GUEST ARTICLE: What's Your
Self-Employment Motive?By
Urban Miyares, President
Disabled Businesspersons Association
To
most first looking at or exploring self-employment, it appears the primary
or sole intention of getting into business is to make a profit, earn money,
and achieve financial security.
Yes, creating a financially
self-sustaining business is a goal of any for-profit business. After all,
we do need to make money to live today, in most instances. However, in
reality, most people do not start businesses for the primary or sole
intention of money … and some do not even have a (personal) profit or income
motive when planning or launching their business.
There are three (3) primary or basic
reasons why anyone starts a business. It’s either for (1) Control, (2)
Pleasure or (3) Money. And it should only be one of the three, when
considering or starting your first business venture, as any one of these
motives can result in business success.
But knowing beforehand what your
primary self-employment motive is is key to best identifying the best or
ideal business for you to consider, and then what its launching and
operating requirements will be, to meet your (targeted) motive is.
Those who consider self-employment
for the primary or sole intention of making money tend to have the poorest
success rate in a start-up business. They often require the greatest amount
of start-up capitalization for their ventures, need to establish short-term
financial goals, and create more challenges and problems to their proposed
venture than need be. Such individuals fall into a like pattern of having a
unique personality profile, and business mentality distinctly different from
others with different business motives.
Yet in time, and with business
maturity and success, many of those who create a business for other than
money priorities eventually achieve all three objectives (e.g., money,
control and pleasure). Whereas those with the money priority tend to be
fixated to the bottom line, often finding it difficult to realize the other
benefits of business ownership, even if their business achieves some sort of
financial stability.
Having assisted thousands over the
years satisfy their self-employment dreams, and myself having been
personally involved in quite a few ventures over more than four decades,
I’ve found that most become self-employed due to “control” – e.g., to take
more control of their lives and available time, better balance their daily
schedule, address personal challenges, avoid others looking over their
shoulders and telling them what to do, and to better control their – and
their family’s – destiny.
Then there are those who get into
business for purely the pleasure of it. An opportunity to meet new people;
help loved ones, others or create a legacy; satisfy a pent-up desire (the
American dream) to one day own their own business or a specific type of
business; to remain active as a contributing or socially responsible member
of the community (such as in their retirement years); improve health or
advance their rehabilitation; and, hopefully, be able to make a few extra
dollars, while minimizing financial risk or jeopardizing benefits.
Those with the “control” or
“pleasure” start-up self-employment motive tend to have the greatest rate of
success and longevity in the business world, and workplace.
However, that third segment
captivated by the “money” motive exclusively create more challenges than
need be, have a different management style and philosophy to their business
and its operations, work within a different time frame, have a
money-revealing image (especially when under pressure), and tend to have
extreme difficulty in getting their self-employment objectives off the
ground, unless there is a large amount of money to support them. But even
with money in hand, those focused on the money motive, also tend to make
business more difficult than need be, spend more than is required, set
immediate personal financial rewards, even at the sake of the business, and
have short-term (perceived) success. In and out of business tends to be
their norm.
Unfortunately, for many (with
disabilities) seeking the self-employment direction to workplace entry, the
influence of others disrupts and forces many to change their true
self-employment motive. These influencing individuals, agencies and
organizations must follow their rules and regulations, feelings and beliefs,
which is always related to the “money” motive. After all, if we seek their
assistance, they must, under their regulations (as they interpret them),
meet specific “money” outcomes, within a specific, often short-term time
frame.
And when we comply with “their”
guidelines, rules and regulations, we often have to change or modify our
business to meet their motives, not ours. We played their “money” game and
lost, instead of the “control” or “pleasure” game we really wanted to start
out playing with. And if our business is forced to close its doors, it’s our
fault.
Time and Money do not work at the
same speed, and when Money is the motive, it often dictates a quick,
positive ROI (Return on Investment), when we seek the financial assistance
of others.
After all, isn’t business all about
making money? Well, the answer is “Yes” and “No” ... it all depends on the
time frame, either established by you, the business owner, or the rules and
guidelines of others you seek assistance from. It’s a balancing act
everyone in business needs to make and decide upon.
With “Control” or “Pleasure”, you
often do not have as much of the pressure and stress of “time” requirements
by others, and you can more comfortably build a healthier business
foundation, within a reasonable time frame, and eventually attain the other
(two) motives or objectives.
What’s your (primary) self-employment
motive for your planned or existing business? Is it really only to make
money right away, or is there another (hidden or obvious) main reason or
motive … “pleasure” or “control”? To better answer this question, you need
to discover the initial start-up business motives of other business leaders
you respect, whether or not in your community. Ask local business owners as
to “Why did they get into business?”, and dig deep with your follow-up
question to see if it was control, pleasure or money motivated. Read the
biography of other successful people in business – e.g., Bill Gates, Steve
Jobs, Ray Kroc, etc. Think you’ll discover their initial motives to start a
business most interesting, and each will not be exactly the same, but hold a
similar thread … with all reaching the “money” rewards, long after they
first launched their ventures.
Then investigate the background of
others who made money in business instantly, and how long it lasted; and
where they are today. You will probably find naming these people difficult,
and their whereabouts today impossible to find. Where is the creator of the
“Pet Rock” and what is he doing today?”
When considering self-employment or
drafting your business plan, keep in mind your real reason for getting into
business. Satisfy that personal goal or motive first in your planning, and
all the rest will follow. Guaranteed, if you don’t create more challenges
and obstacles than really is needed.
Urban Miyares is a nationally-known
entrepreneur, public speaker, media personality, inventor, writer, and
world-class athlete. A disabled Vietnam veteran, he founded the Disabled
Businesspersons Association (at San Diego State University – Interwork
Institute) in 1985, as well as Special Kids in Business, the National
Disabled Veterans Business Center, Challenged America, and other
organizations and businesses over the past forty-plus years. Miyares has
been honored by the White House, U.S. Congress and Small Business
Administration, was Inc. Magazine’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” and has
received numerous other awards and honors for his business accomplishments
and for assisting the enterprising disabled. Urban Miyares can be reached
at Urban@DisabledBusiness.com.
RESOURCES on
DISABILITY & EMPLOYMENT
WEBSITE:
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This site highlights the employment successes of
people with Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities who are
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money, forming networks, and contributing to their communities. The site
features stories and videos that profile individuals who have successfully
established themselves as productive members of the workforce.
More Information:
http://realworkstories.org
RESEARCH:
Labor Market Participation for People with Intellectual Disabilities
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