Research shows that people who successfully transition to self-employment are self-aware and can handle themselves in different situations. In other words, they know what motivates them and they know what to do to stay motivated and have a positive view of their business.
So you have a clear vision for self-employment, and you have the talent and passion to turn that vision into reality. What other qualities will you need to be successful?
- risk tolerance. That’s not to say that self-employment is inherently risky; it just seems riskier. When you’re employed by someone else, you’re just one economic downturn or personality conflict, or corporate restructuring away from unemployment. But you get on with the job and forget about the possibility, whereas in self-employment there’s always that uncertainty about where the next job will come from and how long it will take to earn it.
- Willingness to accept new challenges. Not just as part of your move to self-employment, but as a permanent part of your new life. There is less continuity of employment and income, and the constant challenge of the next hurdle, the next prospect, the next reinvention of your talents.
- Focused on relationships. Networking and relationship building is an integral part of being self-employed. It’s not just one element in running your business; it is one of the skills necessary to ensure success. If you don’t enjoy, yes, enjoy, networking, then your line of work will be thinner and less healthy than it should be.
- Self-development has to become a constant element. The work you put in to continually develop your knowledge and skills will determine your employability and how marketable your skills are. This is much easier if you enjoy your professional development rather than just tolerate it. Some great businesses have been built by finding a niche knowledge and establishing yourself as the guru of the niche.
- Influence. You must not only have marketing skills; you must be able to sell them. There are many sources of marketing advice available. If you have doubts about your sales skills, you should focus on building your confidence in that area.
- You need a lot of yourself. Must be enterprising, self-inspired, self-directed. When times are tough and inspiration is in short supply, the ability to bounce back and get out there again is vital.
- Multitasking is at the heart of freelancing. You should enjoy working on multiple tasks/projects at once, as well as doing all the things you need to do to run the business.
Finally, you need humor and perspective. You must retain your objectivity and sanity, which can easily be distorted when working alone. Humor helps you see both the comic and the tragic in running the business.