What’s better. Working for an employer or having your own business?

Hmm let’s see. The better question is, is it better to be bitched around, or to be the bitch?

I’ve done both and I’m currently the owner. Having had to just fire someone this morning, those kinds of decisions as well as the other stresses are difficult but being able to pack up and leave and do whatever I want when I want is beneficial. The paychecks as the owner are bigger too but bigger stresses.

Some days I wish I had the lack of stress like my employees do. They don’t think twice about work once they leave. I’m always thinking about it, whether on the golf course or on the lake or at the beach but I still think and stress about it.

Depends on the business. I’m much happier being provided with insurance and a 401k match and having a reliable paycheck.

your business owner checking acct will always be bigger than your personal checking acct unless ur an idiot

Once you get used to the stress of the success of your business being all your responsibility, owning your own business is much more enjoyable for me. Spent around 25 years working for other people and about the last 7 being self employed. Can’t ever see going back to having a boss.

I have not worked for anyone officially since 1991 but I do answer to customers, bankers, suppliers, insurance companies ect.

It is more risky working for someone else, IMHO, than working for yourself because when you work for someone else you are not making the ultimate decisions that keep the job going.

It is sad to see 50 year old career men lose their jobs in mergers or shut downs or restructures..

All that said most people cannot run their own business. They are not willing to make the sacrifices and put the time into it. They have built their lives around a salary and are not willing to step down in terms of lifestyle spending to build a business. I still only pay myself like $70K a year in salary. When I first started in the nineties there were plenty of months I did not take a salary. I am very fortunate and have some nice non salary income from the business but it took several years to get to that level.

It all depends on the day.

I like that I get to be REALLY good at what I do and that my employer pays me extremely well to be that way, and I pretty much do business as I want, and on my schedule.

The downside are those damned TPS reports, though. Also, I'm sitting on 2.5 weeks of vacation left and trying to see where I can fit it in.

The idea of owning your own business does sound cool, but I really don’t think it’s for me. As someone else posted, when I leave work my brain comes with me. I have hobbies I like to do and sometimes I just like to be lazy on days off. A couple years back a switched to position where I was on call. Hated the hell out of that and I switched back. I don’t need clients or employees coming to me all the time when I’m not at work.

having someone else pay your salary but be important enough that you can do what you want and they defer to your expertise