In early May I was reviewing the contracts I wrote for my first two clients. I looked at the date on the first one – April 30, 2014 – FIVE YEARS ago! My business is Five Years old, where did the time go? In my mind it had only be 4 years since I took the plunge into the self-employment pool.
I think a milestone like 5 years deserves a hand (see what I did there?), don’t you?
Would I do this again? Yes, in a heartbeat. In fact, I wish I had become my own boss sooner. I love the flexibility. I love the variety it presents. I love the constant learning that comes with being a solopreneur. But most of all, I love my clients and the relationships I’ve built with them.
Over twenty years ago, while working for a small business and hiring other small businesses as subcontractors, the thought came to me that many small businesses could use a hand for day to day operations. However, they really didn’t need a full time person or even a traditional part-time person. Why should they pay someone for the inevitable slow times? I realized how much more feasible it is for a business to only pay for the actual hours worked. Of course this was long before our world became digitally connected so I wasn’t sure how to handle the logistics. At that time, traditionally businesses might hire a “temp” from a service to get them through a busy time. We were very much tethered to our physical space, the office.
Fast forward to 2014 and the world was now at our fingertips, literally! Taking my 20 plus years of working in small businesses, a desire to have a flexible schedule, and knowing there was a need, I jumped!
I am so glad I did! Thank you to everyone who encouraged me, advised me, and listened to me! Thank you to my clients! I am proud to say that I continue to work with my original clients, five years later.