So you think you want to buy a business and start off on a career as an entrepreneur?

Before you spend too much time daydreaming of becoming the next Branson or Zuckerberg you need to consider some very big trade-offs that your new life as a business owner will require.

Controlling Your Time Versus The 8 Hour Workday:

You may have hated your 9 to 5 job, but working for someone else offers you the opportunity to have something many entrepreneurs don’t – time off. If you are buying a business so you can have more control of your time, the good news is you will. Your work schedule will absolutely be up to you. The caveat here is that work schedule is going to have to cover more hours than your traditional job did, so you need to be mentally prepared to work nights, weekends and take working vacations (if you are able to take vacations at all).

The Need To Reinvest Versus A Standard Paycheck:

One of the best ways to grow a small business is to reinvest your money in every way you can. What this means from a trade-off standpoint is you may end up making far more owning your own business than you ever did working for someone else, but that money really belongs back in the business if you want to be successful. You should also be prepared to go without paying yourself in the very beginning because you will need working capital available for things like inventory and payroll when you first take over.

Your New Priorities Versus Punching A Clock:

Working a traditional job means that you have to punch a clock, but the time when you aren’t at work belongs to you – and you can use that time for your family, your friends and your hobbies. When you own your own business, that business becomes your baby, and as such it will require you to make sacrifices in terms of the time you were once able to dedicate to the non-working parts of your life. The good news is you won’t have to ask your boss and hope that you can get the day off for your daughter’s ballet recital, you will be able to accommodate those all-important things in your non-working life. You will just have to find a way to balance the needs of your business and the priorities in your life.

Should these trade-offs scare you away from buying a business? Absolutely not! Owning your own business means that every expenditure of time, energy and money comes right back to you instead of going to someone else. The rewards of flexibility and control over your own destiny make any trade-offs worth it in the end. You just need to be aware that these trade-offs will be necessary so you can be prepared for business ownership.

Do you have questions about the trade-offs business ownership requires? Would you like to know what the schedule looks like for a business owner in the industry you are considering? Please feel free to ask questions or post comments here. We would be happy to help you on your journey to entrepreneurship.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com