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Wow [img]/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]...after 7 1/2 years as a stay-at home dad and self employeed consultant, I've gone and jumped back in to the real world. I start next week...part time at first, but sliding into full time.
What a concept...I guess I can't work in slippers and shorts anymore [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
I can't wait to see what its like to have a steady income again !
I gotta feeling your gonner miss all those extra coffee breaks. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I sometimes wake up with a real job again too. Then I realize it was just another nightmare. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
....yeah, miss the extra coffe breaks and start counting the months till retirement. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
It's that steady income thing ....I know I've gotten used to that.
Congrats and good luck with your new job. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
<font color="blue"> ( after 7 1/2 years as a stay-at home dad ) </font>
Boy, life for you is going to get alot easier. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
AMEN. I was retired on disability once, it was nice to get a job and have some time to enjoy. Those honey do jobs were making my day bad.
Well, congratulations or condolences, take your pick. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I've only been on my own for five years, but during that time a client talked me into taking a full-time job with them; couldn't live without me, it would be a management job, the ceiling would cave in and money would rain from the sky, etc.
Big mistake! Once I was captive, I got way less respect than as a consultant, and the money never materialized - there was always some excuse, and it was always going to happen "next performance review", even though I got top ratings. I gave them two cycles (too long in retrospect) and I quit and went back on my own. The funny thing is, when I quit they were quite anxious to get as much of my consulting time as possible - at a substantial increase in my hourly rate. So now, they pay me as much as they were as an employee, but I only work for them part-time, and I work from home, with no people to manage and no meetings to go to and no office politics.
Life is Good! I don't know what it would take to get me to go back to work for someone as an employee; I suppose I could be bought for some outrageous sum (in writing this time) but I can't imagine that it will ever happen again. Maybe self-employment requires a certain personality defect to be happy or something.
Best of luck in your new job though - I hope it works out well for you.
From what I've seen and heard, the biggest problem most folks around here have with being self-employed is health care insurance.
Health insurance hasn't been an issue...my wife works at a hospital and has a super benefits package. She only works 20 hours a week and gets full bennies... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Her health insurance is paid at 90 % !
The self-employment / consulting business has been great ! Unfortunately, a lot of my client base has been Municipal and Public School work, both of which have been tighter than anything around here in the past 2 years. There doesn't seem to be any brighter future right now.
I'm ready for a change....after a while, you need to get back into the mess to catch up on the latest and greatest. I really miss sitting down with the mechanics, pipefitters, and sheetmetal guys and getting the 'instant feedback' on what is good and bad. Nothing like the education you get from a dozen donuts, some coffee and a good listening session with the actual 'doers'.
It is expensive, but there are a couple of things you can do that help tremendously - #1: incorporate, and pay for it with tax-free dollars. #2: it really pays to shop around, and to get an independent insurance agent who specializes in self-employed clients.