This whole lockdown situation has obviously had a HUGE implication on work and businesses. With so many people losing their jobs, it really does put into the light the fragility of all aspects of life – including our working lives and how quickly and easily it can change. Even if you’ve been in the same role with the same employers for over a decade. As with everything in life, nothing lasts forever.
Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash
However, that’s not to say that this situation can’t teach us many things going forward about work, our working lives and how we can build a healthy and sustainable working life for ourselves. Being a full-time, self employed blogger, I didn’t have to worry about getting fired during the COVID pandemic. Of course, like most other people, my workload did decrease quite a bit near the start – we can’t control EVERYTHING.
But with blogging in particular becoming such a recognized career choice now, the option and opportunity to build an online business is growing all the time. Blogging and online opportunities can be a great starting point into developing business ideas and creating projects to help make you a full-time income and work for yourself in the future.
Related: 7 Things To Consider Before Going Self Employed With Your Blog
I recently launched my first blogging course, which I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do without all the blogging experience I have. Releasing this course has made me aware of all the other avenues I could go down with my blog and online business. And I love knowing I have that freedom.
As for me, I might not have a 6 figure business just yet but I’m growing and succeeding all the time. I absolutely love working for myself and being my own boss, despite it being something that I never planned nor came naturally to me. It actually came about after an incredible hardship and had it not been for that dark time in my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
So today I want to share some extra points about why owning your own business could be the future of a healthy working life.
You can make your own working hours
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”. Well that’s exactly what you can do when you own your own business. You can create your own hours and even give yourself LESS hours and more time to chill and relax. Although when you run your own business, it can definitely be hard to stop sometimes because you’re so passionate but at least you have the option to cut your hours.
Related: How Flexible Working Can Be a Game Changer For Companies & Women
You can work remotely if / when you need to
And if by some nightmare, 2020 happens again and we find ourselves in another lockdown situation or situation where many people can’t go to work for whatever reason, then having your own business allows you to work remotely whenever you need to. This also comes into play when it comes to childcare or unexpected illness.
You can also work anywhere in the world
One point which I think many people would love for themselves is the ability to work anywhere in the world. A huge perk of running your own business? You can run it anywhere! Where would I live if I was a digital nomad with my business?
Tenerife
I’m not sure where in Tenerife (I haven’t got that far yet haha!) but I absolutely adore the Canary Islands so if I was ever to move to a Spanish speaking, warm country, it’d be here. I have many fond memories of this place as well as Lanzarote and Gran Caneria from family holidays. There’s not a single thing I don’t love about it.
Switzerland
One of my Instagram followers lives in Switzerland and whenever she posts a photo of where she lives, I kinda wanna cry a little bit. It’s utterly BEAUTIFUL. And it looks like the perfect place to live and work in utter peace and harmony. It kinda always looks like you’re on the set of a movie and I’m totally down for that.
Japan
Oh cripes, how incredible would it be to move to Japan for a period of time? Of every place listed here, this would be the biggest culture shock of course but I’d probably be the experience of a lifetime too. My boyfriend visited Japan for work a few years ago an he always says how amazing it was.
You have more control over your own mental well-being
This is a big one for me because when I started blogging I was in the worst place mentally of my life. For months, I couldn’t leave the house. Then for years, even the prospect of getting a job was enough to make me have palpitations. Although I’m much better now (in fact, I’ve been UNDIAGNOSED with anxiety!) my mental well-being is one of the most important parts of my life
You can combine your passion with business
Like what Tomasz did, having your own business is a great opportunity for you to NEVER work another day in your life! For you to NEVER hate your job or resent going to work in the morning. Creating a lifestyle business from your passion can help you thrive in ways you didn’t even know were possible!
Related: 5 Things To Consider For Your Online Business
And you can change anything that isn’t working or making you happy
And finally, the control is in YOUR hands. If something you’re doing isn’t working or providing you with the results you want, you can change it. If something is sitting well with you anymore, you can stop it. If something in your business actually ISN’T making you happy anymore, then YOU have the power to change it so it does.
Having your own business has so many perks. And of course, it’s not for everyone. I’m not here to judge anyone on their career choices but being within this industry, I know how much of a popular choice having your own business is for people. And also how desirable it is for those who aren’t quite there yet. So hopefully this post has helped you realise whether running your own business is right for you!
I started following a lot of people last year that sell digital courses or that started out as blogger or influencers and are now teaching people what they learned. I think that would be amazing to do. Sometimes I wish I could do that.
The best thing about having a business is that you are not answerable. You are responsible for your choices but no one is going to ask you about them. On the other hand, working for someone, no matter how dedicated you are, makes you liable to answer. And that can be distressful sometimes!
Very good point!
True! & not just having my own business, but even having a secondary income source is becoming important.
Oh absolutely!
Love this post! Super helpful and makes me more determined to reach my goals!!
A healthy work-life balance can improve your physical, emotional and mental health. Impressive！Thanks for the post
That’s the dream we work towards! Being your own boss sounds great. Might take up a lot of time and effort, but the rewards are unmatchable!
The rewards definitely are amazing!
You’re SO right, my job has kind of changed through lockdown so I am doing my own thing a little more and so far I am loving it. I love being able to match my passion with my day to day!
Rosie
I LOVE running my own businesses. I have a blog and my eBay business online with some other side jobs. It’s amazing that I have the control and freedom. I adore it so much. I was able to go away for a week and keep up with my work. I didn’t even need to book off the time. I have been a lot happier since I quit my job. Thank you for sharing these benefits!
EM x
With everything that’s gone on over the last few months, my mental health has taken a huge slide backwards. So I’m actually becoming more interested in working for myself and having my own business. I love blogging and the idea of making money from it makes my heart sing – I’d love to be able to work for myself one day!
You could totally do it!
I dream of getting to this kind of place in my blogging career. Great post!
Thank you ☺️
I’ve been self- employed for two years now but I definitely miss “normal” employed life at times. I think there’s such a push for making something from home that there’s almost become a big for/against. Working from home isn’t for everyone and I don’t think it’s the only way to have a healthy work life xx
No I don’t think it’s the only way either but it’s one way
Great post – I’ve been feeling a bit lost with my blog recently (a combination of not having time to focus on it and imposter syndrome, I think) but reading how other people are doing well reminds me that it’s a totally valid career goal and I can do it. There are so many perks to running a blog as a business so it’ll be worth it in the long run!
You absolutely can!
You always have the best tips and guides! I will be signing up xx
I was nodding my way through this, the flexibility really does make it amazing. I think it also makes it harder to switch off though! But I totally agree that it’s easier than ever, even if you do’t love the idea of working for yourself, you could still use the internet to make a little side hustle money to go alongside your main income, it still helps! x
Sophie
Yes I agree, I find it SO HARD to switch off!
Being able to work from home and have the ability to choose your own hours is such a big benefit of having your own business! I think so many more people are going to be heading that way now since lockdown xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
I agree!
This is such a great post and really motivating too. I’d love to eventually earn enough money from my blog to do it full time and run it as a business. When its something you’ve created it gives you an added motivation because you get out of it what you put in.
It really does!
Such an informative and inspirational post! 🙂 My absolute goal is to be a successful blogger and freelancer and I’m working super hard to achieve my dream. *.* I believe that the moment you shift your mindset and start believing in yourself everything gets a lot easier. Failures don’t discourage you anymore, on the contrary, they motivate you even more. <3
I love all the benefits you've listed especially the fact that you can take care of your well-being while doing something you love. Also, whenever you feel that something's not right, you can always do something to change it. This article gave me so much inspiration, I'm bookmarking it because it's pure gold.
Thank you for sharing this, Jenny! There's a reason why your blog is one of my absolute favorites.
Awh thank you so much! What you said about shifting your mindset is EXACTLY what I teach in my new course. Mindset is so, so important xxx
It would be amazing to reach this goal someday! Fingers crossed. So happy for you creating a course, by the way! x
Thank you!
I was nodding ALL the way through this post, Jenny. You’re so right, now more than ever it’s easier to start your own business – the Internet makes it so. I was freelance for a couple of years although I admit I found the worry of being able to pay my bills was the least enjoyable part. Now I work part-time (for the moment) and make a little pin money from my blog and that works for me. You are one of my inspirations though, someone to aspire to. Congrats on your new course too, you rock! xxx
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
Thank you Lisa! Ideally I’d love to have a part-time job as well as blogging! xxx
Reading this motivates me to keep on going. I’m looking forward to the day when I can freelance completely. x
Yesss! You can get there!
Yep – this is my goal! I’m still trying to figure a few things out when it comes financial streams, but I’m confident I’ll get there!
You absolutely will!
I’ve really resisted working for myself or being a freelancer because I’m so, so bad at setting and sticking to schedules unless they’re being enforced by some external metric. And I think I struggle to really know or understand my own value and skills….
But! I’ve really decided to try my hand at freelance editing – since it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve had the opportunity to edit for a variety of platforms in a corporate environment. And I’ve even got a few clients willing to take a chance on me as well!
That’s amazing, well done! The scheduling and things will definitely get easier over time!
Ugh, you’re so right: Switzerland is bloody gorgeous. I’m always in awe every time I see a photo! Though I have some pretty standard career goals that I’m pursuing, blogging and writing for myself would definitely be the dream job. The ability to essentially work anywhere, anytime is so attractive!! I’m always so happy when I think of your particular success in this arena, Jenny!! xxx
It really is isn’t it! Awh thank you so much!<3 xxx
My dream is to run my own business/be self-employed one day. I love the idea of being your own boss! x
– Charlotte / charlottesspace.com
It’s great! You’ll get there! xxx
Thanks for sharing! I’ve downloaded the eBook too which I’ll get stuck into once I’ve finished my course! 😉
Hehe you’ve got lots to do! 😉 xxx
I have always been employed by someone else and have very much dreamed of having my own business one day! These are all great benefits for having your own business, I think the flexibility of you setting your own working hours and in control of things that you’d like to change, all sounds very nice! Definitely something I will be thinking about and looking into!
Chloe xx
It really is nice! 🙂
As always, you pull everything together so well! Great ideas for a motivated person who wants to live their dream…and you are a great example! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 xxx
Combining my passions and business together would be a dream for me! That’s such a wonderful perk of being able to work for yourself 🙂 x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Absolutely! xxx
I’d love to work for myself but I just need to figure out what the work would be! Very inspiring post though, lots of food for thought here.
Paris | http://www.thegirlinflat26.wordpress.com
You’ve got time! xxx
Thanks for sharing, I would like to have work for myself, but money would be an issue for me 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
A great post Jenny, I would love the freedom of being able to work for myself and have my own working hours! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you 🙂 x
I’m a freelance writer and I earn money from my blog (not only to live on, on my own) – I need to learn how to put myself out there more! I’ll check out this ebook x
You definitely do!
Great post Jenny, I’m going to say working anywhere in the world sounds pretty good to me, just have to decide where though 🤔😊
Right! The choices would be endless!
I have my own business and I love the freedom of it – I just wish I could do it fulltime but I need the benefits of an employer
That’s amazing!
For now I don’t make barely any money from my blog but I’m hoping in maybe 2 years time I can do this financially.
Zoey | http://www.zoeyolivia.com
You definitely could, your blog is amazing!
This is an excellent post! And I’m glad you added the part about having the control to make changes because that’s not a point that emphasized enough. There are people who go to work every day who are powerless even when they know change is needed. The you have those who push things they don’t believe in or are forced to affiliate themselves with things they otherwise wouldn’t. That’s was such an important point.
I totally understand that!
Great post Jenny!!!
There really is so much freedom in running your own business; but it doesn’t come without it’s own stresses, that being said, if you want to take a day off for yourself, you absolutely can, no phoning in sick required.
I couldn’t imagine going back to a full-time employed job anymore, too many perks of working for yourself.
Thanks for sharing,.
Emma x
emmarollason.com
I agree. I love taking a day off when I need it and not feeling guilty for letting anyone down!
Yes to all of this. This is exactly why I plan on taking off my own business (hopefully early next year). I have everything in motion, I’m just not brave enough to put myself out there yet. I know that through working for other companies and struggling with my own mental health that I need to work for myself, to set my own limits and create my own boundaries.
Thank you for sharing Jenny x
Kate | thelittlecrunch.co.uk
You’ll be absolutely great at it! I have your back when you decide to go for it!
This is something I want to focus on as well. These are amazing ideas, thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome!