Monday, March 23, 2009

Good Reasons To Become A Contractor

By Scott Collinsworth

Perhaps you've never considered it a viable career option, but becoming a professional contractor has many potential rewards. You should give it some thought, especially if you already have a skill and any kind of desire to start your own business. If you need some convincing, consider these six great reasons to become a contractor.

1. As a professional contractor that owns his or her own business, the amount of money you can earn is limited only by your vision and work ethic. The sky is the limit when it comes to your potential income. Contrast this with a typical job where your salary has a ceiling no matter how hard you work or how long you've been with a company.

2. Professional contractors call the shots when it comes to making their own hours. If you need to take a sick day or cut out from work a few hours early you have only yourself to answer to. In contrast, we've all been through that situation where a work superior is reluctant to be flexible with scheduling or time off.

3. You'll get the opportunity to improve your body strength and general health. One of the downsides of a typical desk job is that it requires you to sit almost motionless for eight hours a day, which leads to weight gain and loss of muscle strength. This usually isn't a problem for contractors, though, because they spend the majority of each working day performing physical labor.

4. Self-employed contractors can boast that the result of their work is something truly meaningful. You can refinish hardwood floors or build new shelving in someone's den and know that it will have real, lasting value for that person or family. I'd say that most typical jobs nowadays can't offer you that same level of dignity or satisfaction because they involve the promotion of a dubious product or service.

5. You can stand up for yourself without having to worry about being fired. If you have to deal with a crazy customer or homeowner you have the power to tell them off because you're the boss. Compare this to a regular job where you'd be expected to apologize and practically beg for forgiveness, no matter how idiotic the customer is.

6. You'll someday have the thrill of handing the business off to your sons and daughters. There's no satisfaction like that derived from leaving behind a thriving enterprise for your offspring to own and control. Obviously, a regular job simply doesn't allow for this kind of opportunity.

So those are six excellent excuses for striking out to become a contractor. If you have any level of drive and tenacity then starting your own business is worth pursuing, in my opinion. I don't think it's a decision that you'd ever regret.

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