I’ve been running my latest business for 8 months now after four years in a corporate job, and I have to say, I’m loving it.
Some benefits of an online business are obvious.
But the ones that have made the biggest difference for me aren't and I’d forgotten how much I missed them.
Plus, I'm feeling particularly grateful right now as I'm writing this from the balcony of a beautiful hotel in Greece:
So today, I want to share the biggest reasons why I love running an online business and why I think you will too.
Reason 1: Creativity
The first reason is creativity.
But more than that, being able to build something from nothing.
I’ve always loved the concept that you can have an idea and turn it into something that impacts real people.
It’s why I got into coding: you can bring an idea into the world just by typing on a keyboard.
But this feeling is even more powerful when running a business.
Every time I finish a new strategy, launch a product or hit a new revenue target, I get that same rush I used to get when I finished a new feature or product.
Something that I thought of is now out there in the real world and helping people.
And now that I’m not only building other people’s ideas but my own as well, I feel more fulfilled and motivated than ever.
But, given where I'm writing this from, creativity isn't the most obvious reason...
Reason 2: Flexibility
I’ve been fortunate to have some control over my time and location throughout my career.
But now that my business is entirely online, I’ve got more flexibility than ever before.
I still work hard and do have fixed calls and commitments.
(I don't want to pretend that running a business is easy.)
But, I get to manage these commitments on my own terms.
It also means I can work from anywhere and travel to beautiful places like this.
I can spend my evenings exploring a new country and watching the sunset and work hard during the day.
This flexibility has been great for my motivation, and honestly, it probably means I'm working more overall than I was before.
Reason 3: Money
The harsh truth is that it’s incredibly difficult to achieve financial freedom in a traditional job.
Even if you progress quickly, it takes decades of working and saving to gain real freedom.
That’s why most people who reach financial freedom early on are business owners.
By running a business, your net worth grows in line with your skills, hard work, and the value you provide.
So, I knew that if I wanted to reach financial freedom early on in life, I had to go back to running my own business.
And not just any business.
It had to:
- be easy to scale
- have low fixed overheads
- have great margins
- have easy-to-manage cash flow.
(That's why I don't recommend things like dropshipping or traditional agencies - they don't meet most of this criteria.)
Now, after 10 years of working with entrepreneurs, I've learnt how to set up a business that can meet these requirements and grow quickly.
After learning this and helping dozens of entrepreneurs set up these kinds of businesses, I decided it was time to do it for myself.
But, I believe that the best businesses help people and this led me to an slightly unexpected benefit:
Reason 4: Fulfilment
One of the most surprising benefits has been the fulfilment I’ve gotten from positively impacting my clients.
I work with established creators and entrepreneurs to help them scale their businesses and new entrepreneurs to help them grow or start theirs.
Growing any business feels great.
But helping early entrepreneurs grow their businesses and sharing that feeling of bringing your idea into the world is brilliant.
Whenever a client lands a deal or suddenly understands something they were stuck on, I get taken back to when I had that feeling.
Knowing that I'm doing work that can have a real impact on people's lives feels amazing.
This feeling has made me fall back in love with working - something I'd lost in the past few years.
And I think when you genuinely love what you do, doing it a lot (and well) becomes much easier.
Reason 5: People
Finally, running an online business means I get to work with talented people from all over the world.
Working remotely allows me to collaborate with the best people, regardless of their location.
I want to work with the most talented and driven people.
(Not just the best person who lives within 15 minutes of me.)
Plus, by having clients all over the world I get to learn about different lifestyles, cultures, and ways of thinking.
This understanding helps improve my business by helping me to create better marketing materials and a better product.
Plus, it's just super interesting learning about different lifestyles.
Conclusion
Overall, this is the most happy, fulfilled and motivated I've been in years.
Most of that is thanks to my decision to take the leap and start a new business.
So, if you're thinking about doing this yourself, I'd say go for it.
It's incredible how quickly it'll change your life in ways you'll never expect.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you're having a great week.
- Tim