My goal is to be completely self employed within the next few years.

The beauty of being self employed is that you are your own boss, you set your own schedule, and in most cases you can just roll out of bed and get to work. There can also be a downside. With the leeway of being able to work when you feel like it, how much work is being done, and how well are you building your brand?

I realized this (while looking at the zeros in my business bank account) that I am not only the boss, of my company, but I am also an employee, and if I had to give myself a performance evaluation, I would have to say it wouldn’t be good.

At my day job I make sure I am punctual, get my assignments done on time, and perform above and beyond my job description. All for a nonexistent raise or pat on the back, while my employer reaps all the benefits of my hard work.

Now that I’m working to be my own employer, I take liberties I wouldn’t dare take at my day job, and it shows every month in my profit and loss statements.

So I realize I shouldn’t perform at a lower level just because I own the business than I do for my current employer. So there are some changes I have made to ensure I am my best employee:

• I have re-read my policies and procedures manual (read my blog post on why having a HR manual is important for a small business)
• I have set work hours
• I have a designated work area that is not in front of the TV
• I give myself goals and projects to complete by designated times
• I make a note of the things that get me distracted from tasks
• I work outside my home. I’ll go to a coffee shop or a college campus and work there
• I evaluate my performance periodically and make changes accordingly
• I ask friends and family to be my accountability partners when I need that extra kick in the pants
• I remind myself that I may not get fired but I can lose my business and that is worse
• I make a list of tasks that I don’t like to do and put together a job description for an intern or a potential employee

At the end of the day it is very important that you put the same effort into your business as you do working for someone else. How do you stay on track when building your business?

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