Freedom From Self-Employment Traps: A Blueprint for Small Business Owners

By Marissa Carlos

If you are thinking of starting your own business, or if you are a newly self-employed small business owner who finds running your business isn't giving you the freedom and results you hoped it would, this book is for you.

In this book, you will discover:
- the five biggest traps small business owners face;
- the Three Pillars of highly successful entrepreneurs;
- the basics of navigating the difficult path to small business success;
- how to be true to who you are while being an entrepreneur;
- how to live a fulfilling life through your business.

Get your copy of Freedom From Self-Employment Traps now and start working toward the lifestyle you want.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marissa Carlos
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476015064

Marissa Carlos

Marissa Carlos is a writer and a specialist Entrepreneurial Performance Coach for business owners in the professional services industry who started her company, Maximum Coaching Company Pty Ltd, in 2007. Marissa’s experience with working with professional services entrepreneurs started from humble beginnings when she first worked with a major international insurance broking company in Sydney, Australia as an administration support in their Professional Indemnity (PI) division. From that role, she became a specialist in the Professional Indemnity area. She worked for over 15 years with various international broking and insurance companies in progressive roles which included being a specialist PI insurance broker, PI underwriter, and PI Manager. Marissa also has over 3 years experience as a practice manager of a small business CPA accounting practice. This experience has proved invaluable in expanding her understanding of the daily challenges facing professionals who run their own business. It has also contributed greatly in the tailoring of Maximum Coaching services that are focused on the development of the entrepreneur to maximize their individual potential, performance and productivity to bring about the success for which they work so hard.

Book preview

Freedom From Self-Employment Traps

A Blueprint for Small Business Owners

by Marissa Carlos

Copyright 2011 Marissa Carlos/Maximum Coaching Company Pty Ltd

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Disclaimer:

The content of this ebook is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Marissa Carlos and Maximum Coaching Company Pty Ltd disclaim liability to all persons or organizations in relation to any action(s) taken on the basis of currency or accuracy of the information or material contained in this ebook, or any loss or damage suffered in connection with that information or material. You should make your own enquiries before entering into any transaction on the basis of the information or material in this ebook.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Dream: Business = Freedom

Chapter 2: The Five Biggest Traps Small Business Owners Face

Chapter 3: My Journey

Chapter 4: The 3 Pillars of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

Chapter 5: Know (And Love) Yourself

Chapter 6: Embracing Your Partner and Your Partnership

Chapter 7: Doing What You Love, Loving What You Do In Business

Chapter 8: Financial Intelligence

Chapter 9: Maximizing Time – Your Ultimate Resource

Chapter 10: Marketing – Nothing Happens Without It

Chapter 11: Workplace On Autopilot

Chapter 12: Building The Right Work Team

Chapter 13: Who You Know Is Important

Chapter 14: Achieving Work-Life Balance

Chapter 15: Your Guides From The Side

Chapter 16: Beware Of Information Overwhelm

Chapter 1: The Dream: Business = Freedom

Freedom - the most common reason why people decide to take the plunge and run their own business.

Whether it’s financial freedom, lifestyle freedom, freedom from their boss, freedom to create or be creative, time flexibility – the motivation and desire is fuelled by the thought and promise of freedom.

They want to escape the constraints, the boredom or the struggles of being employed by someone else and want to take control of their future.

They believe they can be successful in business as they possess knowledge, talent and expertise in a particular area.

They believe they can make more money being in their own business than working for someone else as they are often better than the people they work for.

However, it doesn’t take long before their business takes over their whole lives and they find themselves working harder than they ever did before.

Their dream of financial freedom has turned into the huge stress brought about by cash flow and financing problems.

As for the lifestyle they hoped to live? Well, it’s still an unfulfilled hope because they are working longer hours, even on the weekends, to satisfy their customers and fulfill their financial needs.

They no longer have an employer who bosses them around; they just have customers who put a lot of pressure on them. And when times get tough, the buck stops with them and they don’t have a higher authority or the right team to help them put out fires or help ease the burden.

They have very good quality services and products, but find it hard to sell them.

They thought they’d have the flexibility to pick up the kids from school, but opportunities can come at any time, even when it’s school finishing time, and they wouldn’t want to miss out on this possible source of revenue.

Why is this so? When business is supposed to be the ticket to freedom, why has it seemed to become their worst enemy?

Chapter 2: The Five Biggest Traps Small Business Owners Face

Trap # 1: Time

The biggest trap of them all!

Do you find yourself in a catch-22 position wherein to grow your business you need to do more networking and marketing, but then you don’t have time to do more networking and marketing?

Or do you find that you are growing your business but there seems to be such a low ceiling on that growth because you can only do so much extra work. You’re already drowning with work as it is that you can’t even find time to have a day off – even on the weekends - with your life partner.

Most business owners with time problems end up either getting behind with deadlines, or have sub-standard work go out because of lack of time. Either way, they don’t meet their customers’ expectations who eventually look for better value and service elsewhere. Then they again have to do more networking and marketing which they don’t have time and money for.

Some people go into business hoping for freedom from their boss, only to find out they now have to do everything themselves, or can’t find the right people to help them.