You can be a lifestyle entrepreneur
Are you burned out? Discontented with your current work? Tired of being an employee? Sick of having very little time (and money!) to spend with family, friends and yourself? If you answered yes to any of these questions and desperately want to do something about it, then you could be a lifestyle entrepreneur.
An entrepreneur, as most people know, is somebody who has chosen to take the path of being his or her own boss and engaged in a micro, small or medium enterprise as one’s main means of livelihood. What distinguishes an entrepreneur from a lifestyle entrepreneur is that the latter’s main motivation is the lifestyle that comes with being independent from the employment grind, and not the level of income or financial rewards that may or may not come with owning a business.
Nowadays, there are so many outside stimuli that have influenced people on what it means to have a life. This means going beyond the stressful office-housework schedule and having enough time to stop and smell the roses. Travel, leisure activities, watching the children grow, working from home, pursuing a hobby that brings contentment and peace – these have now become part and parcel of a routine that is defined as ideal. They have also been among the main motivations why more and more people choose to be lifestyle entrepreneurs.
In selecting a business, most lifestyle entrepreneurs select a field that reflects their competencies and interests. While most of them are mid-career professionals who may have a small amount set aside for the future, these fields usually require minimal start-up capital and fueled by the entrepreneur’s drive and passion.
I have a friend in his mid-thirties who was an upper middle manager in one of the biggest advertising firms in the country. He was making more than enough to subsidize life in a middle class neighborhood in Manila, and travelled constantly within and outside the Philippines for work. It was exciting when he was in his twenties, he told me, but after the birth of his daughter, my friend told me that the satisfaction he felt with every successful pitch suddenly paled in comparison to the happiness he felt when he was home.
With the support of his stay-at-home wife, my friend turned his back on his lucrative but backbreaking advertising career and started a small bakeshop and advertising consultation business. The money, he admits, is a far cry from his old income. In order to increase their savings, he sold his two-bedroom condominium in Ortigas and transferred to a house in Rizal. “At the start, I made just enough for my family’s needs”, he shares, “and it took some adjustments on all of us. But that little thing is nothing compared to the fact that when I woke up, I would smile because I know I didn’t have to sit through another meeting or travel and be gone for two weeks. My daughter’s asthma cleared up because of the fresher air in Rizal. The work I have to do now is the same as before, but the big difference is that I work from home. My family is happy, and I am happy. And that is more important to me than a six-figure salary. I am living the life I want now, and I’m glad that I did not wait for my retirement to enjoy my life and my family.”
To some, being a lifestyle entrepreneur might be a luxury that can only be indulged in by successful mid-lifers. But I beg to disagree. If you have gone beyond mere survival (that is, successfully struggled beyond earning just enough for basic food, shelter and clothing) and find yourself always asking if you could start pursuing a higher purpose in life that gives you true satisfaction, look inward and ask yourself if you can make being a lifestyle entrepreneur work for you – the same way taking the plunge has worked beautifully for me.
Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.
