Who is (or has been) self employed here?

[El Presidente]

Who is (or has been) self employed here? 

Solo operator or started a business with employees. 

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for 

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

Fill us in on your experience 

[LeafLegionWW]

Have been self employed since I was 19 years old - lots of ups and downs but definitely more ups.  I'm known as the Re/Max agent with a beard who smokes cigars both from strangers and close friends lol.

Also yes I think it would be next to impossible to get an interview never mind a job since my resume would read:

Finished high-school then sold real estate up until the present......

 

[CigarAsh]

I've been self-employed most of my adult life. Working in a family business with two brothers. We've doubled over past few years and have about 150 employees as an administrator of employer benefit plans.

I'm 57 and totally unemployable would be my guess. Not that I don't think I'd be spectacular at any job I put my mind to  (you have to wear many hats to run your own company), but I doubt that I'd find anyone that I would want to work under in the twilight of my career.  There is a part of me that would long for normal working hours (9 to 5 - what's that?) and less pressure and stress, but the rewards of being your own boss are too many to list. The freedom to set the agenda and determine your own future is what drives the urge to be self employed. 

I discovered cigars about 10 years ago. Spent 2 or 3 years in the non-Cuban woods before I discovered a good Cuban courtesy of my Colombian neighbor who brought some back from a trip for me. Then I found FOH and the rest is history. I find having a cigar to be one of the most peaceful, stress relieving moments in any day. It's partly the ritual of it and of course the love for the complexity of a good cigar. Sitting on the back deck, with a whiskey and a cigar is the way to wind down my day. But on the social side, I've met so many people and made many new friends with cigars. I can't really imagine cigars not being a part of life (hence my giant new humidor and a burning need to fill that sucker up!). 

[FrankJerseyCigars]

I was a professional poker player for about 6 years, not sure if that counts but my livelihood and 70 hours/week were entirely from that. Didn't smoke cigars until the end of that (when online poker was banned in the US). I work for an investment bank now though so apparently I am still employable. 

 

Love cigars and enjoy the social/relaxation/networking that comes with them. Probably don't smoke as often as some of you guys mostly because I live in a major city that's very anti smoking and so it's tough to find places to smoke at that are convenient. Would love to run my own cigar lounge/bar though and be self employed again. Also think I could do it much more efficiently from a business perspective than the majority I smoke at. Maybe one day

[luv2fly]

Never.  I do not trust myself!

In all seriousness, I have not been self employed but have a friend who is.  Started a business and sold it for $$$$$$.  He could not or would not retire.  That is still up for debate.  Hats off to those of you who are self employed and I hope for your continued success.  

[HarveyBoulevard]

Solo operator or started a business with employees. 

- Started as a solo and have added a partner (who is also my wife) and just recently added our first employee.

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for 

- On my own the first time for 6 months.  I failed and went to work for someone.  Good move at the time.

- On my own the second time for 2 years.  I took a job for 'safety and security'.  Good move at the time.

- On my own for the third and final time over 5 years ago.  Best move of my life.

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

- I'd rather dig ditches (which I have actually done) that go back working for someone else.  I'd last about 5 minutes before I was fired for insubordination.

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

- I dictate my own work hours and work load.  My boss is a dick and makes me work a lot of hours and carry a heavy load.

- No such thing as vacation.  My phone is attached to me 24/7.  I can not go into the office for days at a time but that just means I am working at a different office.

- I can spend as much time as I want with my kids.  That part is priceless.

- Instability is just another thing to get used to.  Good months.  Bad months.  Mostly average months.  It all evens out over time.

- I can deduct about everything from my taxes.  According to my taxes I make about $15 dollars a year so I can't apply for credit for anything.

- I don't need their f'n credit for anything.

- I could go on for days.  For every pro, there is a con.  I just accept that I can deal with the cons and really like the pros.

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

- I come on here and dream about having a cigar every day...all day...while at work.  I get to have one every night during the week after I put the two kids to bed.  I work with my spouse and she loves that I love some alone time.  I love that she loves that I love some alone time .  She doesn't care that I smoke cigars but she does 'worry for my health'.

[Fuzz]

Been self-employed (my old man may disagree) for nearly 4 years now as Australia's self-proclaimed "Charcoal Baron".  Prior to that, I worked 12 years for one of Australia's largest employers in supply chain logistics.

Am I still employable? I'd like to think so. My skill set has grown since leaving my last employer. Whether I want to put back on that corporate yoke or not is a completely different story. Watching the board and senior management make ridiculous decisions that cost the company billions, sell off 2 divisions on the cheap, disenfranchise the entire workforce, and yet still take home their exorbitant bonuses, doesn't give me any incentive to go back to corporate. Climbing that corporate ladder cost me my health (both mental and physical) which, to some degree, still affects me today. I wouldn't put myself back into that kind of situation, no matter how much money they'd offer.

I do enjoy being self-employed (though I hate my boss). I get to choose my hours, decisions (good or bad) are on my head alone, I get to claim the GST on quite a few of my purchases (unfortunately, not cigars), and I don't have to answer to somebody else (again, my old man may disagree). The bad? Worrying about my cashflow or when  Customs/Border Security or the wharfies will screw me over again, the slow periods when there is no work, no vacations, trying to build my business in a market that is being flooded by fly-by-night johnny-come-latelys, etc. As HB said, for every pro there is a con.

Do cigars play an important role in my mental make up? Yes, but not in and of itself. I don't find smoking on my own very enjoyable or relaxing. To me, smoking a cigar is a social event. I need somebody to talk to or have a drink with when smoking. However, cigars have given me the opportunity to meet some fantastic people, especially the Sydney FOH boys. We meet up regularly, chat on social media, split boxes of cigars or cases of wine, etc. Hard to not keep an even keel in this ever maddening world when hanging out with those guys.

[dicko]

I have been in a partnership for the last 3 years (law). Started ourselves and now have 1 other lawyer employed, a full time secretary and often have temp clerks come in to help or work experience.

I enjoy the flexibility day to day even week to week but cannot at this stage take extended holidays so that kind of sucks.

The good is being able to be flexible with helping out people in need who maybe can't afford the typical legal fees and being able to get rid of bad clients without having to ask a boss (who of course would want you to keep acting to get more money). The pay is definitely better than being employed but not by a huge amount tbh because we never rip people off and do a lot of discounted work.

The bad is keeping on top of invoicing and chasing clients for money. I'm a bit soft with that and have slowly learnt that getting paid up front is the only way to do it for lawyers. . 

I think I could go back to being employed in the right environment but not going back to filling out billing time-sheets to pay for some 60 year olds 5th house. No way. 

 

I would also like to transition from law to commercial at some stage because I think I'm maybe a bit better at the commercial/strategic stuff rather than black letter law.

I used to smoke in the office prior to staff but not any more except perhaps if I work on the weekend (so not often).

 

I would like to add Rob called me when he found out I had started and he gave me his well wishes. I will always remember his kindness and advice  Cheers mate

[JohnInCleveland]

Have led a peculiar life...

 

Went to school for finance.  Always wanted to be a manager of some kind.  Dad and I bought a plumbing company.  Did well.  Bought another and another.  Have 8.

 

Had the right combination of luck and smarts in a field that often has little of both.  Grateful everyday, though I work 20 more hours a week and drive 1000 more miles than I'd like.

 

Don't know if I could reenter the corporate world.  

 

Then again I'm a 30something who spends his free time on an Australian cigar website, so perhaps im cut from a slightly different cloth.  

 

[JohnInCleveland]

Come to think of it, I typed that while laying in the bathtub smoking a cigar.  I'm definitely a little off.  

[jazzboypro]

I've been an IT consultant as en employee for some 18 years, i went solo and i am now self employed. It will be 2 years at the end of this month. I guess i would go back as an employee if i had to, but for the moment there's no turning back.

[Dmpotocek]

My dad and I started a Harley Davidson rental shop down in Hilton Head. I had just graduated from college, and he had gone into semi retirement, so we were both looking for something to fill the hours. It was a wild, stressful, rewarding couple of years. We had 6 employees, and about 250k worth of motorcycles.
Also we had a decent humidor (NCs) which I could raid with impunity.
It was nice to get to ride different Harley's every day, but that was tempered by the stress of working about 60+ hrs a week, and the fear of some knucklehead getting cut in half by a guardrail while on one of our bikes. Randomly an arsonist threw a Molotov cocktail in the showroom one night and totaled everything.



Our building was out of commission for 7 months, and after crunching the numbers we decided to take the insurance $$ and move on. Fortunately we made money from the insurance, and it came in handy because I couldn't find a permanent job for some time.

My cigar knowledge was pretty limited at the time, I just knew that I enjoyed them and it was nice to be able to have one whenever I wanted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[vintagerodshop]

I am 39 and been self employed for 11 years now. Crazy when i think of it. Used to be a highly trained tech at a General Motors dealership. Left there as i became disenfranchised with how the Service manager ran his department and treated his employees. Started restoring vintage cars from home and turned it into a reasonable little business. i have four employees beside myself.  as i look across the shop tonight i see two Model J Duesenbergs, a 1932 Packard, a 1957 Mercedes 300SL, a 1966 Ferrari 275GTB, a 1965 Shelby Cobra, plus half a dozen other 30's and 50's cars. in various levels of restoration or maintenance work for customers. so far so good.

I admit i am also now unemployable. i have had my own freedoms for too long. I never had a problem before when working for someone else to tell anyone to go pound sand. It has only gotten worse.

 

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, Dmpotocek said:

 Fortunately we made money from the insurance, 

.....no you didn't.....

 

 

[Frozen North]

As of this past Monday, I celebrated my 25th anniversary in the insurance business. My wife and I have our own brokerage firm. We offer: Life, disability, employee benefits and investments. I wouldn't/couldn't trade this career to go back as an employee. I have been working 8:00am-1:00pm for the past 17 years. These hours have allowed me to do what I love best, which is building muscle cars. the ability to go relax in my back yard and smoke a cigar daily is quite a treat, and very therapeutic too. 

[TomF]

17 hours ago, El Presidente said:

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for 

I am a motion picture sound re-recording mixer. I mix and master the final soundtracks for movies and television and I've probably worked on many projects that you are all familiar with. I worked as an employee for a couple of sound mixing facilities from 1971 until 1985 when I began to work independently, started my own company and became self-employed. It was the best decision I ever made and since then have had continued success in my craft.

Quote

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

At the age of 65 I'd have to say that under no circumstances would I ever go back to work as an employee unless it was something like teaching that I could do in retirement. At the moment I am still active and and my career is still ongoing.

Quote

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

Good: No "Boss", tax benefits, I am in control of my own destiny. I have no employees but myself and have been blessed to be able to rely sorely on my own talents and abilities.

Bad: Slow periods of no work, uncertainty about the future, having to do my own bookkeeping. I have had no one to help me but myself and have been forced to rely sorely on my own talents and abilities which creates a fair amount of anxiety at times.

Quote

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

I have been a smoker on and off (mostly off until the past few years) since i was very young. Early on it was cigarettes but I quit those in 1996 and I started with cigars. I then quit smoking altogether until the past couple of years after finding out that Habanos could be obtained easily. I don't think cigars are an important part of my mental makeup, but I do enjoy them, find them relaxing, and they do help with the anxiety when times are tough.

[ElAbogado]

Self employed as a lawyer for about three years (until about a month ago - wife took a new job in a different Colorado so I had to close up shop)

Loved being able to pick my own clients, fire unreasonable clients, pick my work hours, pick my work location if I didn't feel like going into the office. Also, starting a law practice requires much less capital, with lower operating costs than most businesses.

Flexibility of hours and locations allowed me to smoke in the best conditions on any given day.

Made more money than I would have working for another attorney (in my practice area anyway) and was trending towards making more than most lawyers.

Had an older attorney want to bring me in, but by collecting my entire fee I was making more money and working less than I would have had I joined the other firm.

The downs were that it took me about 12 months to become profitable since I started my firm in a new city where I knew no one. Also, when in business for yourself as a lawyer, a fair amount of time is eaten up doing marketing/advertising/client acquisition (at least if you're doing it right), as well as back office tasks that don't directly relate to the practice of law or add to the bottom line.

We've only been in Colorado three weeks, and I'm still waiting to get my license to practice here. Once that happens, I'm not sure I have the energy to start over from scratch again here. It takes a lot of time for the first 12-18 months to really get things off the ground, plus having to learn new law/judges/proceduresin a new jurisdiction on your own without a second pair of eyes can cause some anxiety. So we'll see if I can handle being an employee again haha.

Also, after practicing for several years I don't think being a lawyer is that great. Money is pretty good, but not that good for the amount of crap you have to deal with. It's a largely thankless job, and if you do any kind of litigation it can be difficult to control your own schedule.In the last year of my practice I started adding in some more transactional work related to estate planning and long term care planning that I enjoyed immensely more than the divorce work I built my practice on. So if I try to find a job rather than create one out here, it will likely being doing more estate planning and elder law. 

Cigars definitely helped me though. The practice of law can be hectic and very stressful, taking time out for a cigar is kind of like meditating - gives you some time to slow down and relax.

[kinglingcheng]

 

I'm 24, and was self-employed as sole operator in 2015. Resist ABN ,TFN ,company name etc cost like >$300(can't remember). tried some wiine sales/( wine)event operator/winery consultant/new release wine tasting/food and wine menu design , didn't work

now try to go back as employee , stick with hospitality industry. take more time between finding jobs and studying 

It's extremely hard when u start, cause for me i just don't know how it works, where can i find works , how can i promote myself etc , some  fundamental problems

I was crush in cigar and whisky like a year ago, and it helps me quit smoking cigarettes. I realize cigarettes goona destroy my palate one day for sure , but cigars won't .  I start stop smoking cigarettes(JPS, Bond Street, Rothman) and smoke 1 stick each three days 

[cosmoker]

Solo operator or started a business with employees. 

Helped start and run family owned business. They still own the business (couple of car washes and oil change places) have about 50 employees.

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for. 

Worked in family business for 12yrs. I left 20 yrs ago. Went back into what I enjoy IT.

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

So.. I did go back into corporate life. I enjoy it. Less stress good benefits. No more family fights on how to run things.

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

The good on family business.. When we were not fighting it was fun. The bad everyone had their opinion and wanted to do things there way. Customer was not always right even though they thought so. You never had a day off.

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

I smoke one cigar everyday, at the end of the day. It helps me unwind, I use the time to not think about anything but the cigar.

[Andy04]

I don't mean for any of the following to come across as arrogant or aggressive, but this sums up my experiences.

 

Solo operator or started a business with employees. 

I have started three businesses, all three of which are performing well.  I have partners in each businesses, but I carry the role of Managing Director for each. 

Yes. I do have dictator like characteristics. 

 

I would put in around 60 hours per week and am permanently on call.  This is by choice.  But... I don't consider myself as self employed, rather a business owner. 

The difference being that I have structured all businesses in a manner that if desired, I can easily depart from a management function, replace myself by employing accordingly and move into an non-executive function.

 

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for. 

As mentioned three business:

1) Plantations.  In 2008 we purchased existing oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysia.  Employs 23 full time staff and 4 contract workers.

2) Manpower Supply.  Established in 2010, supplying a mixture of skilled and unskilled manpower primarily to two sectors (government contract work and oil & gas clients).  Employ 28 full time staff and 516 contract workers.

3) Pest Control.  Established in 2015.  Very hard to explain why, but the right people came knocking at the right time.  Employs 7 full time staff.    

 

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

I could easily go back into a management role as long as it was for a company that has clear goals and with a team that is goal driven.  I would need complete autonomy to hire and fire until I had team that is aligned with my goals (which need to be aligned with the businesses goals).

I could never work in a basic type of 9-5 day job function.

 

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

Good:

1) Whatever happens, you learn to accept full responsibility or your actions.

2) You very quickly understand your shortcomings.  Those that do not know their weaknesses will fall victims to themselves.    

3) You are a jack of all trades and master of none, so it is fantastic for those that have a short attention span and always require to new challenge or change of thought.

4) There are many perks and tax incentives.  The bigger you grow, the better they become.     

 

Bad:

1) Cashflow.  You can have a fantastic business on paper, if clients don't pay promptly, you will be out of business very quickly.  Cashflow is the ONLY element that matters for businesses that are in the process of growing.  Expect this to keep you up at night.  

2) When in an executive function, you are committed and attentive to your business 24/7, no exceptions.  Not picking up a phone call or responding to an email etc will send a client/potential client elsewhere.  Try explaining to your wife why you needed to answer that phone call at 0200am or miss a relatives wedding to handle an emergency.  Spouses never seem to understand...      

3) Expectations.  Employees (and in many cases business partners) will rarely give the same level of commitment as you give.  Those that do should be very expensive or demand a cut of all profits.  Alternatively, those that do should be a partner in our next business venture.

 

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

Cigars play one function.  If I need two hours to commit to a piece of work/proposal/review documents, cigars force me to take this time out.  Most other hobbies detract from work commitments.

[cpmurrin]

I've been a lawyer for 20 years.  Went out on my own 8 years ago and its been great.  Now have 3 other lawyers who work for me.  Its very lucrative but its really like any other small business.  I do the human resources, tech support, billing etc.  Fortunate to have a good crew and pay them well and have perks like Warriors tickets to keep them happy.  Worst part is worrying about clients and getting over stressed when facing multiple trials, etc at same time.  I worked for big firms before I went out on my own and I doubt I could go back to it...probably retire before that happened!  I smoke mostly at night in my cave while relaxing

[El Presidente]

On 2/4/2017 at 3:06 AM, ElAbogado said:

 

We've only been in Colorado three weeks, and I'm still waiting to get my license to practice here. Once that happens, I'm not sure I have the energy to start over from scratch again here. It takes a lot of time for the first 12-18 months to really get things off the ground, plus having to learn new law/judges/proceduresin a new jurisdiction on your own without a second pair of eyes can cause some anxiety. So we'll see if I can handle being an employee again haha.

 

Every success to you 

[Blazer]

Solo operator or started a business with employees. 

Worked in corporate America for 27 years and stated a solo business last year.

First let us know what you do and how long you have been doing it for 

Started a Golf training aids company focused on short game improvement, in business about a year.

Would you , have you or could you go back as an employee? Are you now fundamentally unemployable 

This is a conundrum I struggle with daily. I love what I do now, but miss the stability of a weekly paycheck. I am lucky enough to have a wife with a good job and benefits which has made the transition easier. That being said, my wife works in a very unpredictable industry and her job could go away in an instant, which keeps both of us up at night. I would love to think I could assimilate back into a corporate job, but it would be a real struggle to deal with the daily stress.

The good the bad and the ugly of being self employed. Again as a sole operator or as a owner/GM of an enterprise with employees. 

GOOD: 

I get to set my own hours, work in my pajamas and don't have to answer to anyone, but myself, and of course my wife.

The only travel I do is go to the post office to ship out orders.

I probably work the same amount of hours as I did in corporate, but they are now spread out all over the full 7-day/24-hour week. 

I enjoy the ability to come up with creative marketing ideas and implement them immediately without the need for an executive board approval.

I get a lot more done without endless meetings and creation of CYA documents.

Working at home I'm able to take breaks thoughout the day to handle small house projects, wait for repair people and play with the dog.

There is a great sense of satisfaction when a marketing campaign I created from scratch leads to sales.

BAD:  

I don't have a corporate marketing budget with which to make mistakes, now its my money and have learned some tough lessons along the way.

My word is my bond to my customers, but being at the mercy of manufacturers with different definitions of customer service can make that difficult. 

I don't have a market research, analytics, IT, accounting or Ecommerce department I can go to for help.

While I am an introvert by nature, I actually do miss the camaraderie of working as part of a team.

My wife thinks her job is more demanding than mine and that sometimes leads to animosity toward me because I get to stay home all day. 

Since I don't travel any longer I don't earn any frequent flyer & hotel points.

Finally.....do you find a cigar an important part of your mental makeup? Do they play a role?

Definitely! Being able to sit outside with a cigar allows me to relax and think about the business from a totally different perspective. I get a lot of great marketing ideas while I'm enjoying a smoke.

[thecapo]

I have been self employed for 18 yrs now and I'm 44!  I own a few tax/accounting practices and a financial adviser firm as well.

i purchase other businesses, grow them and sell them.  Being a business advisor to many start ups is a great thing for me as I get to watch the grow of new entrepreneurs.

I work 10-15 per week @ 8 months and 60 + hour per week 3.5 months out of the year. 

I have 2 young kids and would not change my lifestyle for anything  I get to attend every game/practice my children have  I play golf 3-4 per week and love life.  Cigars DO play an important role as a golfer, we smoke on the course and get to share with others that don't or have not smoked a CC!  

In any business/life and relationships, they all have their ups and downs but if you are diligent you can overcome the negative and turn it into positives.

 

[UpInSmoak]

I was self employed for 7 years as an independant distributor for medical equipment. It was an enjoyable experience and I learned a lot but can't say I miss those years.   Self paid health insurance for a family of four, no benefits, no retirement plan, and a heap of taxes paid federally and to cash hungry California.  Doing my job during the day and then tending to the books at night was never my thing.   

I was recruited by a competitor, a publically traded medical device company, and took on a new role with them.  I've been with them for 2 years and it was the best work decision I've ever made.  A large company with plenty of inefficiencies, but the best employee benefits I've ever had.  When thinking about it, this is the first job that I like and love doing!  

Cigars have played equal roles in both jobs.  I love to light one up at the end of the day and relax.  The exception being is that I travel more frequently with my latest job, so smoking has decreased when away from home.  But when I am home, I'm working out of the home office which accounts to a late afternoon cigar more often than not!