In decades past, our parents were happy to work 9-5 jobs. In fact, they would hold on to one 9-5 for their entire careers. It was common to see somebody graduate from high school, get a job with a local company, and stay there until retirement. When they retired, they’d have a cushy company pension and would be making the maximum amount in their salary range.

Whether or not they were content or just stagnant is up for debate, but the nine to five was a societal norm; part of the North American dream, along with white picket fences and 2.5 children. Entrepreneurship had no place in the North American dream.

Times are changing, and entrepreneurship is now the American dream. Society has shifted views, and while the 2.5 children and white picket fence is still an ideal, the parents of those 2.5 children dream of working at home in their pajamas.

There is still something to be said for the nine to five, though.

Nine to Fivers Can Leave Work at Work

I hold down a day job, in an office. I am also a side entrepreneur.

If I start a project on my own, I have a hard time letting it go. I live and breath the project. This is true even for this blog; when I decided to start getting serious about developing it, I could never mentally shut my brain off. I come home and work on the blog, or blog related activities, until something pulls me away.

There is something to be said for being able to log off your office computer, ride the elevator downstairs, and forget about the papers that are piled up on your desk until Monday when you have to face them again.

A common complaint of entrepreneurs is the sheer volume of work that they do. When you are in it for yourself, you are much more consumed by the work.

Vacation Time

Desk jockeys have one huge advantage over people who work for themselves: they get paid vacation time. Even on vacation, entrepreneurs will often work (I know I do). Having stress free vacation time when you don’t have to worry about any work at all is a benefit that not many people who work for themselves can enjoy.

My dad has owned his own company for my whole life, and we were never able to take a true vacation. Even when we’d go away, he would always have to answer his phone when it rang because it could be a potential client. He couldn’t just log off his email, because what if somebody needed to contact him?

Working With People

Working with people is, frankly, impossible to avoid, even if you work for yourself.

However, working with co-workers and being part of a team is another benefit of the company workers.Building relationships with a set of humans that you likely would never have gotten to know had it not been for your workplace is powerful.

Working in a company can (if you work for the right company) foster a sense of community and a feeling that you are part of something.

Stability (of course)

Nothing is ever guaranteed, and any one of us could lose our jobs tomorrow. It is great to have the stability of a regular job, however. Every two weeks, the paycheck is deposited in the account, CPP already deducted off of the total; the Employment Insurance as a backup that we’re so lucky to have in North America.

This isn’t a reality for many people starting their own companies, at least at first. After awhile, when it has grown and had a chance to be built up, there may be more stability.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and not everyone who wants to venture out on their own is going to be successful at it. It takes a certain amount of grit, determination, and the ability to form habits that propel you in the right direction to become a successful entrepreneur. It’s rewarding as heck if you can swing it.

I’m a terrible example, because I do both. I have side businesses and I freelance, but I am also a desk jockey during the day.

If you are miserable in your nine to five and desperate to get out? Make a change. Start a side business. Start building it up before you give your notice.

Are you burning to start working for yourself? Or are you content with your employment? 

Sometimes Working For Yourself Isn’t the Answer is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.