You hear a lot of conversation about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. But not so much about the related, less glamorous term ‘self-employed’. Yet 15% (and rising) of the UK workforce are self-employed.
Many people who work for an employer dream of being their own boss. Some turn that dream into reality. But for reasons they may not have foreseen, that reality doesn’t suit everyone.
And sometimes, the reality hits too late!
If you’re thinking about being self-employed, you’ll have become excited by all the pros – the freedom, the opportunity to increase your income, better work-life balance, doing what you really want to do, and so on.
The reasons are very persuasive and powerful.
Of course, you’ll need to have the relevant business skills – but then you probably wouldn’t consider going down this road if you weren’t confident in those! And as well as your specialist area, you’ll have to be reasonably adept in all aspects of business, including IT, financial management, marketing and sales.
Also, you’ll no doubt consider the cons, such as financial uncertainty, personal insecurity, legal issues, and so on. But you can get lots of advice and support about these to help you reach a decision.
Having weighed all this up, you may feel ready to take the plunge.
Stop!
Don’t forget the other set of skills you need. These are less often discussed and far harder to get advice about.
Yet, they are absolutely crucial.
Soft skills determine your level of success & wellbeing
As an employee, you may never have been called upon to use your soft skills extensively. They might not be developed to the tip-top level that you need when you’re running a business – for the sake of business success and your sanity!
No matter how brilliant your idea, how honed your technical abilities, or how much planning you’ve done, it’s soft skills such as communication, leadership, resilience, time management, creativity, and self-motivation that will make or break you.
Thinking about being self-employed?
Give your soft skills a lot of attention first.
Would you like to build up your entrepreneurial soft skills? Get in touch and find out how we can support you!