What they don't tell you about Entrepreneurship
Have you ever tried starting your own business? Are you thinking about starting your own online empire? If so, here's what they don't tell you about having your own business, the pros and the cons of being your own boss. Let's get to it.
If you've ever asked yourself the question: "Do I have what it takes to be an Entrepreneur?" Then this will hopefully give you the answers you seek. I'm about to get very honest and personal with you in this article, so sit back, relax and take it all in.
There are a ton of perks of being your own boss, working by your own rules and working your own hours, but there is also a downside. Of course there is, right? There has to be. Let me share my story with you on how I managed to quit my last full-time job all the way back in 2009 and started my own online business.
After we're done here you'll know whether Entrepreneurship is for you or not.
How I quit my job and became an Online Entrepreneur
Sick and tired of working for a boss for minimal pay? I know I was when I just started looking at ways to make money online, possibly starting my own business someday. At the end of 2007 I found out that I was going to be a dad for the first time at age 23. I was going to have a daughter. I wasn't ready, but knew I better become ready ASAP and start making money.
My daughter Leila, 1 year old in 2009
I bought my very first website to try everything I've read about, which back then, was all about blogging and affiliate marketing.
I didn't want my kid to worry about finances and not being able to give her everything she wants in life. We've struggled financially when I grew up with my mom, I didn't want that for my children.
My dad wasn't in the picture and left my mom when he found out she was pregnant, and I always
promised myself that I was going to always be there for my kids no matter what. I want to be the dad that I never had, I want my kids to have everything I could never have. It was time to do something great with my life.
Since my whole life at the time was about getting ready to be a dad, I created a website focusing on baby toys and products, you know, something people needed and will always need.
I joined some affiliate networks and started promoting every little kids product I could find. I didn't make a lot, in fact, I hardly made a dime. But that only motivated me.
You see, after I made my first affiliate sale online, which took about 3 months to do as someone who was absolutely clueless at the time, I knew that it was possible to scale my efforts.
I started focusing more on Search Engine Optimization, I became obsessed with it to be honest. Soon enough I started getting more organic traffic from Google, Yahoo and Bing, which resulted in more sales.
I was sold. I purchased my first coaching course called "Tru Guru" (no longer available) by a guy called Matthew Bredel, and leaned a whole lot from the guy. He gave me the knowledge to pursue my online ventures.
In 2009 I finally made enough money to be able to quit my last full-time job working for an employer. That was the best feeling in the world. I remember going in to work that day, my shift started at 6 AM. But how would I scale my business to increase profits, I thought.
2010 Started off great, but towards the end my income was slowly declining. I had to do something. Like most newbie internet marketers and online entrepreneurs, I started seeking answers on popular money-making forums. I bought so many products, software and promises of riches online only to be left even more confused than what I was when I first started out.
I was scammed all the time. It's normal when you suffer from "shiny object syndrome", a term that describes someone who buys anything they see that promises a "get rich quick" scenario. We've all been there, it sucks spending your hard-earned money only to be scammed. I know.
Towards the end of 2010 I lost nearly all my income, my relationship at the time suffered greatly because of it as I refused to give up and get a job. I remember taking my last bit of money to purchase a course by a guy I've been watching for a long time.
This guy was Michael Cheney, a well-known internet marketer. He just released "My Millionaire Mentor" (also not available anymore), a coaching program teaching you exactly how he got YOU to buy from him, what? Yes.
He revealed all the little secrets big-time Internet Marketers and Online Entrepreneurs used to get clients, keep them and resell to them over and over again. I found it fascinating. This guy wasn't teaching some BS, he showed my exactly what I've been falling for the whole time, WHY I kept buying and even how he was going to continue selling to me.
Come March of 2011, I lost almost everything I had except for the roof over my head and my internet connection. I was stubborn, I wouldn't listen to anyone telling me that I'll never make it and to find a job. Even though I wasn't making money, I was working hard to get what I wanted in life.
I kept learning from the best (Mike Filsaime, Frank Kern, Brad Callen, Jeff Walker, Dan Lok, etc.) and implementing what I've learned. By June of 2011 I had a product, several services of my own and a tiny email list. Things were looking up and I started getting my disastrous life at the time back on track.
In 2015 I heard I'm going to be a dad again, this time, with a boy. I've always wanted a boy since I was a kid, so I put my business into overdrive, I got a new house just before his birth, and 3 months after he was born I bought my first brand new car!
Sure, it was no Lamborghini and the house was no mansion, but it was mine, I've earned it without anyone's help. Without a boss, without work shifts or having to beg someone for a day off. It was all me.
My brand new car in front of my new house in 2015
Paypal earnings at the start of July 2015 Screenshot
That was 4 years ago at the time of writing this, things were going great and my income continued to increase day by day and I was making well over $100 per day most of the time.
But even though the life of an online Entrepreneur can be very rewarding and fun, there's a big downside to it, one that nobody tells you about.
Let's look at the pros and cons of entrepreneurship, the good and bad of starting your own online business. Here's what I've learned over the years.
The Pros about Entrepreneurship
Boy are there a bunch of them. Before we get to the bad, let me discuss the good, the pros about being an online entrepreneur. The life of an entrepreneur has some great highs, let's see what some of those are:
There are many more positives for starting your own online business and working from home than what I mentioned above. It's a great lifestyle, it's freedom at it's best when you start making money online. There are always ways to improve and keep learning, growing your income.
The more effort you put in, the more money you get out if done right. My only regret when it comes to online marketing is that I didn't start sooner, but better late than never, right?
I can't wait to teach my kids what I know so they can build their own online empires and never having to worry about their next paychecks coming in and vanishing at the end of each month.
We've all been there, huh?
Even though it's great to work from home and be your own boss, being an entrepreneur isn't for everyone. Now that you have an idea about the perks of the job, let's look at some of the negatives nobody talks about.
My son, Logan and I - Jan 2019
The Cons of Working From Home
Unfortunately the good things don't come without the bad, but if you're fine with the cons of being your own boss and working from home, great! The pros of entrepreneurship definitely outweigh the cons, at least for me. Let me show you what I'm talking about.
We're going to look at the bad as I'm going to share my own experience with you today. It's not easy looking back at my own struggles and failures during my online career, and there's been a bunch of them, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel.
If you're willing to work hard for what you want in life, you can achieve anything. Don't give up on your dreams, follow your heart and passion. Being successful online is a long, hard road, but it's well worth it in the end if you manage to hang in there. Let's look at the cons of entrepreneurship, the bad part of working from home:
There's nothing worse than having a great plan, creating a great product or service and doing everything according to the books, only for it to fail miserably. Trust me, I've been there more than once. Every single successful entrepreneur has been there multiple times.
Henry Ford failed thousands of times, so did Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and many other self-made millionaires (and billionaires). It's part of the game.
Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who have failed miserably over and over again, but refused to give up and instead learn and improve.
It's a lonely world working from home. Your friends and family don't understand what you're going through, how much you worry and struggle at times. Your friends see the money and the good times, but they don't see the blood, sweat and tears you endure to make ends meet.
Depression creeps in all the time. Failures are constant in the online marketing world. At times it's hard to stay focused when you've been working so hard but can't see immediate results. It sucks.
BUT...
When things work out, when you hit that jackpot, that goldmine, the sense of accomplishment is far greater than anything you've felt before. It's all worth it in the end. Hang in there. When things are tough, you think about calling it a day, but always remember why you wanted to start this online venture.
Set goals for yourself, meet them. Focus on what works and scrap what doesn't. You can only fail so many times before you hit it big as an online entrepreneur.
Whether you're selling a product or service, whether you're a Youtuber or blogger promoting affiliate products, track your results. Write down what works and what doesn't and keep at it.
There's a HUGE pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it's up to you to keep going and find it.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you've learned something new about working from home as an online entrepreneur. Should you need any help, give me a shout via the "Contact Us" page and I'll get back to you.
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Wishing you all the best!
Ettienne
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