Headline

Money.  Time.  Power.  Prestige.  These are a few of the reasons entrepreneurs get started doing their own thing- because they want more out of life than what they've been getting at a 9-5.

So let's take this piece by piece.  What do you want?  If it's to have more time in your life for the people you love, then you can do that by setting up a work schedule for yourself that gives you that flexibility.  Of course, if you don't give your business enough time to make your financial goals, then you'll have all the time you need – because you'll be out of work.  That's why if you focus on making your time at work as productive as it can be, removing all distractions, you can choose to spend the rest of your time any way you want!  But you've got to get to that point, first.

Working for someone else can be frustrating in certain aspects: your time is not your own, and your income is pretty static.  It's hard to make a name for yourself, and when you do a great job you seldom get the glory.  However, it's easy to get comfortable with a steady paycheck.  But if you have the heart of an entrepreneur, you want more.

When you own your own business, you're in charge of how much you make.  You set the rates, you determine how much you want to work, you can decide to pay others when it's time to grow.  But it's kind of scary sometimes, especially in the beginning.  You'll have windfall months and months when the phone just won't ring.  There is no sick or vacation pay.  But what you do have is freedom over your day.  Want to spend the morning at the park with the kids?  Go ahead!  Want to have a two hour lunch with an old friend?  Have a great time.  You can do whatever you want, as long as you give your undivided attention to your business during the work hours you've set.

Take a few minutes right now to visualize what you want from your business.  Set your income goals for 3, 6 and 12 months.  Build a work week that gives you the time you need to make those income goals happen, and at the same time give you time for personal fulfillment.  Nothing is too far-fetched.  You have to see it in your mind before you can make it a reality.  The first step is to visualize it, and then create a business plan that makes it happen!