Some of the perks of owning a small business? More freedom, better sleep and…more sex.
In January, Inc.com Selena Cuffe wrote that though her evidence was purely anecdotal, she believed that entrepreneurship was highly correlated with a better sex life. Turns out the evidence isn\’t just anecdotal. PlanetSoho, which sells online management tools to small businesses and home business owners (5 employees or fewer), surveyed their users and discovered that while no one disputes the hard work that goes into running a business, life does seem to be better behind the wheel of your own company than working for someone else. Some of the benefits respondents reported:
- 61 percent love creating their own schedule
- 56 percent enjoy being their own boss
- 46 percent say the main reason they have a small/home business is to do what they love
- 46 percent report having more time to spend with friends and family
- 41 percent like not commuting to work
- 37 percent are sleeping better
- 14 percent report having more sex
A better sex life is not a reason to go into business yourself, but the other reasons may well push you into it. And while the results are not scientific and cannot be generalized to every small business out there, they do give small business owners (or people who are thinking about taking the leap into ownership) something to think about.
As the owner, you get to do all these things, but as your business grows and you need employees, you should think about if they will be happy with those same perks. When 61 percent of small and home business owners report that they love creating their own schedule, it should make managers take notice. That\’s a huge perk for your employees as well.
If you hire the right people, who will work hard and accomplish what is needed, you no longer need to set rigid schedules. And think about the 41 percent who consider not commuting a bonus. You choose the location for your office, your employees do not. Consider allowing your employee who lives farther away to work from home–if it works for your business. Not all businesses function well on that type of schedule.
We all know that despite the benefits, business ownership is not a bed of roses. The National Association for the Self Employed surveyed its members about the problems they face as small business owners. Some of those? Worrying about health insurance for themselves and their employees, the struggling economy and providing a college education for their children. Those are pretty big problems to deal with.
Has working for yourself made your life easier? Or has the added responsibility of knowing that you, alone, are responsible for hitting revenue targets made your life more complicated and stressful?
Source: Inc.