offers). So now that I stuck with both jobs, I've become a Pampered Chef kit-napper (I didn't fullfill the 6 shows you're supposed to), and I did nothing with the $100 tax class other than file my taxes.

To make a long story short, I wish I would've enjoyed my unemployment a little bit more. But, it solidified the notion that I would someday own my own business.

CP · Lord of the Lair

Man I feel for you Riggs. Until November of last year, I was self employed for 10 years. It has its pluses and minuses. At one point we had over 500 employees and cash flow, especailly come payroll time could be a challenge. There was a period of almost a year where my wife and I drew no salary at all. I put seconds and thirds on my house just to cover payroll. That was just after 9/11 and our market really died for a time. The UPS strike almost crippled us. We sold the company last November and I agreed to stay on for a year to transistion the team. It looks like I am getting burned. The money I was supposed to be making from the sale has fallen through. My only recourse if to sue, and I do not have enough energy or money to retain the attorney staff needed. Now all the vendors are coming after me and my wife personally because the new company is not paying as per the negotiated terms. But, long story short, I thought it would be great to be out from under the pressure. Now that I am accountable to someone else, it sucks. It's OK though, because I do not give up easily and have already started another business. I just thank God that I had enough sense to put some money aside when times were good.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Wow CP,

My situation pales in comparison to that! Sorry to hear you went through such a rough patch, but glad to hear you're determined to do it again (surely with better end results). I know a lot of the people in my family think I'm nuts for not liking the security of a normal job, but I can't even imagine that being enough for me.

I mean, sure, there's a certain level of security (although we've seen that when times are tough even the most secure seeming job can be cut), but the cap on your income is insane.

Even if you have a great job paying $20 an hour, or $25 an hour (in Wisconsin that's a great job, probably not true in California), you know you're only likely raise is the .50 a year your company MAY or MAY NOT decide to give you.

As a self-employed business owner YOU determine your income, based on how big you wish to grow your business. Literally an unlimited upside.

My businesses were very minor in compared to yours CP. I had a small internet business selling new CD's that suffered badly from multiple changes in the music industry, and a commercial cleaning business that was really starting to thrive before September 11'th. At our peak we had 18 part time employees. Not a lot, but enough for a very comfortable cash flow and the best weekly take home pay I've ever had. We were only about 2 new accounts away from hiring our first full time manager, and at that point I think we would have started on the road to becoming one of the local big boys.

The problem was we built our business on quality, not pricing. The market was ripe for that, because we all know what janitorial services are generally like. Not very good quality, constantly changing personnel, etc.

After the attacks it took about six months before the calls starting coming in. Looking for reductions in their monthly bill (which we couldn't do because we were paying our employees some of the best wages possible to find and retain good people), or just flat out canceling service. I found that most of them went to national chains that would do the work for quite a bit less. The funny thing was, most of them had come to us from those same chains, bemoaning the lack of service and the inattention to detail. Suddenly the bottom line was more important though.

But, at any rate, I learned a lot from the business, and I'm going to take these next few months to investigate the marketplace and develop a plan for another business. This time I'll keep in mind that it might not be a bad idea to find something I can be price-competitive in as well as quality oriented.

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

Riggs, How was the first day? Hope everything went smooth...

CP · Lord of the Lair

It's not so bad. We literally started the company out of the back of my trunk. It was fun to watch the business grow, and we just got very lucky. ( We developed the patent for the netted sponge that you use in the shower with your favorite body gel.) The industry became very competative and China just about ran us out of business, which I why I decided to sell. The US govt is absolutely no help in protecting patents. I also did not have the money to sue the China companies. It's all well and good. It provided a decent income for a few years and my entreprenurial spirit has not died. I have one benefit with the transition, I get to work from home. it's funny to listen to my daughters. They keep asking me if we are poor now. I just look at them and say yes, but don't worry we will not be for long. Like you, the bug has bitten me and I will only work as long as I have to before I am self employed again.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Sparky,

Day one went well. Boring but well. Mostly human resource stuff. It's funny to be on the other side of the desk for that stuff now. The job I took is still very independant. It doesn't pay great, but no boss hanging over my shoulder. I'm basically a courier for a service that has nothing but banks for clients here in the area.

I'm kind of behind enemy lines because a courier service is one of the options I'm considering launching this fall/winter.

You know CP, I've kind of been forced into the service businesses. I have always had tons of ideas for products, but never had the know-how to move it from a thought in my head to an actual physical product. Plus I always figured the start-up costs for that type of thing must be huge, while service industries routinely have very low start-up costs unless you get into restaurants or something like that.

Was it an expensive start up for you?

Ultimo · King of the Ring

I hope you settle in to your new job well and good luck with the new business when you start it up.

I have always dreamed of working for myself but at the moment im too young and dont have the capital to even consider it, but hopefully one day I will make it happen!

CP · Lord of the Lair

It was expensive when it came time to expand. Luckily we had some very good friends that invested. Be creative, where there is a will, there is a way. Always consider the option of prepay or accepting credit cards. If you work with the right bank, the cc deposit will be in your bank account within 48 hours of the charge, of course turn the money around to buy the product. Promise 4-6 weeks delivery and then surprise them with less than 2. When money got really tight I went to swap meets--kind of like what I remember the 7 mile fair being. It is hard work, but it paid off. Started slow, but as the business built and repeat customers came back it was not unusual to earn 2500 on a Saturday and Sunday. I never before thought that I would do a swap meet. It is a hard life and you have to put up with a lot of abuse. But, I would do it again in a heartbeat, in fact looking for a product to sell. (I did really well for a time selling Australian Gold tanning products here in the desert. Then the distributor found out that I did not have a tanning salon so they cut me off, didn't matter, I made the money I needed in the meantime.