Work to Live, Never Live to Work

[How to Run a Web Design Business with Paul Boag: A Lifestyle Choice Deep Dive] 0:00 So let's move on and look at the crucial thing for me and the thing that we 0:04 discussed right at the very beginning which is this 0:10 idea of building a lifestyle business. 0:13 A business that supports the life that we want to live. 0:16 Work to live. Never live to work. 0:20 There are basically two types of businesses. 0:24 There are those with an exit strategy I mentioned in the last video 0:26 and there are those lifestyle businesses that are developed 0:30 to facilitate the lifestyle that you want to live. 0:34 Now as you have gathered, I'm a huge fun of the second type of business 0:37 and I think most web designers fall into this category. 0:42 They like the idea of building a business that supports their lifestyle. 0:45 People become their own boss for a couple of reasons. 0:54 Firstly, they have this image that if they become their own boss 0:57 and set up their own business, they'll have more time. 1:01 They'll have more money and more freedom in what they do. 1:03 Unfortunately, the reality is not always that. 1:09 I've got to say that a lot of the freelancers and web designers I know 1:12 that who've gone and set up by themselves, they're undercharging 1:16 from their work a lot of the time and they're also at the whims of clients. 1:20 Essentially, all of those things that they wanted from setting up 1:25 their own businesses, they failed to achieve. 1:28 Now they tend to justify it to themselves by saying that things will get easier 1:32 but I have to say to you, don't live for the future. 1:38 Your business should facilitate your lifestyle today. 1:42 And so don't set up the business where you're willing 1:46 to sacrifice those ideas you had when you first set it up. 1:50 You wanted more freedom. You wanted to work less hours. 1:55 You wanted to be your own boss. Hang on to that. 2:00 Ask yourself, what was your perfect job be like? 2:04 And then keep focused on that vision. 2:07 If your perfect job is working less, make sure you work less. 2:10 If you're getting too busy, either hire another member of staff 2:15 or don't take on as many projects. 2:19 If your perfect job is to be your own boss, make sure you don't take 2:22 on that project which you know has got a really difficult client 2:27 who's going to turn into a pain in the neck. 2:31 If something is going to take you further away from your vision, don't do it. 2:34 Stay focused--Remember, you're in control of your business 2:40 and not the other way around. 2:44 It's easy for your business to turn into this monster that you have to 2:46 constantly feed with work and it ends up dictating to you 2:50 but that's not the way it should be. 2:54 Ultimately, a lifestyle business is about facilitating your lifestyle 2:56 but remember this as well, it's not just about facilitating your lifestyle, 3:02 it's also about facilitating the lifestyle of your employees too. 3:08 If you've hired someone, that's not an excuse to dump all the rubbish on them 3:12 because you don't want to turn into one of those bosses 3:19 You're trying to create a business that facilitates the 3:22 lifestyle of everyone that works in it. 3:26 Stay focused on their aim and I can promise you that you will enjoy your work 3:28 so much more and you will enjoy working with your colleagues. 3:33