How Running a Business Made Me a Better Employee

Running a business has helped me to become a better employee.  I wrote an article a couple of months ago called I Think Everyone Should Be In Business For Themselves where I shared my advice for starting and running a small business.  Today, I want to expound on the benefits I continue to reap from having been in business for myself.  I think that now that I work for someone else these lessons are invaluable to me.  They have given me an education and understanding that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else.  I see the big picture so much clearer.

Why is this important to living a fuller life?  Because it gives me a different view of my job which enables me to be happier in my work.  Because I am happier, I am more productive which helps me to be more successful.  The more successful I am, the better I’m compensated which means I have more money to build financial strength and to buy the things I enjoy.  All in all, the insight I gained and lessons I learned from running my own business have improved my life and made it more satisfying all the way around.  I hope they will help you too.

Successfully managing a business is not easy.

I have a greater appreciation for just how difficult it is to continually make the right decisions in business.  Even in a small company, it seems that the issues are multi-faceted and complex.  As a decision maker, you never have perfect information so you are always flying partially blind.  You don’t always see the obstacle just around the corner or you don’t always anticipate someone’s response to a particular course of action.  These can make a seemingly good decision seem very wrong in retrospect. 

Having made some of these decisions, I think that now I am much more appreciative of what the leadership at my present employer goes through.  I see the bigger picture.  I’m not as critical.  I understand that they really are trying their best, but even so not everything works out like it was intended.  It is amazing the perspective you can develop once you have been the buck stops here person.

Everybody has a boss.

When I started out in business, I thought it was going to be great to be my own boss.  I thought I would have all kinds of freedom to call the shots.  Boy, was I wrong!  Everybody has somebody that they have to answer to and usually multiple somebodies.  Let me give you some examples.  A lot of people think that by being self-employed they can set their own schedule.  Not true.  Sorry if I burst your bubble!  Your customer defines your schedule.  You have to conduct business when it is convenient for them.  They demand that you deliver your product or service when they want it.  Others think that they can write-off a lot of their expenses on their taxes.  Well, this one isn’t really true either.  There are so many rules that the IRS has it will make you dizzy.  When you boil it all down it seems that there are very few decisions that you get to make all by yourself.

Now that I understand this more clearly, I am more appreciative of my boss’ role.  I know that he is trying to juggle multiple priorities and make decisions that will not only be legal, but that will benefit the greatest number of people.  It isn’t easy.  I know that there are trade-offs, pros and cons of working for yourself versus working for someone else.  For instance, I do have less flexibility in my schedule, but I also have greater consistency in my paycheck.  I am more tolerant about having someone else that I have to answer to because I know that everybody has a boss.

Customers are king.

I understand how valuable each and every customer is to a business.  I know that sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do to make the customer happy.  I know that customers are difficult to come by and losing a really good one is painful.  These things aren’t just trite sayings on some plaque on the wall for me anymore.  They are real because I’ve been there.  I depended on the income that was generated through my customers to pay my house payment every month and to buy my groceries.

This makes me more sensitive to issues of customer service.  I understand why it is important to go the extra mile for the customer.  I realize that even when a policy or procedure says something contrary to a customers desire that common sense should prevail.  I know that it is better to take a little more time to understand a customer’s need and try to find a win-win solution rather than just do what is easy and efficient.  This all makes me a better employee because it helps me to better serve my internal and external customers.

What we earn is directly proportional to the service we provide.

In business, people do not buy a product or service that they don’t need or want.  If you aren’t selling something that appeals to them, then you aren’t going to get their money.  I learned that it doesn’t matter how much you advertise or how many sales calls you make.  You might find a few suckers, but that won’t last long.  People will figure it out and stop buying.  This is self-critiquing as a small business owner.  All you have to do to determine if you are benefiting your customer is look at the bottom line each month.

This same principal works at a job as well.  We are compensated exactly equal to the service we provide.  Our salary is proportional to our service.  Look at the bottom line on your pay check and you can see your value to your company.  Once I understood this, it helped me be a better employee.  I look for ways to increase the service I provide and to make it more valuable.  The key is to bring forward ideas that move the company toward its objectives rather than constantly working toward your personal agenda.  If you do this, then the money will come naturally.

A better understanding of business makes me a better employee.

My experience in business has made me a better employee.  It is easy to play Monday morning quarterback at a company, but once you have done it yourself, you have a greater understanding of what a business really wants and needs in an employee.  We spend so much of our lives at work that it is important we enjoy what we do.  My experience in business taught me, that often it isn’t the job or our employer that needs to change, but it is our attitudes and expectations.  Once we have the right mindset, then we can be a better employee which will lead to greater happiness and enjoyment at work.

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Photos by 18percentgrey and Creativity+ Timothy K

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