What’s Better Employment OR Entrepreneurship?

After Sports & World Politics the next BIG question that’s being pondered over and asked around is which of the two is better: having a job OR being an entrepreneur? And I have had countless encounters with individuals who ask me about what it’s like to quit their ‘well’ paying job and pursue entrepreneurship. So, here I’m finally addressing the elephant in the room. Read on to find out my thoughts…

The question that’s more important than a job or entrepreneurship is to ask the context that we are talking about? Is it in terms of opportunities, money, risk, lucrative or something else? Let’s take employment for starters. Today, the personal development industry has racked in the big moolahs just by creating fear in our minds about getting a job. Why has ‘job’ become a bad word, a sin? Is expressing Job-O-Phobia the next cool thing? Well, it shouldn’t be, ladies and gentlemen!

We’re each made differently and some of us want to embrace employment, enjoy the stability of income, take planned holidays. And that doesn’t mean that these people don’t have a sense of self or aspiration. For instance, I love being an entrepreneur and living life on the edge through my business ventures. However, I would have never been able to make my vision come true if I hadn’t built a team, my #DreamTeam who walks and works tirelessly with me on our Dream. And I have nothing but gratitude, compassion and love for them.

So, make two quick mental notes here -

• If you have a job, don’t belittle it based on what anyone is telling YOU!
• If you are an entrepreneur, don’t belittle anyone with a job!

And now, let’s talk about entrepreneurship. The unwavering need to make a difference, sheer determination and passion paves the way for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs can distort reality and will change the course of the wave if it doesn’t match their goals. In case of ‘fight or flight’, an entrepreneur has no option but to fight it out. I’ve said this often and I’ll say it again, I love being an entrepreneur, I am in the business of helping entrepreneurs scale their business. My life is dedicated to growing entrepreneurship but I know being one is not easy. It is a rollercoaster ride and one that doesn’t usually come with a warning. You have to adapt and then adapt some more.

But the million dollar question is: WHY? Why do you want to become an entrepreneur? Oh, I get a lot of responses varying from ‘it’s cool’ to ‘I want to be my own boss’. And if that’s your true reason to become an entrepreneur, it’s NOT cool. You have to truly understand and identify a problem and need that people are willing to spend on and you need to be good at fulfilling your customer’s needs by building a scalable and profitable business.

Now, take this understanding and deep dive into HOW exactly is your product or service going to solve that.

Start a business to make a Difference and add massive value to people.

Start a business by turning your Passion into Profit so you love what you do.

Start a business which is scalable to create Impact, Wealth & Opportunities.

If these are NOT your reasons to start a business, well, you’re going to find it VERY hard to sustain your entrepreneurial journey. There’s always time to rethink and rejig your current ways of operating if it’s not taking you closer to your goal.

And if you are an entrepreneur, always keep yourself in check with the goal you have set for YOURSELF. This will tell you if you’re doing anything that’s deviating you from YOUR goal.

Entrepreneurs, it’s time for you to make those quick mental notes -

• Pick the right reasons to start YOUR business
• Check if you are stuck in self-employment or are you truly building something scalable or not

So, what is it? Job or entrepreneurship? The truth is we’re better aligned, better motivated and better together. We need great employees as well as great entrepreneurs. So, the sooner we realise that, the sooner we can make progress!

Remember, being in a job is not a sin. It is not a rat race. It is not being a 2nd class citizen. If your job pays you well, gives you the opportunity to do what you love, gives you the time to balance your life and gives you an environment of learning, growth and is an environment where people are respectful, then there is no harm.

Clarity is the key... If you want a monthly income and stability, then a job is a great vehicle. If you want to pursue wealth creation, then business is the right vehicle provided you build something scalable and you have the patience, skills and holding capacity till it reaches that stage. The unfortunate reality is most people start a business, thinking they will make quick money and more money than a job, only to realise that they don't have the skills, idea or strategy to build something scalable and profitable.

What’s your choice? Tell me in the comments below.

Signing Off Until Next Time,

Rajiv