Friday, January 6, 2012

The Great Entrepreneurial Depression

Here's another post from "the vault" (old post from blogs past).  It's what is on my mind today.  Could be on yours too...

The ebb and flow from project to project is the plight of the Freelance-Entrepreneur. It's definitely not for the timid, or faint of heart. Along with your impeccable expertise, you need thick skin, patience, organization, and a sense of humor.

The life of a successful Freelancer is very attractive to those on the other side of the glass, but understand that the "glitter" is usually "gold"...but sometimes it is not. It can be "feast" or "famine" no matter how skilled or how well known you are... you are a contractor and are "golden" as long as you have contracts. In those times of "feast", we scurry like creatures preparing for hibernation to prevent "famine," but alas, all of the planning, belt-tightening and penny-pinching cannot shield us from things that are far beyond our control.

Occasionally, a harsh, unrelenting, economic tornado blows through on a blind seek-and-destroy mission weaving through our clients, our industry, our niche like a pinball in a machine on full tilt. Some of us are spared completely. Some of us narrowly escape with minor, yet recoverable damage to our lifestyle. Some of us are completely destroyed and left to suffer in our own personal great depression. Left to grasp at any and every measly opportunity to keep roofs over heads, food in mouths, heads above water. Selling ourselves short just to sell ourselves.

An ebb and flow indeed. If you have the thick skin, patience, organization, and sense of humor to weather the economic and entrepreneurial storms, your phoenix will always rise from the ash. If not, return to your cubicle. You are definitely not ready for this.


1 comment:

  1. Wow. That is powerful and truth. It needs to be heard so that people stop living in fantasy land when it comes to being a freelancer and running your own business.

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