From Homeless Shelter to Business Owner
July 2nd, 2010 Filed under: Small Home Based Business — Small Home Business Author
I guess the title of this article might be a bit misleading. I never actually lived in a homeless shelter and I was never homeless. On the other hand I did spend almost a decade working in a homeless shelter. It was a pretty humbling experience to be honest. It was also one of the most stressful jobs I have ever had.
The workspace was very volatile. Trouble could break out at any second. There were violent and loud confrontations on a regular basis. I also dealt with people in all states of intoxication. You also had to get used to seeing people fight their way back into normal society, only to return to the shelter weeks later.
To top all of this off, I also got a glimpse at how these shelter were run. It was horrifying. Social work at the top of the food chain is a mess from my point of view. The management were wasteful, unhelpful and just had no grip on the day to day realities of working in a homeless shelter. I couldn’t believe that the people in control of my job, and in ultimate control of hundreds of homeless people were horrible at their jobs!
I brought this up with some of my friends who were in more corporate settings and they laughed at me. They had seen everything I had complained about, only at a corporate level. That is the exact moment it dawned on me. No matter WHO I work for, I take the chance that they might be an idiot. That is harsh but it is true. There are some great bosses and managers out there, but what if you get stuck working at the “moron factory” like I did? How could I be sure to avoid this?
There was only one choice – go into business for myself. That is the only way to be 100% sure you are not stuck being the subordinate of someone you can’t rely on.
It has been 3 years now and I don’t regret my decision at all. I am not perfect, I made mistakes just like my old management did. Here is the difference though – I learned from those mistakes, I instantly readjusted, retooled and came back strong than ever. How many of you currently working under some sort of management can say the same?
Leaving the security of a job can be a tough decision. There were days that I honestly thought about going back to social work. There were days I was wondering where my next cheque would come from. Taking the leap and starting your own business is a challenge. But everyday you can wake up ready to face that challenge. You also know that any success you have benefits you the most – not some suit. Most refreshing though, you know that you lot your course and have ultimate control. I for one wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Ted Payne left a soul crushing job 2 years ago to try and make his fortune true entrepreneurial means. A lot of lessons were learned along the way and 2 years later, he has finally begun to realize his dreams. He wants to share how.
For more info on Ted check out his blog: Ted Payne
His business venture: WordPress Coaching
