what have you had to give up for your business?

[huggytree]

Friends of ours are going on vacatation(again) for a week....got me to thinking how id like to be able to do that....take 4+ vacations a year....i take 1 large and 1 (3) day vacation a year ....and its always stressful and problematic....my customers ALWAYS need me whatever week i take off

my friends are going to Colorado and going skiing.....thats a hobby id love to do with the family.....problem----if i get injured i could be screwed....i cant do plumbing w/ a broken leg or arm....

i started to think what freedom i have given up to own my business.....ive gained MUCH more than i have lost.......but ive still lost some freedoms

what about you?

[Freelancier]

I have a brother-in-law who has been out skiing at least once a year for the past 20 years. He's an orthopedic surgeon. You think he'll be able to work if he gets hurt? Nope. But he does it anyway. Why? Because life's too short to sit on the sidelines.

I've had my own business for the past 22 years. got disability insurance years ago, so I don't worry about it. We have vacations scheduled for April, May, July, and December (skiing in Park City!) already this year. Life's too short to sit on the sidelines.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'm starting my 4th year and for the first 3 I pretty much gave up the social life that I used to have.

[KristineS]

I don't own the business, but because of my role as the public voice for the business, and as the name that most people associate with the business, I have given up some of my freedom to say what I think. It's lovely to think that people can distinguish between me in my business role and me in my personal life, but that isn't always the case. I chose to do this sort of work, so I can't really complain, but I have to say that is one of the reasons that going out on my own is attractive at times. Being able to say what I want and having it impact only me would be very freeing.

[huggytree]

[QUOTE=Freelancier;74842]I have a brother-in-law who has been out skiing at least once a year for the past 20 years. He's an orthopedic surgeon. You think he'll be able to work if he gets hurt? Nope. But he does it anyway. Why? Because life's too short to sit on the sidelines.

I've had my own business for the past 22 years. got disability insurance years ago, so I don't worry about it. We have vacations scheduled for April, May, July, and December (skiing in Park City!) already this year. Life's too short to sit on the sidelines.[/QUOTE

i trap shoot with a hand surgeon....he thinks about protecting his hands at all times.......i dont think he will even ride a bicycle

he has a huge house with a huge mortgage....he doesnt want to risk it

i have insurance if i get injured......and i guess i could hire someone.....so id survive a broken leg..

[GarryPonus]

I guess the question I ask is more to do with what my future will look like if I DON'T do this business. I'm more than happy to forgo some pleasures in the short term to achieve the goal of not having to work in my day job (which is in addition to my business). To me, life is more about experiences rather than stuff.

[billbenson]

If you are a one man show and can't not be there, you pretty much can't take a more than a day or two of vacation. That is part of why I recently took on a partner. He can run the business if I'm gone for two weeks.

[broudie]

I've structured my business so it can be run from a laptop, a tablet, or a phone with the corresponding decreasing levels of capacity. All other day-to-day is contracted out.

[Steve B]

Freelancier - where did you find disability insurance? That's a big thing that I haven't been able to find that is even close to reasonably priced. The only one I could find even the salesman told me not to buy it. I would love to find long and short term disability insurance like what I had in the corporate world.

Other than disability insurance, the things that are most notable that I've given up are long and useless meetings pretending to be interested in the latest initiative that you know is going to be forgotten about in the next few months only to be replaced with the next new initiative that I'll have to pretend to be interested in.

[Wozcreative]

I give up my nights and weekends most times. However I try to schedule some fun stuff when I can.