by Daniel J. Gansle

Created on: February 15, 2009

After enduring four hours per day stuck in horrific traffic jams, micromanaging bosses, and office politics, most people would answer an enthusiastic "Yes!" if asked the question of whether they would like to be self-employed with their own small business.

But while the dream of being self-employed has worked for some people, for others it is have proven more challenging due to time, money, and self-discipline. However for those who are unemployed and have the time to devote to becoming self-employed and starting a small business, it represents a wonderful opportunity.

This article discusses the benefits of becoming self-employed and the reasons why a person may want to start a small business.

Up-Front Benefits to Being Self-Employed

The immediate benefits to being self-employed are numerous. No overbearing bosses, no office politics, and the ability to set one's own working hours. And perhaps best of all, no blood pressure-raising traffic jams.

Numerous Self-Employed Opportunities

Choosing an opportunity to be self-employed is like retirement planning. Is it the right time? Do I have enough in my savings account? In the same way, finding a self-employment opportunity is an exercise in determining one's skills, ambitions, strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Numerous opportunities for a small business abound. Whether the person opts to be self-employed through independent consulting, an eBay store, or writing for paid content sites on the internet, the person should choose the opportunity that best fits his or her personality.

Save Money While Self-Employed

When a person is self-employed, lunchtime means going to the refrigerator rather than the restaurant. It means walking to the home office rather than driving two hours to the corporate office. Thus, the person saves a considerable amount of money on food and gas.

Work Anywhere

People who choose to become self-employed can work at home, anywhere in the world. While the internet is a great choice for self-employment, it isn't the only option. Many people have relocated to their ideal city and have opened up a bed and breakfast, medical office, hair salon, or other business they can run out of their home.

Self-Employed Tax Breaks

Self-employed individuals can deduct business expenses from their annual taxes. They can deduct the cost of office supplies, food, gasoline, office furniture, computers and office equipment, and more.

Becoming self-employed has its challenges. The person has to carefully balance his or her time between administrative tasks, development, client relations, and sales and marketing. But for many, self-employment is very fulfilling.

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