Just like pimpin’, that #EntrepreneurLife ain’t easy. While I’ve been in the market for a new “opportunity” for a year now, I think it took about 4 months for me to come to the realization that I needed to just do this on my own and stop relying on another outsourced program management agency to hire me. Over the last 8 months I’ve been able to really dial in on my pitch, my merchant recruitment methods, and work on how I want to structure my own brand of affiliate program management, without the confines of someone else’s work styles or resource limits.
That’s not to say I have unlimited resources because I most certainly don’t. I only mean that, after being in the work force for 18 years now, it’s a weird place to be in to step back and consider how I’d run a company and business… and actually be doing it. I’m here to tell you that, while being your own boss, setting your own schedule, and managing things how YOU see fit is very freeing and rewarding, it’s also absolutely terrifying!
There’s no safety net. If you don’t land these clients, there’s no pay check. Everything stacked against you to fail and nothing saving you from lying in a gutter somewhere wondering how it all went wrong. You are every department for the business – executive, marketing, sales, accounting, business development, EVERYTHING. It’s tough, and it can be draining to work hard at aspects you’re not good at. The little things that need to be done that you were able to leave up to someone else to worry about before. I will say that I have a greater respect for my previous employers who had to deal with the sales aspect of the business and landing new clients. That has seemed to be the hardest part for me, but I’m getting better at it.
Sometimes life forces you into things. I didn’t think I was ready to do this on my own. I always thought that there would be a time when I’d say to myself that I was ready to start my own business, ready to truly be my own boss, and ready to kick some ass and take some names. it didn’t happen that way – I was forced into having to find a new source of income. But looking back, I’ve been ready to do this for years. I was just afraid.
I’m still afraid. Scared I’ll crash & burn. Scared I won’t be able to make this work and will have to go back to working for someone else. Scared I’ll have to leave this industry and work somewhere else. Scared I don’t have “what it takes” to be an entrepreneur.
I’m learning. I’m lucky to have friends that are supporting me in this endeavor, offering me assistance where I need it, even if that’s just a second pair of eyes on something to confirm that I did it right. Affiliate Marketing colleagues to kick me in the ass to do things the right way, and to help me decide what way IS the right way. It’s not many industries where people who are technically your competitors would cheer you own. It’s one of the reasons that this industry has been where I want to be for the last 10 years, and I’m still not tired of it.
I will say that the folks at MyCorporation made it tremendously easy to part with my money to get my business incorporated. They were cheaper than Legal Zoom for their basic plan and helped to add the necessary components for my specific state. They’re helping me to form my LLC, get my EIN, and referring me to other companies they’ve partnered with for things I may not have thought I needed (like operating agreements, or business insurance). If you’ve been hesitating, don’t! Save $30 incorporating your business (LLCs start at $69) by clicking here.
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