I have the privilege of being able to draw from public and private pools for income. My 9-5 is a lawyer for Legal Aid Ontario. During my free time, I operate a translation company.
The past week presented numerous challenges, which I overcame gracefully, but not without a fair amount of mental and physical hardship. I assisted a new record high of clients during a court assignment: 21. That is a lot of stories to process in an 8-hour shift! I also accepted a translation project in area outside my specializations (financial accounting) and ended up having to cancel on the client. Unfortunately, I may have lost that client for future projects.
Which brings me to my pro-con breakdown of being an employee and entrepreneur...
Both are great in their own ways yet present drawbacks. Luckily, I enjoy what I do, so the days pass quickly and I feel like my time and skills are used wisely. The learning curve has been tremendous and I'm gaining a deeper sense of what being professional really means.
The past week presented numerous challenges, which I overcame gracefully, but not without a fair amount of mental and physical hardship. I assisted a new record high of clients during a court assignment: 21. That is a lot of stories to process in an 8-hour shift! I also accepted a translation project in area outside my specializations (financial accounting) and ended up having to cancel on the client. Unfortunately, I may have lost that client for future projects.
Which brings me to my pro-con breakdown of being an employee and entrepreneur...
EMPLOYEE | ENTREPRENEUR | |
Pro
|
1. Steady, predictable income. 2. No overhead expenses: all marketing, insurance, office supplies, membership, licensing fees etc. covered. 3. Recognition that comes with being part of an established name. |
1. Unparalleled flexibility: I can work in my sweats and drink tea all day long. 2. Sense of ownership and fulfillment. |
Con
|
1. Lack of flexibility: I have to be available for work at prescribed hours and must dress the part. 2. Heavy workload: I am responsible for meeting quotas and processing a high volume of clients. |
1. Responsible for "rainmaking" i.e. finding and retaining clients, including following up on collection of unpaid accounts. 2. Responsible for all overhead expenses. |
Both are great in their own ways yet present drawbacks. Luckily, I enjoy what I do, so the days pass quickly and I feel like my time and skills are used wisely. The learning curve has been tremendous and I'm gaining a deeper sense of what being professional really means.
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