Perks of Being Self Employed: Learning
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People become self employed for a variety of reasons, but it's usually based in practical considerations. The three big ones are: I can earn more money, I can work less hours so that I can spend more time on home life, and I can operate independently to deliver a higher quality product. These three things are key to the success of your business so they are rightly the focus. However there are more ramifications to becoming self employed than just these key reasons. There are countless secondary and tertiary perks of being self employed and these are good to be aware of as well.
I think it can be helpful to consider these secondary perks for two reasons: (1) if you're not yet self employed, you can get a better sense of all that's involved with being self employed; (2) if you are self employed, you can help yourself weather the difficult parts of self employment by remembering the perks. So don't over look these less vital perks of being self employed!
Today's Perk: Learning!
Today I want to focus on one perk: learning. One unanticipated benefit that I love about being self employed is that you can follow your curiosity when it comes to your work. All books you read and courses you take are things that enrich your knowledge and thereby improve your offerings to your clients. Personally, I love to learn so this is a huge perk.
In the world of self employment your business benefits when you gain and improve skills. It's focused on the deliverable outcome, not something like a degree. So, while in the employed world you might need to earn a degree or certificate before you'll see a pay raise; in the world of self employment you can see new skills positively impact your business through much smaller increments than a whole degree. Even a webinar or a weekend training can result in new knowledge that will benefit your clients.
Learning when you're self employed has a greater element of choice when it comes to what you learn about. In the employed world you might find that you need to learn something because your manager or the company want certain things out of you, and you need to grow your skills in that direction in order to deliver. While client needs and wants can direct what a self employed person learns about, it doesn't have to. You can have a curiosity about anything and just go for it. Then by marketing that new skill you'll attract clients who need that skill.
Last but not least, all your educational pursuits are tax deductible! (Not that this should, in any way, be construed as tax advice.) While an employer may or may not cover the cost of your trainings, as a self employed business owner, all your training are a business expense. (And again, I am not a tax professional, so please consult a tax professional for any questions you have regarding your tax filings.)
Let me know what you're excited to be learning right now! Leave me a comment below! (or, if you're not self employed yet, let me know what you'd want to learn about first if you were self employed.)
