Being Your Own Boss – The Best Way to Get Started

The thought of being your own boss is something most imagine at some point in their career. For many, the idea seems unattainable. In reality, owning your own business can be achieved by anyone. There’s no trick to it, but there are certain ways you can set your career up to lead you down a path towards being your own boss naturally.

One of the best places to start is by entering a career field with more opportunities to work for yourself. Skilled trades are one of, if not the best avenue for success when it comes to entrepreneurship.

Read on to learn why starting in a skilled trade can help lead you to your goals of running a successful business.

You Learn Easily Marketable Skills

Running your own business can be difficult if the benefits of your work aren’t easily communicated. Pitching white-collar services often include pages upon pages of information from studies to proofs of work. Not only are they competing with other businesses, they are fighting to get the client to understand their services.

Skilled trades, on the other hand, are easier to sell. If someone’s home has a leak, if their heat isn’t working during the winter chill or if their house is taking on groundwater, they need your services. And when you fix them, they see the immediate benefits.

While you will have competitors, if you do good work your services speak for themselves. This lets you ignore one of the biggest hurdles of being your own boss – determining the need for your skills. 

You Gain a Reputation in Your Community

Another core benefit of skilled trades is that they’re naturally social. No matter what your trade, you’re often traveling through neighborhoods or business complexes and performing work for people who will recommend you to their friends.

Everyone likes to know a responsible, reliable tradesperson. Whether it’s their go-to roofer or mechanic, every job you do is likely to bring you additional business.

This is true even when you’re new to the field. If you start as an apprentice or working with a company, your work is still your own. If you can surprise customers with better service, faster service and friendlier service, your name will be synonymous with quality. When it comes time to starting your own business, you’ll have that reputation to stand on.

You’re Always in Need

Entire career fields built around new technology and white-collar sectors sometimes rise and fall in just a few years. They’re unstable and often leave thousands unemployed after years of dedication to a study or skill.

However, no matter how much the world changes some things always stay the same. Most skilled trades have stood the test of time over centuries. Even as technology improves, the basics for electricians, plumbers, or other blue-collar careers stay consistent.

The true test of being your own boss is longevity. Anyone can start a business – but can you start a business that lasts for a year? Five years? A decade? In the trades, your opportunities are only limited by your work ethic and networking skills. 

You Can Start Small and Scale Up

Skilled tradespeople start businesses all on their own every day. After years of putting in the time and effort to develop the skills necessary to handle any job thrown your way, you can venture on your own with little more than a truck, tools and the discipline to face the challenges ahead. Compared to the significant investment required to start businesses in fields that require a four-year degree, it’s easy!

Over time, you can take on apprentices or other experienced workers to expand your services and generate more revenue. This often grows exponentially as your business gains reputation and word-of-mouth support from your expanding list of clients. 

Anyone Can Do It

The toughest hurdle to overcome with the idea of being your own boss is the mindset. It takes focus, discipline and the willingness to risk failure before you can achieve success – but all of these traits can be developed no matter who you are.

The skilled trades are for everyone – men and women alike! If you can master your preferred trade, work hard, and build an honest reputation, you can work towards the goal of being your own boss and building your own business.

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Ken Rusk is a blue-collar entrepreneur who has started several successful endeavors and mentored hundreds of young people in their pursuit of a satisfying career and fulfilling life. Discover how Ken’s approach to life and work can help you set and achieve your goals – all while avoiding the nearly inescapable trap of college debt. Get a copy the Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Blue Collar Cash today!