Do you love your business?

[MrFishGuy]

As someone who set up every aspect of my business myself, I've put in lots of time and effort to create something I'm proud of.

I love my business as more than just a means of income. It's kind of like a child that I'm taking care of and helping grow.

Does anyone else feel that way, or have I spent too much time on my business and need to get a life?

[buckworks]

You enjoy what you do, it generates income, and it's growing.

What's not to like?

As long as you're taking enough time off to nurture your important relationships, that sounds like a pretty good start to "get a life". :)

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I am sitting here in my home office at ten minutes to nine in the morning, in my dressing gown checking my email and reading the headlines.

I used to work in a factory with a manager who was a total AH and I had to do what he told me. I took a severance package in 2001 and worked very hard to build up my own little business, which now provides more for my wife and I than my job ever did.

So yes, I love my business.

[LifeinAsia]

Definitely! I've also used the child analogy many times.

And of course there have been several times that I really hated it too. :)

The "business child" is between 9 and 12.5 years old (not sure how that converts to "Internet years"), depending on when you consider the actual "birth"- registration of domain name & building content, receipt of first revenue check from the site, registration of the business entity for tax/legal purposes, or quitting the corporate world of steady paychecks.

[wyweb]

I'm sitting here in my home office at 10:35 in the morning and getting ready to go back to bed. Try pulling that one off in the corporate world.

Love it? Oh yeah...

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

LOL!

[adamnichols45]

Love maybe the wrong choice of word but working on it at 1am saturday monring well you work it out...

[rampzoid]

Frankensteins Monster would be more like it.

[jecasc]

I used to love it, now its getting boring. It's running to smoothly, all the excitement from the first years is gone. Need to set some new goals - perhaps expand a little bit.

[rj87uk]

I think its great, the only downside in my eyes is there is less social interaction with other people. I compensate that by going out clubs / pubs and friends a lot more than I used to.

All in all? I wouldn't change it for the world.

[HRoth]

I too do everything in my business and I love it. Every day I literally thank the gods that I have the work that I do. I think back to even the best jobs I've had in the past, and they just don't compare to this, although I make less money. I am just not a team player.:)

Like others mentioned, my biggest problem is lack of social contact. I am kind of old to be going out to the clubs, much as I hate to admit it. And where I live is not exactly a bustling metropolis anyhow. This problem is yet to be resolved. It's great talking on the phone to my friends on the coasts, but it would be even better to go have coffee with them.

[wyweb]

On the downside I'm probably pretty much unemployable at this point. I haven't stayed current on anything other than what has been absolutely necessary to make something work. I'm 75% self-taught but my areas of interest have been all over the board. A little of this, a little of that. I have a minimal understanding of a hundred different areas in web design, ecommerce, SEO, graphics, etc... but a full blown expertise in nothing. As a candidate for employment, my name would be at the very bottom of everyone's list, if I even made their lists at all. Having run things my way for the past 10 years, I've probably also got a bit of an attitude problem and have to wonder how well that would translate in to working in an entry level noob position.

Oh well....

[dickbaker]

The child analogy cuts both ways, as when business is going well and when business fails.

I spent 13 years building a very successful business, and then it went under. I was miserable for more than a couple of years, and saw a shrink. I told him that I felt as though I'd lost a child, which he said was very common. It still haunts me now, nine years later.

[wyweb]

Dick, I would feel as though I lost a child if I lost this business. I'd probably have to seek psychiatric help. I would.

Actually what I'd probably do is....

Well I can't say that.....

[rj87uk]

I guess I am more laid back dickb/wyweb, I would get excited about doing new things but that might be because I am still pretty young.

More to the point why am I doing admin stuff late at night at the weekend? ... Im a geek.

[MrFishGuy]

Thanks for your post Dick. I never thought of the downside of this "relationship".

I appreciate your bringing a different perspective to me.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who is this involved with my business.

Has anyone sold their business? Is it easy to detach yourself from it when you sell it?

[fiu88]

"A little of this, a little of that. I have a minimal understanding of a hundred different areas in web design, ecommerce, SEO, graphics, etc... but a full blown expertise in nothing."
VYWEB...you hit the nail right on the head !

Nice to see I have twins out there...

FYI...Love the challenges, hate it as it gets redundant and, boring...

[Yoshimi]

I don't love my business...yet, but then it is less than a month old and not doing a great deal at the moment, I guess at the moment it's more like a new relationship, we're having dinner, going to the cinema, having a good time but not in love yet :)

[jecasc]

A little of this, a little of that. I have a minimal understanding of a hundred different areas in web design, ecommerce, SEO, graphics, etc... but a full blown expertise in nothing. As a candidate for employment, my name would be at the very bottom of everyone's list, if I even made their lists at all.

Only if you apply for the wrong position. If you make the mistake to apply as webdesigner, or graphics designer, or programmer, or SEO.

You have to apply as manager of web or IT departement.

[gpilling]

My business acts like a manic-depressive girlfriend I once had. Good times are great, bad times are really bad. But I still love it (I think)

[Essex_boy]

With me its love hate, some times I have boundless energy for it others I hate it.

Seems to work on 3 monthly cycle.... All very odd