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Rediff.com  » Getahead » 10 signs you are meant to be your own boss!
This article was first published 10 years ago

10 signs you are meant to be your own boss!

Last updated on: August 26, 2014 20:53 IST

Image: Kids, take notes!
Photographs: Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.

This world belongs to entrepreneurs. So what are you waiting for?

Struggling with the 9-to-5 routine?

Love the idea of being your own boss?

Signs that you probably need to start working for yourself!

1. You take failure in your stride 

Aamir Khan in Andaz Apna Apna

Failure is what keeps us from trying new things... like quitting your job and starting out on your own.

As we grow older, most of us don't like the idea of failing. The prospect of falling flat on one's face gets more embarrassing with each passing year and so we settle into the familiar monotony of that job we've been holding for years.

If you are the kinds who can pick and dust yourself off and get back on the saddle, entrepreneurship is the way to go for you, dear friend.

2. You can afford to take risks

 

Hrithik Roshan in the ad for Mountain Dew.

Wanting to take risks and affording to take them are two different things.

As years pass by, responsibilities begin piling up: your parents' health, a spouse who is dependent on you or your young child... the list is endless.

The truth is that sometimes you can't afford to take the risks even if you may want to.

If that is not the case, don't let anything else come in the way.

3. You've been toying with an idea for a while now 

 

Kanaka Menehune/Creative Commons

All great businesses start with an idea.

If you've had that idea and that has stayed with you for a considerable time, it might not be so bad to set the wheels in motion.

4. Nothing turns you on more than a good challenge

 

A scene from the film Commando.

The thing with a 9-to-5 job is that after a while you run out of new challenges.

Then you quit and take up a new job, run out of challenges there, then take up another one... you get the drift right?

Entrepreneurship throws challenges at you every single hour of every single day.

If that's the sort of thing that makes you go 'Woo hoo', it is time...!

5. You are disciplined

 

Shah Rukh Khan in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Sure, working for yourself means you can choose your work hours.

But that doesn't mean you can afford to slack off.

When you're not working for an organisation, you have to work doubly hard to stay disciplined because there's no one to do it for you.

For a freelancer, being disciplined and organised isn't a choice, it is a necessity.

6. You are self-motivated

 

Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year.

Being employed also means you can get by without being motivated, for a few days, weeks (or if your employer isn't noticing), even a few months!

When you're self-employed, you don't have that liberty.

Stay demotivated for too long and the money stops almost immediately.

7. Money isn't necessarily a driving force 

 

Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Yes, it does make one's life easier. And if you make the right moves, you will most likely be minting moolah.

Yet most people who quit their day jobs to follow their passions do it for just that one reason -- to follow their passion.

Starting out on your own isn't often driven by the motivation to make money.

In fact, you need the financial security during the initial years of your entrepreneurship.

8. You dread Mondays

 

Ranbir Kapoor in a meme from Rockstar.

Everyone suffers the Monday Blues.

If you've been wishing to be in your own office on Monday mornings for one month too many, take it as a sign.

9. You have a good work ethic

 

A scene from Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year.

If you're the kinds who doesn't mind putting in long hours, likes to help out colleagues, is warm and considerate but also fair, why wouldn't you put it to use for something that you are enthusiastic about rather than for someone else's company?

10. You've had enough

 

Dadang Tri/Reuters.

Office politics, gossip, irritating colleagues, bosses who are slave drivers... and oh, did we mention that measly salary?

Then, of course, if you live in a big city like Mumbai or Bengaluru, there is also that killer commute to consider.

If you can stand all of these, the job you are in right now is p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

If not... you know exactly what you should be doing!

Before you put in your papers, you probably should read this and more importantly this too.

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