thegarrityfile.com

As my friend and fellow solo-preneur Wendy have discussed often, during and since our days in cube-ville, many people have a romanticized view of self employment — no more alarm clocks, three hour martini lunches, exotic vacations and magical tax write-offs.

If there are many entrepreneurs out there who fit that image, I haven’t met them! The reality is irregular paycheques, no more tech support, and needing to be stellar at not only in your area of expertise but at selling, administration and business.

It takes a certain personality type to thrive. Thick skin, curiosity and interest in learning and continually improving and a certain “why not me?” attitude are prerequisites. So are willingness to adapt and flexibility in schedule. Many women start businesses with the intention of spending more time with their children or lessening their stress - this is fallacy and propaganda! Yes, there are great benefits — the ability to attend school events, be there for family and friends, and kicking off to the beach on a hot afternoon. But there is also working late into the night many days in a row to go on vacation, scrambling to find an internet hookup during a “day off” and realizing there is no one to call when your computer crashes or your printer quits the morning of a major presentation.

This winter I enjoyed a relaxing vacation in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The photo shown above was taken from our condo. During that trip, I edited and proofed a newspaper, sent out an e-marketing campaign and approved a brochure layout for a client. At that moment, I felt like a short, Ukrainian-Canadian female Donald Trump. Like the occasionally great shot from the tee, the thrill I get doing what I like to do, on my own terms, is what keeps me in the game! But like the pursuit we call golf, you have to be prepared to hit more errant than accurate shots and spend time in the traps.