Building an online business is hard, especially as a solo entrepreneur.
You have to learn how to build a website… create products and services… write a salespage… design landing pages.
Then you have to figure out content marketing… email marketing… copywriting… social media… YouTube… PPC ads… funnels.
And at the same time you’re producing content… running ads… creating offers… building an email list… and (hopefully) selling enough to pay the bills.
And then you have to do that for years before you see any success.
I know all the gurus say otherwise, but you can’t just “build a funnel and have a 6 figure business” overnight.
A sustainable online business takes years of hard work to build.
And unfortunately there aren’t any “secrets” or “hacks” that let you shortcut the process.
You just have to grind through it.
So why do we do it?
Why do we give up a 40 hour/week job and a steady paycheck for a 100 hour/week business and no idea if we’re going to make any money next week?
Why do we take on so much risk with no guarantee it’s going to work out?
Why do we put ourselves through all the stress, anxiety, and frustration of trying to build our own thing, when there are easier paths out there?
One word – freedom.
That’s what entrepreneurs want.
Not promotions. Not company awards. Not healthcare and a benefits package. Not even a steady paycheck every Friday.
Those things are nice, but what we really want is freedom.
We Want Freedom Over Our Time
Unfortunately, we all have a limited amount of time on this planet.
You can either spend it working for someone else.
Building someone else’s business… Working with clients you probably hate… On projects you don’t care about… Being told what to do, how to do it and when it needs to be done…
Or you can spend it working for yourself.
Building a business you love… Working with clients you care about… Doing work you enjoy… And spending your days doing what you want to do instead of what you’re told to do.
One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is the fact that you get to decide how you spend your day.
Some days I only work for a couple hours before calling it quits.
Other days I’m on a roll and go for 12 hours without even noticing.
And occasionally I’ll just close the laptop and head to the golf course at 10am on a Tuesday.
With an online business, how you spend your time is up to you.
We Want Autonomy
Online entrepreneurs get to be self-governing.
You don’t have a boss to answer to. Or board members to appease.
And you don’t have to play office politics or tow the company line.
When you run an online business, the decisions you make on a day-to-day basis are all yours.
Don’t want to work with a particular client? Tell them to get lost.
Hate the project you’ve been working on? Scrap it if you want.
It’s a great feeling when you have full autonomy over your life.
Where you don’t have to play by someone else’s rules.
Where you get to do things the way you want.
And where you’re the one in control of your success (or failure).
And We Want Financial Freedom
This is the real reason most of us get started down this path.
We want control over our income.
We want the ability to make as much money as we want to.
And we don’t want our financial future to be dependent on an employer.
We want financial freedom.
And an online business is one of the best vehicles for getting you there.
It gives you the ability to grow your income as much or as little as you want, so you can fund any kind of lifestyle you want to live.
Maybe a $150k/year lifestyle business where you only work 10 hours a week sounds ideal?
Or maybe a $10 million/year business with an office full of employees and a company org chart is more your speed?
Both are possible with an online business.
You get to decide how big or small you grow your business.
Which means your income and your financial future are fully in your hands.
That’s real financial freedom.
You’re On The Hook Though…
The freedom you get from running an online business is amazing.
But it’s not for everyone.
Because being an entrepreneur and building your own business means everything falls on you.
You’re on the hook for the outcome.
And you sink or swim based on your own merit.
With an online business, you get the benefits but you’re also responsible for your results.
And if you can’t balance all the freedom that comes along with it…
A 40-hour work week and a regular paycheck isn’t the worst thing.
Freedom Is Worth The Pursuit
Contrary to what you see on social media, building an online business is a lot of hard work.
But it beats the alternative of working at a boring, soulless job.
Because with an online business, you’re working towards something that most people never truly have – freedom.
Freedom over your time.
Freedom to do things your way.
And the freedom to control your financial future.
Pursuing those freedoms makes the grind of building an online business more than worth it.
