This is really big news for me.
When I started my business I estimated I had 9 months to survive assuming no work and burning through my savings.
Now I am earning a respectable amount of money that even goes as far as covering off my ‘off days’ financially, which I never got at my office job I left in March
Mentally I am doing a lot better being my own boss. I literally have no pressure or politics to deal with.
The turning point was really when I joined a verified tradesman site for my marketing, which although is expensive, I would not have a business without all the leads it generates. Was a big risk doing this, but it paid off.
Literally, I was thinking I’d be back behind a desk facing the same problems. I gave the business a 10% chance of survival when I decided to do it over Nursing.
Now I am in a traditionally quiet time of year for landscaping, and I am booked until spring, with the expectation enquires will pick up again from there on.
My reason for posting this successful news is that I am so surprised and had no clue it could turn out this way.
I hope to encourage others to give something like this a try. Going from where I was mentally in March to this is just unbelievable, and I am more hopeful for the future now with this being a secure employment, as I was trapped in my office job by salary and a mistaken belief that I needed the job security that self-employment could not offer me in my head.
Seriously, working for yourself is great. I worked not even 3 full days this week, and I pretty much made the same I would have at my office job, and I was able to work in such a way that when I was feeling a bit off as my prescription was delayed (another story) I had the flexibility to say enough, go home and relax.
Customers are not too bothered by this I find, as I work to a fixed price and not a day rate, so it’s all pre-agreed and deposits of up to 60% are all paid up for everything!
I am so thankful for this, as I really was in such a state over my old job, and really making that decision to leave instantly - even during a pandemic, seems to have worked out for the better.
You never know what will happen. I feel so much better being outside in the fresh air, doing creative stuff and building some things for people that they’re truly impressed with.
I got this feedback today online:
“***** is a very professional landscaper all work done to detail, everything was explained in full detail before work started, very clean and tidy, fully satisfied with the out come of the design of our garden, very good price.”
This may or may not resonate with you right now, but there is hope. I was basically written off, and I stuck my two fingers up to this disease and a couple of other complications and thought ■■■■ it, lets do this and at least try.