Self-employment
may help one earn enough to cover one’s expenses and help one enjoy a reasonably
comfortable lifestyle.
I am very
cynical about most self-employment arrangements, however, as most oblige the
owner to spend an obscene amount of time managing and operating the business,
to the extent that he or she does not have much time to think beyond operations
and move to develop the business.
اضافة اعلان
A self-employed
person, to me, is just an employee who works hard and long hours without having
much time to reflect or develop a proper business; adding to the misery, that
person cannot even have the luxury to relax or enjoy quiet time a normal
employee does after working hours.
A
self-employed person’s mind keeps working long after leaving work because at
stake is his or her own business, while a normal employee can forget everything
about his work the moment he or she leaves his or her desk.
If, however,
a self-employment business is set up as a proper small or medium enterprise
(SME), it might work. Crucial to making it work is a change in the mindset of
the owner.
During the
many years I worked with self-employed people and SME owners, I came to realize
that the mindset of the owner makes a major difference to the success and
development of a business.
While
self-employed people believe they must do almost everything themselves to make
sure the output they deliver is at an acceptable level, SME owners delegate to
others and put in place structures and controls to make sure work is delivered
at an excellent level.
SME owners
realize that they run businesses just like larger, corporate, businesses,
except for the size and the available resources, and so work to ensure the
success of their businesses, including through marketing, sales and human
resources.
They also develop
and test their business model, and keep on adjusting it to further the success
of their business.
Self-employed
people may be limited in their way of thinking, using only their personal resources
and time, while SME owners strive to find and tap into other resources and
leverage by using other people’s time and money.
Self-employed
people need to work to develop their businesses. Many businesses start as a self-employment
arrangement and then develop into SMEs or even large corporations. It all
depends on one’s mindset and desire to change and progress.
Deeb H. Aqabani is a professional accountant,
auditor and business expert and has acquired a diversified professional
experience in finance, accounting, and consulting of over 25 years in Jordan
and Australia. He taught at the University of Sydney and
Macquarie University as well as TAFE NSW Australia.
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