What is success?

[archie42]

What is success?
This is a very important question.

When I was running my own IT business in the mid 90s success was having a BMW, a nice office away from home and having a few staff.

Today my aims have changed.

My wife now has a good income as a registered nurse (earning more than me) and I am looking at having a more life balance situation....

Thinking about getting back into the "Self Employed" situation again..... (as I think I am getting too old to be taking orders and putting up with corporate bullshit)

Success to me now is - having time to do the things I want.
I need to be able to pick up my kids from school, complete a bachelors degree part time and also fit in some paid computer repairs.

I think earning $20,000 - $30,000 part time whilst having the flexibility to do the above it success. Obviously I am prepared to work when there is work....

This forum has been excellent for me. I have overcome my fear of the $10- pizza tech. I am going to charge $40- an hour. This is based on my experience and knowledge.

I do not EVER want employees! I only ever want to run my business from my home office.

What is success to you?

[BostonGeek1]

I would say paying all your bills while working only 10 hours a week is success.............

[joydivision]

Not sure realy. Been running my business five years and have managed to pay my low bills (live at with the parents).

However I do go out clubbing each weekend and my business has given me some wonderful holidays and a brand new car. I wouldn't say it was a sucess though because I could do that by working in McDonalds full time. However I work a lot more flexible hours than all my 'employed' mates and I never feel like going to work.

Income wise my business has not been a sucess but certainly life style wise it has.

I really need to focus on now on getting new clients and try to push the £20k barrier this year (2011-2012) but that is another issue.

[Appleby]

Success for me is running a profitable business making over $40,000+ a year with no employees and not working more than 30 hours a week in the office or with customers. I actually one "work" about 25-28 hours a week on average BUT that doesn't count all the time I spend at home doing invoicing, ordering parts, researching new technology etc. I spend another 4-8 hours a week doing that and yes it is work but at least I can be at home and do it whenever I want.

To be honest, my business is a success by those standards and I'm not griping but my goal is to work the same hours and make $60,000+ with NO employees. The only way this can be achieved is by charging a little more, billing more accurately for my time, getting a few more business customers and not giving so much away. The last one is the biggest thing for me. I am waay too nice of a guy and give away too much work for free or at way to cheap of a price to friends, good customers or even strangers alot of the time.

But honestly, even if I'm able to meet my 2nd goal, that doesn't mean I want to do this forever. I really want to do something else at some point and make twice that much money, yet still being self-employed and not working 80 hours a week. A big ambitious? Maybe, but this is America.

[14049752]

For me, success is making a living off of my business and making it sustainable. I'd never settle for only working enough to just pay bills; I want to save for retirement and purchases and have money for play time. Basically, I want to make equal to or more than I would make working for someone else.

Knock on wood, I've been successful for a while now.

[joydivision]

I just life basis on the fact I will be dead by 40. If I am not I will worry about it at the time

[BostonGeek1]

Originally Posted by joydivision

I just life basis on the fact I will be dead by 40. If I am not I will worry about it at the time

That's a little depressing considering 10% of the population here in the states makes 100k+ a year. Doesn't anyone have goals to be in the top 10, 5 or 1%?

[Ccomp5950]

to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

Also doing what you enjoy and making a living out of doing so isn't bad either.

I don't have to drive a BMW and be mentioned in forbes, don't get me wrong I wouldn't turn it down. But I would always be happy paying my bills, setting a bit back, and living comfortably within my means.

[joydivision]

Originally Posted by BostonGeek1

That's a little depressing considering 10% of the population here in the states makes 100k+ a year. Doesn't anyone have goals to be in the top 10, 5 or 1%?

Average life expency in Manchester is about 70 but I live in a posher part which is probably about 80. I do eat like a Yankee though (pizzas, cola etc) and I drink a lot at weekends.

I am just prone to heart attacks because of my charector. I worry all the time.

[K007]

Originally Posted by joydivision

.... (pizzas, cola etc) and I drink a lot at weekends.

Forget about 80, you'll be dead in a bank holiday weekend before returning to work the next Tuesday and that is of course unless the Torries will not raise the pension age to 80