Three Benefits of Being Your Own Boss (and One Downside)
Some people have always dreamed of starting their own small business, but for others the idea can be overwhelming and even scary. When you have to put food on the table and make sure the bills get paid, the idea of a paycheck coming in regularly certainly has its appeal, and for some people it may even truly be the best option. But when you take the steps to cultivate a business that is in high demand, profitable, and fits your values, being your own boss is not only a good option, it can be the better and more reliable one.
Every day, graduates of Center for Pediatric Sleep Management’s sleep consultant certification course are outpacing their prior income or adding to their family’s resources by putting into place the tools learned from our courses. Below are just some of the reasons they tell us becoming self-employed sleep consultants changed their lives for the better!
1. You Make the Rules
Not having to report to anyone else can be beneficial in the most literal sense- there is no one you have to tell where and when you will start working. If you decide to become a certified sleep consultant and want to work 5 hours a week and only take on one client at a time, you can do that. You can spend the rest of your time with your family or focus on other passions. Alternatively, if you want to work a full 40-hour week, but only when the sun is down and everyone else is in bed, you can do that too. Sleep consulting is truly a field where you can make the work fit around your existing busy schedule.
The same applies for where you work and how you work. Rather than being forced to go into the office and wear a stiff suit every day, as a certified sleep consultant you can work from your car outside a soccer game, in your pajamas on your couch, or from the beach in a bathing suit. The environment is up to you and no one else! Because most of our clients have young children themselves, they tend to be very understanding that this work happens around our busy lives as parents
2. Your Values Drive the Work
Most of us have probably done something we don’t agree with just to keep a job, or make a boss happy. When we aren’t in control of a business, we can end up not even controlling our own actions or how we do the work. When you start your own business, you’re able to pick something you believe in and let that drive you from there.
As a sleep consultant, that means you won’t ever have to take a client who you feel is a bad fit, or recommend a practice you don’t believe in. Those decisions will be up to you and you will never again have to decide between your moral compass and a paycheck.
3. You Can Always Be Promoted
Sure, you’re already CEO of your own company, but the sky is the limit with where that can go. You may end up the only employee of your own business for your entire career, or you may end up a shareholder of a million-dollar company. When a business is successful, the employees rarely benefit from it- the bosses do. Being your own boss means that as you aim for higher goals and expansion, you are also giving yourself limitless room to grow. Many Center for Pediatric Sleep Management graduates are earning more money than they ever did in their 9 to 5s after only a year or two of getting certified to work as sleep consultants!
And the one thing that can be the downside? You get out of it what you put into it. For most, this is a positive- you have direct control over the outcome. Your failures are opportunities to learn and do better next time, while your successes are something to be even more proud of yourself for accomplishing. Being your own boss isn’t easy – it means hard work, investment, and believing in yourself – but when you do those things, it’s always worth it. There is no greater reward than witnessing yourself grow more successful. With professional growth comes personal growth too. Taking a chance on yourself, and deciding that you are capable of earning a high income as a certified sleep consultant is the first step on a journey that gets better and better each day.
If you are considering starting a business as a pediatric sleep consultant, you can join our Facebook group of people on the same path to share tips and encouragement!
