Five Reasons to NOT be employed

"Go to school, get good grades and find a high paying job" tops the list of guidance we get from parents and teachers. In contrast, I am going to explore five reasons why getting employed is a wrong choice.

Time Versus Value
An employee may work part-time of full-time, but he gets paid for the amount of time he can invest. Time is limited to 24 hrs a day, from which we may be able to put in 10 to max 18 hrs for work. This time limitation limits your income as well. And lets say, you get ill and cannot work for the next month. will you get paid? Definitely not. When we use a limited element like time to earn revenue, we automatically limit the level of financial success we can ever acheive in our life. In contrast, lets take a book author who falls under the self-employed. He will keep earning royalties for a successfull book he wrote years ago. Money keeps coming to his bank account when he sleeps, goes on vacation, spend time with his friends and family. The reason is he didn't exchange time for money. He created value and exchanged value for money. Ask yourself - Are you exchanging time or value to earn your income?

Too many mouths to feed
As an employee, are we getting paid for the real profit we bring to the organisation? No, before the salary gets deposited in an employee's account, it feeds other people and the employee get the rest of the amount. Most of the profit amount goes

1, Back to the company for future investments
2, As dividends to the share holders
3, Nearly 30% of your salary is taken by the Government in the name of income tax.

As an enterpreneur or self-employed, he gets what he earns. Taxes may not be avoidable though. But how many self-employed men show the real income and pay the entire tax. The only category of people who pay there taxes completely are employees, because the government gets that share before you get paid.

Domestication versus Freewill
As a kid, we spoke, walked and acted on freewill. As an adult, our actions are somehow tied to the response from others. In addition as you become an employee, you get a junk set of papers telling you terms and policies you need to follow. First thing a corporation does to the life of a man is domestication. You learn that you have to work on a strict timeframe, following the approved dress code, handle yourself as directed by your supervisor. Does it look like domestication or act on freewill to you?

Less Control over Life
I live in a crowded city full of strangers and pollution. My grandfathers and great grandfathers come from a different greenish part of the country. I like to stay in a calm place full of nature. Yet the industry I work thrive in cities. The city I live, the house I choose, the schools my children could go, the neighbours are all completely tied to my employer. As an employee, can you choose the place you like to live? You can't go to a night club, a late night movie, wake up at noon, just hangover with friends doing nothing .. all because you got to go back to office early tomorrow. Do you believe someone else having control over your life looks better than you being the master of your life?

More you earn, more you lose
Corporations have turned numerous normal looking men into dangerous workalholics. Sure there are workaholic self-employed and businessmen, but they get extra when they create extra value. But what does an employee get? Sometimes just a pat from his supervisor or a appreciation note. In the process of getting this, how many have lost contact with their family, got divorced or turn back and see they got no family and friends at one point of time. in case, he gets promoted, the corporate world will put more responsiblity and keep you stay at office more. And the Governement will automatically promote you to the next tax bracket and pick pocket more of your hard earned money.

As always, different paths have their merits and demerits. Being an enterpreneur or being an employee depends on ones likes, dislikes and goals. I believe in enterpreneurship ... what do you believe in ... leave your comments.

If you favor enterprenuership, you may like to read one of my favorite books by Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

With luv,
Ashok.