It has become usual to wake up to claims that 9-to-5 jobs are your cage and you shall be set free by reading such or such book or taking such or such course. Or taking matters in your own hands by any other means, and sticking it to the man by running your own business while, oh, living such a great life. Let me tell you something; that discourse is a bit of a stretch (big fat lie).
I am not against the company-of-one concept at all. As a matter of fact, I believe current markets will evolve, slowly by surely, towards highly coordinated networks of specialist freelancers. In other words, in a few decades everyone will be either a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or both. The employee culture will die out, and this is equally good and bad, depending on which side of the bridge you are on when it definitely snaps. So yes, entrepreneurship education is a must for the young generations.
However, as we are now, right now, as a society, I do not think we are ready to take on any given business venture solo, just like that. It is not that easy.
First, let’s define freelancing and entrepreneurship as per my understanding.
Freelancer: an expert in a field who renders a specific kind of service to different client profiles (businesses).
Entrepreneur: an expert who launches a business idea, or wraps their expertise around a business body, then offers their products or services to different client profiles (either businesses or consumers).
Based on the above, one would conclude that neither all entrepreneurs are freelancers, nor are all freelancers entrepreneurs. What they do have in common though, is that they both rely on an individual’s self-management skills to advance in their career. And this is where freelancing stops being for everybody.
One is seldom at their best when we they are in charge of everything: the timing, the admin work, the managing roles, the supervision of their own activities day in, day out – especially when one has a solid record as an employee.
Then, there are the ever-present needs: fighting procrastination, motivating oneself, excelling continuously while remaining truly engaged to the task at hand, and never failing to launch no matter the circumstances. Some feel alive in such a scenario, while others succumb to anxiety.
So a perfect world may very well need to make room for both alternatives; those who want the freedom, and those who want the paycheck.
Which kind are you?
