Anyone Here Work For Themselves/Own Their Own Business?

I know most people here work normal jobs and that's cool but does anyone here get it on their own?  I'm looking to save some money and gain experience from working this part-time job and parlay that into investing into my own business.  

I know it's difficult though so any advice from someone who's doing it on their own is appreciated.

What specifically do you want to know? And also, what are you looking to start up?

my mom has been her own boss for like 20 + years, an seein that has made me NOT want to work for somebody else or a damn time clock..........not to mention it gives you the freedom to do more things.

how many ppl only have time for JUST their one crappy job they cant stand going to everyday with a set pay.

i got a few ideas myself

what happen to younghollywood anyways? NT ran him off?

Ask Gold st capital

ohmygosher said:

What specifically do you want to know? And also, what are you looking to start up?

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I want to start a website selling...something, I'm not sure what just yet.  I have a few skills, like fixing broken iPhone glass, and I've had some success flipping cell phones and vintage clothing on eBay.  Problem with that is, you can only make so much money using someone else's platform.  I'm also siting on a fat stockpile of promo music memorabilia.

Ultimately, the goal is to own some storefront tanning salons/massage parlors and then move into real estate/property ownership.   That's way down the line though.

So I'm really asking, how do you corner down a market and find that one thing to specialize in, and how do you stay disciplined and committed to your vision without a boss beating you over the head?  

It's not really as tough as people make it seem, you just have to apply yourself and be willing to put a lot of time into it.

Also, being able to control what you do w/ your time > _____________________

Hyper said:

It's not really as tough as people make it seem, you just have to apply yourself and be willing to put a lot of time into it.

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you know how hard that is for many ppl lol?

that is why everyone is not successful

everyone cant be either

It's not hard at all, though.

People just care way too much about things that don't matter.

Everyone has the ability to be successful, IMO.

Hyper said:

It's not hard at all, though.

People just care way too much about things that don't matter.

Everyone has the ability to be successful, IMO.

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i agree with you but its easier said than done i guess

i mean.........................example

how much TV the average person watches

Like I said, people care way too much about things that don't matter.

Look @ all those clowns in the Yeezy thread.

Please tell me how Red October Yeezy's are going to benefit your life in any way in the immediate or distant future.

These will be the same people whining on social media outlets about how their lives are terrible, too.

I also think people just have a warped sense of what it actually takes.

They think you have to be either extremely talented or lucky to achieve greatness and that's really not the case.

I guarantee if you have a vision and you work towards it every day, you'll get there eventually.

I just think that all of you have it in you to get damn near anything you want out of life.

Maybe I'm delusional, though.

I'm also looking to start a small business/work for myself, my dad has been working for himself for a couple of years now and he seems to enjoy it. I want to start a small dump truck business locally and I've been reading up on some stuff but what would be the best way to go about this? I'm working on getting my CDL soon and hopefully build some experience and get something going for myself. 

I'll be honest, I've been inspired by the Tariq Nasheeds and Nipsey Hussles of the world.  These guys didn't go to college and are absolutely getting it, with no boss up their ***.  

They have assets that increase in value 24/7 and diversified income streams so if one stream falls through they're propped up.  

That's where I want to be but I'm looking for guidance from someone who's done it so I know how to do it the right way and minimize my mistakes.

I'm working on different things as well, I'm over the 9-5 life. I just quit my job that paid about 21/hr and I'm not tripping. Rat racing is not for me

In.

Hyper said:

Like I said, people care way too much about things that don't matter.

Look @ all those clowns in the Yeezy thread.

Please tell me how Red October Yeezy's are going to benefit your life in any way in the immediate or distant future.

These will be the same people whining on social media outlets about how their lives are terrible, too.

I also think people just have a warped sense of what it actually takes.

They think you have to be either extremely talented or lucky to achieve greatness and that's really not the case.

I guarantee if you have a vision and you work towards it every day, you'll get there eventually.

I just think that all of you have it in you to get damn near anything you want out of life.

Maybe I'm delusional, though.

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Agree 100%. You just have to take the steps.

Hyper just spit some knowledge on the low.. So much truth.

It's possible but you need to know exactly what you're doing, have a plan, and follow through...

Sounds simple but with all the distractions set up in life most people can't even fathom reaching the finish line.

Drones said:

So I'm really asking, how do you corner down a market and find that one thing to specialize in, and how do you stay disciplined and committed to your vision without a boss beating you over the head?

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I'm a part-time contractor. I'm on track to bring in about $20k cash after putting 10-25 hours a week towards it. I could make more and expand the business (the demand and clientele is there,) but I want to get some professional experience under my belt (word to 10,000 hours of Outliers) before trying to execute my long-term plans. I'm a 21 year old recent college grad, and my money has been earned from small time contracts. I recently got a Gov't job offer so I'm going that route for the next 5-10 years.

The most important part is being good at what you're doing. I see a lot of people (both in my field -- IT -- and others) who have exhausted their professional opportunities because they simply weren't good at their job, then try to say that they simply aren't fit for "having a boss", that they "need to work for themselves" and end up failing miserably because they simply are not good at what they're trying to do. Don't get me wrong, you don't have to be the greatest of all time, but you have to be able to offer decent service at a decent price. No more, no less.

The next biggest part? The demand for your services. I'm lucky that I work in IT and the demand is off the charts for all things tech, but regardless of the field there is a demand. It might be small, or it might be huge. Your biggest hurdle in becoming successful is finding that demand and addressing it not only with quality work, but also with a sense of professionalism. Some clients will be cool with you wearing jeans and a hoodie, some clients may expect a shirt and tie, it all depends on your field of work and your client base. Figure out who your clients are, what they want, and address that need as best you can. If your work is good and they truly feel that you are offering the best service at the best price, your clients will work for you and bring you more work.

The last, and final piece, is determining your rates and book keeping. For things like carpentry or auto repair, it can be pretty cut and dry. For other fields, not so much... and you want to make sure that you're always turning a profit, or at least breaking even after you're off to a decent start. Just don't get greedy. Don't expect people to pay you as much as the leading person/organization as soon as you start out. You have to start small, expand, then up your prices once that quality has been proven. Don't ask for the whole pie, go for a slice... and once you've worked that over well, then you go for more.

Speaking of the beginning, things will most definitely be tough when you first start. People will be weary of your work, so start with friends if possible and ask them to refer you to others. You may have to invest in your own business to get yourself the equipment you need, and that might mean that you won't turn a profit for a few months. Just don't get discouraged -- be confident in your abilities, execute on your jobs, and in time you'll see it pay off.

PS GET EVERYTHING AND PUT EVERYTHING IN WRITING. Also, look up tax regulations and have a working knowledge of them. You would be shocked to know how many things you can write off in taxes and the kind of exemptions you can get with a few sheets of paperwork and patience.

I hope this helps.

I definitely typed up a huge response that got cached-out in my browser

With that said, as a self-employed person, I understand time-management/resource management and will not be re-typing all of that.

yeah pretty much covered everything I wanted to say.

I freelance in media production so my line of business is different from most. However, I can give advice on the intricate things of running businesses and will keep an eye on the thread.





As far as marketing goes, every market is different. Figure out your niche market and cater to it accordingly. Knowing I was going to have to market myself, I took in every experience I could to get the know-how to do it. I've participated in street teams and higher levels of promotion for events. I've written articles for various websites and learned how they marketed themselves. I keep a tight-nit facebook group, separate from my personal group, to keep a fresh eye on other ideas. I got 9-5 job experience with online marketing, and also black-hat experience with online marketing. There are many ways to market yourself. I just take ideas from all of them, and utilize them depending on the situations or whichever I believe is the most beneficial or interesting enough.

My friend and I own a trucking company with 3 rigs running Texas right now, and I also wholesale homes. We are looking to buy another truck soon, and looking to find another biz to start up. Being an entrepreneur is hard work with tons of sacrifices, but it's worth it in the end. I take pride in making my own way and not having to answer to a boss everyday. My advice to anybody looking to start their own biz is to step out on faith and don't be afraid of failure. You will take losses, but you gotta learn from it and bounce back. Just believe in yourself/vision and go for it.

Another thing, no matter what business you choose to be in, you are in the marketing business. Marketing is the key to any business you run, especially real estate.

Not trying to sidetrack the thread, but everybody seems to highlight those couple people who dropped out of high school and/or chose not to go to college who are successful. For those few people, think of the thousands/millions that had the same "dream" but are sitting on their ***.

Yes I know, look at all the college graduates with no jobs. But too many people nowadays are wrapped into the "I can't work for somebody" or "I can't have anybody telling me what to do" but yet have minimal skills, but all they do is refer to the eminem's or "i didn't go to college" people of world like if it's something easy to do.

mr jordan04 said:

Not trying to sidetrack the thread, but everybody seems to highlight those couple people who dropped out of high school and/or chose not to go to college who are successful. For those few people, think of the thousands/millions that had the same "dream" but are sitting on their **

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If they're sitting on their *** then they didn't work hard enough.

I'm not sure why ppl think Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are the only successful guys on earth.

There's a ton of successful self employed people.

Hyper said:

There's a ton of successful self employed people.

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I'm not successful as I'd like to be, but as I mentioned earlier take advantage of the no wife and kid situation ...I fell back because it almost cost me my marriage.