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5 Ways To Determine If Freelancing Or Entrepreneurship Is The Right Life For You

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The Idea of leaving traditional employment and seeking the entrepreneurial or freelance lifestyle is a choice that many have decided to make for this year.

Maybe you want to quit your job and start that bakery business you always dreamed of, or maybe you want to follow a life long passion such as writing or doing tasks that you are qualified to do.

Knowing the commitment you will have to make and how it will fit into your life is very important.  Entrepreneurs and freelancers play different roles in society, but make no mistake, they are both key in our economy and to its growth.

How do you decide if you want to be an entrepreneur or freelancer?

Here are 5 ways to determine which job might be the best fit for you:

1. Are you a creator or a contender

Entrepreneurs are the people who have the skills and initiative necessary to create new ideas that will solve a systemic problem in our cultures; this includes but is not limited to, cultivating new jobs out of those ideas, and deciding how those ideas can be recycled and implemented into profitable outcomes.

A freelancer is not employed continuously but is hired by one or more people or companies to do specific assignments. They often contend in an entrepreneur’s vision or cause but are not in charge of the total outcome. They provide a service and do so on an hourly, by project, or set fee agreement. A freelancer has the security of knowledge that once their task is complete there is nothing else to appertain to.

“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” – Scotty Belsky

2. How do you define yourself

A freelancer is defined by what they do. They can be a good web designer, a good seamstress, or even a good writer. Their primary value is in their skill set and how they perform it. If you want to be a successful freelancer make sure you are the expert in what you do and do it exceptionally well, If you do, opportunity will always be open to you.

An entrepreneur is defined by what they create. They put into use the intangible unseen forces of unborn opportunities and convert those thoughts into conveniences that make life easier for all those who are in a space in which they create.

When one thinks of an entrepreneur they think of people such as Steve Jobs who created Apple, and Sam Walton who created the Walmarts.  Both men possessed dominating thoughts of what things would look like if they took their ideas and cast them into the world.

 

3. What you think about when everyone is asleep

When everyone else is asleep entrepreneurs are the ones that are up all night thinking of new ways to assure that ideas come to fruition. Their time is often spent figuring out how all the pieces will work, as well as determining how the project might get funded, from starting at scarcity without finances, content to marketing, customer care, recouping losses, and calculating how they will gain profits.

While freelancers are also often up all night when others are asleep they are thinking of ways they can improve the way they do their tasks, how to get more clients, or they are working on doing the actual tasks themselves.

 

4. How you make money

The most money a freelancer can make is equal to the number of hours in any given month multiplied by their going rate. The plus side in this is the only person they depend on or have to worry about to assure payment is themselves.

An entrepreneur is someone who can make money during all hours of the day (even when they are sleeping) if they find the right people, and put them in place to make sure ideas work for the benefit of a vision, organization, and others. However, unlike freelancers, an entrepreneur’s success is dependent on everything they put in place to work as planned. If one of the moving parts fail to work it can slow down the payment process and they can even lose money.

 

5. Working in your business or on it

People often mistake owning a business with being an entrepreneur. Owning or starting a business does not necessarily make someone an entrepreneur. Nor does it make them a freelancer. If you start a business based on a skill that you have and it requires you to be involved in that business to produce the product or service then you are a business owner.

You may take the time to develop new ideas and visions for your business but they are not new concepts to the world. You are expanding on skills already known to the world. If you are only willing to perform a certain task in a business and envision only working a certain amount of hours in a day or week, you will be playing the role of a freelancer.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

The realization is that times are changing, and quality of life holds a new set of values for people. The world we live in is demanding new ideas and new ways of doing things. With ingenuity and perseverance, new opportunities are being created every day and modern technology has given us accessibility to resources that were once out of reach.

These very resources have given us the ability to fulfill those demands for new ideas and allow us the chance to live a life that is built around our passions and dreams. Whether you start a new business, become a freelancer, or create the next life changing thing… whatever you do– Do Good Things!

When are you going to start your new business or become a freelancer? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

I am a 5 time stage 4 cancer survivor who founded a company called 2 Dream Productions,Inc. There was a time in my life I did not think I would get to live my own dreams so I created a company to help others live theirs. It was through their dreams I began to live my own. I am contributing writer for places such as the Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and She Owns It. My goal is to inspire others to live their dreams and to leave a legacy for those who dare to believe that anything is possible. You can find me at www.michellecolonjohnson.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/2DreamProductions?pnref=lhc.

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The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires

These must-read titles and writing insights reveal how entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into empire-level success.

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top entrepreneurship books for business growth
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Entrepreneurship is powered by stories—of accomplishment, failure, and decision moments that define businesses. Books are maps, providing insight from individuals who’ve traversed the road ahead. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

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