Being your own Boss (by becoming your best employee)

Whether it’s your Dream business or your employer’s business….

Guess what?  You’ll still have to work from the ground up!

Most want to start as “The Boss”. But that’s not how it works in employment nor entrepreneurship. Five of every 6 business entities in America, the entrepreneurs are the one and only employee. And often, even in the depths of Silicon Valley, many disciplined investors are financing the entity over the owner; often reducing him to a lower managerial role (if they keep him involved at all). Even granting institutions are more focused on your responsibilities over your title or “role”. In my experience owning and consulting small business owners, many titles often bring entitlements to the team; often dangerous before revenue has materialized yet. There’s plenty of Semi-CEOs and Barefoot Bosses in the business environment saying “be your own Boss”; but very few entrepreneurs actually separate, specialize, &/or regulate themselves for the entitiy’s interests (as a real boss should).

So use it as motivation! Start in your dream business as entry level! If you can’t work for you, who will? Separate your business, and it’s own interests, from your personhood. If you wouldn’t hire you; why should your dreams? Do you have that resilience?

Despite being chairman, I always humbled my role to my firm’s income level. In my first two businesses I’ve owned, I was a gardener (title: Materials Handler) for my landscaping company and a grounds keeper for my first real estate holdings corporation. With my business I’ve owned the longest (12 years)? I spent the first 4 of those years as my call center rep and admin asst.; then, another 6 promoting and demoting myself between a VP and sales rep. In a solar sales business my wife and I own, I was lead canvasser.

Aside from just sheer motivation, separate entity structures also allows us to leverage lots of taxes and expenses that market entry and state compliances (Cali is brutal) that sink most startups and small businesses. But most entrepreneurs ignore these perks because they often wear their businesses too much on their chest; so hard that the business concept never outgrows your personal circumstances to become the business you’ve dreamed of.

Sincerely,

RH Elliott

(Co-Founder, Chairman, & …) & VP of Strategic Partnerships

Stress Test: Aside from CEO/President, What position would your dream business hire you as?